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UNC's Luke Stevenson, Jackson Van De Brake and Scott Forbes after the Tar Heels' win over BC
May 24, 2025
UNC's Luke Stevenson, Jackson Van De Brake and Scott Forbes after the Tar Heels' win over BC
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0:00
Boston College they really fought. That
0:03
was two days rest. Karuso that was
0:06
impressive. That's a old school pitching
0:08
mentality that a lot of people don't
0:10
have anymore. So I thought that was
0:13
extremely impressive. I mean think
0:15
through 72 or 72 pitches two days ago.
0:19
Threw 109. He was tough on us at in
0:22
Boston. Tough on us again. Um you know
0:25
they got two off Jake. Jake settled in.
0:28
I thought that was the story of the
0:29
game. they, you know, bridge that gap a
0:30
little bit, they get way more momentum.
0:33
Um, we kept plugging and plugging and
0:35
really big, uh, pitch hit walk by Perry
0:38
Har and then to get guys on base and
0:41
Vandy to come up big right there and I
0:43
know that felt really good for Luke to
0:44
hit that that home run and also drive in
0:47
that run. Um, but our pitching was
0:49
outstanding and our defense was
0:51
outstanding. Uh, but again, want I want
0:54
to congratulate Boston College. I
0:55
thought that they brought it to the ACC
0:57
tournament and uh they gave us all we
0:59
could handle. Thanks, coach. We'll open
1:01
up for questions. Mike, coach,
1:07
uh Jackson and Luke, just your thoughts
1:09
on what Cole Roso was throwing at you,
1:12
what you saw from him tonight.
1:15
Um I mean, he tacked the track zone all
1:17
day. Um got that good fast ball and was
1:20
able to keep us off balance with the off
1:21
speed a lot like he did at Boston
1:23
College. Um, and like coach was saying,
1:26
really impressive coming off a couple
1:27
days rest and throwing that many
1:28
pitches. Yeah, I just thought he mixed
1:30
really well and uh he competed and did a
1:33
good job just keeping us off balance.
1:35
Um, so just a lot of props to him and
1:40
Coach Forbes obviously the long sit for
1:43
Jake there. Was the decision made to
1:45
pull him then anyway or what was the
1:48
plan? Because Yeah. Yeah. Actually, we
1:49
had we had made the decision we're going
1:51
to go ahead and go to McDuffy. Um, you
1:53
know, that's why I don't love that much
1:56
rest. Um, I feel like late in the
1:58
season, all those years as a pitching
1:59
coach, um, that's why I was glad that we
2:02
are playing Friday, Saturday, Sunday.
2:04
Obviously, we had to win today to get
2:05
our other guys out there, but then Jake
2:07
will be in his normal six day. When you
2:08
have too many days, believe it or not,
2:10
people think, oh, you're going to throw
2:11
way harder. A lot of time it's the
2:13
opposite because you just don't stay in
2:14
that routine. Um, but he made some
2:16
really good pitches because he didn't
2:18
have his 94 96 tonight. Um, and I
2:21
thought that last inning, uh, Coach
2:23
Gaines made a great point. Some loud
2:25
outs, some balls hit really hard. Um,
2:28
and they had right, right, right
2:32
throughout pretty much set one lefty.
2:34
So, we thought it was a really good
2:34
matchup for Walker.
2:38
Coach, did you guys look back at any of
2:39
the reports or the film from your series
2:42
up in Boston before today? Um, of
2:44
course. Uh, but we look back more. I
2:47
just told the guys like if you you know
2:48
we were two and four when we went into
2:50
Boston College and uh you know we didn't
2:53
play well the first game we found a way
2:55
to win. We lost the second game and
2:56
these guys got together and since that
2:58
point they've been pretty dang good. But
3:00
I also told them I said you know they're
3:02
going to play well. Um we're going to
3:05
have our hands full. Uh when a team is
3:08
getting hot and they know they have to
3:09
win the tournament, you know that
3:10
they're going to leave everything they
3:12
have on the field. So of course we
3:14
looked at it. Um, but as soon as I saw
3:16
that he was going to be starting, that
3:19
old school mentality in my mind, I
3:20
thought, "Okay, he's going to pitch
3:22
well." Cuz kids that want the ball like
3:24
that, they're going to find a way to get
3:25
their team a chance to win.
3:29
Jackson, can you talk about the at bat?
