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UNC's Scott Forbes, pitcher Jason DeCaro and center fielder Kane Kepley after 16-2 win
Mar 1, 2025
UNC's Scott Forbes, pitcher Jason DeCaro and center fielder Kane Kepley after 16-2 win
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0:02
I'll say I if William don't come I just
0:04
say last
0:06
question everybody good when yall are
0:09
y'all ready y um yeah I thought Dar car
0:12
set the tone he was outstanding I want
0:15
to get his pitch count build up anytime
0:17
you you beat a starter like that um and
0:21
get a starter with that type of stuff
0:22
out of the game early you've done your
0:24
job I felt like there was a little bit
0:25
of a lull for a couple of those Innings
0:28
um where we let them off the hook but it
0:30
was great to see some guys get in there
0:33
uh their first at bats as tar Hills and
0:35
that's always exciting it was exciting
0:37
in the locker room and see a senior like
0:40
ree step up there and almost hit a home
0:41
run um always good to win on Friday uh
0:44
so we'll put that one behind us and be
0:46
ready to go tomorrow what have you seen
0:47
of the evolution of Jason's game here
0:50
coming into this season
0:51
with bigger stronger um more complete of
0:56
a pitcher with his off speed four
0:57
pitches almost in any count uh his
1:00
velocity is ticking up earlier than it
1:02
was last year he's holding his velocity
1:06
he makes big pitches when he needs to
1:08
make big pitches just overall the whole
1:11
M matur maturation process he's he's
1:14
much more mature particular about this
1:16
game it's separate for him no you know I
1:19
just feel like our guys will continue to
1:20
get stronger he was off one less day
1:22
rest I honestly like five days better
1:24
than six anyway um but you know these
1:28
these guys when you have that much
1:30
competition that really helps your team
1:32
because you you don't you don't have any
1:34
choice if you take time days off
1:36
somebody will move into that Friday roll
1:37
and Jason knows that what' you like to
1:39
see from the youngster Perry haret today
1:41
what surprised you the most I mean just
1:43
just first of bat just dropping a bomb
1:45
up there in the net I mean he's not
1:47
necessarily a home run hitter he has
1:48
some some juice but not you know he's
1:51
played two games he already hit two home
1:52
runs uh but a dynamic player
1:56
speed um should have a high on base
1:58
percentage overran the one ball left
2:01
field but he brings us you know more
2:03
speed in that lineup hard to strike out
2:05
just that quality at bat and that
2:06
distribute speed throughout the the
2:08
order which puts pressure on the defense
2:10
Jason only needed five pitches to get
2:12
through the sixth inning what does that
2:14
say to his efficiency his pitch ability
2:16
and then the defense behind it well the
2:18
word starting to get out about his
2:20
commands the teams are going to be more
2:21
aggressive which he can use to his
2:23
Advantage because generally Jason's
2:25
pitch count is up about the fifth inning
2:27
he's usually is creeping into 80 to 85
2:30
pitches um and he has throwing more
2:32
strikes this season too which is a great
2:35
sign with all of his pitches all of his
2:36
pitches are around the zone you know
2:39
it's called tunneling his pitches look
2:40
the same out of the hand so hitters are
2:42
more on go which allows him to have a
2:45
lower pitch count um get weaker outs
2:47
earlier may not have as many strikeouts
2:49
but should allow him to go deeper in
2:51
games and then I know you were teasing
2:53
lineup changes for us earlier were these
2:55
the lineup changes you were talking
2:56
about yeah we've been talking about or
2:58
I've been thinking in my head you know
3:01
wanting to get Luke in the two- Hole uh
3:03
I just feel like kepley is such a
3:05
dynamic player that you know his own
3:08
base percentage is going to be so high
3:09
and he's going to get to second base
3:10
pretty quick and there's a really good
3:12
chance with Luke's power he's going to
3:14
get him in um and wanted him you know to
3:17
get as many bats as possible and wanted
3:19
a little more distribution right left
3:21
like we talk about if possible um and I
3:24
also like aad the sandwich some guys
3:26
with his speed as well so yeah those
3:27
were the changes and Gavin swinging it
3:29
having more quality at bats Gavin so far
3:31
in his career has been really good when
3:33
it means the most and you want that
3:35
obviously in your top five hitters I
