By R.L. Bynum
OMAHA, Neb. — Scott Forbes is giving the ball to freshman left-hander Jackson Rose in Monday night’s battle with Oklahoma for the national championship.
The Tar Heels will head into Monday’s 7:09 p.m. (ESPN) winner-take-all Game 3 of the College World Series Finals with what Forbes called an “all hands on deck” approach on the mound after Rose, one shaped by trust in a pitching staff that has carried a heavy load through Omaha and a roster that has responded all season when the stakes have risen.
“My mentality is, number one, this is the position we all want to be in,” Forbes said. “I sure as heck do. And our players want to be in it. So that’s the first thing. Embrace that, enjoy it and go after it.
“I trust our pitchers. I have a great relationship with them. I can’t make that decision [Sunday night] because I want to see how guys feel,” Forbes said. “I told [pitching] coach [Bryant] Gaines, I feel like we’ve got about seven options to start [Monday], and I like every one of them.”
Oklahoma is turning to freshman right-hander Nick Wesloski (1–1, 4.03 ERA), who will make only his third start of the season.
Rose (top photo), a Woodstock, Ga., native, is well rested after pitching 4⅓ scoreless relief innings in Wednesday’s 12–7 victory over West Virginia, his only appearance so far in the College World Series.
Rose is 5–0 with a 2.15 ERA this season and has been dominant throughout the NCAA tournament, allowing no runs in 12 innings over four appearances while giving up three hits, three walks and striking out 11.
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Walker McDuffie would seem to be a natural early option to reelieve Rose after throwing only 34 pitches in Game 1 on Saturday, giving him a day of rest before Monday’s finale.
Jason DeCaro threw 83 pitches in that opener, but could still be available for at least an inning. Folger Boaz has not pitched since Wednesday, when he worked one inning against West Virginia and threw 28 pitches.
The biggest question is Ryan Lynch.
Sunday’s starter left after tweaking his left oblique, but Forbes did not rule him out for Monday, either as a starter or in some other role, if he wakes up feeling right. Lynch threw 58 pitches before coming out.
“I thought Lynch was good,” Forbes said. “It’s an oblique. Hopefully he can get that thing better and pitch for us [Monday]. I don’t think it’s too serious, but I didn’t want to gamble.”
Forbes said Lynch told him the area tightened during warmups and continued to bother him once the game began, prompting the decision to get him out before the injury turned into something worse.
“The first thing, I was thankful that he told me it wasn’t his arm, because that’s what you dread as a coach,” Forbes said.
Forbes also made clear that the tone around his team would not be one of tension or fear before the final game of the year. He said experience has changed how he handles nights like this, and his message to the Tar Heels is to enjoy the moment instead of getting buried by it.
“Just to enjoy it,” Forbes said. “I slept great. As a matter of fact, I ate a huge breakfast this morning, probably the biggest breakfast I’ve eaten.
“When you do this long enough, you understand that there’s more to it than — don’t get me wrong here, we want to win the national championship, and we’re going to go after it like crazy — but you coach long enough, you understand there’s way more to it,” he said. “I just want the guys to play free and easy and to have fun going after that national championship. So I’m going to do the same thing and practice what I preach.”
North Carolina has leaned on that mentality all season, and Forbes said it is part of why he believes this team is built for a game like Monday’s. He has often talked about the closeness of the roster, and he returned to that theme again after the Tar Heels earned one more night in Omaha.
“We tell the guys in the first meeting, I have a PowerPoint, and the first thing that I show them is the word ‘love,’ ” Forbes said. “We talk about the word ‘love’ and what it means, and it’s the strongest force on the planet.
“This team really loves each other. There’s some tough love in that locker room that I never have to get to, where I have to be the tough-love guy. That’s a credit to them.”
That bond, Forbes believes, has helped North Carolina stay steady throughout the postseason and should serve it again when the first pitch is thrown Monday night with a national title on the line.
“This is what it’s all about,” Forbes said. “This is why you work so hard, to play in a night game, national championship game. We’re excited about that opportunity. We feel like it’s an honor and a privilege to be in that moment.”
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 courtesy of UNC Athletics
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