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UNC's Scott Forbes, Jake Knapp and Gavin Gallaher after Heels roll over Wake Forest
Apr 12, 2025
UNC's Scott Forbes, Jake Knapp and Gavin Gallaher after Heels roll over Wake Forest
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0:00
Thought the first inning was a story
0:01
game. Um I thought there were some close
0:04
pitches there. Honestly, I thought I
0:06
have to go back and look on the trap
0:07
man. I thought Jake had uh Houston
0:09
struck out. He didn't. They have the
0:12
base load before we blink with one out
0:13
and count goes 3-2 on Wentz and Jake
0:17
makes a heck of a pitch and then he
0:18
makes the next guy swings I believe at
0:20
the first pitch. Flew out. Um and then I
0:23
thought our offense was really locked
0:25
in. I feel like they've been starting to
0:27
turn the corner. I've always liked our
0:28
offense. Um, but the struggles helped
0:31
us. Uh, you know, guys are starting to
0:33
creep up, taking better swings. Exit
0:35
velocity is much better. Top to bottom
0:37
team win. Um, really good to see Carter
0:39
French in there. Drop that safety down.
0:42
Thought Chewy was good. And I thought
0:43
Bolton little things that people don't
0:45
look at like I look at. I know how good
0:48
their offense is. And if they get that,
0:51
you know, that's that's a heart of their
0:52
order where Bolton came in and face
0:54
Lewis and we need to get him out right
0:56
there when Nay's up there and if he hits
0:58
a home run, next thing you know could be
1:00
nine to five. Uh so I thought that was
1:02
big. Bolton a really good start for us
1:05
to the series and you know, but they're
1:07
going to be ready to go tomorrow. So
1:08
we'll have to flush it and move on. We
1:11
talk all the time about timely hitting,
1:13
but how did you see the timely pitching
1:14
show up? You had a lot of guys that went
1:16
deep into counts and I mean that one
1:18
with Kale with those two went on. Yeah.
1:20
It was I think 3-2 full count and there
1:21
was some pitches that had to be made and
1:23
your guys executed them tonight. Yeah,
1:25
it's twofold. It's coach Gang is not
1:26
giving in with the pitch calling. Um it
1:29
was 3-2 slider. Chewy threw a 3-2
1:32
slider. Jake as the game went along
1:34
started to find his off speed better. Um
1:37
I don't I didn't think Jake really
1:38
started getting loose until right at the
1:40
end especially with his off speed. Um
1:43
and you know after the first he didn't
1:45
have too many high tax inning but we
1:48
made big pitches and we talk about
1:49
winning the 3-2 count if we get to it.
1:52
Um we did a good job of winning that.
1:54
They gave they gave up like seven runs
1:56
the whole series at Florida State and
1:58
you topped that by I think the fourth
2:00
inning. Yeah. I mean that's the ACC. Um
2:04
it's a hard league. uh you you literally
2:07
have to move on quickly and not look
2:09
behind you what you did, good or bad. I
2:12
think every team can beat you. You have
2:15
to play well. You have to finish games.
2:19
Um but I like our team and like I told
2:22
you guys earlier, you know, you have
2:24
some adversity early, some tough losses,
2:26
go through some stretches. When you get
2:28
into that second half of the season, it
2:29
can really help you if you have tough
2:31
players and I think we have tough
2:32
players. And then the non-conference
2:34
games, you've had no trouble getting a
2:35
lot of home runs, but in the league
2:36
games, they've been a little bit harder
2:38
to come by. Um, then you get the two
2:41
today. Yeah, I mean, I'll take them
2:42
anyway. We can get them. Um, I hadn't
2:44
even looked at that, honestly. I know,
2:46
uh, the league's tough. I look at the
2:48
pitching that we faced, but again,
2:51
batting average, you know,
2:54
sometimes obviously it matters, but you
2:57
have to be careful looking at it until
2:59
you get into that meat of the of the end
3:02
of the season because teams can get hot
3:04
and they if they're good hitters, they
3:06
also can have a bad stretch. I mean, you
3:08
look at Keley, he had a really hard
3:10
stretch, but he's a heck of a hitter.
