News & Observer covers MOC champs' homecoming

It took winning a national championship to get the News & Observer to send a reporter an hour away from its headquarters to cover little Mount Olive College and its baseball team. There's no analysis, no indepth reporting, but the old N&O did send someone, did publish a little note on the NCAA Division II College World Series champions' homecoming, did identify the coach's name and did mention one of the players' names -- it happened to be the same as the coach's name, but that's okay, it got mentioned.

And, just as night follows day, the News & Observer couldn't mention Mount Olive without mentioning pickles. Yes, it was in a quote by the coach, but I bet the coach said a lot of other things -- especially about his baseball program, his college, his assistant coaches and his team, particularly the ones who were recognized as All-American and whatnot -- but none of those things were quoted. Pickles got quoted. Pickles. Night follows day.

And I guess we should be grateful, since the last time MOC got coverage by the N&O, Jerry Allegood covered the retirement of the college's president in 1995. You know, the longest-tenured college president in American history. You have to do and be things like that to get coverage in the N&O when you don't exist within 10 or 12 miles of downtown Raleigh. (Even then, Allegood drove over from the eastern regional office in Greenville; the N&O only sent a photographer from its headquarters in Raleigh.)

Anyway, let's go to the tape and try not to be disappointed that the lead is about window-dressing and set decorations, for the N&O giveth and the N&O taketh away:

Mount Olive title is college's first
Madeline Perez, Staff Writer

MOUNT OLIVE - As the Mount Olive College baseball team sat in front of home plate, a banner hung high overhead from the ladder of a Mount Olive Fire Department truck. Hundreds of fans and family members surrounded Scarborough Field, with many waving posters and sporting championship T-shirts.

And in front of the team sat the NCAA Division II national championship trophy.

Monday's rally celebrated the college's first national title, won when the team defeated Ouachita Baptist 6-2 on Saturday. The Trojans, the tournament's top seed, finished the season 58-6.

Coach Carl Lancaster addressed the crowd.

"Twenty-two years ago, I took this job and people asked me why, and I told them I didn't know. Well, now I do," he said.

The day was especially notable for Lancaster's son, senior Jesse Lancaster, who celebrated his 22nd birthday. His father led the crowd in serenading the outfielder.

"I'm going to have to get Dad back for that," Lancaster said. "I wasn't expecting it. That was a little bit embarrassing having the crowd sing to me."

The celebration began Saturday after the victory, with the team given a police escort after several fans greeted the team at Raleigh-Durham International Airport. That night, a small crowd greeted the Trojans at their field.

The win has provided a boost in publicity. Lancaster and athletic director Jeff Eisen said recruits have begun calling to express interest in playing for Mount Olive.

Lancaster hopes the national spotlight will let the country know what Mount Olive -- the college and the town -- have to offer.

"We've been known for pickles forever," he said. "A lot of people in the baseball community understand what kind of program we have, but people that are not baseball fans now know there's more to Mount Olive than pickles."

Tuesdays are the big days for sports coverage in the Goldsboro News-Argus, so I'll check there this afternoon for more on the celebration. As for the Trib, my beloved Mount Olive Trib, its new owners have finally posted news of the college's victory over Ouachita Baptist -- the first one, from last Monday morning, not the last one that brought home the trophy. (Sigh.)