North Carolina State University Athletics
TIM PEELER: Foschi Looking for Grand Finish
5/28/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
BY TIM PEELER
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Foschi wasn’t sure he would be here for this. A year ago, Foschi’s father Pat died of a heart seizure while waiting for his plane to take off from
But he never made it home. The loss was particularly devastating to Tommy, who was extremely close with his father. He went through the painful process of saying goodbye, while also playing in last year’s ACC Tournament and NCAA Regional. He flew to
“[My dad] went to every single baseball game I ever played,” Foschi said. “He would always be on the left-field side in the stands and I would always check him out. He would give me a wave or something. [During the ACC Championship and the NCAA Regional], I would find myself looking over there and not seeing him there, but kind of feeling his presence. It was really tough.”
It was even tougher when he returned home after the season to help his mother Patti and younger sister adjust to life without his dad, who had been a
In the end, though, Foschi wanted to come back to his new home.
“These guys are like my brothers,” Foschi said. “The coaches here are awesome. They are my second family. Coming back was the best decision I ever made.”
It may not have seemed like it earlier this season. Foschi slumped badly on offense on a team that rode an up-and-down rollercoaster at the plate. But lately, Foschi has been the team’s hottest hitter. He went 7-for-11 at the ACC Tournament, hitting his first home run of the season in the game against Clemson. He even earned All-Tournament honors, along with some endless ribbing from his teammates for running over Georgia Tech’s catcher in the tournament’s opening game in a controversial play at home plate.
Foschi was ejected from the game, and the Wolfpack lost after a reshuffled infield committed three consecutive errors. But jolt seemingly jumpstarted Foschi’s bat.
“Tommy Foschi has just been on fire,” Wolfpack head coach Elliott Avent said. “When he got inserted into the lineup last year when Ramon Corona broke his foot, he did things then. This is a good player. He has played outstanding defense this year. He has been one of the glues that has held this team together. He’s not just a defensive player. He’s a very smart hitter and a good baserunner. He knows how to take pitches and work the count.
“On defense, a shortstop has to be the captain of your infield and that is what Tommy is for us. He does so many things for us. He plays the game so much under control with so much confidence. He has had a great year, but right now he has put a big exclamation point on that.”
Foschi has little explanation of why he’s hitting the ball so well right now, other than he’s stopped pressing.
“At the beginning of the year, I wasn’t hitting the ball at all,” he said. “I knew I could do a lot better. I am not trying to do too much, like I was doing at the beginning of the year. All I am doing is seeing the ball and hitting the ball, getting good counts to see fastballs.”
Both Foschi and third baseman Drew Martin have added some pop to the bottom part of the Wolfpack lineup, to go along with stellar pitching the team has gotten all season. Avent’s team will need to put it all together this weekend, beginning with Friday’s regional opener against James Madison at 7 p.m. at Doak Field at
Foschi is focused on helping his team advance, just as he is focused on completing his degree in sports management and perhaps getting a shot at professional baseball.
But don’t be surprised if his eyes wander, every now and then, to that spot in the bleachers on the left-field side, looking for some help from that “presence” that has doted over his entire baseball career.
You may contact Tim Peeler at tim_peeler@ncsu.edu.
