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UNC coach Scott Forbes and reliever Camron Seagraves after marathon win over Duke
Apr 5, 2025
UNC coach Scott Forbes and reliever Camron Seagraves after marathon win over Duke
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0:00
Yeah, I mean, unbelievable game. One of
0:02
the better ones I've been involved in,
0:05
uh, period. Uh, just back and forth,
0:06
back and forth. Two really good teams,
0:09
tough teams. Um, you know, we we did
0:12
enough. That was a pure team toughness
0:14
win if I've ever seen one. Um, that's
0:17
one where you do look at the box
0:19
gorgeous. So, maybe I don't want to
0:20
leave anybody out, but you can also
0:22
flush it down the toilet or maybe save
0:24
it to keep it just for a remember of of
0:26
the game being back and forth. Um, I
0:28
told the guys, uh, obviously we had a
0:31
lot of guys do a lot of great things,
0:34
but Chewy and Kale Bolton, I mean, those
0:38
guys are grads. They came to University.
0:40
They could both be pitching in the
0:42
rotation, stayed where they were
0:45
potentially or or maybe even somewhere
0:47
else. But we put them in because we see
0:50
how hard they work. We believe they're
0:52
great teammates. We believe they can get
0:53
these hitters out. Um, and wow, they
0:56
were unbelievable. I mean to put up that
0:57
many zeros that's a really good balance
0:59
offense. It doesn't strike out a lot. So
1:02
that is you know the older you get
1:04
obviously you coach for other reasons
1:06
but when you see stuff like that for me
1:08
that is that is very
1:11
gratifying to see those guys rewarded.
1:14
Cam Seagros was outstanding as well. Um
1:17
you know I thought everybody that went
1:18
out there was good. Uh Lynch maybe ran
1:21
out of gas a little bit. Sometimes you
1:22
have to learn that those three outs are
1:24
different than the those last three are
1:26
are really hard to get. So for us to get
1:29
out with that double play too in the
1:30
ninth with our infield defense was big
1:32
for us and that's just a big win for us.
1:33
I mean I'm not going to lie about it. Um
1:36
gives you some momentum. Another tough
1:38
week ahead and uh but I'll enjoy it
1:41
tonight and I told our guys to enjoy it
1:43
in the proper way tonight. Some good
1:45
tough lessons for your three freshman
1:46
relievers who which battled so well. Oh
1:49
man, you know, Duffy was a little he his
1:51
toe had like a a flare up with his toe,
1:54
so it wasn't his arm. And uh you know,
1:57
we talked about Maddie and missing him
1:58
today and uh obviously that have been
2:01
some some innings for him, but we also
2:02
talked about more guys will get their
2:04
opportunities. Um and I I thought those
2:07
four guys, I mean, to put up th those
2:10
that many zeros against that lineup was
2:13
impressive. But for the whole team, the
2:14
dugout was in every pitch. Our guys were
2:16
supporting one another. We we used a ton
2:18
of guys. I believe we got all the sap
2:20
bunts down that we put down that I that
2:23
I put on which is really good because
2:25
you have to be able to do that. So, you
2:27
know, I'm excited for those guys the
2:29
most more than I am us. But our coaches
2:31
too deserve a shout out because they
2:32
work their tails off. Have an
2:34
unbelievable staff. They work so hard to
2:36
prepare and coach Gaines and Coach How,
2:38
they do a lot of things down there in
2:39
that pitching specific area throwing
2:41
bullpen after bullpen and had those guys
2:44
ready. Is that a silver lining of sort
2:46
of a ninth inning meltdown slip up
2:50
there? You know what? I don't even look
2:51
at it that way. I look at it like
2:53
there's just pure joy. I ain't I ain't
2:55
going to try to hide it. I mean, that's
2:57
North Carolina Duke rubber match. Our
2:59
league's so difficult. Those games
3:01
matter, especially when you're at home.
3:03
Um, if anything, I look at it like we've
3:05
had guys here that they have to learn.
3:08
You know, they go out there, the heart
3:09
rate's different those last three. and
3:11
that's my job and coach Gains and coach
3:12
how to help Ryan Lynch learn how to take
3:14
that next step but he has done it as
3:16
well. Um but if anything it takes some
3:19
pressure off guys too Bolton's coming in
3:21
there throwing 94 now we have another
3:23
lefty and then how about Boaz had
3:26
trouble with strikes last night and he
3:27
comes in there and with the bases loaded
3:29
you can't walk him and he gets him out
3:31
so that was that was huge. What's the
3:32
update on Mattie? We haven't got an
3:34
official word. Um, you know, I'll I'll
3:37
get that out once it's No word for me
3:39
right now is good. Um, we'll have our
3:41
doctors read uh the MRI and we're hoping
3:44
he just has, you know, maybe a strain
3:47
flexor tendon or just a nerve. That's
3:49
the hope. With Chewy and Bolton,
3:50
obviously, they've been around the block
3:51
a little bit like you mentioned, but for
3:53
Cam, I mean, the highest leverage he's
3:55
really turned so far in his career to
3:56
come through in that situation is kind
3:58
of what you see from him. You know, I've
4:00
been talking to Cam about it, like how
4:01
much we believe in his command, too,
4:03
because yeah, he's walked some guys, but
4:05
he wasn't a guy that we recruited that
4:07
just threw really hard that had C
4:09
command. I saw him pitch in high school.
