North Carolina’s Mindset Entering Game 2 Against USC

The Tar Heels must enter Saturday's matchup with a clean slate.

Jun 5, 2026; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Scott Forbes reacts during the seventh inning against the USC Trojans at Boshamer Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

The North Carolina Tar Heels suffered a disheartening loss on Friday in Game 1 of the Super Regionals against the USC Trojans. Despite entering the sixth inning with a 5-1 lead, the Tar Heels faltered, allowing eight unanswered runs in a two-inning span, losing 9-5.

Following the game, head coach Scott Forbes and first baseman Erik Paulsen explained the team's mindset and approach heading into Game 2, acknowledging that they squandered an opportunity.

Forbes' Thoughts

Jun 5, 2026; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Scott Forbes makes a visit to the mound in the seventh inning against the USC Trojans at Boshamer Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

• “Obviously, that was a tough one," Forbes said. "You want to try to grab that first one. Credit to Southern Cal, they have a really good team. Walker McDuffie has been outstanding for us. I’ll put that dude right back out there [in Game 2]." 

• “It just happens," Forbes continued. "The game can flip. That’s the beauty of baseball. But the beauty of a super regional is it is a three-game series. We’re trying to win the three-game series, and this [isn't] the first time we’ve lost the first game. So, I told the guys, move on, flush it."

Jun 8, 2025; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina head coach Scott Forbes during an interview with the media after a Super Regionals game against North Carolina in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Scott Forbes also celebrates his 200th win. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

• "Like John Wooden said all the time: we’re [going to] wake up [Saturday] and make it our masterpiece. We’re not [going to] talk about what happened, woulda, coulda, shoulda. At the end of the day, their guy had a big swing of the bat, hit a grand slam.” 

Paulsen's Thoughts

May 29, 2026; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels utility Erik Paulsen (44) slides into the plate for a run during game 2 of the Chapel Hill Regional at Boshamer Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-Imagn Images | William Howard-Imagn Images

• “We’re [going to] go in there and just trust our preparation," Paulsen said. "Whatever the approach is [going to] be against their starter (in Game 2), we’re [going to] dial in and do the same thing we did [in Game 1] against their starter."

• “Get [them] out of the game early, get to the bullpen and just trust our pitchers," Paulsen continued. "They’re studs; they’ve had our backs all year. They’ve gotten us out of bad situations at the plate, so we still trust them, no matter what happened [in Game 1]. We’re just looking forward to [Game 2].” 

Overall Thoughts

Jun 5, 2026; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels pitcher Walker McDuffie (40) pitches the ball to the USC Trojans during the sixth inning at Boshamer Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

It goes without saying that Friday's result was a massive disappointment, but there is nothing the Tar Heels can do to change what transpired. North Carolina needs to enter Saturday with a clean slate and not allow the two-inning collapse to affect its operation in a must-win contest. Other than the sixth and seventh innings, the Tar Heels were in firm control of that game and were the better team for the majority of it.

That being said, the Tar Heels cannot afford any mental or physical lapses on Saturday, as they did on Friday. Additionally, Jason DeCaro needs to rebound from a two-game skid, in which he has failed to reach the fourth inning in each of those starts.

Jun 5, 2026; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels outfielder/first baseman Tyler Howe (12) celebrates with outfielder Owen Hull (8) after scoring a run against the USC Trojans head coach Andy Stankiewicz during the second inning at Boshamer Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

As the Trojans proved in Game 1, one pitch can be regrettable, as they flipped the script when Dean Carpenter hit a grand slam to give USC a 6-5 lead in the sixth inning. USC has compiled over 60 runs across the last six outings, dating back to last weekend. North Carolina cannot allow Game 1 to derail its confidence heading into a pivotal Game 2 on Saturday.