By R.L. Bynum
OMAHA, Neb. — Coming into an intense College World Series game with the potential tying run at the plate would rattle the nerves of some pitchers.
The moment could have been too big for a pitcher so young that his high school class in Fort Mill, S.C., graduated late last month while he was pitching in the Chapel Hill Regional.
But freshman Caden Glauber, the ACC Freshman of the Year, isn’t just any pitcher, and he aggressively met the moment. When it was suggested that those were tense moments, he said that he was “loose as a goose.”
It might be easier to feel that way when you’re bringing fastballs in the upper 90s. That’s why he struck out two West Virginia batters in the ninth inning Sunday night, helping North Carolina escape with a mammoth 5–2 victory at Charles Schwab Field and move within one win of the College World Series finals.
“We all have confidence in ourselves,” said Glauber, who is 11–0 with five saves and a 2.13 ERA. “Even if they tied the game up, we knew we were going to go to extras and win that game, so you’re not thinking about that. You’re coming in thinking Walker McDuffie and Ryan Lynch set the tone for us, and coming in after them and just throwing after them, it was awesome.”
UNC (51–12–1) improved to 2–0 in Omaha for the first time since 2006, putting the Tar Heels in the driver’s seat in Bracket 1. They won’t play again until Wednesday, when they will face the West Virginia, needing one win to make the CWS Finals.
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UNC coach Scott Forbes never wavered on whohe wanted on the mound at the end, when he took Walker McDuffie out of the game with two on and one out in the ninth inning.
“Zero thought of anybody else except Caden Glauber,” Forbes said. “When you get to that point, and you’ve seen enough hitters, you want to bring in one of your best guys who can recover and has that fastball. Man, he’s fun to watch, isn’t he?”
Maybe for Tar Heels fans, but opponents have to differ, considering that Carolina is now 27–0 when he pitches in a game.
Glauber backed up Forbes’ confidence in him.
After falling behind 3 and 1 against his first batter, Ben Lumsden, he regrouped, struck him out swinging on a 97-mph fastball, then struck out Tyrus Hall looking on three pitches. He kept West Virginia from finding the one swing that could change the game.
“I was trying to stay calm the whole time,” Glauber said. “You can’t let yourself get too wrapped up in that moment. So, just gather yourself, take a breath. It’s crucial for this big atmosphere.”
If there was pressure, he didn’t show much of it. He said the Tar Heels’ preparation is what gives them that calm in the biggest moments.
“We all practice this,” Glauber said. “This is only the tip of the iceberg. We have so much work that we’ve done behind the scenes.”
The scene around Glauber as he spoke to the media in front of the Carolina dugout was festive, with Tar Heels fans behind the dugout loudly celebrating the victory after making the long trip to Omaha.
“We have the best fan base in college baseball,” Glauber said. “Without them, we’re not here, and they’ve played a huge part in our success.”
They could very well see Glauber in some role on Wednesday, since he threw only nine pitches against West Virginia and 33 against Ole Miss on Friday night.
Forget that he’s only 18. He’ll be ready to bring the heat when the pressure is on.
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; Sooners lead series 1-0
Game 2 Sunday: North Carolina 6, Oklahoma 2; series tied 1-1
Game 3 (UNC home team): Monday, 7:09 p.m., ESPN
| Date(s) | Day/ month | Times/ scores | Opponent (current rank) | Record/ TV * |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 20–21 | Sat., Sun. | L, 9–3, W, 6–2 | CWS Finals vs. Oklahoma | 54–13–1 |
| 22 | Monday | 7:09 (if needed) | vs. Oklahoma | ESPN |
Photos via @NCAABaseball
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