346 
UAB's Brint Hardy
When the UAB baseball team takes the field for its season opener Feb. 20 against Radford, it will have been nearly nine months since the Blazers’ 2008 season came to a close.
Nine months since the Blazers closed the ’08 campaign by winning six of their final nine games.
Nine months since they ended the regular season with a series win against No. 27 Southern Miss.
Nine months since they upset fifth-ranked Rice in the opening round of the Conference USA tournament.
If momentum can carry over through a nine-month layoff, then UAB has positioned itself for a successful 2009 season.
But head coach Brian Shoop isn’t banking on momentum. What he’s banking on is a change in mindset created by that late-season success.
