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#UNC coach Scott Forbes after exhibition victory at the DBAP over N.C. State.
Oct 17, 2025
#UNC coach Scott Forbes after exhibition victory at the DBAP over N.C. State.
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0:00
just the environment, playing in
0:02
feedback, playing an ACC rival, fall and
0:05
the fall, what's it like?
0:07
Yeah, that's why coach Aan and I wanted
0:08
to do it. Um, number one, for the fans,
0:11
but also for the players. Uh, you know,
0:14
an environment like this is hard to find
0:16
in the fall. Obviously, we're in it all
0:18
the time in the spring. Um, and anytime
0:21
State and North Carolina play each
0:22
other, you know that the fans are going
0:24
to come out. So, credit to them. Um,
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very thankful for that because our guys,
0:28
you find out some, you know, a lot of
0:29
things about your guys. The bigger the
0:31
crowd is.
0:32
Um, so that was great.
0:33
You have a lot of guys that are shut
0:35
down for the fall. So, you got to throw
0:37
out, I think, three of those freshman,
0:39
McDafi, Boaz, especially with those
0:42
freshman entering a stage like this.
0:43
What does this do for the development
0:45
this early in their career?
0:46
Yeah, the biggest thing for me is I
0:47
wanted to get as many guys that haven't
0:49
been in this environment in this
0:51
environment. Um, obviously, we have some
0:52
position players that were banged up
0:54
that also couldn't play. I think we had
0:56
three out tonight. Um, and Boaz, you
0:58
know, he his innings, he hasn't logged a
1:00
ton of innings. He has been in this
1:03
environment, but I wanted to get him
1:04
back out there. He's worked really hard
1:06
on some different pitches. Coach How and
1:07
Coach Gains has done a phenomenal job
1:08
with him. He's got way more weapons. Um,
1:11
you know, he's just he looks like we
1:13
thought he was going to look like uh
1:16
eventually. So, that's great to see.
1:17
But, we got to see all these new guys
1:18
out there in different situations, match
1:20
them up a little bit. You're probably
1:22
going to see that more um this spring. I
1:24
think I'm probably going to be walking
1:25
out there a little more than people are
1:26
going to like, but if we win, I don't
1:28
care what people like.
1:29
Always good to get a big hit from your
1:31
10hole hitter.
1:32
Yeah, you know, I mean, you're trying to
1:34
get all these guys in and and Frenchie
1:36
is a starter. Um, but we wanted to
1:37
change our lineup and just get some
1:40
other guys in this environment. I know
1:41
what I'm going to get from Carter
1:42
French. He has ice water in his veins.
1:45
Didn't surprise me at all. Um, but we
1:47
wanted to to get some other guys in
1:48
there, get them some experience. I mean,
1:50
you know, against some good arms like
1:52
that NC State has. McDuffy coming in.
1:55
Yeah, you know, he threw a ton of change
1:57
ups. That's something that we've added.
1:58
Um him and coach G, we didn't let him
2:00
throw many sliders. We throw more
2:02
tonight, but he still threw a lot of
2:04
change ups. He he executed those change
2:06
ups. Camp Seagrove executed some really
2:08
good change ups. Holiday, who is a
2:10
freshman, is more of a breaking ball
2:12
guy, but he's added a change up. So,
2:15
that's the big thing. Rose came in, I
2:16
thought, made some good pitches. Um, but
2:19
McDuffy was one of the few pitchers that
2:21
we shut down. um because he had such a
2:24
big workload at a high school and he had
2:26
a big workload for us. So, he was still
2:28
working on so much. We wanted to pitch
2:30
him tonight.
2:31
Just how do you know um what to expect
2:33
from Carter? Was that kind of the
2:34
decision to put him in late game?
2:36
No, I just want to try to get all of our
2:38
guys in there obviously. Um and we will
2:40
match up some. We've got options.
2:42
Left-handed, right-handed, we've got
2:43
some depth. Uh you know, and with
2:46
Winslow out too, his bat out of the
2:48
lineup, he's a middle of the order guy.
2:50
Just wanted to get more matchup in there
2:52
in case we do have somebody banged up. I
2:54
feel like we can match up a little bit
2:56
this year kind of like we did in 2018
2:58
with lefties and righties.
3:00
Yeah, it's really cool. Speaking of new
3:03
guys, could you talk more about those
3:04
transfers? I know Shafner had those
3:06
solares and then obviously Madden.
3:09
Yeah, I mean you look at the lineup, it
3:10
is what it is. We lost a ton. Um we had
3:13
a new first baseman in Paulson. We move
3:16
Gavin to the middle on second or short.
3:18
Shaner's playing short, junior college
3:21
player. Cooper Nicholson in third, Owen
3:23
Hull in center, Tyler How left. So all
3:26
those guys were new. McInness is hitting
3:27
in the 10 hole, but he's, you know,
3:29
McInness and Hinck really caught well
3:32
and he's really good defensively. He had
3:34
18 home runs last year at Georgia State.
