By R.L. Bynum
CHAPEL HILL — Double-elimination tournaments create challenges for coaches as they figure out how to best manage pitching staffs.
The competition is much stiffer at the College World Series than during the double-elimination regional round, but the days off between games change the calculus when it comes to managing pitchers and keeping the best arms fresh.
No. 4 North Carolina (50–12–1) opens College World Series play in Omaha at 7:06 p.m. Friday against No. 23 Ole Miss (41–21). The Tar Heels won’t play again until Sunday, against either No. 9 West Virginia (48–15) or Troy (38–30). A third game wouldn’t come until Tuesday.
That gap between games gives UNC more room to maneuver.
UNC coach Scott Forbes said the day off after Friday’s opener is especially valuable for a bullpen that may have to cover key innings against an elite Rebels lineup. Instead of approaching the game as the start of a best-of-three series, he said, the Tar Heels can treat it as a one-game priority and deploy arms accordingly.
“That day off is huge, especially for your bullpen,” Forbes said Wednesday at the Hall of Honor in Boshamer Stadium before the Tar Heels left for Omaha. “So, you’re not thinking about winning a series going into Friday’s game. You’re literally just thinking about, ‘Hey, we’re going to beat Ole Miss,’ and that’s it, and nothing else. Whatever it takes.”
Forbes mentioned possible scenarios. He could start junior Jason DeCaro on Friday, then bring on sophomore right-hander Ryan Lynch in relief, then start freshman right-hander Caden Glauber on Sunday. Or he could go from DeCaro to Glauber and freshman left-hander Jackson Rose on Friday and start Lynch on Sunday.
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Forbes said UNC has enough depth and enough recovery time built into the bracket to be aggressive.
“We do have our second starter prepared, but if we need to use him out of the bullpen, we’re going to use him, because we’ve got depth on the mound, and we have that day [off] as well, with more rest,” Forbes said.
He said that Glauber could throw 60 pitches on Friday and, with a full day of rest, be OK to throw two innings on Sunday.
That flexibility is one of the biggest differences between Omaha and the regional round, when pitching decisions are often dictated by the possibility of multiple games in rapid succession. At the College World Series, coaches still have to think ahead, but the built-in rest allows for more creativity with top arms and a little less hesitation about using them in leverage spots.
Should UNC win its first two games, it would get Monday and Tuesday off before playing its third game on Wednesday, an advantage of being in Bracket 1. The team that wins its first two games in Bracket 2 plays its second game on Monday and would only get Tuesday off.
Forbes said that matters even more because of the quality of the field and the nature of college baseball. He said no team can assume it will overwhelm an opponent simply because of seeding, conference affiliation or reputation.
He said that explains the upsets that led to no team in last season’s CWS field even making it to the Super Regional round.
“What makes baseball such a great game is the great equalizer, the guy that rolls out there to pitch that day,” Forbes said. “If that guy is special and he’s on, it can neutralize any great team, and that’s what you see with upsets.”
He also pointed to the transfer portal and the age of many rosters as reasons the gap around the sport is smaller than some might expect.
“With the transfer portal, you can stay older, and you can stay more physical, so just because you’re a Power Four team doesn’t mean that you can’t lose to a mid-major,” Forbes said. “They’re also active in the transfer portal, they’re also active in the high schools, and I think it’s going to remain like that.”
College World Series
At Charles Schwab Field Omaha in Omaha, Neb.
