Word from Demon baseball coach J.P. Davis Tuesday afternoon was not surprising but still disappointing -- star first baseman Justin O'Neal is out for the Southland Conference Tournament and any NCAA Tournament action with a fractured jaw.
O'Neal took a grounder to the face off a bad hop last Friday night in the sixth inning against Southeastern.
Despite a cut, he finished the play. He recorded the out. That's just J.O.
But Tuesday morning, consulting with an oral surgeon in Corpus Christi, he found out he can't finish the season.
This from a guy who reportedly told teammates on Senior Day Saturday - "they can't wire my jaw shut, I like to eat too much!"
So a bad hop grounder, to a first baseman who fielded .989 this season, did what pitchers could not do this year - it shut down Justin O'Neal.
So he's gone from the lineup card, but won't be forgotten for a long while. Just look at the Demon record book next year. His impact will be obvious there.
One encouraging thought for this week - with O'Neal watching Saturday against SLU, the Demons piled up 19 runs. One thing we know, this team will compete.
Baseball SID Matt Bonnette sent a text with the news of J.O. going on the shelf while he and Demon Sports Network broadcaster Patrick Netherton were hurtling through the Houston area on the way to Corpus Christi.
They left a day after the Demons departed. The team had a morning workout Tuesday at Whataburger Field, the home of the Class AA affiliate of the Houston Astros -- the Corpus Christi Hooks.
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