3:31
You guys couldn't get anything going and
3:33
finally you get the ball down the line
3:35
to tie the game. Uh, yeah. I mean,
3:38
obviously big at bats, walk walk to
3:40
start that inning. Um, and then I was
3:43
able to just kind of get a two- strike
3:44
pitch over the plate that I was able to
3:45
get my hands to. Uh, not a super
3:48
comfortable at bat. Um, I'm sure it
3:50
looked that way, but just like I said,
3:52
got one over the plate and was able to
3:53
get the barrel to it.
3:57
Jackson, Luke, during that seventh, did
3:59
you guys feel like there was any sort of
4:00
energy switch in the dugout that kind of
4:02
propelled that on the field play? Yeah,
4:05
absolutely. I think the uh the at bats
4:07
prior to us like like you said like
4:09
starting off those walks and getting
4:10
base runners and we had base runners uh
4:12
in the innings previous um and we knew
4:15
that we were a swing away and that bat
4:18
away and we we got we got bases loaded
4:20
and once we had it again we knew that
4:22
there was a we had a good chance and we
4:24
got him out of the game and Jackson put
4:25
a good swing on it and yeah we just
4:27
trying to move the baseball.
4:32
coach to lead off that seventh inning.
4:34
You pinch it, Perry um up there to lead
4:38
off the inning, what can you say about
4:39
the confidence that you had in him in
4:41
that moment and the atbat that he had to
4:43
really kickstart that rally? Yeah, you
4:45
know, we've uh mixed and matched a lot
4:47
um in the D8 spot and Sawers back for us
4:50
obviously had the big swing in the bat
4:51
at Florida State, but uh the lefties
4:53
were really tough on him. Um I noticed I
4:56
thought Perry had really good BP the
4:58
last couple days like he was more on
5:00
time. He's a freshman. Um but he's not
5:02
phased by the big moment. And I felt
5:04
like we needed somebody in that
5:05
situation um that could work a walk, not
5:08
necessarily go up there and ambush a
5:10
fast ball cuz I thought he was getting
5:11
tired. And you know those 3-2 counts, we
5:14
track them all the time and uh Perry won
5:16
that 3-2 count and that's what got us
5:18
going ultimately.
5:23
Uh coach, in the past you've also
5:25
mentioned that, you know, when your
5:26
team's down, you're not always the one
5:28
that's the most vocal to kind of get
5:29
your team going. Was there somebody in
5:31
the dugout that kind of got the team
5:32
going that got that energy shift shift
5:34
for you guys in the seventh or is it
5:36
also kind of just the standard and guys
5:38
putting their head down? No, we're an
5:39
older team. Um I trust these guys.
5:42
Anytime as a head coach you feel
5:43
something. You know, I might say
5:45
something in the dugout. I just reminded
5:46
them today to don't look at the
5:48
scoreboard. Um all the pressurees in
5:50
their dugout. I don't think that
5:51
necessarily changed the momentum. Uh
5:54
this group is going to play 27 outs.
5:56
They've done it all season. Uh, I just
5:59
reminded them this time of year you
6:00
can't be scoreboard watching. You just
6:02
have to play. Uh, and they definitely
6:04
did that, you know, early on anytime. I
6:08
think these guys expect to walk in and
6:11
and beat Boston College 10 nothing.
6:14
That's great, but sometimes it's not
6:15
that easy. And it's good good for you to
6:18
be down like that to test ourselves a
6:20
little bit as a team. And they they
6:21
definitely pass the test.
6:25
Uh, Scott, another big time match up
6:27
with Florida State coming up. Your
6:28
thoughts on that, man? Yeah, I mean, I'm
6:30
I'm so excited about it. Um, hopefully
6:33
we'll have a Jack I thought the crowd
6:34
tonight was really good. Um, so a big
6:37
thank you to all the Tar Hill fans that
6:39
came out tonight. We need even more
6:40
tomorrow. A really good team. Obviously,
6:43
we had some success down there, but they
6:46
got the last win. Um, so I'm excited.
6:50
It's Daro, you know, against their guy,
6:52
and he's going to be good. Daro is going
6:54
to be good. Our guys are going to be
6:55
ready. Their guys are going to be ready.
6:56
That's what the ACC tournament's about.
6:58
Two of the best teams in my opinion in
7:00
the country. So, I'm just going to sit
7:01
back and watch these guys play.
