Truly Lucky

[NoHighHeels]

I've watched a lot of baseball over the past 3 days on vacation. We are so lucky to have this coaching staff. They have brought in an elite team with few holes.

Around the nation, I've watched pitchers that can't throw a strike to save their lives. And when they do they get pounded. I've watched teams run themselves out of innings with baserunning errors. I've watched teams boot routine grounders, make bad throws to first, throw to the wrong base on the relay, not communicate on routine pop ups. I've watched teams have terrible approaches at the plate. I've watched teams show little discipline and a lot of showboating. And so on...

I'm not saying UNC never has these problems, but they're very minimal.

That's a great tribute to this coaching staff and the kids they bring to UNC as well.

We may not win every game, but most of the time, it's just bc other teams just overwhelm with more talent.

So just wanted to take a second to recognize this coaching staff and players throughout the years.

We're so lucky to get to witness some great baseball in Chapel Hill.

 

[CoachQue]

Totally agree with this post. Great culture set by the staff. They coach the right way, and the players play the right way. A great representation for the University. You can tell in the interviews from staff to players, they care about one another. LETS GO HEELS!

 

[goheels1117]

Maybe I'm just jinxing it, but it's nice knowing that when we hit a big home run or get a big strikeout, one of our players isn't going to get himself thrown out by taunting the other team for 30 seconds.

 

[lakelawyerheel]

I'm curious who runs the portal scouting for us. The last few years they have done a SUPERB job of finding plug and play guys to fill the holes who both perform and play the game the way we demand

Take CF for example....we go from home grown Vance to Kane the little engine that could and did every single day to Owen Hull. That's just ridiculously great

 

[Tarheeldw21]

I just hope we can hang on to our coaching staff. I don’t feel like we have a lot of turnover but Im sure with the budgets that the SEC and Big Ten schools have they can throw a lot of money at our staff to try and pull them away.

 

[topoftheheel]

I just hope we can hang on to our coaching staff. I don’t feel like we have a lot of turnover but Im sure with the budgets that the SEC and Big Ten schools have they can throw a lot of money at our staff to try and pull them away.

Don’t think Forbes is going anywhere. Jackson unlikely imo but I think Gaines is inevitable and rightfully so

 

[coopheels44]

Maybe I'm just jinxing it, but it's nice knowing that when we hit a big home run or get a big strikeout, one of our players isn't going to get himself thrown out by taunting the other team for 30 seconds.

Speaking of this - is Georgia’s coach suspended the first game of the super too?

I think about how our guys play the game every time I see something like that happen.

 

[SpencerHaskell]

Forbes spoke to this last night in his presser, talked about how hard it is to maintain continuity across coaching staffs. Across his six years as head coach, there's been no turnover on his staff aside from the addition of Scott Jackson.

 

[unc80]

The coaches brought the talent to Chapel Hill and have done a stellar job turning them into a thoroughbred team. With a little luck, they can win the whole dang thing. Indeed Tar Heel fans are very fortunate to have such an elite program to cheer for.

 

[JD Heel]

I was struck by the same thoughts watching the wild celebrations by the Florida and West Virginia players (and fans). They were acting like a championship had been won when they actually hadn't even won the mid-regional game they were in yet. It made me appreciate what we have in Chapel Hill.

 

[goheels1117]

I thought the West Virginia celebration last night was awesome. They thought they were dead and had a 9th-inning comeback for the ages. My bigger issues are when a guy hits a homer and talks to the opposing team the entire way around the bases (as the trip takes him 30 seconds).

This is where the game not being able to police itself has changed. In the old days, he'd take one in the back or have to fight if he wanted to taunt like that.

 

[unctarheel1984]

I agree except that it is not luck.

 

[JimmyDaHeel]

I thought the West Virginia celebration last night was awesome. They thought they were dead and had a 9th-inning comeback for the ages. My bigger issues are when a guy hits a homer and talks to the opposing team the entire way around the bases (as the trip takes him 30 seconds).

This is where the game not being able to police itself has changed. In the old days, he'd take one in the back or have to fight if he wanted to taunt like that.

Thirty seconds to round the bases? That’s only 7-1/2 seconds per ninety feet. That’s probably about the best I could hope to do at my age! And I wouldn’t be able to take time to taunt the other team!!

 

[tarheelbrown]

Thirty seconds to round the bases? That’s only 7-1/2 seconds per ninety feet. That’s probably about the best I could hope to do at my age! And I wouldn’t be able to take time to taunt the other team!!

Same, as long as I could stop for water at 2nd.

 

[HeWhoIsFondOfTheTarHeels]

I am a ticket holder for two programs, UNC Baseball and the Carolina Hurricanes, who are at the tops of their sports competitively, have tremendous leadership, and display impeccable character at all times on and off the field/ice. And here they are, both going for the brass ring at exactly the same time. I feel lucky indeed.

 

[JD Heel]

I thought the West Virginia celebration last night was awesome. They thought they were dead and had a 9th-inning comeback for the ages. My bigger issues are when a guy hits a homer and talks to the opposing team the entire way around the bases (as the trip takes him 30 seconds).

This is where the game not being able to police itself has changed. In the old days, he'd take one in the back or have to fight if he wanted to taunt like that.

I don't mind fans cheering wildly, but I thought there was a lot of taunting of opposing players by both West Virginia and Florida fanbases and players (Florida in particular). I feel like there's a difference between cheering for your team and taunting opposing players' mistakes, and I'd rather be a fanbase and team that supports our own team vs. trying to demoralize the opposition.

 

[Chooch]

I agree. Prefer to use the word Blessed, however! It’s not like rolling dice or things that are sheer luck.

 

[PINEHEEL]

The baseball program has been the most underrated program in our Athletic Department for twenty years, and it really defies all odds because we should have the same cultural and money issues plaguing us in baseball that we do in football. A school renowned for being soft continues to field a gritty, tough ball club year after year in the most blue collar sport of them all.

It's an incredible testament to Fox, Forbes, and all of the players to have come through over two decades. Other schools have had higher highs, but few (none?) can match the consistency of UNC baseball over the last twenty years.

 

[goheels1117]

The baseball program has been the most underrated program in our Athletic Department for twenty years, and it really defies all odds because we should have the same cultural and money issues plaguing us in baseball that we do in football. A school renowned for being soft continues to field a gritty, tough ball club year after year in the most blue collar sport of them all.

It's an incredible testament to Fox, Forbes, and all of the players to have come through over two decades. Other schools have had higher highs, but few (none?) can match the consistency of UNC baseball over the last twenty years.

Not sure if this is the best measure of consistency, but it's a good one.

Supers appearances over the last 20 tournaments (beginning in 2006):

• 12: North Carolina, Florida State
• 11: LSU
• 10: Florida*, Louisville
• 9: Arkansas, Fullerton (none since 2018), Mississippi State, Oregon State, South Carolina, Stanford, Texas, Vanderbilt, Virginia

*could add one today

The craziest part of this list is Georgia Tech hasn't even been to a Super Regional since we were in Omaha together in 2006.