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UNC's Scott Forbes, Jake Knapp and Kane Kepley after 8-1 win over N.C. State. #UNC
May 9, 2025
UNC's Scott Forbes, Jake Knapp and Kane Kepley after 8-1 win over N.C. State. #UNC
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0:00
Uh, obviously the story of the game, I
0:02
wanted him to throw a complete game so
0:04
bad. Uh, but you know, all those years
0:07
as a pitching coach, I make up my mind.
0:09
I don't like to go to guys with the
0:11
bases loaded. So, after that second guy
0:12
went on, I knew he was giving us
0:14
everything he had. Um, but he was the
0:16
story of the game. Gave up the home run
0:18
early. Obviously, we answered. Thought
0:19
Kane Keley, that was a big double right
0:22
out of the gate for us to come back and
0:23
score against a good team like NC State.
0:26
You don't see many time games. I haven't
0:28
seen many games since I've been here or
0:30
been coaching with no walks. Um so
0:33
neither team walked. Two really really
0:35
good teams. Carter French made some
0:37
outstanding plays in left field and you
0:40
see why you know our defense has been so
0:42
good especially since we inserted him
0:44
and McDuffy came in did his thing. So
0:47
it's it's always big to get that Friday
0:49
night win and we'll take it and be ready
0:52
tomorrow. just how important has Kane
0:54
been as a table setter for this flavor
0:56
of offense you guys are playing? I mean,
0:57
he's just a heck of a player.
0:59
Um, you know, credit to him trusting
1:02
Coach Jackson, too. Uh, he could have
1:04
gone anywhere he wanted to. Obviously,
1:06
we are proud of our program, but
1:08
probably the most premier center fielder
1:10
on the portal um when he went on and
1:13
he's an instate kid and he always wanted
1:14
to be at UNCC. And if you look at his
1:16
season, he just had that one stretch
1:18
where hitters struggle. Um he was still
1:20
getting on base, but I think it was
1:22
maybe a one for almost 30 stretch and
1:25
he's still climbing. Puts a lot of
1:27
pressure on the other team. He never
1:29
takes a day off. Uh so that he's an
1:31
older guy and our guys watch how he
1:33
practices, watch how he lifts, watch how
1:35
he plays. As good a lead off hitter as
1:37
we've had here um in a long time.
1:40
Obviously, he doesn't hit 28 home runs
1:44
like Bance, but he gets hit by pitches,
1:45
he steals bases, and he scores runs.
1:48
Were there any conversations between you
1:50
and Jake between that eighth and ninth
1:51
inning about him going back out? No, I
1:53
just reminded to stay in his legs. Um,
1:57
you know, that's his game unless I I
1:59
have to make the decision to make a move
2:01
right there. Um, I wanted to leave him
2:03
in. Uh, but again, you know, he had a
2:05
full repair. Uh, I might would have
2:07
thought about it a little bit more if he
2:09
hadn't had that and he moved up his
2:11
timet so he could be ready at the
2:13
beginning of the season. Uh, and I know
2:15
how good NC State is and I've been
2:16
coaching long enough the team can get
2:18
back in it in a heartbeat and we didn't
2:20
want to let him do that. So, uh, you
2:22
know, he tried to talk me out of it
2:24
still and he's he's not he's still not
2:25
too happy about it, but he'll be all
2:26
right. French and left. I mean, you
2:28
mentioned him earlier, but he it seems
2:30
like that defense really settled down
2:32
when you put him out there. Yeah. You
2:34
know, and he's he's if you look at him,
2:36
he's hitting like three 40 against
2:39
right-handed pitching. He just hasn't
2:40
done much against lefties, which is why
2:41
he tried to bump. He's a really tough
2:43
kid. You know, we talk about this new
2:45
age and he got transfer portal when he
2:46
got NIL and here's a kid that got into
2:49
UNCC on his own because he wanted to be
2:50
a doctor. Um his coach uh called me um
2:54
summer ball coach said, "Hey, I think
2:56
this kid's talented enough to
2:57
potentially make your team." Literally
2:59
the old school walk-on um probably 160
3:03
165 pounds. He stuck with it. Now he's
3:07
up to 190. I think he's got another
3:08
jump. He's a great athlete. He's a great
3:10
uh high school wide receiver. um Tampa
3:13
Jesuit a great high school and uh he
3:15
brings us that toughness too. So you our
3:17
outfield now has really solidified
3:19
defensively and when you have our arms
3:22
it's all about not giving extra outs. So
3:24
that's that's what we decided to do. We
3:25
just did something similar in 2022 when
3:27
we inserted Kobe Wilkerson at second
3:29
base and uh helped us just not give
3:31
those extra outs.
