Afternoon Quickie: BC Baseball’s Home Opener; Fast Start Evaporates

On Tuesday afternoon, the Boston College baseball team will return home from its month-long road trip to points south for their home opener. At 3pm at Commander Shea Field, the Eagles will face Jesuit rivals Holy Cross in their first game at BC of 2012. Chestnut Hill is expecting a high temperature in the low 70s today, so if you’re free, go and support the team. The first pitch will be thrown at approximately 3pm.

When we first began following this team in February, things were going very well. The Eagles won their early-season tournament down in South Carolina and also played very well against a ranked Central Florida team. They even put together a representative effort against the Boston Red Sox in an exhibition game.

Would it surprise you to learn, then, that BC baseball is now 6-11 (0-6) and have lost nine games in a row?

That’s right: the Eagles have not won a game since before their exhibition defeat to the Red Sox — a span of almost three weeks now.

So, what happened? Prior to the Sox game, BC was 6-2 and statistically looked good. During those first eight games of the season, the Eagles scored an average of 6.5 runs per game and allowed 4.63 runs per game. After the Boston game, however, during this nine-game losing streak, BC is averaging 3.33 runs per game and has allowed 7.56. Six games against ACC opponents will help expose your flaws, and that appears to be what has happened to the Eagles.

As far as a long-term/season prognosis for this team, it’s probably not looking good. Perhaps they can find some spark in playing home games once again, but if not, it could be another long season for BC.

News on the BC softball front is a little better. They were just swept by Georgia Tech this past weekend, but they’re a much more respectable 16-9 (0-3).

The ladies’ home opener is slated for Saturday afternoon at 1pm against Dartmouth.

Congratulations go out to the BC rowing teams for winning the Jesuit Invitational. The women’s rowing team won their team championship, thanks to victories in four of five events, while the men contributed enough points to make Boston College rowing tops at the invitational. Good job on winning the “Cannonball Trophy.”

On a very serious Boston College note, it has been nearly one month since BC student Franco Garcia disappeared in Cleveland Circle, and there are still no leads.

There may not be much you can personally do to help, but you can join the Facebook group or donate to the family fund to help pay for a private investigator.

If you have any information, contact BCPD.