Up next in 10
UNC's Jackson Van De Brake, Jake Knapp and Scott Forbes NCAA selection day press conference #UNC
May 26, 2025
UNC's Jackson Van De Brake, Jake Knapp and Scott Forbes NCAA selection day press conference #UNC
View Video Transcript
0:00
Is everybody good to go? Yes. What are
0:02
your general thoughts of the draw on
0:04
number five national seed? Did you feel
0:06
like you should be higher? Uh I mean
0:09
yeah, but doesn't matter. Uh I think we
0:11
knew that we were going to be top eight.
0:13
Um and after that kind of doesn't
0:15
doesn't make much difference. Um I think
0:18
we do in general kind of think we are
0:20
better than the five seed. Um so I think
0:22
we can use that as some fuel. Um and
0:25
aside from that, I think it's a good
0:26
draw. Uh we're going to, you know,
0:28
whoever it ended up being, we're going
0:29
to take it and we're confident going
0:32
into this weekend. What are the next few
0:34
days look like for you guys? I assume
0:35
you're going to be grinding through
0:36
three different scouting reports, right?
0:38
Yeah, I mean I leave that to the
0:40
coaches, but um yeah, I think that we're
0:44
light today. We'll have a couple of good
0:45
practice days tomorrow and Wednesday. Um
0:47
and then light again Thursday. Um so
0:50
yeah, I mean I think that's that's a
0:51
good amount of time to to get ready.
0:53
will, like you said, we'll get be
0:55
getting ready for three teams. And
0:57
again, just uh we feel really good going
0:59
into this thing. As one of the headers,
1:01
I mean, you have the chance to face so
1:02
many different pitchers, especially
1:04
Kaisen Weatherspoon, one of the best
1:05
righties in the country. How do you guys
1:07
prep for maybe that many arms that you
1:09
may see? Yeah, I mean, I think that um I
1:13
think it comes down to like we're going
1:14
to continue to work on the things that
1:15
we've worked on all year. um whether
1:17
it's a specific arm or not that you're
1:19
getting ready for, I think that there's
1:20
certain things that we all have to do
1:22
regardless of what we're going to see.
1:24
Um and I wouldn't be surprised if we
1:25
kind of focus on that stuff, focus focus
1:27
on ourselves. Um we'll talk about about
1:30
the guys we'll be seeing, but I think
1:32
it'll be more about us for sure. What is
1:35
it that makes regionals are so unique
1:37
because you have four
1:39
really fun fan bases converging on one
1:42
ballpark. It's really just a celebration
1:44
of the game. What's sort of your
1:46
favorite part of being in a regional?
1:48
Yeah, I mean I think you said I think
1:50
it's just a lot of fun having four
1:51
different fan bases here. Um especially
1:54
at the Bosch, we saw it last year just
1:56
how much fun it can be. Um and not even
1:59
like just playing too, like we're we'll
2:00
be around for the other games watching
2:02
and that's always fun too. Um I think
2:04
that pretty much we look forward to all
2:07
of that stuff. It kind of all goes
2:08
together to to make it fun. As one of
2:11
the captains on this team, have you
2:12
talked to any of the younger guys about
2:14
what it's like to play in a regional
2:16
going into the postseason? Not
2:17
necessarily. I think that this this past
2:19
weekend was was really good for a lot of
2:21
those younger guys playing in that
2:22
environment. Um I think that it was kind
2:25
of a it was good timing. We played in
2:27
three in front of three really really
2:30
good crowds and three good baseball
2:32
games. Um and I kind of think there's no
2:34
better way to to prep for something like
2:36
a regional than that. Um, and we'll talk
2:39
about it, but I think that we're just
2:41
going to do our thing and those guys are
2:43
ready. What are the advantages of
2:44
playing at home as opposed to having to
2:46
go to say ter
2:51
that was that was an experience for
2:53
sure. Um, we I think we play our best
2:56
ball here. Um, and we uh team's got to
3:00
go through us at at the Bosch and I
3:03
think that we're a really tough team to
3:04
beat here. Along those lines, is there
3:06
any sort of I don't know if comfort
3:08
level is the right way to say it, but
3:10
familiarity with this is the path that
3:12
you guys sort of followed last year,
3:14
obviously the the you know, knowing
3:16
you'd have back-to-back weekends at home
3:18
in the tournament. Is that is there a
3:20
comfort level in knowing that this is
3:22
the same way road you took last year or
3:24
does do you think that matters since
3:26
it's obviously a different team or Yeah,
3:29
exactly. It's a different team,
3:30
different year. I mean, it it's
3:32
definitely nice to be at home. Um, but I
3:35
also think that regardless, you kind of
3:37
you got to go and you have to play good
3:38
baseball. Everybody at this level at
3:41
this stage is going to be a good
3:42
baseball team. Um, and again, it kind of
3:45
just comes back to us playing our game.