3:36
McInness had a great year at Georgia
3:38
State. They played full years in
3:40
division one. So, uh, you know, we knew
3:43
we were going to have fresh faces
3:44
because of what we lost. And, uh, these
3:47
guys have been great. They've really,
3:48
today was the last day of our 45 days of
3:50
the fall and, uh, you know, I'll give
3:52
shout out to our players. We work them
3:54
hard in the fall. I mean, they're
3:55
lifting doing a lot more than they do in
3:57
the spring and they they pass the test
3:58
as far as that goes.
4:00
Coach Boston, good night for him as
4:02
well. Just kind of what's kind of you
4:03
seen from the fall? Yeah, I told coach
4:05
Jackson um I mean I had a lot of great
4:07
takeaways tonight, but that was a big
4:10
one in my opinion. Um Boston has stuck
4:12
with it in a transfer portal age where
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you know a lot of kids with his ability
4:17
would have jump ship and left. He loves
4:19
UNCC, loves his teammates. He's stuck
4:21
with it. He's made some changes. He's
4:23
matured um on and off the field and he's
4:26
going to be rewarded for it. I mean, his
4:27
stuff is really good, but he doesn't
4:29
have to be You've seen 98 out of him,
4:31
but he doesn't have to be 98. he's going
4:32
to be at his best when he's sinking the
4:34
ball and then when he gets ahead in the
4:35
count, he can reach back like he started
4:37
getting loose as he's as he went along.
4:40
Um, but I think Boston Flannry can be a
4:42
huge part of our pitching staff this
4:44
year. And that uh that was big for him
4:46
from the confidence standpoint, but also
4:48
big for us and his teammates.
4:51
Seemed like there was a lot of stealing
4:52
tonight. Was that to kind of break the
4:54
game open? What was the thought process?
4:55
I don't know if it was stealing. It was
4:56
getting picked off a couple times
4:58
attempted.
4:58
We worked really hard on ball steals,
5:00
too. We've worked coach Jackson does a
5:02
phenomenal job over at first base. Uh
5:04
there's two type of base steelers for
5:05
us. Speed guys, they don't vault and
5:07
steal. Um if you pull up Aaron Judge
5:10
stealing for the Yankees, they're really
5:11
good at it. Other teams are good at it.
5:13
Sometimes you mistime the vault and they
5:15
pick and you get picked off, but it's
5:16
something that we want to be able to do.
5:17
We want to apply a lot of pressure. Um
5:19
Tyler How, you know, he's he's a he's
5:22
capable of being one of those vault
5:23
steel guys. Gavin Gallagher, we just
5:25
that's a lot of what we'll refocus on
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post fall. We won't be doing as much
5:30
team. We'll just be doing individual
5:31
stuff, but we want that to be a weapon.
5:33
We want to be to apply pressure when we
5:35
play. Teams are, you know, throughout
5:37
the year obviously as good as NC State.
5:39
Were you surprised that the pitchers are
5:41
so much ahead of the hitters at this
5:42
point?
5:43
You know, it's I don't know if they're
5:45
necessarily ahead. I think
5:48
uh you know, those are all good arms.
5:50
And if you're I mean, obviously besides
5:52
the Blue Jays exploding last night, I
5:54
mean, it's a it's an arms race. If you
5:56
don't have arms, you're not going to
5:58
win. And I thought both teams threw a
6:00
ton of strikes. Um they're they're one
6:03
or ton of walks. I think we struck them
6:04
out more than they struck us out. So, we
6:07
did a good job moving the ball. Um but I
6:10
think good pitching is always ahead of
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even good hitting. And I thought that
6:14
was the case. Tonight is a new ballpark.
6:15
You know, they're used to playing at
6:16
their place all fall. We're used to
6:18
playing at our place all fall. Um but
6:21
man, what a beautiful night. How about I
6:22
mean the crowd was unbelievable for
6:24
these guys in a fall game.
6:25
Camc you bring him in, guys on, he gets
6:28
out of the jam. Last time we brought him
6:30
in in the gym, we got horsing. This is
6:32
also one of those big lights
6:34
environments. How you've seen him
6:35
mature, especially just that evolution
6:37
of him being able to come in and come
6:39
out of control.
6:40
Yeah. You know, he's he's gotten better.
6:42
You know, his velocity went up as much,
6:44
but he's becoming more of a pitcher. The
6:46
change up is something though last year
6:48
that he threw at Florida State but it
6:50
wasn't as good as it is now. And he has
6:53
offspe weapons which are really really
6:55
helping him. Um but he's again guys are
6:58
nipping at his heels. I mean if you look
7:00
at the game card there are a lot of
7:02
really good pitchers that didn't pitch
7:04
and that's what you want the depth and
7:06
it's going to be a battle for you know
7:07
Cam's going to have to get in the weight
7:08
room. He's got to add weight. He's got
7:10
to get stronger and take another step
7:12
with his command for sure. But he's
7:13
starting to do that. And then Jackson
7:15
Rose, I believe, is your only freshman
7:17
lefteye. Yeah.