3:12
And all of a sudden, him and Luke get
3:13
going. They're hitting above 300 in a
3:15
blink. Can you see Gavin how bad he
3:17
started where he is now where how bad
3:19
Vanderbreak started where he is now. So
3:22
I feel like it's getting a little more
3:23
contagious. But I also want to give
3:24
credit to coach Jackson and coach
3:25
where's Vicki. Sometimes when you fail
3:27
you listen a little bit more. Um and
3:30
these guys have really been bought in of
3:31
what we've been trying to do. Be on the
3:32
fast ball. Uh stay in their low stay in
3:35
their lower half and it's really helped
3:37
them. In the second inning, uh, you guys
3:39
put up four, I think five of the hitters
3:43
put the ball in play on the first or
3:44
second swing at the at bat or first or
3:46
second pitch of the bat. Was there an
3:47
approach change to try and ambush that
3:49
fast ball? There was. Yeah, like we
3:50
wanted to hit his fast ball, not try to
3:52
hit his curveball. Um, the curveball is
3:55
nasty. That's a kid out of high school
3:56
is a really high-profile recruit. Turned
3:58
out a lot of money. I can see why. Got a
4:00
heck of an arm, but the curveball is
4:02
real. And uh we told our guys either
4:04
take the curve ball when you get it or
4:06
fight it off with two strikes. Our plan
4:08
was to try to be on time for that fast
4:10
ball. Chewy was the first guy out of the
4:12
pen tonight, which we hasn't seen him in
4:14
that role, especially in conference
4:16
play. What has he done in his fast past
4:18
few appearances that earned him that
4:20
spot tonight? Yeah, when you have, you
4:21
know, a guy or two down like
4:22
unfortunately we do, um somebody's got
4:25
to step up and and Chew's been throwing
4:27
really good in his bullpens as well as
4:29
Bolton, you know, going into that Duke
4:31
series. So, you pay attention to that
4:32
stuff. But he's older. He's been a
4:34
weekend starter. Uh but, you know, he
4:37
tore his lat completely like off the
4:39
bone his senior year or his great his
4:41
last year at uh Princeton. So, it's
4:43
taking him a little while and we've
4:45
we've seen the fast ball come back. He's
4:46
always got that slider. Still needs to
4:49
improve his fast ball command um because
4:51
the slider's so good. That'll really
4:52
help him. but he's he's just an older
4:54
veteran guy that has shown us in the
4:57
live B in the live BPs on the field in
4:59
the bullpen that he deserves the chances
5:00
that he's getting now. I think you guys
5:02
tied your record for conference game
5:05
hits tonight with that Duke game. You
5:07
had the Duke game Elon tonight. A lot of
5:09
momentum, but this team, the weight
5:11
team, I mean, they went scored four,
5:13
lost FSU Friday, and then they come back
5:15
and score 17. How do you make sure the
5:17
guys keep the momentum, but also just
5:19
don't get too in their heads? This is
5:21
what we preach. I remind them after
5:23
every game, you know, you either are
5:25
buying into what I tell you or what we
5:27
tell you every day about being processor
5:28
oriented and outcomes really are
5:30
distractions. Um, you know, you win and
5:33
you you go crazy, you know, if it's a
5:36
walk-off, but then you got to take a
5:37
shower and move on because you got the
5:38
whole series, the series isn't over.
5:40
Same thing I tell them if it's a super
5:42
regional. I mean, we're not
5:43
celebrating beating West Virginia on
5:46
Friday. We've got to win another game.