3:48
You guys broke the attendance record at
3:50
the Bosch last year in the Super. You
3:51
coming for that record again this year?
3:52
Wouldn't be surprised if they do it. Um,
3:55
the I mean the I was blown away by the
3:58
by the crowds at in Durham. Um, and it
4:00
was all heels which was really really
4:02
cool. Um, so I wouldn't be surprised one
4:04
bit. Is there anybody on the team, you
4:06
know, I mean, you know how the bracket
4:08
stuff goes, whether it's basketball or
4:09
baseball, that was like really studying
4:12
who you might have coming. I mean, you
4:13
knew you'd be playing here. Like, is
4:15
there anybody like in charge of just
4:17
like, all right, the spreadsheets and
4:19
things like that, you know? Yeah, it uh
4:21
I'm sure we did. It's just kind of funny
4:22
like when you track it in the over the
4:24
last week or two, like it changes every
4:26
single day. Um, so like I think we all
4:28
kind of follow it a little bit, but you
4:29
also have no idea coming in today. Um,
4:32
so like that's why today's fun. You
4:34
finally figure out who you got, who um,
4:37
who you getting ready for. Postseason's
4:39
a different type of ball game, but what
4:40
do you hope to take from this past
4:42
tournament that you guys played and the
4:44
regular season from your own personal
4:45
game or the team's game that you hope to
4:47
bring in? I mean, I think team wise, it
4:49
just it further proves that we can beat
4:50
anybody. We can play with anybody at any
4:53
stage. Um, and I think that it just if
4:55
anything, it made us that much more
4:56
confident, which we were very confident
4:59
coming into the weekend. Um, so I think
5:01
that it's all good things. Is there any
5:03
sort of relief when they announced the
5:05
bracket for you guys that you don't have
5:07
to have this kind of pent up who are we
5:08
going to get? Yeah, I mean I I guess you
5:11
could say that just one less thing to
5:12
think about for sure. Um, I don't think
5:15
we were necessarily like worried about
5:17
it or stress stressed out or anything
5:18
like that, but it is one less thing to
5:21
think about for sure.
5:25
Cool. Thanks, Jackson. Appreciate it.
5:27
Thank you guys. Thank you, man.
5:28
Appreciate it. Jackson, tell the guys
5:30
when coach G's ready, y'all. Go ahead
5:32
and get in. Jake, you watched last year
5:35
for the regional Boston stadium. Just
5:37
what are your feelings going into this
5:39
one knowing that you get to go out there
5:41
and catch? Yeah, I'm just excited to get
5:42
to play postseason baseball for the
5:44
first time again in two years. First
5:46
time at home for me, so it'll be a lot
5:47
of fun. Looking forward to the great
5:49
crowds and we got a set of three good
5:51
teams coming in. So, we're excited. in
5:53
your role as a captain, especially
5:55
leading this pitching staff, are you
5:56
going to say anything to them in
5:58
particular to kind of keep their heads
5:59
level going in? I don't think so. Uh I
6:02
don't think anything really needs to be
6:03
said. Those younger kids that have
6:05
pitched for us have have pitched a lot
6:06
of big innings all year and they're
6:07
prepared to go.