3:33
Go ahead. Go for it. I was you say just
3:36
kind of piggybacking on the defense
3:37
question and you know Stokeley maybe the
3:40
most underrated piece of the defense
3:41
because nobody ever talks about the
3:42
first baseman right on on defense but
3:44
another great play today. Just curious
3:46
what you've seen and we've talked about
3:47
it before but his his continued
3:49
development this year both ways
3:51
defensively and at the plate. Yeah, I
3:52
mean he's always been really good at
3:54
first. He's taken another step. He's
3:55
that gold glove type first baseman. Um
3:58
and you know if you really look at him
4:00
we I love baseball. I love having
4:02
conversations with our coaches. We
4:03
actually talked about that today cuz
4:04
you're always playing depthwise. Okay,
4:06
if something happens, who goes where?
4:08
And we made the agreement, we're not
4:09
taking Hunter Stokeley off first base.
4:11
Um, you look at the assist all season
4:14
and put outs, you got your middle guys,
4:17
you know, writing the same thing. Then
4:18
you have Stokeley, and believe it or
4:20
not, because the power of our arms, you
4:21
probably have 45, maybe under 50 assists
4:24
from third base. Um, and that first
4:26
baseman, you know, we've always put a
4:29
premium on on that. I learned that from
4:30
coach Fox, from Dustin Ackley to Chad
4:32
Fly to Michael Bush. These were high
4:35
school center fielders or high school
4:37
shorts stops and we're always going to
4:39
do that. I think I think that's a very
4:41
underrated position and you better have
4:43
somebody really really good over there.
4:45
Scott, you were talking about Keley and
4:48
sort of him maybe being one of the top
4:50
rated center fielders in the portal, but
4:52
how does his sort of attitude or
4:55
feistiness or whatever you call it, like
4:57
how does that fuel you? You know, you
4:59
can plug a guy in, but you know, like
5:00
the other stuff, like how is that I
5:03
mean, it makes coaching easy. Yeah.
5:05
Yeah. I mean, again, a walk-on at
5:07
Liberty. Coach Jackson was the only one
5:08
that gave him a shot out of camp. No
5:10
scholarship money. Um, and you look at
5:13
his body, you can tell. I mean, the
5:14
weight room's a big deal. And I tell
5:16
guys all the time, if you can't learn to
5:18
like it, you're going to have trouble
5:20
getting better. And, uh, I mean, I I'm
5:23
not exaggerating. Kane Keley from the
5:25
day he's walked on campus here, he's
5:27
never taken a day off from anything I've
5:29
seen him do. He's been if he's under the
5:31
weather, he lifts hard, he runs hard, um
5:35
he practices hard, and when he's one of
5:37
your best players, you know, it was like
5:39
that last year with Vance. You know, I
5:40
didn't say much to anything to Vance in
5:42
three years. It just makes coaching more
5:44
where you just have to coach and you
5:45
don't have to tell guys, hey, this is
5:47
how we do it. Those guys show it. when
5:49
when thing things didn't start out so
5:51
well in the league season, would you
5:52
have expected to be tied for the ACC
5:54
lead at this point? You know,
5:57
um it's funny you asked that question
5:59
because I was just looking at some
6:01
things and somehow I was looking at last
6:03
year's stats and I really haven't had it
6:07
had not broken it down as much
6:10
as you know I move on pretty quick. I
6:13
like to get ready for the next season.
6:14
Just how much production, RBI's, home
6:16
runs, runs scored, stolen bases. Um, so,
6:20
you know, I thought we were going to
6:21
have to find our way a little bit and I
6:23
thought the backbone of our team was
6:24
going to be our pitching. Um, it didn't
6:27
surprise me that we started off slow
6:28
offensively. I mean, you just look at
6:30
what we lost and you be realistic.
6:32
You're losing, you know, Denofrio,
6:35
Honeyut, Harbor, Cook, Osuna, Kobe Wils.