3:37
would to ask about the voice behind the
3:39
pitch C this season and how that came
3:41
about yeah we were just talking we
3:43
always joke about like who do you want
3:44
you know who do we want on the
3:47
pitchcombe should ask coach Williams and
3:49
I was like we he'll 100% do it and uh I
3:53
was talking to him about something with
3:54
the first pitch banquet and I told him
3:56
about Coach gain's idea and then he had
3:58
coach gains and Hicks going meet him
4:00
over in his office and they knocked it
4:03
out so every I keep a
4:14
pitchcrow so it's how many everything we
4:17
can do possibly debunk defenses pitches
4:20
you name it it is Hall of Fame coach
4:24
coach I can't call him Roy Williams but
4:25
everybody else does coach Williams it's
4:27
his voice on every one of them note that
4:29
curves no no we didn't uh he might say
4:32
something in there every now and then
4:34
we'll keep that secret stokeley seemed
4:37
to be stretching pickoffs the defense is
4:39
really making him work how important is
4:42
it to have him and his ability there at
4:44
first yeah he's uh he's as good a first
4:46
baseman defensively as we've had here um
4:50
as big as as Stoke is he moves well he's
4:53
Ultra athletic um and that makes your
4:56
defense uh know that they can hurry a
4:58
throw uh can backhand a ball and not be
5:00
afraid to to hop it on one hop um so
5:03
that that's a that's first base is a
5:06
very underrated position um but if you
5:09
don't have somebody good over there your
5:10
whole defense suffers and then Alex's
5:13
defense that relay throw to throw the
5:14
guy out at home I mean Kobe was a
5:17
fantastic chice stob last year makes you
5:19
think what what was keeping Alex back
5:22
such a he's been so good there what have
5:24
you seen I mean they're both Kobe
5:27
Wilkerson Madera is good to Short Stop
5:29
you can find defensively quick releases
5:32
unbelievable on we had them both out
5:34
there last year so we had one C on E
5:36
side um but we work on that play it's a
5:38
tum relay we want to get the ball in
5:41
mad's hand if at all possible because
5:43
he's got that true Back Spin he gets the
5:44
ball of his hand so fast um I wasn't
5:47
surprised to see it executed like that
5:49
cuz we see it in practice all the time
5:50
we talk about the Run roll a lot but
5:53
being able to get all these guys in
5:54
hitting is the reason you don't do it
5:56
right yeah we didn't uh
5:59
we just we the umpires ask us and I just
6:02
said no
6:03
today a quick followup is is is it uh
6:06
Luke that's pressing the buttons or is
6:08
it somebody to dug out on the pitch call
6:10
Coach gains calls the pitches okay thank
6:12
you Luke can press them too what coach
6:15
gains calls most of can you just speak
6:17
on the speed of the team you know a lot
6:19
of guys were able to get into scoring
6:21
position um and we had you know some
6:23
sacrifice flies guys able to steal home
6:25
just be on the speed of the team and the
6:27
importance of that yeah the goal offense
6:29
i l when you're putting your team
6:30
together to create a team that can put
6:32
as much pressure on the defense as
6:33
possible and you do need to obviously
6:35
hit doubles in home runs in the college
6:37
game but if you can combine both um you
6:41
know that's a tough deal especially if
6:44
you get a hit by pitch and that guy can
6:45
Ste second base when you're trying to
6:47
manufacture run so I feel like we have
6:49
speed distributed throughout the lineup
6:51
and on this team there are no true real
6:53
like really really slow guys um even
6:56
Steve for catcher moves pretty good for
6:58
his size die not as much but um you know
7:02
we can put five or six guys in there
7:04
that can still AB base at any time and
7:05
three that can get up in that 20 plus
7:08
range one more guys I'll be back
7:10
tomorrow I'll be back
7:13
thanks
7:19
night than you oh wow that's
7:24
really
7:28
long
7:31
need Jason they were stretching you out
7:33
a little bit today I think 7 and 2/3 go
7:36
long as Al here in Carolina just how'd
7:39
you feel getting that deep into it and
7:42
looking ahead uh felt great out there I
7:44
mean offense made it easy on me scoring
7:46
early and often um really just going out
7:50
there and trying to get them back up
7:51
there as quick as possible coach forb
7:53
said you've been working on your command
7:55
it only took you five pitches to get
7:56
through the sixth inning how has your
7:58
command evolved
8:00
um I think it's more of a mindset for me
8:03