6:10
You have a really solid infield um
6:12
turning lots of double plays. Gavin's
6:14
been really solid at third. Does that
6:15
change your mindset when you're up there
6:17
pitching or are you just kind of still
6:19
the same locked in? 100%. It makes
6:21
pitching a lot easier. you can just
6:23
focus on throwing strikes and pitching
6:25
to contact and you don't necessarily
6:26
have to strike guys out unless there's
6:28
certain situations where where you
6:30
really need a strike out. So that's
6:31
honestly my goal is to to have people
6:33
put the ball in play and beyond the
6:35
infield outfield's been been tremendous
6:37
as well and Steve back behind the
6:39
plate's been unreal. So it makes
6:40
pitching a lot easier. Is this the time
6:42
of year that you guys you know work for
6:46
year round whether it's January or
6:47
October or whatever. I mean, is this
6:49
sort of like what your eyesight is
6:52
always focused on, like these regionals
6:55
and the super regionals and stuff like
6:56
that? Yeah, every game's important, but
6:58
you play to be your best at the
7:00
beginning of June and going forward. So,
7:02
everything that you do throughout the
7:03
fall is to prepare you for this time of
7:05
year. Uh, everything throughout the
7:06
season, you're trying to get prepared
7:08
for this time of year. So, it's the most
7:09
exciting time of the year and I think
7:10
we're we're prepared. And it just to
7:12
follow up on that, it seems like you
7:13
guys never shy away from talking about
7:16
Omaha. You know what I mean? Like I
7:17
think Scott was saying the other day
7:18
like August 19th you guys were talking
7:20
about Omaha as a as a goal as a
7:23
destination. I mean is that that's the
7:25
goal really the sole goal. Everything
7:27
else is kind of a step along the way but
7:30
this program has has come so far in the
7:33
past 20 years. Like that's kind of the
7:34
expectation is is to be in that
7:36
conversation for going back to Omaha and
7:38
hosting regionals and super regionals.
7:39
So that's all you work for and
7:41
everything else kind of takes care of
7:42
itself along the way. As a pitcher a
7:44
chance to face three different lineups.
7:46
I know that coach James talks a lot
7:47
about just pitching to your strengths,
7:49
but how much are you guys going to look
7:51
at and utilize the scouting reports of
7:53
not just one team, but three? Well,
7:55
right now we only play one team. So, um,
7:57
we're only guaranteed to play Holy
7:59
Cross, so that's what we'll focus on.
8:01
Um, especially me pitching wise, like
8:03
I'm set to start on Friday, so I'm not
8:05
worried about anybody else but Holy
8:06
Cross. How important is you to stay on
8:08
the rhythm? You said start Friday.
8:10
You've been Friday, Friday, Friday or
8:12
lead off. How important for you
8:13
personally is it to stay in that role in
8:15
that rhythm? It's not really a huge
8:18
deal. Like they've started with the
8:20
Thursday games in the ACC the last
8:22
couple years. So throughout the year
8:24
you're short a day, get an extra day. So
8:27
anything around that kind of time frame
8:29
is is pretty similar. So but staying in
8:31
a routine is nice and you get the chance
8:33
to go Friday to Friday. It is nice to to
8:35
know what's going to happen. What did
8:36
you learn by watching the run to the
8:38
World Series last year? A lot. Uh, I
8:41
think the biggest thing in the
8:42
postseason is controlling the momentum.
8:44
U, no games ever over. We saw that both
8:47
ways last year and a lot of these games
8:49
are going to be good. Uh, there's you
8:51
make the postseason you're a good
8:52
baseball team. So, you got to be at your
8:53
best when when the best is is needed.
8:56
Jake, the the regionals are something
8:58
that's unique to NCAA baseball and
9:00
softball. Four fan bases converging on
9:02
the same ballpark. What's your favorite
9:03
part about that whole experience having
9:05
seen it as an active player and and also
9:08
last year as well? It's awesome. I mean,
9:10
there's nothing like a like a regional
9:12
and especially getting to play at home.
9:13
We know we'll get a lot of support from
9:15
our fans here at the Bosch, but
9:17
Nebraska, Oklahoma, all those, they'll
9:19
have fans coming in as well and it's
9:20
just kind of cool uh to see that
9:22
environment take place. What were your
9:25
initial reactions or feelings when we
9:26
announced that region?
9:29
I mean, you know, you're going to have
9:30
to beat good teams to get to Omaha to
9:32
win Omaha. So, I mean, honestly, it was
9:35
going to be the same no matter what who
9:37
we got in in our regional. So, just
9:39
excited that it's here and we know who
9:40
we have and it'll be here before we know
9:42
it. Jake, if if I can ask you, I was
9:45
thinking about it cuz I'm looking at the
9:46
elevator over there. Like last year in
9:49
Omaha, it seemed like just being there
9:52
when you guys lost to Florida State. I
9:53
think you were like the last guy off the
9:55
field or at least the last guy in the
9:57
dugout for like a long time if I'm
9:59
remembering correctly. Yeah. I mean, I
10:02
try and try and forget and remember that
10:04
moment, but Right. I'm not trying to,
10:05
but like what what was going on there?