6:39
I mean, those are 85% of your RBI's, but
6:43
I thought the guys were talented enough
6:44
and we had some returners that were
6:45
leaders. We needed Gavin and Luke to
6:48
obviously improve, which they have, but
6:50
they started slow, too. Um, and they
6:53
they buy in. It's a credit to them
6:55
because we talk about, you know, just be
6:57
being processoriented. Don't get caught
6:58
up on where you are. In 2022, I can go
7:00
back to it all the time. We were dead in
7:02
the water. Um, we couldn't win a game
7:04
and then we couldn't lose a game. So, I
7:06
just remind the guys like, hey, focus on
7:08
today. So, it really didn't I mean, we
7:10
played two good teams. I thought
7:12
Stanford, honestly, after we played
7:13
them, I thought they were going to
7:14
finish in the top five of the league
7:16
tells you how tough the league is.
7:17
Louisville's an extremely tough place to
7:19
win. We had chances to win those games
7:22
and then we recovered and found a way.
7:25
545 with runners in scoring position at
7:27
the beginning of the season. I think
7:28
that was a little bit of a an Achilles
7:30
heel for you guys. How have you seen
7:31
your offense just evolve into a team
7:34
that can do that, especially when not
7:36
every game is going to be one with the
7:37
power of a homer? I mean, again, I know
7:39
I say it a lot, but it's our staff. I
7:41
mean, I have the most unbelievable
7:43
coaching staff in the country. Getting
7:44
coach Jackson back here. He works with
7:46
coach where's Bicki. You'd have to ask
7:48
him because I don't I don't go back
7:49
there, but I know that was a point of
7:51
emphasis, but also just explaining to
7:53
our hitters, you know, we're not going
7:55
to hit 130 home runs. So, if that's what
7:57
we're trying to do, we're going to be
7:59
big and we're not going to have short
8:00
swings. we're not going to hit line
8:01
drives. Um, you know, it's like the
8:04
example was Bash right there calling
8:05
that time just reminding him, man, hey,
8:07
just find a way to get him over to third
8:09
base and the next guy will get him in.
8:11
So, they bought into that and that's
8:12
where a slow start sometimes can help
8:15
you because, you know, if you start
8:16
hitting all these home runs and then you
8:17
go in the slump, they don't know what
8:20
their identity is. And this team's
8:21
identity, we we can hit some home runs,
8:23
but we have to pressure defenses. We're
8:25
an athletic offense. We have to read
8:26
dirt balls and we have to steal some
8:28
bases and get bumps down. I believe it
8:30
was uh 18 straight that Nap retired
8:33
there when he sort of got into a groove.
8:35
What what was working for him in that
8:38
stretch? Did what did you see for from
8:40
him where he sort of made the adjustment
8:42
from the first couple batters? I mean or
8:43
if there was adjustment then you know
8:45
what um I'm I'm honest to a fault
8:48
sometimes as my wife tells me, but I
8:51
mean he just has an elite fast ball. I
8:52
thought his off speed think he would
8:54
agree was probably a C C minus, but that
8:56
fast ball when you put it where you want
8:57
to and the lowest one all day I thought
9:00
saw was 91, but there were a lot of 95s,
9:03
93, 96, 95, you know, and you get a
9:06
lead, then the other team gets knows
9:07
like, hey, he's going to be coming after
9:08
me with fast balls and you get quick
9:10
outs like we did because he was locating
9:12
that fast ball. Um, and he's going to
9:15
when when he has one of his two off
9:17
speed pitches in his back pocket, that's
9:19
when he's going to strike out more guys.
9:21
Uh, but again, we we preach pitching off
9:23
your fast ball and that's what Jake
9:25
does. I remind our pitchers all the
9:27
time, pitch to your strength. I don't
9:28
care what the hitter strength is. And
9:30
that's what Jake's going to do. Hey, if
9:32
you can hit a fast ball, you're getting
9:34
one and you're going to get a bunch of
9:35
them and we'll see what happens. Two
9:37
more. Yes, we're done. We are done. Yes.
9:41
Chick-fil-A. Thank you. Appreciate it,
9:43
man. Thank you.
9:49
Let's go.