5:47
So that's what we talk about and they
5:50
know like you get this point of the
5:52
season it's like Stanford you 10 run
5:54
rule them and then you you lose on
5:56
Sunday but that we went into that I
5:58
think thinking we were just going to
5:59
show and win that game and that's not
6:01
the way it works. You have to show up
6:03
and play. Uh so I expect these guys to
6:05
show up and be ready to go again
6:06
tomorrow and they will. You talked a lot
6:09
about just how important the little
6:11
things are. How did you see your team
6:13
execute those? I mean, you sent Alex on
6:15
that aggressive base running or you sent
6:18
Gavin on that aggressive base running
6:19
call and I mean the bunt just how did
6:21
you see them execute the set bass too
6:23
but he stopped. Thank goodness. I
6:24
thought for sure I don't know why he
6:26
didn't try to turn to a play right there
6:27
but um you know uh we want to put
6:30
pressure. That's one thing this offense,
6:32
you know, we can do and that's why we
6:34
still managed to win games. If you ask
6:37
other teams, if I'm scouting our team, I
6:39
would say they're extremely athletic one
6:40
through nine. They have athleticism on
6:43
the bench. Hitting for hitting for a lot
6:44
of hitting for a lot of power yet, but
6:46
if you watch them take BP, they've got
6:48
some guys in the middle of that order.
6:49
Luke, Steve, Bass, they've got power.
6:52
And some other ones, Gavin. Um, so one
6:56
of our goals is to pressure the defense
6:58
as much as possible. Dirt ball reads,
6:59
hard 90s, hard turns, steel bases, make
7:03
them think we're going to steal bases
7:04
one through nine. Um, and the guys work
7:07
hard at it as well. Carter gets
7:09
opportunity and left. It's been a little
7:11
bit of a revolving door and with saw
7:13
you're down just what have you seen from
7:15
him that gets him this opportunity? You
7:17
know, he's clearly
7:20
our he's close to tied with second of
7:23
our best defender in out in the outfield
7:26
and he's definitely number three. Um, so
7:29
we met as a staff and he he knows the
7:31
strike zone. Uh he's he's never scared.
7:35
You know, he can he can get the bunts
7:36
down now, but he's a plus plus defender.
7:39
And if you look at how we've been
7:40
throwing the ball, if you look at Jake
7:42
Napp and you look at the opponents that
7:43
we're facing, you look how many fly
7:44
balls we've given up this year to the
7:46
corner spots in the outfield and right,
7:48
I mean, Jackson Vanderbre's had to make
7:49
more plays this year than Madera because
7:51
of the velocity. We just felt like, you
7:54
know, he was the guy to play in left
7:56
field and potentially save us some runs.
7:58
And we also felt like he would give us a
8:00
quality at bat. we had that opportunity,
8:02
we could get a safety down or suicide
8:03
and that type of thing. When it comes to
8:06
adjustments with Gavin in particular,
8:08
like what's clicking him and coach We've
8:11
just been working their tails off and uh
8:14
you know, Gavin have been trying to hit
8:16
the ball so deep that that's why he was
8:19
barreling it and had decent exit
8:20
velocity, but it's a fly ball instead of
8:23
a little catching it a little more out
8:25
front, having his timing better. You you
8:28
would have to ask Gavin because I trust
8:29
those guys. Honestly, I try to stay out
8:31
of their way because I don't want to go
8:32
in there and say, "Hey, Gavin, you know,
8:33
I see this." Because that's what coach
8:34
Where's Bicki and Coach Jackson are
8:36
supposed to do. So, I give those guys
8:38
all the credit on that. You'd have to
8:39
ask them exactly what they're working
8:40
on. I know we've talked about Jake Knap
8:43
every week, it seems like. But today, I
8:45
mean, the tight tight strike zone in the
8:47
first, you know, responds there, but he
8:49
also, I think, had like 12 three ball
8:51
counts. Can you talk about how
8:52
unflapable he he is in those moments?
8:54
Yeah, that's what makes him I mean,
8:56
obviously, he's got great stuff. He's a
8:58
big kid. He can handle a big workload.
8:59
He has three pitches. He throws 95 plus.
9:03
But um Jake is able to, you know, the
9:06
the better pitchers are able to still
9:09
find a way to get outs if they're not
9:12
extra sharp. And I'm sure Jake will tell
9:14
you, you know, I was pretty sharp, but
9:16
he also has days where he puts the ball
9:18
exactly where he wants to. Um and he
9:21
made big pitches in those 32 counts. But
9:24
he's also smart enough to not give in to
9:26
good hitters. and like I'm not afraid to
9:28
go 3-2. Um I don't want to give in with
9:30
a fast ball right down the middle 22.