10:08
Did you I think I was just taking it all
10:11
in. Um that was a tough year for me
10:14
mentally and I wanted nothing more than
10:16
to be a part of it on the field, but um
10:18
just kind of taking a moment. I didn't
10:20
know what my future held. So, right,
10:22
just kind of taking it all in there. I
10:24
didn't know. I didn't know. Um so, that
10:26
can almost be even more of a scary
10:28
feeling not knowing what your future
10:30
holds. So, um, I was honestly just
10:32
taking it in and just kind of my mind
10:35
was wandering through kind of all that I
10:37
learned through that year and just
10:38
taking in how special Omaha is. Do you
10:41
did you have the thought that you that
10:43
it you didn't want it to be the end?
10:45
Yes, of course. Of course. So, that was
10:47
something that me and coach Forbes
10:48
talked about later in that week when we
10:50
got back here just figuring out what the
10:52
future held and um it's been nothing
10:55
short of amazing this year. So, it all
10:57
works out how it's supposed to. you sat
10:59
next to coach Forbes for all of the
11:01
postseason last season. Do you think
11:02
that kind of added year of experience
11:05
from like a coaching point of view is
11:06
going to help you not just on the mound
11:08
but lead this team
11:11
maybe. Um we had a great time sitting
11:14
next to each other. Um but yeah, I
11:16
learned a lot from him. He's he's been
11:18
doing it for a long time. Been to Omaha
11:20
a lot. Been in a ton of regionals, super
11:22
regionals. So just kind of trying to
11:24
soak in the knowledge that he has will
11:25
only help me. after, you know, your
11:28
first start. Of course, you still have
11:29
to finish out the regionals, but how
11:31
early will you start looking at who you
11:32
might potentially play going forward and
11:34
looking at that? You have to take it day
11:36
by day. You have to uh we saw it last
11:39
year with Long Island. We were one pitch
11:41
away from from being in the losers
11:42
bracket. I mean, every team is is really
11:44
good at this time of year. So, you can't
11:46
look ahead. That's that's where you get
11:47
in trouble. So, the coaches do a great
11:49
job preaching that to us. And we have an
11:51
older group that's been been around it a
11:53
lot. So, Holy Cross is our focus. And
11:55
after that game, we we'll see who we get
11:57
next.
11:58
Thanks, J. Thanks, J. Appreciate it,
12:00
man. Good talking to you.
12:04
Yeah, just excited.
12:06
Um, how can you not be? Uh, you know, I
12:09
told our guys at breakfast this morning.
12:11
Uh, we had a team
12:13
breakfast. Um, I realize it, they don't
12:15
realize it. Number one, how hard it is
12:17
to make the postseason. Number two, how
12:19
hard it is to host a regional and how
12:21
super hard it is to be a national seed.
12:23
There are a lot of college baseball
12:24
teams in the country. Um we set the
12:26
standard high here um early on early in
12:30
the 2000s and that standard has remained
12:33
high. Um and if you look back at it for
12:35
us to host as many times we have and now
12:38
to be a national seed again is a
12:40
testament to these guys. We lost a lot
12:42
of really really good players last year.
12:44
Um but we did return some really really
12:46
good leaders and they're the reason that
12:48
we are in the position we're in. So
12:50
we're excited about it. Um, we're
12:52
excited about moving forward and getting
12:54
ready for a super regional. I mean, a
12:56
not a super regional, but an awesome
12:58
regional in Chapel Hill. After what
13:00
after what you did over the weekend,
13:02
were you surprised to get a five?
13:04
I mean, I'll let you guys write about
13:07
that. Um, so yes, I mean, I think it's
13:10
perfect for this team to be honest with
13:12
you. Uh, this team's remind me of the 18
13:14
team. Um, that team had the no meat, not
13:17
enough meat or whatever shirts made. um
13:20
this team, we use that the right way,
13:21
but at the end of the day, we're a
13:22
national seed and we know we're going to
13:24
play home um as long as we win and
13:28
that's what we're most excited about.
