May 11, 2007

By Bill Hass
TheACC.com

GREENSBORO, N.C. - It's one thing to wait your turn, quite another thing to make the most of it.

For two seasons, Doug Hogan of Clemson sat behind catcher Adrian Casanova, itching to contribute but rarely getting an opportunity. Although he was considered the frontrunner for the job when fall practice began, Hogan took nothing for granted.

"There was a lot of competition and the position was wide open," he said. "I went into fall practice with something to prove."

And he has done just that. Heading into this weekend's series at Florida State, Hogan had started 47 of the Tigers' 49 games. His average of .326 is second on the team and he has hit nine home runs and driven in 29 runs. Not bad for someone with a career average of .130 coming into the season.

"It's been really nice, a lot of fun," Hogan said. "It's a lot different than sitting on the bench and watching somebody else.

"I've surprised myself a little bit on offense, especially when you look at the statistics from years past. Playing every day, you get into a rhythm and that's different than getting one at-bat every two weeks."

Hogan admitted to occasional frustration and brief thoughts of transferring, but he put his time watching to good use.

"I learned a lot from Casanova," he said. "I watched his ability to control the game, set the pace, read the hitters. One thing I picked up was working with the pitchers. You've got to know each one personally, what his mentality is, his makeup is, when to give a pat on the back and when to get on his back. I know our pitchers pretty well."

Hogan's performance hasn't been a total surprise.

"Doug has probably improved as much as anyone on this team over the last couple of seasons," coach Jack Leggett said before the season. "I think it's his turn to get an opportunity to show this team what he can do in terms of being a leader behind the plate. Offensively, his swing has really improved since his freshman season. He possesses a very strong and accurate arm."

Hogan, brother of former Tigers pitcher Patrick Hogan, wasn't exactly born a catcher because he didn't start playing it until he was about 13. But he made the move because he wanted to.

"I always liked wearing the gear," he said. "It was tough the first couple of times; I almost closed my eyes when the ball came in. But I got the hang of it pretty quickly.

"You're always catching foul balls off the shoulders and kneecaps. You just shake them off. It comes with the territory. The toughest aspect is being mentally into a game 100 percent all the time. You have to separate your offense from your defense; you can't let a bad at-bat affect you defensively."

Hogan said his defense has been "decent" when it comes to throwing out baserunners. He has nailed 14 runners in 47 attempts.

"Teams in the ACC are athletic and they like to run," he said. "The best way to deal with speed is to keep the fast guys off the bases."

The series with Florida State matches two of the ACC's best baseball traditions. The Tigers swept the Seminoles last season, but things will be more difficult this year in Tallahassee.

"They're good every year," Hogan said. "The pitch well, play good defense and can hit. It's a tough environment but a very good baseball atmosphere with a nice stadium and good fans."

Florida State needs only one win in its last six games to clinch the top spot in the ACC's Atlantic Division. The Tigers (15-9 ACC, 32-17 overall) still have plenty on the line in this series and their final series against N.C. State as they try to earn a second consecutive spot in the NCAA College World Series.

"We have to play our best every game," Hogan said. "We want to win games and hopefully earn a host spot for the regionals and then the super regionals.

"It was amazing to be in Omaha last year, even though I didn't get to play. It's something you've watched on TV your whole life and you're there in person."

As a fourth-year junior, Hogan plans to return for his senior season unless something dramatic happens in this summer's draft. Besides, this ride has been worth the wait.

"Now that I'm here and playing, I wouldn't trade this for the world," he said. "It has been a blast."

Bill Hass is a long-time observer of ACC sports. His career at the Greensboro News & Record spanned 36 years, from 1969 until his retirement in March, 2006. He is now writing "Bill Hass on the ACC" for TheACC.com. His weekly columns will keep fans plugged in to the Atlantic Coast Conference.

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