4:11
Um, actually saw him while he was still
4:14
committed to Campbell and I left there
4:16
thinking, "Dang, I can't believe this
4:17
kid's going to Campbell." And they had a
4:19
coaching change and right away I'm like,
4:21
"Man, we got to get on this kid."
4:22
Because I thought he could pitch, too.
4:24
Um, him and McDuffy both from my home.
4:26
Well, Cam's not from my hometown, but he
4:28
lived and played for Grace Christian for
4:30
Rob Wooten. And McDuffy is from my
4:32
hometown, so I could get in there and
4:33
see him. But he had great high school
4:35
numbers. He throws a ton of strikes. And
4:37
today, he showed you that he's also a
4:39
pitcher. He flipped the curve ball in
4:40
there when he needed to. And he had
4:42
stuff on his fastball. What impressed me
4:44
the most about Cam is it didn't go great
4:47
from the start, but he got that double
4:50
play ball, kept the game tied, gave us
4:52
some momentum, and that that's why we
4:54
ended up holding on, winning that game.
4:57
I always talk about putting the ball in
4:58
play, and Madera did it on the last
5:00
play. And then a foruitous bounce maybe.
5:03
You know, sometimes you need a bounce.
5:06
Um, national championship teams usually
5:09
get some type of bounce somewhere along
5:11
the way. So, we'll give the assist to
5:13
Jeff. uh our grounds crew guy. Maybe he
5:15
went out there and put a little juju on
5:17
that dirt in between. You know, we
5:18
didn't put any water. Um but that's the
5:21
thing about AAD, you know, he's going to
5:23
move the ball and uh and he got he hit
5:26
it hard. If you look at the exit
5:28
velocity, he just had down action and it
5:29
took that extra hop over his head. And
5:31
then Jackson, I think four is 4%. Yeah.
5:34
Like it's not surprising. I can see him
5:35
coming. I can't wait when Keley and
5:37
Steve get going. Um you know, it's it's
5:39
it's tough and that's my job to help
5:42
them through it. uh because those two
5:44
guys, they are not chasing the draft,
5:46
but I've been through it with every
5:48
player and everybody wants to be a major
5:49
leager and everybody wants to go high.
5:51
Uh so I'm just reminding everybody just
5:53
be patient with these two guys. If
5:54
anything, they're just trying so so hard
5:57
to just take a deep breath. What's going
5:59
to help them is this failure is going to
6:01
really help them down the stretch
6:03
because you got to get to a point
6:04
mentally where it's like, okay, there's
6:06
only one way and it's going to be up.
6:08
Stokeley on that one making that throw
6:10
home. Like I mean he's just shown that
6:12
he can do that play time and time again
6:13
over his career. Yeah. I mean and you
6:15
know we work on stuff like that like do
6:17
you tag the bag? Luke has to be ready to
6:19
tag the base runner if he does that. But
6:22
that is uh in that
6:23
situation why I did not pitch run with
6:26
stoke because he's so good defensively
6:29
and he gets good jumps and he's got good
6:30
instincts. That's a heck of a play. You
6:33
open this up by talking about how you
6:35
you might keep this one. How many do you
6:37
think you end up keeping Foxwise over
6:39
the years?
6:41
You know, I I wrote down a note on the
6:44
no hitter um the other night. Uh I keep
6:48
all of them to answer that question. I
6:50
keep my game cards. I have a notebook
6:52
for every single year. I actually went
6:53
back and was looking at my first year
6:55
here and then my years at Winthrop
6:57
because you want to keep up and you
6:59
start getting older, you wonder how
7:00
these guys are doing, you know, like uh
7:02
but I I try to I have a special special
7:05
spot for like an 18 in game over in
7:08
Durham against NC State. I have a
7:09
notebook that I just keep those bot
7:11
scores and those game notes because I
7:13
know one day I'm going to want to look
7:14
at that and be like hopefully I can
7:15
remember. Um, but I'm going to look at
7:17
be like, man, that was unbelievable. 18
7:19
innings, 14 today. 14 innings at home.
7:22
The crowd too, I want to give you a
7:24
shout out, man. They stayed, they helped
7:26
our guys. They were in every pitch and
7:28
uh it's great to see our crowd show up
7:33
more and more and more. And then we also
7:35
don't surprise the kind of hit Dustin
7:37
Aley would have got. He had put so much
7:38
top spin on that ball would have bounced
7:40
over. So I just looked up in the corner
7:41
at him was like, "Man, you brought some
7:42
good luck today." Three or four arms
7:44
that you brought in in like really big
7:46
moments. What do you What do you say to
7:47
a guy when you bring him in? What are
7:49
they focusing on in a game like that
7:50
where it just feels like you can't get
7:52
out? You just stay positive with them.