um you know offense is doing great right
8:06
there and just told myself like I'm
8:08
going to go after all these guys like
8:09
make them beat me um try to get the
8:12
offense back in there as quick as
8:13
possible you told me before the season
8:16
started that you felt that there were
8:17
some games where you didn't do enough
8:19
when you have an outing like this are
8:21
you starting to feel like you are doing
8:22
enough for your team um yeah I mean just
8:25
trying to go out there and give the team
8:27
the best chance to win um
8:29
trying to do everything I can on that
8:31
day to do that then Coach you said
8:33
you're stronger this year how's it feel
8:35
different on the mound this season than
8:37
last season what are you able to do that
8:39
maybe you couldn't do last season um
8:42
just go deeper in games really um worked
8:45
on that a lot that was a big Focus for
8:47
me this past off season and uh you know
8:50
me and Coach gats were have been working
8:52
very hard back there and uh it's good to
8:55
see the progress showing on the field
8:56
can you talk about your comfortability
8:58
with Luke behind the dish and how that
9:00
has grown and how you just feel more
9:01
comfortable and at ease when you're
9:03
throwing any pitch yeah absolutely I
9:05
mean he's on real back there defensively
9:07
um feel like he'll steal some strikes
9:10
for you too which is great um but just
9:14
seeing it him back there every time is
9:17
very comfortable for me what was your
9:19
reaction when you heard that a Hall of
9:21
Fame basketball coach would be given the
9:23
pitch calls on the pitch cob and how how
9:27
weird is that uh we loved it when we
9:29
heard that we were we were pretty fired
9:30
up did so the whole team really liked it
9:35
yeah is that did did you guys know that
9:38
you could have somebody record the pitch
9:40
calls uh yeah we were aware of it uh
9:43
last year coach Forbes had a couple in
9:45
there um but this year it's all coach
9:48
Williams any dead gum variations no no
9:52
what's the feeling when you walk off the
9:55
mound after that outing and then when
9:56
you see the other pitchers coming after
9:58
you I noticed that you were the first
9:59
first one out of the Dugout when chewy
10:01
came back um just happy for them uh you
10:04
know going out there and having success
10:06
you know all those guys are back there
10:08
working hard for no one's watching and
10:10
uh it's good to see them get rewarded
10:11
for
10:14
that a thank you Jason thanks Jason
10:16
congrats
10:24
thank what I was just asking just hold
10:27
never mind I'll get you
10:30
Kane first question how have you worked
10:33
SL evolved on your slide because it very
10:36
much looks like a trade turn slide I
10:39
mean I don't really think about it that
10:40
much I've been doing it for a long time
10:42
so yeah I don't really I don't know if
10:44
it's evolved any I've just been doing it
10:46
for a while so it works and I just do it
10:49
every time I guess your I think your OBP
10:52
is the highest on the team and your Ops
10:54
is definitely getting up there what do
10:56
you kind of see as your mindset when you
10:58
go up as the table
10:59
I mean it's just getting on base that
11:01
that's my player profile like that's
11:03
what I need to do to help this team win
11:05
and I know how my swing works and I need
11:07
to hit line drives get on base and reach
11:10
on air like everything under the sun
11:12
with that stuff so it's I just got to
11:14
help my team win and get on bases how
11:17
when you get the set first is there any
11:20
doubt that you're going to set as soon
11:22
as possible I mean there's doubt
11:24
Sometimes some guys are quick to the
11:25
plate and being and Coach Jackson got to
11:27
work hard with getting that bag but yeah
11:28
it's it's I'm on go all the time I got
11:31
the green light over there um I was say
11:33
so you have the you have your own green
11:35
light yeah I mean I I'm I'm trying to
11:37
get the bag every single time and um it
11:39
depends on the pitcher and catcher and
11:41
stuff so I guess there's a little bit of
11:42
Doubt with that but yeah I'm whatever
11:45
time coach Jackson gives me and I'm
11:46
going off with that and I'm trying to
11:48
get the second hit my team win does it
11:49
feel kind of familiar that coach Jackson
11:51
is the one with you on first base
11:53
actually no he was a third base coach at
11:55
Liberty so I like him at first cuz he's
11:58
talking to me he's telling me the stuff
11:59
I need to know and um it works out