9:51
I know. He's got a raise
9:54
the big boy. So, no discussion after the
9:56
eighth inning that you were going back
9:58
in the ninth. That's a little different
9:59
than us being. Yeah, I put myself, I
10:01
guess, in a little better position with
10:02
my pitch count. Wasn't too too high. So,
10:05
um I think he knew what my response was
10:07
going to be even if he did ask. So,
10:10
thankful we didn't have to go there. He
10:11
he said I think maybe before you walked
10:13
in and the discussion on the mound even
10:15
in the ninth was I can still stay out
10:18
here. Well, I was mad cuz he called
10:20
before he got to the mound, so he didn't
10:22
even give me a chance. But that's what I
10:24
was most mad about. But he knows what
10:26
he's doing. So, did he bring up the no
10:28
pitch count text with you at all? He did
10:30
not. We haven't talked very much since
10:31
the game ended.
10:34
What about Adam asked Coach Forbes about
10:36
your adjustment for the 18 straight outs
10:38
you got there? I mean, they you give up
10:40
a home run early and then shut them down
10:42
and yeah, we knew they were an
10:45
aggressive offense and they don't strike
10:47
out a whole lot over the course of the
10:48
year. Um, they've proven that. So, my
10:50
goal was to just attack him with a fast
10:52
ball and I got unbelievable defense
10:53
behind me. Carter French left field was
10:56
unbelievable. Gavin made some good plays
10:58
on some hard hit balls at third and
11:00
Stoke dig the ball. Like, there's a lot
11:01
of stuff that um was not in my control
11:04
that went well for me. So, um those guys
11:06
out there are just tough and make
11:07
pitching easy. They hit you with a
11:08
change up on the home run. Yeah, it was.
11:11
It was. How have you worked to hone your
11:14
fast ball placement just as the season's
11:16
progressed? Just not trying to be too
11:18
careful with it, honestly. Um I know
11:20
it's my best pitch and I'm honestly not
11:22
afraid to miss with it. So, um if we're
11:24
trying to throw a ball down the way, I'm
11:26
obviously trying to get there, but I'm
11:27
not afraid to miss miss over the middle
11:29
of the plate with that pitch. um in most
11:30
situations. Obviously, there's a time
11:33
and place where you need to be be smart,
11:34
but especially when the offense did what
11:36
they did tonight and you got 5-1 lead,
11:38
6-1 lead, like it's it makes like you're
11:41
just going to go after guys and if they
11:42
get you, then you start making the
11:43
adjustments. But, um until that happens,
11:45
you're just going to absolutely
11:46
challenge them with your best stuff.
11:48
What would you go for? Even with the
11:50
homer there, I mean, I think you threw
11:51
the fast ball 17 times your first 23
11:53
pitches there in the first. the way that
11:55
you were able to kind of attack with it
11:56
even with the home run like is that
11:58
something you kind of came with some
11:59
confidence into as you kind of proceeded
12:01
to go forward like into the second? For
12:03
sure. He he battled in that at bat and
12:05
fouled off some fast balls. So honestly
12:07
I I probably should have pushed that
12:08
change up down a little more um and just
12:11
gone back to the fast ball after that.
12:12
But he put a put a good swing on and
12:14
that's one of those things where you
12:15
just tip the cap. Um we we always me and
12:18
gains coach Gaines talk about like plan
12:20
with me is always going to be attack
12:22
with my fast ball no matter what happens
12:23
until they start getting consistent
12:25
barrels if they do. So um nothing really
12:28
changed especially after that home run.
12:29
That makes you 10 and0 on the season
12:31
obviously and it's I believe Grace had
12:33
the stats six straight outings of 100
12:36
pitches or more. If you had to pick
12:38
which one of those numbers is more
12:40
meaningful to you, 10 and0 or six
12:42
straight in triple digits, like what do
12:44
you like? What do you like better there?
12:46
It's hard to choose. Um just glad the
12:49
team's winning. That's all I really care
12:50
about. So, um just trying to do my job
12:52
to to set us up for the rest of the
12:54
weekend and get a win in game one. So,
12:56
everything else takes care of itself.
12:57
Both good. You said it. Would uh would
13:02
you agree with Coach Forbes when he said
13:04
your off speed stuff was maybe a C
13:06
minus? I think that's probably being
13:07
pretty generous. I pulled a lot of
13:09
sliders in the dirt and pushed a lot of
13:11
change ups off to lefties. So, um I
13:14
wasn't really in a rhythm with him, not
13:16
throwing much, but it's something that I
13:17
need to do a better job of going down
13:19
the stretch because there's going to be
13:20
we're going to face really good
13:22
competition competition here down the
13:23
stretch. So, it's something that I need
13:24
to be be able to do a better job of.