13:30
And the goal still is it doesn't matter
13:32
what your national seed is is to be the
13:35
number one overall team when it all
13:37
ends. Scott, I believe I saw this the
13:40
13th time in the last 19 tournaments
13:41
that you guys have hosted here at Bosch
13:43
and you've been here for all of those. I
13:46
mean, as as a baseball lifer, what's the
13:48
your favorite part about playing these
13:50
regionals here in the French conference?
13:53
I mean, our crowds have gotten better
13:55
and better and better. College baseball
13:57
has grown a ton. Um, and we're excited.
14:01
I'm excited because that's what we
14:02
always wanted. And when I first got
14:03
here, Florida State and Georgia Tech
14:05
were kind of the standard that, you
14:07
know, I was a volunteer assistant when
14:09
Georgia Tech had Marcher Sher and all
14:11
those great players. And Florida State
14:13
was I mean, they were up here and we
14:16
always I remember talking to Coach Fox,
14:17
you know, we got to find a way to get to
14:19
that standard where we're like that in
14:21
our league where we're we you know,
14:23
we're always in the mix to host. Maybe
14:25
we're in the mix to always be a national
14:27
seed. And that's, you know, I didn't
14:29
know that exact number, but
14:31
that's, you know, I put it up against
14:33
anybody probably in the last, would you
14:34
say 19 years, 20 years. Um, but I like,
14:38
you know, it's better to be at home. I I
14:40
don't care how you spin it because we
14:41
know we're going to be here. We get to
14:43
sleep in our own beds. We get to use our
14:45
own facility. We don't have to pack. We
14:47
don't have to travel. So hopefully that
14:49
will help us and be an advantage. Elon,
14:52
I know you're a planner. You're planning
14:53
for all the situations. Oh, yeah. Now
14:55
that you know who you got, what does
14:57
your week look like going up to that
14:59
Holy Cross? Yeah. Well, we already knew
15:01
what our week, even without knowing who
15:02
we got, we just have to break down like
15:04
our rotation. That's the most important
15:06
thing. Most likely, we'll still stay
15:08
with uh Nap and Dro, but we'll look at
15:10
Holy Cross really well. We'll look at
15:12
Oklahoma and Nebraska, Coach Jackson,
15:14
Coach uh where's Bicki, Coach How, Coach
15:17
Gains, they're all already working on
15:18
all that. Um and Carter and and uh so
15:22
we'll take a look at that. But we, you
15:23
know, I planned the week out last week.
15:25
I like to do that. I like to go ahead
15:26
and plan the regional week and plan
15:27
ahead and then you can always delete it
15:29
if you don't if you don't make it. Um,
15:32
but we knew what we were doing today.
15:34
Uh, you know, I was hoping we play three
15:37
games in the ACC tournament because we
15:38
really needed to play to get ready for
15:40
the regionals. So, what we're going to
15:41
do is today we're lifting um no baseball
15:44
for our position players. Our pitchers
15:46
will do their daily throwing. Um they'll
15:48
meet with the coaches, Coach Gaines and
15:49
Coach How. Then they'll get in the
15:51
weight room and they'll lift. Um they'll
15:52
decompress a little bit. They'll all
15:54
hang out together as a team. Um tomorrow
15:57
we'll we'll practice hard. Tomorrow I
16:00
have some pitchers throw live that
16:01
haven't thrown. Um we'll do our
16:03
fundamentals, our defense. Hopefully
16:04
we'll be on the field. Tonight we're on
16:05
the field. We have an unbelievable
16:06
indoor that we're able to use. So we'll
16:08
get reps there. We have a team dinner
16:10
tomorrow night. Um we're going to take
16:11
the team to an awesome restaurant.
16:13
Wednesday we'll practice. Then Wednesday
16:15
evening, we'll uh do a team movie. I'm
16:18
in charge of picking this team movie.
16:20
What are you gonna pick? I don't know
16:21
yet. Something sports related. Um they
16:24
picked last week. It was good. They
16:27
surprised me a little bit. We watched
16:28
First Blood, the first Rambo. So I was
16:30
like, man, y'all y'all were going well.
