Sports > April 10, 2008

By Jeff Merski | Senior writer

Second baseman Dustin Hood has been one of the offensive leaders of the baseball team this year, leading the team with a .330 batting average this season. Hood has collected 37 hits through 30 games, including five doubles, as well as scoring 18 runs and driving home an additional 22 runs while stealing four bases in four attempts.

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(Jeff Merski/Old Gold & Black)

In the field, Hood has recorded 77 assists on outs, while also recording 53 put-outs. The Old Gold & Black’s senior writer Jeff Merski caught up with Hood after the Deacons faced High Point University to discuss his walk-out song – which has been described by ACC Select’s Evan Lepler as one of the best in the ACC, his success in hitting the baseball and his favorite thing about the university.

On changing to number 21 this season:

I think I needed a change personally. The first two years we hadn’t gotten over that hump, especially myself as a player, especially as a hitter. I wanted to change something and numbers aren’t a big thing – I’m not superstitious I just like random numbers. I changed it and maybe it will change our season.

On his walk-out song, “I’m so Hood”:

Usually when we prepare for intro songs, every guy on the team takes four hours to prepare our walk-out song. The last couple of years, it’s taken me a while, I’ve stayed up all night. This year, with “I’m So Hood” and I was like, it’s got to be me. All the fans seem to like it, all the kids at the games sing it to me and I like it.

On playing with infield partner Andy Goff:

Ever since I’ve come in here, we’ve been on the same page; we think alike. I think that’s the reason for a lot of our success up the middle. We’re good friends and everything and it works out well.

On his success at the plate:

I feel it comes with experience and finding out what type of hitter I am. I’ve played summer ball two summers now and it’s really helped me out a lot to find out what type of hitter I am, and I know my strengths and my weaknesses. I try to stay with my strengths and I feel like that’s what’s really helped me out a lot this year with my success. I’ve got to keep it up though, and we’ve got a lot of season left.

On his favorite thing about Wake Forest:

Coming up the hill to the baseball field with a great group of guys. We all like each other, we all hang out with each other every day. Not all groups can say they’re like that. We’re out here 10 hours a day almost. That’s what you look forward to everyday – coming out here everyday and playing baseball.

On how the team can turn the season around:

We just have to start winning games. We can’t look for reasons anymore, we know we have a good team – it’s the same team that we had last year and it’s not over because we’re going to make the ACC Tournament and we’re going to play well. Once you get into the postseason, you never know what’s going to happen. I’ve seen crazier stuff happen than us turning this around and making a regional.