Pool play
All listed times are ET
June 12 results
West Virginia 7, Troy 5
North Carolina 6, Ole Miss 2
June 13 results
Oklahoma 9, Alabama 0
Georgia 7, Texas 1
June 14 results
Troy 12, Ole Miss 8; Ole Miss eliminated
North Carolina 5, West Virginia 2
June 15 results
Texas 14, Alabama 2; Alabama eliminated
Oklahoma 4, Georgia 3
Tuesday’s results
West Virginia 12, Troy 0; Troy eliminated
Georgia 2, Texas 0; Texas eliminated
Wednesday’s results
North Carolina 12, West Virginia 7; West Virginia eliminated
Oklahoma 11, Georgia 4; Georgia eliminated
CWS Finals
(Best-of-3 series)
North Carolina vs. Oklahoma
Game 1 Saturday: Oklahoma 9, North Carolina 3
Game 2 Sunday: North Carolina 6, Oklahoma 2
Game 3 Monday: Oklahoma 13, North Carolina 2; Sooners win national title
| Date(s) | Day/ month | Scores | Opponent (current rank) | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February | ||||
| 13–14 | Fri., Sat. | W, 9–4; W, 12–2 (7); W, 4–3 (11) | vs. Indiana | 3–0 |
| 17 | Tuesday | W, 10–0 (7) | vs. Richmond | 4–0 |
| 18 | Wednesday | W, 5–3 | vs. Longwood | 5–0 |
| 20–22 | Fri.-Sun | W, 10–0 (8); L, 10–3; T, 3–3 | vs. East Carolina | 6–1–1 |
| 24 | Tuesday | W, 9–1 | vs. N.C. A&T | 7–1–1 |
| 25 | Wednesday | W, 13–3 (7) | vs. VCU | 8–1–1 |
| 27–28 | Fri., Sat. | W, 16–3 (7); W, 12–2 (7) | vs. Le Moyne | 10–1–1 |
| March | ||||
| 1 | Sunday | W, 21–1 (7) | vs. Le Moyne | 11–1–1 |
| 3 | Tuesday | W, 5–1 | vs. Elon | 12–1–1 |
| 6–7 | Fri., Sat | L, 13–3 (7); L, 9–2; W, 8–7 (12) | vs. Virginia | 13–3–1, 1–2 ACC |
| 10 | Tuesday | W, 13–3 (7) | vs. Bucknell | 14–3–1 |
| 13–15 | Fri.-Sun. | W, 8–1; W, 6–2; W, 10–2 | at California | 17–3–1, 4–2 |
| 18 | Wednesday | W, 8–2 | vs. UNCG | 18–3–1 |
| 20–22 | Fri.–Sun. | W, 11–1 (8); L, 2–0; W, 7–6 | vs. Louisville | 20–4–1, 6–3 |
| 24 | Tuesday | W, 9–1 | vs. South Carolina in Charlotte | 21–4–1 |
| 28, 29 | Sat., Sun | W, 6–5; W, 13–7; W, 15–10 | at Notre Dame | 24–4–1, 9–3 |
| 31 | Tuesday | W, 5–4 (14) | vs. Campbell | 25–4–1 |
| April | ||||
| 2–4 | Thur.-Sat. | L, 6–1; W, 5–2; W, 8–7 | vs. Boston College | 27–5–1, 11–4 |
| 7 | Tuesday | W, 8–4 | vs. Charlotte | 28–5–1 |
| 10–12 | Fri.–Sun. | L, 9–5; W, 6–4 (14); W, 12–5 | at Clemson | 30–6–1, 13–5 |
| 14 | Tuesday | W, 14–5 | vs. UNCW | 31–6–1 |
| 17–19 | Fri.-Sun. | W, 5–2; W, 14–4 (8); L, 5–2 | vs. No. 2 Georgia Tech | 33–7–1, 15–6 |
| 21 | Tuesday | W, 9–2 | vs. High Point | 34–7–1 |
| 23–25 | Thur.–Sat. | W, 3–1; L, 3–1; W, 22–5 (7) | at Duke | 36–8–1, 17–7 |
| 28 | Tuesday | L, 12–2 | vs. Coastal Carolina | 36–9–1 |
| May | ||||
| 3 | Sunday | W, 13–0 (7) (non-conference game) | vs. Duke | 37–9–1 |
| 8–10 | Fri.-Sun. | W, 4–1; W, 12–2 (8); W, 7–3 | vs. Pittsburgh | 40–9–1, 20–7 |
| 12 | Tuesday | W, 13–7 | at UNCW | 41–9–1 |
| 14–16 | Thur.-Sat. | W, 9–4; W, 17–7 (8); L, 7–2 | at N.C. State | 43–10–1, 22–8 |
| ACC tournament | Charlotte | |||
| 22 | Friday | W, 10–4 | Quarterfinal vs. Virginia Tech | 44–10–1 |
| 23 | Saturday | W, 13–5 | Semifinal vs. Pittsburgh | 45–10–1 |
| 24 | Sunday | L, 13–6 | Championship vs. No. 2 Ga. Tech | 45–11–1 |
| NCAA tournament | ||||
| Chapel Hill Regional | ||||
| 29 | Friday | W, 8–0 | VCU | 46–11–1 |
| 30–31 | Sat.–Sun. | W, 7–5; W, 9–3 | East Carolina | 48–11–1 |
| June | ||||
| Chapel Hill Super Regionals | ||||
| 5–7 | Fri.–Sun. | L, 9–5; W, 4–0; W, 4–3 | Southern Cal | 50–12–1 |
| College World Series | Omaha, Neb. | |||
| 12 | Friday | W, 6–2 | No. 18 Ole Miss | 51–12–1 |
| 14, 17 | Sun., Wed. | W, 5–2; W, 12–7 | No. 9 West Virginia | 53–12–1 |
| 20–22 | Sat.-Mon. | L, 9–3; W, 6–2; L, 13–2 | CWS Finals vs. Oklahoma | 54–14–1 |
Photo by Smith Hardy
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