16:33
Firing you up. I said I said, "No
16:34
wonder. That's a really good movie." Um
16:37
and then next thing you know, Thursday
16:39
the NCA practice will be here. So it'll
16:40
go fast. But the most important thing
16:42
for me is I dive right into it and I,
16:44
you know, try to just be at every place
16:47
I can be with these guys because when
16:50
you coach so long, you know that it goes
16:52
faster and your time starts to become
16:55
more limited because Jake Nap won't be
16:57
here next year. So, you know, we just
16:59
try to do as much as we can together. I
17:00
want to make it as much fun for them
17:02
because I firmly believe the more fun
17:04
they have, the better they're going to
17:05
play. Jake was talking about how you
17:07
really can't look ahead at all in a
17:09
regional format. talking about how you
17:11
guys were a couple outs away from losing
17:12
to Long Island in the opening game. Do
17:14
you think that experience of being down
17:16
to the wire against Long Island and then
17:18
against LSU and then against West
17:20
Virginia the next weekend. Do you think
17:21
that helps prepare you for I know it's a
17:24
different team, but do you think that is
17:26
valuable experience going into this
17:27
year? Oh god. I mean, if you could write
17:29
a script, that would be it for the
17:31
returners cuz they've played in every
17:34
type of game. Um, we have another SEC
17:36
team in here. We have another really
17:38
good three seed in here. Holy Cross,
17:40
I've already looked at their stats. They
17:41
have two really, really good pitchers,
17:42
it looks like. Um, you know, and and the
17:46
outside things you're just going to
17:47
absolutely crush the four seed, but
17:50
that's just not how baseball works. But
17:52
this team has experience. They went
17:54
ahead, they went down, they had to come
17:56
back, it went all the way, excuse me, it
17:59
went all the way to Monday. Um, and then
18:02
we had to work our tails off the next
18:03
week. So, they know it's going to be
18:05
hard. Um, and sometimes, you know, you
18:07
return a team where they just roll
18:08
through a regional and that's happened
18:10
as well here. But I prefer it the other
18:12
way because they know like, hey, the
18:13
games are going to be close. It's going
18:14
to be difficult. We're all going to have
18:16
to be prepared and we can't overlook.
18:18
Jake said it best. I mean, we really
18:19
can't we can't overlook today. I mean,
18:21
obviously, we know who our first
18:22
opponent is. But if we're going to be at
18:24
our best against Holy Cross, we got to
18:27
start that preparation today. Are you
18:29
given the option of playing in the
18:30
afternoon or the evening on Friday? Yes.
18:33
and where you know the TV can take it
18:35
over quickly. Okay. So, I always pick
18:37
the early game as a head coach because
18:39
of weather um this time of year normally
18:42
the chance of thunderstorms always come
18:44
in and they usually start later in the
18:46
day and we like personally um to play
18:49
that first game have a little more
18:50
recovery because then after that you're
18:52
playing all night games if you win. you
18:54
hope you don't lose the first game, but
18:55
I've seen anything happen. Um, and it
18:57
gives you time to recover e either way,
18:59
but more for weather. Uh, and and that's
19:02
again like now the way our fans are, I
19:04
feel like they're all going to take that
19:05
Friday off anyway. They need to. So,
19:08
I'll write them a letter if I need to to
19:10
make sure they get off. Sick. We got the
19:12
the noon game. It's official on NCA. We
19:15
got the game. Oh, we like to hear that.
19:18
We just played a good Hey, got this
19:19
where you wanted. We played okay
19:20
yesterday at noon.
19:22
Yeah, true. I was going to ask you about
19:24
that if you if you don't mind. Like do
19:26
you get the sense of the way you played
19:28
down the stretch of the regular season,
19:31
how well you played this this weekend in
19:33
Durham that this team is peaking at the
19:36
right time. You hope. Um, you know, I'm
19:39
a huge baseball fan and I love the m I
19:42
love the major leagues. I love watching
19:43
the playoffs. You hope so. So, um, the
19:46
one thing that, you know, we can hang
19:47
our hat on is I feel like we have enough
19:50
pitching and we defend where cuz bats
19:53
can go, it takes one good pitcher. Um,
19:56
but I feel like we're playing really,
19:57
really well. And the guys at the end of
19:59
the day when they're playing well, their
20:01
confidence even grows. And so, they're
20:03
going into this tournament extremely
20:05
confident. We've got a lot of guys that
20:07
have played in these big situations. Um,
20:10
and we also have guys that just played
20:12
now for the first time like Kane Keley
20:13
or Tyson Bass. They played in front of a
20:15
huge crowd, right, in Durham in an ACC
20:17
championship. Uh so now my brain's just
20:20
going to, well, now we got the 12:00
20:21
game. So you asked me, I got to change
20:23
things a little bit. I got to start
20:25
getting these guys up a little bit
20:26
earlier. You have a lot of true freshmen
20:29
and a lot of sophomores that pitched in
20:31
that
20:32
championship. When do you or do you
20:34
already feel like these guys are ready
20:36
for the tournament or is there, you
20:39
know, one last pep talk that you think
20:41
there needs to be? Nope. No, no pep talk
20:43
for me at this point. just if anything
20:44
just remind them to stay with their
20:46
routine. Um this is fun. There is no
20:48
pressure. Um you should you can't look
20:50
at it like that. Hard work eliminates
20:52
fear. We talk about that all the time.
