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Ragsdale alumnus Chase Jones is the bullpen catcher for the North Carolina baseball team. He gives News & Record readers an inside view of the College World Series.

OMAHA, Neb. — One of the first lessons I ever learned in baseball from my father was “highs and lows.” Baseball is a rare sport where from one day you can go 3-for-4 with two doubles to the next 0-for-4 with two strikeouts, all the while scratching your head at what exactly just happened.

I could have been elated, running around the house after a Jamestown Youth League win or in the verge of tears in high school hating the game of baseball. I received one response from my father.

Highs and lows.

Saturday brought both of those. I went from shaking former President George W. Bush’s hand before the inaugural game at TD Ameritrade Ballpark to an inaugural loss.
You can fill in the conversation with my dad afterward.

Looking back, the Tar Heels clinched a trip to the College World Series by beating Stanford in a thrilling 7-5 game. Before getting the final three outs to win the series, however, we had to sit through a 31/2-hour rain delay. During the delay, one of our coaches paced the dugout while mumbling, “We haven’t had anything easy this season, guys. This is only fitting.”

I could hear my father in the back of my head. The statement could not be truer for our squad: This year’s team has been plagued by injuries, loss of players and weather, all amidst multiple blown losses and come-from-behind wins.

Highs and lows.

All I could think about on the bus ride back to our hotel Saturday was this: It is only fitting that things do not go to plan. It only makes sense that we have failure. It hasn’t been easy this year, so why start now?

Celebrating Father’s Day in Omaha brought it more into focus for me personally. Many of us were raised by a dad who never let you think you were perfect and who quickly pointed out any faults. But they made us better sons, daughters and people because of it. And to you, Dad, I could never be thankful enough.

I think the same applies to our team — we are not perfect, and obviously Vanderbilt showed our faults. But we can learn from them, and be better because of it.

So, on our off day, we had the opportunity to practice at Omaha’s historic Boys Town, home to many children with unfortunate upbringings. We practiced with local Little League teams, threw with them, let them take batting practice alongside us. For a few hours, the loss Saturday could not have seemed further away. And, with a low behind us, we were building back to what hopefully will be a high today against Texas.

Maybe it took until I was a college graduate to realize it, but to my father, I finally get your lesson.