The Red and Black

Issue date: 4/29/09 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Daniel Shirey Dean Weaver remembers the disappointment Georgia faced last summer and is determined not to let "something like that" happen again. [Click to enlarge]

He still can remember the song to which Fresno State celebrated its first national championship, in any sport, on the Rosenblatt Stadium grass in Omaha, Neb., last summer.

He still can remember staring blankly into space, with tears in his eyes as Fresno's "Wonderdogs" celebrated on the field and his teammates laid downtrodden on the dugout floor.

Although some teammates let go of the disappointment of Omaha, Georgia closer Dean Weaver is reminded of it everyday. His locker is plastered with front pages of newspapers proclaiming Fresno's victory, including the front page of The Red & Black that showed a teared-up Weaver watching Fresno celebrate.

"I was just watching them lift the trophy and I remember seeing Gordon Beckham, Ryan Peisel and the other veterans whose careers were over," Weaver said. "It's something I'll never live down I took that loss personally. It haunted me the whole summer, I couldn't go to bed, and it motivated me to do everything I can everyday to make sure something like that doesn't happen again."

This season Weaver, somewhat reluctantly, stepped into the closer's role left void by graduated Joshua Fields and hasn't missed a beat, posting a 1.01 ERA with nine saves in nine opportunities.

"Every good team that we've had here has had a good anchor at the end, and I knew at the end of last season he would be the guy," head coach David Perno said. "It was just a matter of me getting him to buy into it, and it was a little tougher than I thought. But at the end of the day, we came to the conclusion he was the man for the role, and he has taken it and run with it."

Weaver, who finished 6-1 with a 4.24 ERA last season, has performed above and beyond expectations in his new high-pressure role, which is a testament to his competitive mentality.

"I guess you could say I'm intense like [Boston Red Sox closer Jonathan] Papelbon," Weaver said. "I don't look nearly as fierce as he does by any means, but that's my mental aspect. I take it personally against hitters because they are trying to ruin my numbers and win the game, and when they step into the box, I'm not backing down."

Continued...

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