9:32
And he's worked really hard. Um again,
9:35
all the credit goes to that kid because
9:37
he has made himself who he is.
9:42
Thanks, coach. Thank you.
9:45
Wouldn't have like backto backto back
9:47
triple digit outings. Yeah, I think
9:49
Coach Gast does a great job in the
9:51
weight room with us. Terry Joe does a
9:54
phenomenal job with us kind of recovery.
9:56
Um, so there's a lot of different things
9:57
that go into it. Um, just planning your
10:00
throwing around knowing that you're
10:02
going to go that far every weekend. So
10:03
there's a lot of different things and
10:05
there's a lot of people around here with
10:06
so much knowledge that have helped me
10:08
kind of plan that out. Do you have to do
10:09
any sort of like mental recovery during
10:11
the week to get ready to go and compete
10:13
in games like this? Just try and sleep.
10:16
Like tonight I won't sleep. Get get a
10:17
lot of adrenaline in a night game, but
10:20
um not not a whole lot. Like I don't I
10:23
don't overthink it. Do you throw less
10:26
during the week when you're throwing a
10:27
lot on the weekend or or is it usually
10:29
the same? It just depends on on what I'm
10:31
working on. So, I think there was two
10:34
weeks ago my slider was really
10:36
inconsistent. So, I I threw a lot of off
10:38
speed pitches that week. Um, this week
10:40
I'll probably do that again with my
10:42
slider and change up. But, if I'm
10:43
getting a full week's rest, like try.
10:47
So, I got an extra day this week, which
10:49
if we had it on the on the back end
10:50
going into Virginia Tech, I would have
10:52
thrown a longer bullpen. Um, so it kind
10:54
of messed it up a little bit this week,
10:55
but I I throw between 30 and 40 pitches
10:58
normally every time. Forb said you
11:00
didn't actually start getting loose till
11:02
the very end of your outing. When do you
11:04
think you kind of felt that you were
11:06
back in the groove? I thought I don't
11:08
know about getting loose, but I thought
11:09
my stuff was a lot better towards the
11:11
end. Um, I I always think I feel pretty
11:14
good out there just kind of with
11:15
adrenaline and all that kind of stuff.
11:17
So, I I don't know about getting loose,
11:19
but my stuff was better. you got in um
11:21
to I think 12 to 13 um three ball counts
11:25
and knowing what this offense at Wake
11:27
Forest can do, how do you how do you try
11:28
to execute that 3-2 pitch and and and
11:32
obviously a walk's better than giving up
11:33
a home run or something like that. So,
11:34
how do you kind of approach that? Well,
11:37
a lot of it depends on the situation of
11:38
the game. Like our offense did an
11:39
unbelievable job of getting on them
11:41
early and staying on them. So, in a 3-2
11:43
count, like I'm not afraid to give up a
11:45
home run, especially a solo home run.
11:46
So, you attack guys like Merrick Houston
11:49
and those guys that are are really good
11:50
hitters and if they beat you, they beat
11:52
you. Especially when I think we we put
11:54
up five in the first three and just
11:56
continue to score. So, uh when the
11:58
offense is is swinging it like that, you
12:00
just go right after them. So, it depends
12:02
on the situation of the game, but um I
12:04
trust my fast ball to to kind of take
12:06
care of everything. And when you're up
12:08
that big, it makes it a lot easier on
12:10
the pitchers. Not just you, but Chewy
12:12
and Bolton. How did all of the timely
12:15
pitching show up? Especially those big
12:16
pitches in those 3-2 counts. Those two
12:18
guys, I mean, it's awesome to to see
12:21
them out there now. Like that's a that's
12:23
tough to handle being an older guy and
12:24
not playing a lot and both of them have
12:26
gone about it absolutely the right way
12:28
and it's going to keep rewarding them
12:30
through the rest of the season. But, uh,
12:32
I think this just shows the work that
12:34
they've put in and, uh, they're both
12:36
older, experienced guys that have thrown
12:38
in a lot of baseball games, so they're
12:40
going to continue to help us and keep
12:41
making pitches in those big situations.