13:26
Will that be something that you work on
13:28
in your bullpen this week? And how do
13:29
you go about really like working on just
13:31
some of those pitches and whatever
13:32
counts they'll give you? That'll be the
13:34
emphasis. I already know um we'll throw
13:37
a lot of both sliders and change ups,
13:39
but um a lot of it's just release point
13:41
and arm speed. So my slider like just
13:44
yanking it honestly. Um so I just need
13:46
to do a better job of staying through it
13:48
in the change up. Need to do a better
13:49
job staying on top of. How have you seen
13:52
Carter and left really stabilize that
13:54
outfield? I mean, he's probably playing
13:56
center field at a lot of different
13:58
places. I mean, that's a credit to guys
14:00
like Kane and Tyson, too. Those guys
14:02
work really well out there together, and
14:04
Carter's a great athlete. I mean, gets
14:06
great reads, and I think it's just a
14:07
testament to all the hard work he's put
14:08
in since he's gotten here. How would you
14:10
describe what Kane Keley gives you guys
14:13
in the leadoff spot from the production
14:15
to sort of the attitude as well? I mean,
14:17
he's just tough. Like, everything he
14:19
does, he he does it 100%. like he's not
14:22
an easy out and he's gonna he puts his
14:25
body on the line more than I would up
14:27
there. But I mean just the toughness
14:28
like it it sets the tone as a leadoff
14:30
hitter and that's something that he's
14:32
done an unbelievable job of all year.
14:34
The layoff last weekend is obviously
14:36
atypical and if you go back two years
14:38
ago I don't know if you'd ever kind of
14:39
found yourself in a position like that
14:40
with the exam break and everything re
14:43
bounce back after a week and a half.
14:45
Like how do you think that that process
14:47
went for you this time around as
14:48
compared to two years ago? I think it
14:50
was good for me this year. It's not
14:52
something that I would normally like,
14:53
but coming off a Tommy John, like it was
14:56
it was something that I wouldn't say I
14:57
needed, but was able to take a couple
14:59
days and just not touch a baseball at
15:00
all. Um, so just for your whole whole
15:02
body in general, but we did a simulated
15:05
game. I didn't throw my early week
15:07
bullpen the prior week and then we just
15:09
did a simulated game last Friday. So
15:11
threw about 65 pitches with the on the
15:13
game mound with a dummy going through
15:16
state's lineup. So, we had two weeks to
15:17
prepare for them because I knew I wasn't
15:19
throwing in a midweek. So, it was
15:20
something that um Coach Gaines and Coach
15:22
How did a great job setting up for me
15:24
and it worked out well. You did have a
15:26
couple, you know, 97s out there today,
15:28
which I think, you know, I got to at
15:29
this point this year and to be reaching
15:31
that point as you're kind of hitting the
15:32
stretch run just kind of how much more
15:34
confidence does that give you? Yeah,
15:35
that's that's what we talk about in
15:37
August when we get here. You want to be
15:38
playing your best baseball down the
15:40
stretch in May and June. So, um that's a
15:42
credit to to Coach Gats and Coach Gains
15:44
and Coach How. They they've done a great
15:46
job of putting us in physical shape um
15:49
to be able to do that down the stretch
15:50
and that might be like you should talk
15:52
about with that week off like you get
15:54
get to recover a little bit. So but just
15:57
excited for what we got down the
15:58
stretch.
16:00
Thanks man. Appreciate it.
16:04
Good question.
16:07
Interesting. Well, it was you
16:12
know since two weeks ago, right?
16:18
Kane, obviously you'd have straw that
16:19
stirs the drink offensively and then
16:22
some defensively just were you seeing a
16:24
big baseball tonight or how were you
16:26
feeling going in and then the production
16:27
you had? Yeah, I mean I felt pretty good
16:29
in the box uh tonight. Coach Weers kind
16:32
of uh hinted at me like not striding too
16:35
much in the box and kind kind of getting
16:36
to like a two strike right out the
16:38
get-go. And um so I did that and it felt
16:41
really good. I saw the ball really well.
