Lynch and DeCaro have pitched 7+ innings the exact same number of times this year, and the most recent time each did it was the same weekend. Plus Lynch has averaged more innings per start (taking out the game they each threw 3 IP vs Duke).
Tar Heels to 'Pitch Off' in Regional Opener, Ryan Lynch to Start Against VCU
- Thread starter TommyAshley
- Start date
I think it's as much about Norby throwing 100 pitches in relief on Sunday as anything.
That would be a bad take. As others have said, they've used Norby as a swiss army knife of late
Of late meaning just in the conference tournament?
He started every weekend before that. He'll be used in relief game 1 if they need him, if not I'd bet on him starting game 2.
He hasn't started Friday since when? You said he's not starting Friday because of 100 pitches...yet say he'd be used in relief, so I'm confused. Norby is their Saturday guy now and a guy they'll plug and play going forward.
I'm sitting here with Pirates practicing....so just passing along what I hear and see with mine own eyes and ears at this very moment....
Norby is their best pitcher, just as Glauber is ours. As long as his left arm is attached to his body, Cliff will use him.
Maybe we get lucky and it falls off
I think the highlighted portion is why the tough call had to be made. It would be insanely difficult in this region to win Friday, have Lynch come out with a non-quality Saturday (while you burn through the bullpen in a loss), and then have to figure out a skeleton staff to try to beat the combo of ECU/Tennessee 2 times in a row. I don't love those odds...
If VCU wasn’t the best 4 seed, Forbes would consider it.
You said he's been a swiss army knife "of late." He was a starter until the conference tournament.
I guess I should have reworded. Towers has started game 1 of late. If there was any thought of flipping it back, that went away when Norby threw 100 pitches Sunday. So not the primary reason.
All we can do is hope that Forbes makes the right moves. He has did a bang up job for the most part I would say
Haha… Lynch pitched an absolute gem last year in a deciding super regional. May be wrong, but scouts think lynch has more upside in the pros too. Thinking he’s a higher projected draft pick too. He WAS better than JD last year. It’s not like we’re throwing Boaz against them, lol.
Hopefully this move pays off. Makes a lot of sense. Here's to hoping the bats are hot and Lynch exits early with a big lead!
From a third party view, not sure why TA was so adamant about your first post and it being a bad take. Sounds like you’re both saying the same thing. And Norby has been a starter like you said until last weekend. Albeit Saturday vs. Friday, but still starting. Logic says a guy throwing 100 Sunday would prolly get bumped a day if he WAS the Friday guy. But he may start the second game or come out of the pen globe style. Recent games within the last 3 weeks says both are possible.
Coach Forbes claims not to read the message boards and I believe him, but someone obviously saw my earlier post and told Coach Forbes who took my advice. Now I better pray it works out so I don’t go from GOAT to goat. 
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Norby would be on rest and has the ability to come out and dominate from the pen. Towers being good definitely helps the decision though
Folger has only went 5 innings against 2 power schools all year. 1 against Indiana at the start of the season, 1 against Clemson over a month ago. If we win the first two games I’d rather us start rose or mcduffie in game 3 honestly. Boaz against Tennessee terrifies me
Patrick Steitz - 2026 - Baseball - Virginia Commonwealth University
Patrick Steitz (35) Right-Handed Pitcher - Atlantic 10 Champion (2026) First-Team Atlantic 10 All-Conference (2026) National Pitcher of the Year Award Semifinalist
vcuathletics.com
So because he can’t go deep we shouldn’t get any innings out of him at all? This doesn’t make any sense.
If we start 2-0 then I’d have to think we use Boaz in Game 3 as an “opener” and only use him more than 2-3 innings if we get up big and he’s pitching great. Otherwise, you try and get him through the lineup once and then piece together the remaining 6-7 innings with hopefully a fairly fresh pen. JMHO.
Agree. Probably a quicker hook than we saw in the ACCT. He’s usually good for once through the order before things get dicey.