20:54
Um and you know I tell these guys,
20:57
you've pitched in every situation is
20:59
what I told Lynch before. You just
21:00
haven't started. But every time we
21:02
brought Ryan Lynch in a game this year,
21:03
it was a tight situation in the ACC and
21:06
our league's extremely good. It prepares
21:08
you for any opponent. Um, you know,
21:10
unless somebody goes out there and
21:12
throws 105 to 110, which I hadn't seen,
21:14
we've seen it all. We've seen
21:16
left-handed pitching for the last like 3
21:18
weeks, velocity, different arm slots.
21:21
We've seen right-handers that are going
21:23
out there, you know, 95, 98. So, we'll
21:25
be ready for it. And, uh, but the
21:27
freshman, you know, you have to have
21:30
them and, you know, they have to be good
21:33
enough to help you win because you can't
21:34
have all transfers in this transfer
21:36
portal world. at a school like North
21:38
Carolina, we still have to get elite
21:39
freshman. We're lucky that we got on the
21:41
other side. On the other side of that,
21:42
you have a pretty two veteran infield.
21:45
Can you just talk about how that infield
21:47
and that structure and having them? What
21:49
confidence that that gives to your
21:50
pitchers and also your shutdown
21:51
outfield? I mean, it gives them a ton of
21:54
confidence, the whole defense. Um, it's
21:57
a veteran defense if you look at it.
21:59
Even though we have new players in the
22:01
outfield, uh we got a junior left,
22:04
obviously junior got a s, you know, a
22:06
grad from my
22:09
alma who caught the last out yesterday
22:11
and gave me the ball, but those he know
22:12
I'm going to give him that ball back.
22:14
That was really really cool. Yeah, that
22:16
was that was cool. Um but yeah, I mean
22:19
you've seen our defense. We were all
22:21
shocked like that ball was hit 109 that
22:23
Madera almost caught. Everybody's like,
22:25
"How do you not catch that ball?" Cuz he
22:27
catches everything, right? Uh, and
22:28
that's a good feeling. Like Jake said,
22:30
uh, I was a pitching coach a long time
22:32
and I remember us having such great
22:34
defenders that as soon as a ground ball
22:36
was hit, I would almost turn my head. I
22:38
stopped doing that cuz I thought this
22:40
guy's out. Um, so yeah, that's a big big
22:42
comments like Jake talked about. It's
22:44
very important. I know things can
22:45
change, but just initially looking at
22:47
it, are you leaning toward throwing Jake
22:48
on Friday and Yeah, that's my initial
22:50
gut. Um, you know, I feel like we have
22:52
three Friday night guys, so we want the
22:54
option now. We've I thought that the
22:56
tournament really helped us. We wanted
22:57
to win the tournament, but what we
22:59
wanted to do was get Aiden some
23:02
experience out of the bullpen in case we
23:03
face somebody that had a lot of lefties
23:05
because he's got that good change up.
23:07
And we wanted to get Lynch a potential
23:09
start in case he has to make a start
23:11
because he would be that guy. Um, but
23:14
right now I just feel like the way Nap
23:16
and Darro, I mean, they're both two of
23:19
the best pitchers in the country. I'm
23:21
confident with them pitching against
23:23
anybody. So, I'll probably we will
23:25
probably keep them on that rest that
23:29
they just had.
23:31
Appreciate it. Thank you.
23:33
Y great