16:42
Let it travel a little bit on the first
16:44
AB and slapped it down the third
16:46
baseline and um got a hitter count in
16:48
the second one and uh was able to get
16:50
around on the fast ball there. But yeah,
16:51
it was it was my it was my setup tonight
16:54
that I think helped me a lot see the
16:56
baseball a little bit more because
16:57
morons fast gets on you a little bit.
16:59
It's got a little ride and he's a little
17:00
funky. So, um, yeah, I felt really good
17:02
with that adjustment. So, was that
17:04
specifically because you were facing a
17:05
tough left? Do you make that adjustment?
17:07
Yeah. Uh, just Oh, we we plan on seeing
17:09
Fritain. I thought we were we all
17:11
thought we going to see Fritain, but
17:12
uh was throwing a day, but they
17:15
have similar fast balls, so we figured
17:16
why why change it if we're going into
17:18
it. So, um yeah, it was it's mainly just
17:20
for lefties um but uh with good good
17:24
ride fast balls. So, that's why we did
17:26
that. Okay. Did having last weekend off,
17:27
you think, help you guys as hitters prep
17:29
a little bit more for State's Arms? Uh,
17:31
oh yeah, definitely prep because um just
17:34
like knowing what we were going to get
17:35
and we were be able to see the machine
17:37
uh dialed up to what what they were
17:39
doing, the good spin rates and and good
17:41
fast balls and good sliders that they
17:43
have and um yeah, we just practiced that
17:45
all week and we're we're ready for it.
17:46
Um today you seem to be a little bit I
17:49
mean by my observation a little bit more
17:51
emotional on the base pass where just I
17:53
guess your energy especially when you're
17:55
sliding into third or you're sliding
17:57
home. Can you just take me kind of
17:58
through what you're feeling when you go
18:00
around those? I just feel like I'm in
18:02
I'm in control. I know I know my speed.
18:04
I feel like I'm get the any bag uh that
18:07
I'm trying to get. And um I'm asking
18:09
when Van get that popup I'm asking Coach
18:11
Forbes if we should do it or not. And
18:13
I'm glad he said yes cuz I like doing
18:15
it.
18:16
I like getting in there hard and sliding
18:18
and touching that bag. So, more runs
18:21
means we're winning. So, along those
18:23
lines, it what is it? Dirt and blood
18:25
you've got there. It's a lot of stuff up
18:27
and down here. Yeah, it's usually like
18:28
that. Yeah. Was it I mean with the need
18:31
just from a slide, I take it. Yeah,
18:32
they're scabs. You keep sliding there.
18:34
Can we keep opening them up? So, right.
18:36
I got you. Everyone kind of talks about
18:38
that, you know, the toughness, the grit,
18:39
all that stuff. And I mean, was it 225
18:42
pitches or something this year? That's a
18:44
that's a skill that you have, you know,
18:46
what makes you so good at that, getting
18:48
hit at so many pitches. You know, I
18:49
wasn't really a big hit by pitch guy
18:51
from Liberty. And I I mean, I get here
18:53
and I feel like I haven't changed much.
18:55
I mean, not I feel like I'm just as far
18:58
as from the plate as I was at Liberty,
19:00
but I just I feel like I'm not moving as
19:02
much with with balls in. So, I think
19:05
that's that's what's got that number.
19:07
And I'm just not going to give up a free
19:09
90 when they're giving it to me. And
19:11
that's my mindset going into it. Yeah.