12:01
really well because we have have a
12:03
really good relationship over there and
12:05
he tells me exactly what I need to know
12:06
about the pitcher and um how to get the
12:09
second so I like it a lot do you think
12:11
he knows you're going to steal before
12:12
you steal I usually tell him yeah so
12:15
yeah he tells me we're hot here and and
12:18
I'm going to get going so yeah we need
12:20
him really good over there having him
12:23
and a couple other guys here is it made
12:25
your sort of transition to Carolina from
12:27
Liberty easier I mean obviously Ball but
12:30
having people you know and familiar with
12:32
it's definitely been easier because of
12:34
that I mean the stuff that coach Jackson
12:36
taught over at Liberty was the stuff you
12:38
got here before he before he got there
12:40
so I walk into the locker room and all
12:41
the quotes and stuff is the same stuff
12:43
he was saying I'm like that's I can't
12:45
believe that so seeing all that stuff
12:47
and the coaching Styles being so similar
12:49
with him and Coach Forge it's it's been
12:51
such a blessing to to have over here and
12:53
it's been so so much fun getting to play
12:55
with these guys and get to know them and
12:57
stuff man can you talk about what you
12:58
enjoy about getting to play behind Jason
13:00
daro just how you've seen him continue
13:02
to grow in the last couple of games just
13:04
in this early part of the Season he
13:06
makes it easy I mean when he's throwing
13:08
that ball and he's getting a lot of ride
13:09
on that fast getting swinging misses and
13:11
stuff and that's that makes makes my job
13:13
easier and I know he's going to keep it
13:16
um hits low and get us back in the
13:18
Dugout so we can swing it so man he's
13:21
he's awesome I love when he's on the M
13:23
offensively not kind of going off that
13:25
question offensively what is it like to
13:27
have him on the mountain and then you
13:28
guys go up and you don't really exactly
13:30
have to worry about Sony Brook scoring
13:32
four runs in an inning yeah I mean we
13:34
can manufacture runs we can get one or
13:36
two and we feel all right with him on
13:37
the mound so I mean that's that's a
13:39
blessing it's like our offense is is
13:42
freed up when he's on the mound so we
13:43
get a we get a a small lead we know
13:45
we're in control of this game and then
13:47
that's that's when we build on it like
13:48
we did tonight so um Jay he's been so
13:51
good the first three starts and hug them
13:53
back doing it does that when you guys
13:55
have that lead does that help you guys
13:57
kind of snowball and build momentum or
13:59
do you think sometimes you guys kind of
14:01
relax no it's it's definitely momentum
14:04
the momentum gaining and we were getting
14:06
guys on base and in the kind of middle
14:08
ends we kind of uh didn't score any but
14:11
we were getting guys on base we just
14:12
didn't come up in the right right spot
14:14
but I mean yeah we when he's on the
14:16
mound and he's throwing he's getting us
14:17
off the field real quick it's the
14:19
momentum's on our side and it carries
14:21
over to the bat 100 so. coach Forbes
14:23
moves gabing up obviously he did not
14:25
have maybe the best start to his season
14:27
but clearly tonight with regard eyes how
14:29
have you seen him kind of just improve
14:31
and settle in this season I mean he he
14:33
was so consistent with everything he did
14:35
he didn't change one thing he was just
14:36
it's all mindset up there the game
14:39
hitting is is is a lot about what's in
14:41
between his ears and he he's got a
14:43
steady head steady head with it and I
14:45
knew he was going to crack it open here
14:47
soon and um he's already doing it and
14:49
that's he's a really great kid he knows
14:51
how to play ball and I'm I'm glad he's
14:53
on this team thank you you guys are you
14:56
fully comfortable now with the Outfield
14:57
the way the fence is you mentioned that
14:59
earlier in the season that you were
15:00
still getting used to out in the center
15:02
field you and Tyson working the that
15:05
right center Gap is that you fully there
15:08
now with that I mean yeah I'm fully
15:10
there I mean every every single game
15:12
with balls at the wall I'm learning but
15:14
I feel really comfortable out there and
15:15
me me and Tyson and Perry now out there
15:17
so we got speed out there and it's going
15:20
to be a lot of fun playing with those
15:21
guys thanks thanks
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