Traffic on this Board will be way up if we lose Friday with this strategy
I promise not to look
I promise not to look
If we’re fortunate enough to be 2-0, Boaz getting to the 4th would be a pleasant surprise. I would think starting in the 3rd he’d be removed with first base runner (hopefully with a relatively fresh Mcduffie)
It's fair to criticize if it doesn't work but also give props if it does
It’s not necessarily just him not going long into games, but the reason he isn’t. He tends to give up more runs than innings pitched against decent competition. If we can get him through the order once without giving up runs then great. He just tends to pitch over the middle of the plate way to often to trust against a good team.
If we start 2-0, it’s genius… if we lose Game 1, then he’ll get skewered (Forbes)… I’d hate to be in his shoes on this one…
ETA: meaning, super-tough call to make.
The bad take was Norby wasn’t starting Fridaybecause he threw 100 pitches last weekend.
Godwin today talking about Norby, on a question from Grace - paraphrasing - we want him (Norby) on the mound in the biggest situations.
AKA - Swiss Army knife usage.
Similar to Pence in 24 and Globe and Duff this year.
Godwin reasoning is the same I’ve been preaching here all season once Glauber stepped up and showed out.
Godwin today talking about Norby, on a question from Grace - paraphrasing - we want him (Norby) on the mound in the biggest situations.
AKA - Swiss Army knife usage.
Similar to Pence in 24 and Globe and Duff this year.
Godwin reasoning is the same I’ve been preaching here all season once Glauber stepped up and showed out.
I don't think it's a bad call but if we can't get out of this regional then there are no excuses despite being given a tough one. We were ranked #2 in the country. Line them up
I went back and looked at the 2024 regional as the pitching staff is strikingly similar except this one has an extra reliever they really trust. We didn’t get really any length out of the starters that weekend, none made it out of the 5th and we piecemealed it together.
Pence threw 3 days, 7.2 innings
Matty threw 6.1 innings, 2 on friday and 4.1 on Monday (I think this gets lost in the shuffle but he completely shut down LSU in the middle innings)
Ben Peterson threw 2.1 very important innings on Saturday to get it to Pence. Gave up 2 runs
Poston came in friday and pitched the 9th and gave up 3 runs against LIU to put us down (he didn’t start with a clean inning)
That was the real high leverage usage guys out of the pen. We gotta hope for a much cleaner Friday than that year as i think our hope would be to not use both of our studs.
FYI, On sunday wheels went off in the 4th, Percival came in for Aiden after a leadoff single for 2 batters (8 balls on 9 pitches) and then brought in Bovair who gave up a like 2-3 hits to blow it open.
Pence threw 3 days, 7.2 innings
Matty threw 6.1 innings, 2 on friday and 4.1 on Monday (I think this gets lost in the shuffle but he completely shut down LSU in the middle innings)
Ben Peterson threw 2.1 very important innings on Saturday to get it to Pence. Gave up 2 runs
Poston came in friday and pitched the 9th and gave up 3 runs against LIU to put us down (he didn’t start with a clean inning)
That was the real high leverage usage guys out of the pen. We gotta hope for a much cleaner Friday than that year as i think our hope would be to not use both of our studs.
FYI, On sunday wheels went off in the 4th, Percival came in for Aiden after a leadoff single for 2 batters (8 balls on 9 pitches) and then brought in Bovair who gave up a like 2-3 hits to blow it open.
I'm not gonna pretend that I like this. Especially with how VCU is scorching hot right now with an ace on the mound.
The only time I wanted us to pitch off is when Matt Harvey was our 3rd starter.
But really hoping it works out.
The only time I wanted us to pitch off is when Matt Harvey was our 3rd starter.
But really hoping it works out.
What strategy? Throwing the best pitcher for this matchup and possible matchup tomorrow?
kinda find it amusing that people think we’re throwing a scrub out there and NOT the best pitching prospect on our team in the next draft….