7:54
Um again, you know, we felt good about
7:57
all of them. We felt like not only have
7:58
they worked, but they were ready for
8:00
this moment because, you know, the plus
8:02
is when you have two grads, they pitched
8:04
a ton. You know, Cam, he's just a true
8:06
freshman and he's rolling out there and
8:09
the game on the line, the base is
8:10
loaded. I believe he came in with nobody
8:12
out. Is that right? Yeah. And it was
8:15
tied or what? We were ahead. But I just
8:18
noticed right out the gate, this dude is
8:19
getting after it. When you're getting
8:21
after it and you're not taking anything
8:22
off, that means you are not scared of
8:25
this moment. And uh that I didn't think
8:27
one of them fold your Boaz. I mean, how
8:28
about that? You you heart rate's got to
8:31
be pumping because you struggled last
8:32
night. and uh he zipped that thing in
8:34
there and threw a really good slider
8:36
right there.
8:38
Have a good night.
8:40
Appreciate jacked up. No, I haven't. Not
8:43
yet. Just sort of talk about the moment
8:45
there you came in and like he said, high
8:47
leverage situation and sort of calmed
8:48
the nerves, settled it down out there.
8:50
Yeah. Um I've been struggling a little
8:52
bit with command uh so far and just been
8:55
working with coach Gaines, Coach Hal,
8:57
and talking with Coach Forbes about it.
8:59
just being confident in myself, knowing
9:00
that I can do it and just went out there
9:02
and was trusting myself and I knew that
9:04
if I didn't have it, somebody behind me
9:05
would. What was your middle space after
9:07
the ninth inning? Because you came back
9:09
and acted like nothing happened with the
9:11
way you pitched after that. Yeah, that's
9:13
that's something big we talk about. It's
9:14
just forgetting about whatever's
9:16
happened in the past, not worrying about
9:17
what's to come. It's just whatever
9:18
you're doing in the moment at the time.
9:20
So, got the double play ball, got out of
9:22
it, and was just got back in the dugout
9:24
and was just focusing on the next next
9:25
inning, getting out there and getting
9:27
the first guy out. Does it help you guys
9:29
that coach Ford will put you back out
9:31
there? Even if you're struggling with
9:32
something, he'll he trust you. Just sort
9:34
of talk about how that makes you feel.
9:36
Yeah, that's really big. Especially
9:37
being a freshman or like our other
9:39
freshman, we if you have a little bit of
9:41
struggle, you get out there, you got to
9:42
get time to get acclimated to the crowd,
9:46
the hitters you're facing, and it's just
9:47
a good thing to be able to go out there
9:48
and struggle a little bit. And the
9:50
coaching staff trust you as much as they
9:52
do. There were a few times there between
9:54
those two innings that you completed by
9:55
your your full self where you were
9:57
pretty fired up. Just kind of the
9:59
emotions of this game is kind of what
10:00
that kind of bring out of you. Yeah, I
10:02
love it. I love big situations. I love
10:04
getting out of it getting getting
10:06
emotional to a certain extent. You got
10:08
to keep yourself under control, but I
10:09
feel like there's times where you have
10:10
to and that's what you live for,
10:12
especially coming out of the bullpen.
10:13
You don't there's nothing better than
10:14
that. That last full inning that you
10:17
went when you were coming off, you were
10:18
just so fired up that you missed the
10:19
pullup check and everything. just kind
10:21
just what's kind of through your head
10:22
there. Just what I saw he joked with you
10:24
as you were kind of going to him. That's
10:26
that's something new. It's weird coming
10:27
off the mountain having to have somebody
10:29
check your glove. You're trying to get
10:30
in your dugout and celebrate with your
10:31
teammates, get water, whatever you're
10:33
trying to do and you got to go back out.
10:34
But that's that's probably the second or
10:36
third time that's happened this year
10:37
already that I've gotten out of and had
10:38
to run back out and talk to them. But
10:40
yeah, high school you used to play in
10:42
seven innings. Is that double that
10:44
length? Is that the longest you've ever
10:45
played? Yeah, that's what I was just
10:47
talking about a minute ago. I said
10:48
that's probably the far the longest game
10:50
by far that I've ever played besides
10:51
rain delays, but that doesn't count.
10:53
That's a straight up game. Beautiful
10:54
weather. That's super long. But our guys
10:57
fall through it and kept playing hard
10:58
the whole time. I knew we would score at
11:00
some point. Well, you talked about you
11:02
knew guys behind you would have it. Just
11:04
talk about Bolton and Chewy coming out
11:06
there and getting it done. Yeah, that's
11:07
that's really good. Chew's picked me up
11:09
once already this year. I trust in Kale.
11:11
Kale's been he works he's been working
11:13
his tail off like every single day
11:15
throwing off the mound, doing whatever.
11:16
I knew I knew somebody whoever it was
11:18
coming behind me would do just they're
11:20
just as good as you or better. So if you
11:22
don't have it that day, they're able to
11:23
come in right behind you and pick you
11:24
up.
11:26
Thanks. Thanks. Thank you.