12:43
Have you and Chewy had any conversations
12:46
of the fact that you guys kind of both
12:47
missed what would have been that senior
12:49
season? Yeah, we talked about it because
12:51
we would have we would have pitched
12:52
against each other last year, which
12:53
would have been fun when Princeton was
12:55
here. Um, so we we talk about it a
12:58
little bit, not as much now as we did in
12:59
the beginning, but
13:02
thanks. Thank you guys.
13:05
Thank you.
13:09
Did I steal your question?
13:12
Little bit. Little bit.
13:16
You're We're good. Yeah, we're good.
13:18
Okay. Gavin, Coach For said that you and
13:21
Coach Weers, Coach Jackson have made a
13:23
few mechanical changes at the plate and
13:25
obviously they're paying off. Can you
13:27
just kind of walk us through what's the
13:28
process of going back doing that and
13:30
then what exactly did you change? Yeah.
13:32
Um, so I guess it kind of all just
13:34
starts with um get a text from Coach
13:36
Weirds that says, "Let's hit." Gives me
13:38
a time and I said, "All right, that
13:40
sounds good to me." Um, just getting in
13:43
the cage with him, being able to spend
13:44
some time in like small groups or
13:46
one-on-one. uh we really get to connect
13:48
more and um he does such a good job like
13:52
going back watching video and uh just
13:55
like analyzing things and then he brings
13:57
it to me and he keeps it simple so it
13:59
really helps um specifically then
14:02
working on as a team um being slow to
14:05
the fast ball. If you're slow to the
14:06
fast ball you'll be able to adjust off
14:08
speed and um you know just helps you
14:11
stay under control of the box. Um, for
14:13
me, we worked on more of my posture in
14:16
the box. Um, specifically in my load,
14:20
just making sure I'm in a good good
14:22
hitting position, then get my foot down.
14:24
Did he give you any videos or like
14:26
homework to watch of you? I know he had
14:29
Mandy watch like three of his clips from
14:30
2023. Did he give you any of that? Uh,
14:33
no, not so much. Just um watch like
14:36
previous video from this year. And then
14:39
comparing it to other players, too. Um,
14:41
we watched a few other guys that are in
14:42
the ACC and seeing how like I'm I can
14:45
I'm similar to them, but they do like
14:48
one or two things differently that I
14:50
need to get to that six spot. Can you
14:51
tell us who the other guys are? Um, I
14:53
mean, Drew Burrus was one of them. So, I
14:56
mean, it's a good guy to watch no matter
14:57
who you are. And, uh, yeah. When you say
15:00
slow to the fast ball, it kind of sounds
15:01
oxymoronic. What does that mean
15:03
specifically? And how has that helped
15:04
you specifically? Yeah. Um, it's more
15:09
about like moving like keeping your body
15:11
keeping your body slow. So, you got to
15:13
start sooner so you're still on time and
15:16
uh it'll if you're slow to the fast
15:19
ball, we say slow feet and um it's just
15:22
about keeping your body under control
15:24
really. Uh, so if you got to start
15:26
sooner, move slower, it'll help um stay
15:30
on time for the fast ball and keep your
15:33
head still too so you can see the ball
15:36
better adjust. Going off that, I think
15:38
the home run off the
15:41
slider last week on the slider and
15:44
you've been getting steady diet to be
15:46
able to be in there, hang in there for
15:48
that pitch recently. Is that kind of
15:50
gratifying in some ways in terms of the
15:52
adjustments you're making? Yeah, that's
15:54
definitely something I work on. Um, over
15:56
the past year and a half, that's been uh
15:58
the thing that I struggle with is that
16:00
right-handed slider. And so, um, just
16:03
putting work on that, I know that like
16:06
I'm confident in myself that I know I
16:08
can hit mistakes. And that's really what
16:10
those pitches have been. They're just
16:12
mistakes. You know, I'm sure throughout
16:15
the offseason, you probably heard a lot
16:16
from this coaching staff about how
16:18
they've seen you before, they're
16:20
pitching to you different. What is it
16:22
kind of taking that you know in
16:24
preseason and actually going through it
16:26
once the season starts? Yeah. Um I mean
16:29
funny enough we actually have talked
16:32
about doing the complete opposite. Uh we
16:34
went through that uh little stretch
16:36
there where we weren't hitting as good
16:38
as we wanted to and we all kind of just
16:40
went back and said like how are you
16:42
feeling on opening day? Like you weren't
16:44
worried about how guys pitch you. You
16:45
weren't worried about you know anything.
