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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.