CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WNCN) — The North Carolina Tar Heels head into their Super Regional baseball showdown with Arizona as a battle-tested squad. Almost every game for the Heels over the past few weeks was a do-or-die contest.
“We started that at the ACC Tournament, that’s what I liked about the format (single elimination) like let’s treat this like a regional, let’s treat this like a Super Regional and I’ll remind the guys tomorrow let’s not think about Saturday, let’s go into tomorrow like it is an elimination game,” said Tar Heels head coach Scott Forbes.
In reality, North Carolina and Arizona will both get a mulligan this weekend in the Super Regional double elimination format. But that was not the case on Monday when the Tar Heels had their backs against the wall at home against Oklahoma in regional play. The Heels passed the test with flying colors, blasting the Sooners 14 to 4, keeping their season alive.
“It is good for us for sure because it is likely at some point down this road we might be in a game like that again,” said Tar Heels senior second baseman Jackson Van De Brake. “It kind of just came back to us, regardless of the circumstances, we’re just going to play our baseball, nothing really changes, but I definitely think it’s a learning experience and it was good for us for sure.”
Now the Tar Heels face a red-hot Arizona Wildcats squad that has won eight straight games, including six straight in postseason play. The Wildcats outscored their opposition 31 to six in rolling through the Eugene, Oregon regional last weekend.
“They’re good, they’re balanced and are very well coached,” said Forbes. “They don’t beat themselves very often, so it will be a huge challenge.”
The best of three series begins on Friday at noon at Boshamer Stadium, with game two on Saturday also scheduled for noon.