16:47
You're just going out there having fun.
16:48
And I think that's something that we've
16:49
really committed to is just playing
16:51
every day like it's opening day. And I
16:52
think you can really tell the guys
16:53
having a lot more fun. Approaches are a
16:56
lot better. Um, and guys are just
16:58
thinking less. I think it's really
16:59
paying off. You guys had had no trouble
17:02
hitting home runs since non-conference
17:04
games. Tuesday as an example, but the
17:07
league games you you haven't been
17:08
hitting as many home runs. uh what's
17:11
made the difference like tonight couple
17:13
home runs kind of give you give your
17:16
your guys confidence that you can do it
17:17
in league games? Yeah, I think kind of
17:20
like what I talked about earlier with um
17:21
being slow to the fast ball is something
17:23
we've really emphasized the past two
17:25
weeks and um I think like that's it's
17:29
such a simple thing to think about but
17:32
that's kind of what hitting is at the
17:34
end of the day is trying to make it as
17:35
simple as possible. So, if we can focus
17:37
on something as simple as that and
17:39
execute it, um I think you're going to
17:41
start seeing more home runs every game
17:43
of the play. What was going through your
17:45
mind when Forbes sent you on Alex's
17:47
double? I had no idea, honestly. Um I
17:50
don't know. I was I had my head down
17:52
running hard the whole way. I figured he
17:54
was going to send me. Um I didn't
17:56
actually know that the ball never got to
17:57
the corner. So, I thought it was just a
18:00
you know, line drive down the line. Got
18:02
to the corner. I thought I was scoring
18:03
the whole time. So luckily I just never
18:05
never slowed down. I mean in that vein
18:07
and then putting you guys got the sack
18:09
bunts down. How did you see this team
18:11
and really in the past few weeks execute
18:12
all the little things that you need to
18:14
win ECC games like this? Yeah, I think
18:17
um I think this is what everybody's been
18:18
waiting for. We played in my opinion a
18:21
complete game top to bottom. Uh pitching
18:24
was unbelievable and our at bats
18:27
throughout the entire game were like we
18:29
executed exactly what we wanted to do.
18:31
And so I think that's just what we're
18:32
capable of right there. is we can I
18:34
think we can go and do that to any team
18:36
in the country. How do you guys keep
18:38
this momentum going but also keep a
18:40
level head? Wake Forest last weekend
18:42
they lost like five to four and then
18:44
they go and they run well Florida State.
18:46
So how do you kind of keep those two
18:48
things in your mind? Uh we just go at it
18:50
like we do every day. Stick with the
18:52
process. Um be excited about the win and
18:56
then once you're once you leave the
18:58
Bosch it's over and you got to move on.
19:00
Get ready for the next day. after that
19:02
Texas Tech series where you hitless that
19:04
weekend and kind of the slow start of
19:05
the series. We talked to coach Forbes
19:07
and he he made the statement that you
19:08
would still lead the team in almost
19:10
every stat or close to it and like
19:12
obviously you hit your stride but what
19:14
does that say about a coach that has so
19:16
much confidence in you um even when you
19:18
have that start like that? Yeah, I mean
19:19
obviously it makes me feel good but um
19:22
that's just kind of the type of coach he
19:23
is. He talks about that a lot with
19:27
um like he can't he says he can't give
19:30
you confidence. That's internal, but he
19:32
can take it away and just anybody can as
19:35
an outsider. And so he just does
19:37
everything he can to stay positive and
19:39
just supports us as players no matter
19:41
what we're going through because like he
19:44
knows we're not trying to go out there
19:45
and get out. And so um just to have that
19:48
support from him and support from
19:49
everybody on the team uh just kind of
19:52
helps you keep pushing.
19:54
Thanks.
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