7:18
You brought him in for one batter last
7:20
year. I think one of the things that we
7:22
kind of saw was maybe a lack of lefties
7:24
in that whole thing. What are you going
7:25
to see from him and what do you expect
7:26
from him?
7:28
I think he's going to be a weapon. I
7:30
mean, he's a freshman. He's a little bit
7:31
more I think he's going to be throwing
7:33
92 93 when it's all said and done. Um
7:36
Timmy Lawson had a really good summer.
7:37
We had to shut him down early. He's a
7:39
red shirt freshman. Uh, but I like
7:43
Rosie. I think he's going to help us.
7:45
And I like having lefties, don't get me
7:46
wrong, but I also like having nasty
7:49
righties, and we're just going to pitch
7:50
the best guy in the situation. But
7:53
right-hander has a change up. Um,
7:55
sometimes that can be harder on a
7:56
left-handed hitter than a lefty with a
7:58
breaking ball.
7:59
Coach, if you had to give your pitcher
8:01
performance a grade overall, what would
8:03
you give
8:04
today?
8:05
Yes, sir. Um,
8:07
I'd have to really go back and and look
8:09
at it and and the pitch calls and where
8:11
they were and and how good the umpire
8:13
was and look at the track man.
8:16
I would probably say a B minus roughly
8:19
in that range.
8:21
Talk about the environment. I mean, you
8:23
talked about it early felt like it
8:24
tensed up in about the eighth inning
8:27
when it's been down top. I mean, at the
8:30
end of the day, both teams, it's North
8:32
Carolina and NC State, and and we'd all
8:34
be lying. I mean, obviously, it's not in
8:38
the record book, but it the players
8:40
know, the coaches know, and you want to
8:42
see your guys, you want to see how
8:43
they're going to compete in this
8:45
environment. And, uh, that's why you,
8:47
you know, the NCA, we need to be able to
8:49
play more of these games. They don't,
8:50
you know, just playing two is not
8:52
enough. Playing each other gets old cuz
8:54
you find out more about your guys in the
8:57
bigger environment. Um, and I don't know
8:59
necessarily if it was more tense. I felt
9:01
like the crowd got into it more and that
9:04
just showed you like they felt like it
9:06
was meaningful and that helped obviously
9:09
get the players even more into it.
9:11
What's something you thought about this
9:13
team that you felt pretty strong about
9:14
going into the fall that you even felt
9:17
better about at this point forward? Is
9:20
there something that you're maybe a
9:21
little bit more concerned of that kind
9:22
of like you came away more positive
9:24
about at? Um, I think number one,
9:26
anytime you have a new group, uh, that's
9:29
the joy of coaching is trying to figure
9:30
out how to help them be a great team.
9:33
But in today's college baseball, you are
9:36
going to have more new players than you
9:38
used to.
9:39
You know, how well are they going to
9:41
like get to know each other, keep the
9:44
team first, you know, the Carolina way
9:47
and they pass. We've got the transfer to
9:48
fit right in. So, that's number one. Um,
9:51
that probably happened a little quicker,
9:52
honestly, than I thought it was going
9:54
to. And that's a credit to our returners
9:56
like the Gavin Gallers and those guys,
9:58
Jason Deros, Voldier Boaz. Um I would
10:02
say number two, we've improved more
10:06
defensively
10:08
at this point than I I still think we
10:09
have a long ways to go like cuz I think
10:11
we have really good arms, but we've got
10:13
to be able to pick it up. Um, I do, you
10:16
know, I know the the scoreboard didn't
10:17
show it a lot offensively, but I thought
10:18
I think both teams have some firepower,
10:21
but one thing we have to continue to
10:23
improve on is just our overall defensive
10:26
play. And if we do that, I think we'll
10:28
have a chance.
10:30
Could you talk a little bit more about
10:31
Minus, how he's improved throughout the
10:33
fall? Imagine how he's imp.
10:37
That's okay. That's okay. You know, both
10:39
those guys, we got them from Georgia
10:40
State. We got them quick. If you pull up
10:42
their numbers, that's a good league. Uh
10:44
they both performed. Hinek hit 18 home
10:46
runs. McGinness hit right at 350 plus
10:49
RBI's.
10:51
Um and they've been awesome. I mean
10:53
they're both grads. Uh McInness is
10:56
actually he's getting married in
10:57
December, so he'll be married during the
10:59
season. Um I think we have three players
11:01
engaged, which is I mean I think is
11:04
great. Um but he they're they just he's
11:06
a good player, too. He's got he hits the
11:08
ball really really hard. The exit
11:10
velocity is really good. Um, and he's
11:13
worked really hard with coach where's
11:14
Vicki. I think he's going to continue to
11:16
climb and he's been a guy that, you
11:18
know, he didn't start off really, really
11:20
hot here, but neither did Parks Harbor
11:21
when he first came in here, but he's got
11:23
a ton of ability. Um, and he plays the
11:26
game extremely hard and I think he's
11:28
going to be a big time factor for us in
11:30
the spring.
11:33
Thank you.