March 30, 2006

By Jay Reddick

Charlie Mellies received much of the glory after the Wake Forest baseball team took down No. 1 Florida, 4-0, on Feb. 26. And all the attention was certainly deserved. After all, his five-hit gem was the first complete-game shutout by a Deacons pitcher in nearly four years.

But it was also Wake Forest's first victory over a top-ranked team over that same span (since beating Clemson Apr. 26, 2002), and any win of that magnitude takes more than just one dominant guy on the mound.

"I pitched well," said the junior Mellies, "but there were some great plays behind me. Brian Shust made a diving catch in right field in the ninth that saved the shutout, and there were others. And the hitters got us four runs, so I got a little more leeway to bear down and finish the game."

The victory over Florida, as well as the following day's win over No. 10 Missouri, giave the Deacons the Pepsi Baseball Classic championship. It also gave them a huge building block for the rest of the season.

"That was big for us," coach Rick Rembielak said the next week. "We're on a hot streak now, thanks in large part to our pitching staff. But if we hit a little skid, which is almost inevitable in the ACC, we can always go back to that weekend and say, 'What's the difference between then and now?' So much of this game is mental that having that success is a big deal."

Mellies has had plenty of success to build on. He finished last season strongly, with a complete-game four-hitter against Duke in the ACC Tournament, and his season ERA of 4.17 was second on the staff.

He opened his season with a victory at Charlotte on Feb. 12, but he admits he was already looking ahead to the matchup with the Gators.

"I've been preparing for this game since it was on the schedule," Mellies said. "One of my best friends (Jared Kubin), who I grew up playing with, plays for Florida, so early on, I asked for this game. (Pitching) coach (Chris) Sinacori gave it to me, and so I had been reviewing film and scouting reports."

Obviously, it showed. Mellies allowed four runners to reach second base, but never allowed anyone to reach third. He struck out six and was in almost complete command into the eighth inning. In that frame, his own throwing error on a double-play grounder allowed two runners to reach base for the first time all day, but he got out of that jam and another one in the ninth.

"He was in complete control of all his pitches," Rembielak said. "He made the right pitches when he had to, didn't get behind (on hitters) a lot, and when he did, he came right back. That's a credit to his conditioning.

"In Charlie's case, you know you'll get his best effort. He's a professional in the way he handles himself -- his preparation, his presence -- and that's great to see."

If he didn't know it before, Mellies really knows it now: He, and the Deacons, can compete with anybody.

"Florida was ranked No. 1, but half the ACC could come in here ranked No. 1," Mellies said. "This shows everybody that just because they have the No. 1 ranking or a big name across their jersey, we're just as good as anybody else."