Carolina Blue has become a mainstay in Omaha during recent College World Series. The UNC Tar Heels come to the CWS in 2011 for the fifth time in six years, led by head coach Mike Fox and one of the nation’s best combinations of effective pitching and dominate defense.
Many casual CWS fans in Omaha remember UNC as the national runner-up in both 2006 and 2007, losing both championship series to Oregon State. We talked with Kelly Parsons (_@kellyparsons on Twitter), who covers UNC for The Daily Tar Heel, about what it will take for Fox and the Heels to capture their first baseball national title.
North Carolina second baseman Levi Michael (AP Photo/Ted Kirk)
White & Blue Review: The Tar Heels took some momentum into the postseason thanks to a three-game sweep of Virginia in late May. UNC went 5-0 in the Regional and Super Regional rounds of the NCAA Tournament, and the Tar Heels come to Omaha as one of the hottest teams in the field. Can you explain what’s gone right for UNC in the past few weeks?
Kelly Parsons: Good pitching is what has brought UNC this far. Patrick Johnson’s amazing success is a story of its own, but even when he’s not on the mound the Tar Heels are in good hands. Kent Emanuel has been the Saturday starter lately and has shown amazing composure for a freshman. Couple good pitching with an extremely high fielding percentage and you’ve got a North Carolina defense that is extremely hard to beat.
WBR: Johnson is a remarkable 7-0 with a 0.60 ERA since the end of April. He enters the CWS with a 13-1 record and is the ace of Mike Fox’s pitching staff. What kind of pitcher is Johnson? What’s his stuff like? How has he become the type of pitcher he is as senior, following a start to his collegiate career during which he was 12-6 in three seasons?
KP: Johnson is on point all the time, something catcher Jacob Stallings said makes his job much easier. Johnson always seems to pitch to a full count, but even when his pitch count soars he remains just as composed and accurate as he does at the beginning of the game. Coach Scott Forbes has said that Johnson has been able to better locate his fastball, and Johnson’s teammates are always talking about his ability to consistently pound the strike zone. Johnson attributes his improvement to his increased experience on the mound.
WBR: Levi Michael and Colin Moran struggled a bit with the bat during North Carolina’s NCAA Tournament games. Who picked up the slack for the Heels?
KP: The good thing about UNC’s offense is that everybody in the lineup can consistently contribute. Michael and Moran may have struggled more so than usual during the NCAA Tournament, but Seth Baldwin hit a two-run homer against Stanford and Chaz Frank has had hits in all five of the Tar Heels’ tournament games. It seems as if every player has helped fill the gap at some point during the regional and super regional weekends, which takes a little pressure off of Michael and Moran.
WBR: When it is going well, who gets the UNC offense going? Who will opposing pitchers look to limit in Omaha?
KP: Even though he’s been relatively quiet lately, there is no one better to jumpstart UNC’s offense than Moran. It seems like every time he steps up to the plate he gets on base — and his confidence carries over to those that follow him. Moran always seems to have clutch hits when the Tar Heels need it the most, which will be a frightening thing for opposing pitchers in the College World Series.
WBR: How about among the pitching staff, and in the bullpen? What is the make-up of the UNC staff?
KP: Johnson is no doubt the superstar of UNC’s pitching staff, but he’s certainly not the only one that can be a threat. Emanuel has seemed to shrug off the immense pressure that comes along with starting in NCAA Tournament games, and his calmness on the mound is easily sensed. Against Stanford, reliever Michael Morin came back out after a three and a half hour rain delay to strike out two batters in the final inning. Add Greg Holt, a solid closer and hitter, to the mix, and UNC’s got plenty of pitching options for any kind of situation.
WBR: Coach Fox came up short in 2006 and 2007, when his UNC team lost to Oregon State in back-to-back CWS championship series. Aside from not seeing the Beavers in Omaha, what has to happen for UNC to win the 2011 College World Series?
KP: I didn’t have the privilege of covering the 2006 and 2007 teams, so I can’t compare the talent of those squads to that of UNC’s current College World Series team. But to win the national championship, the Tar Heels need to continue to capitalize on strong pitching. Pitchers might not score runs, but if UNC can keep having successful outings on the mound, the momentum will likely continue to carry over to the offensive side. UNC has yet to bring a national championship back to Chapel Hill in its eight trips to the College World Series, but the Tar Heels are hoping that the ninth time is a charm.