7:05
To the players, I know the big carrots
7:07
down the road, but what would an ACC
7:09
title mean to you guys to win it? Uh, I
7:12
mean, I think it's one of those things
7:13
that it's it's really cool. Um, you
7:15
know, we wanted to get the regular
7:17
season. We're pretty much a game away
7:18
from doing that. Um, and this is an
7:20
opportunity to go out and prove that we
7:22
are the best team in the conference,
7:23
which we feel that way. Um, not just the
7:25
conference, but the but the country. Um,
7:28
so it would just be really cool for
7:29
sure. Luke, yeah, likewise. Uh, I think
7:32
it'd be a great uh accomplishment, and
7:34
that's something that we've always
7:35
wanted to do. Uh, like I said, we were
7:37
game short from winning the regular
7:38
season. So, I think if we can just
7:40
continue on this weekend and keep
7:41
playing good ball, then uh I think it'll
7:43
be uh an achievable goal.
7:48
Scott, I know Walker went two innings
7:50
tonight, but he didn't throw a whole ton
7:51
of pitches. Do you project him being
7:53
available tomorrow? Yes. Um, you know,
7:56
we're using the approach in this like
7:57
every game is an elimin elimination game
8:01
uh in a regional. That's what I told the
8:02
guys like Monday against LSU. Um, I'm
8:05
not announcing a starter for Sunday
8:07
until after tomorrow's game because
8:09
that's the way this tournament is. Uh,
8:11
we'll see, you know, I I trust our
8:13
players. We managed Walker really,
8:14
really well. Um I have a feeling that
8:18
he's going to feel good. Um so he'll be
8:21
most likely available to close the game
8:23
if we need him.
8:25
Uh Luke, um at the end, of course, you
8:27
hit the home run, but there's a huge
8:29
shift on you seeing that shift on the
8:31
field. Does that change your mindset
8:32
when you go up to the plate or are you
8:34
just looking to hit the ball? No, not
8:36
necessarily. Uh I mean, I get I get
8:38
shifted pretty often a lot of times. Um,
8:42
and I was just talking to coach Weers,
8:43
coach Forbes, just about my approach for
8:45
that at bat and staying through the
8:46
middle of the field and getting my pitch
8:48
and doing all I can with each pitch I
8:50
get and just competing every pitch. Um,
8:52
and just moving on from the pitch
8:54
previous and just being in present in
8:55
that one one pitch.
8:59
Luke Jackson had the hit to spark
9:01
everything in the seventh. I feel like
9:02
that's just normal with his play all
9:04
season. How have you seen him just
9:06
evolve and really fit in well in that
9:07
two-hole to bring energy to that whole
9:09
lineup?
9:11
They're asking you. Oh, could you could
9:13
you repeat the question? Sorry.
9:17
Question is Jackson with that big hit to
9:19
spark it all in the seventh. It seems
9:20
like he's basically done that all year.
9:23
What how have you just seen his play fit
9:25
in that two-hole energize this lineup
9:27
and just fulfill that sea on his chest
9:28
all season? Oh, yeah. It's awesome. And
9:30
that, like you said, that's what he's
9:31
done all year. And it's nice being on
9:32
deck and watching him succeed and being
9:34
able to hit with with runners on bases.
9:37
Um he's picked me up a lot of times and
9:40
um like today again that started and you
9:42
know I'm just I'm happy for him. Uh he
9:44
he's worked his tail off all year and uh
9:46
he deserves to be in the big moments and
9:48
get the big hits cuz he's been there for
9:50
me when when I was when I had success
9:53
and he was there when I when I did it.
9:54
So I'm I'm really happy for him and and
9:56
the success that he's had and he's going
9:58
to continue to do so. Let's go to the
9:59
last question. for the players, how were
10:02
y'all able to kind of maintain like sort
10:06
of endurance and like attitude even
10:08
after those first scoreless six innings?
10:12
Uh yeah, I mean I think that we a lot of
10:14
time in those in those kind of games
10:16
it's just a matter of time and that's
10:18
the feeling in the dugout. Um it's not
10:19
like we're going to start pressing or
10:21
getting negative or anything like that.
10:22
It's just gonna keep gonna keep going,
10:24
gonna keep getting guys on base and it's
10:26
just a matter of time till somebody gets
10:27
a big hit. Yeah, coach B stresses the
10:29
process and uh like you said, we play 27
10:32
outs. Um and you know, sometimes you're
10:34
going to face some in-game adversity and
10:36
and not get the results you want. Um and
10:38
like you said, we don't want to play the
10:39
scoreboard. You know, every inning we
10:40
want to get runners on base and um keep
10:43
inching away and we'll we'll find
10:46
success.
10:47
All right, thanks guys. We'll see you in
10:48
a moment. Thank y'all.
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