19:13
How much has Carter French helped you in
19:15
center, but also the entire outfield? Oh
19:17
my gosh, he is unbelievable. I love
19:19
having him right beside me. I mean, he's
19:22
so trustworthy to be there and know that
19:24
he can track down balls and and know how
19:26
close he can get to me in the gap when
19:28
when there's a ball in the gap. And um
19:30
he cut a ball off that people don't
19:32
aren't going to talk about, but that was
19:33
really good late late in the game with
19:35
the ball hitting the gap. He cut it off
19:36
real good. So um he's he's been
19:38
unbelievable. I love having him in the
19:40
ninth hole, too, when he can lay some
19:41
butts down and get get the runners over,
19:43
too. So, he's he's a great asset to have
19:45
in the line. I think it was maybe the
19:47
seventh inning, he had that grab over
19:48
the top of his head. Did you say
19:49
anything to him either after that or
19:51
running back into the dugout? Oh, I was
19:53
I was h I was hyping him up when he get
19:55
gets in the dugout. I was really happy
19:57
he caught that one. Um it was going to
19:58
be a double win. It was really good
20:00
catch. So, yeah, when when Bass and
20:02
French make those catches, I I got to
20:04
give him love in the dugout. You had the
20:05
grounder to second that you beat out
20:07
where the guy tried to glove it and flip
20:09
it over. Like were there moments like
20:11
that where you feel like your speed had
20:14
put some pressure on him to make the
20:15
play? Like can you feel yourself maybe
20:18
creating an advantage for your team with
20:20
the speed like or forcing a defensive
20:22
guy to like Oh, I definitely I
20:24
definitely noticed that. I mean, that's
20:26
that's who I am as a player and that
20:28
that's the one I I I drag bun or push
20:30
bunned with and u haven't showed that to
20:32
anybody this year and I was saving it
20:34
for for I guess North Carolina State.
20:37
So, but now I've actually been trying to
20:40
do it. I just haven't done it right.
20:41
But, um I did it right tonight. But,
20:43
yeah, I use my speed to my advantage. I
20:45
have to um as a lead off guy and try to
20:48
be electric as possible. So, get on
20:49
base. I try to steal every single time
20:51
and uh get runners in scoring position
20:53
and and score. Yeah. And it fires you up
20:55
too, right? Because I mean, you're Yeah,
20:57
I if I can get going, the guys get going
21:00
and that that's a good thing for us. So,
21:01
yeah, I use my emotion to my advantage.
21:04
How have you seen this offense evolve to
21:06
kind of just hit really well with
21:08
runners in scoring position and in
21:09
rhythm and realize that your wins aren't
21:11
really going to come from the long ball?
21:13
Yeah, I mean, it's we we understand what
21:14
we got. Like, it's it's it's nothing
21:16
crazy. Like, we're going to we're going
21:18
to play the game the right way. We're
21:19
going to push the the opposition as much
21:22
as we can. we're going to get dirt
21:24
balls, we're going to steal bags, and
21:25
we're going to move the ball. And that's
21:27
something we've we've understood midway
21:29
through the season and uh we kind of
21:31
struggled a little bit and then we found
21:33
our identity and we're able to do it now
21:35
and uh do it really well. And um so it's
21:38
just every time in the box we're trying
21:39
to get a good swing off, be short and
21:41
quick to it and and not not focus on if
21:44
we can how many home runs we can hit
21:46
because that's just going to get us long
21:47
and big and bump out. So, was there a
21:50
series or a game that you think helped
21:51
you kind of find that identity as a
21:53
team? I don't know. I feel like we we
21:56
competed every single every single time,
21:58
but there was definitely struggles, but
21:59
I feel like you get into um shoot, I
22:04
can't even remember. There's been so
22:05
many games, but I don't know. It's it's
22:09
right uh after we stop struggling. I
22:11
guess you guys can figure that one out.
22:14
How about I mean for you personally like
22:16
coach Ford talked about when you were in
22:17
that kind of little skid bit midway
22:19
through the year and you just kept on
22:21
working through it but like for you what
22:22
was the key to kind of get yourself
22:23
really going again? Confidence. just get
22:25
my confidence back knowing I can do it
22:27
at this level and um and proving to
22:29
myself that I can and this team really
22:32
really likes me having up there at the
22:33
top and I I needed to realize that and I
22:35
just I've just been focusing on that and
22:38
knowing this like what I can do for this
22:40
team is very important and I I honed in
22:43
on it and I'm just able to put the bat
22:44
on the ball and get on base and my
22:46
team's going to be very successful when
22:49
I do that. Vandy behind you has been
22:52
pretty solid over the course of the
22:53
year. He sort of frees you up out there
22:55
on the base pass it looks like knowing
22:57
that he's going to make some contact.
22:58
Yeah. So when I get on first base, the
23:00
guy behind me is really important. This
23:02
is so if because I'm trying to steal
23:04
every single time and he's very
23:05
comfortable with me getting getting
23:07
jumpy over there and trying to steal
23:09
bags and it's been really good to have
23:10
him back there because I can steal bags
23:12
and him also be comfortable and drive me
23:14
in and drive me in as well.
23:17
Thanks, Kev. you and Christ.