Scott Forbes Highlights Players in UNC's Dominant Weekend Performance

The North Carolina Tar Heels breezed through the Chapel Hill Regional, sweeping all three games against VCU and East Carolina. On Sunday, the Tar Heels punched their ticket to the Super Regional by defeating East Carolina 9-3.

During his postgame press conference, head coach Scott Forbes praised his players for battling through the adversity and advancing to the next round of the tournament.

Forbes' Thoughts

University of North Carolina Head Coach Scott Forbes during the bottom of the third inning at Doug Kingsmore Stadium in Clemson, S.C. Friday, April 10, 2026. | Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network South Carolina / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"Our guys played well top to bottom all weekend," Forbes said. "We had to win the games. Our crowds helped us tremendously. I'm excited for these guys and our team more than anybody else. The players make the team; players make the program. That's why everybody's here to watch. [The players] put in the work since August 17th. That's why we won the regional."

This marks the first time since 2019 that North Carolina will not require Monday to extend their postseason. Forbes explained the relief he and the players are experiencing with this outing.

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

"Awesome," Forbes said of North Carolina sweeping the regional for the first time since 2019. "I hate to use the word 'stress', but we talk about it. The stress sweat comes out as soon as the game's over, but that's a tough night of sleep. You still feel good about it because you trust your guys, but it does help you going into the weekend. [We] have a little bit more rest, a little bit more time to stay on task like we have all year with the weekend series."

When North Carolina's regional opponents were announced, the consensus was that the Tar Heels received an unfair draw. The Chapel Hill Regional was labeled as the 'Region of Death'. Forbes explained that his players hear what the media says, but they are confident regardless of who they are slated to play.

Jun 8, 2024; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels Vance Honeycutt (7) and head coach Scott Forbes (21) celebrate a home run against the West Virginia Mountaineers during the DI Baseball Super Regional at Boshamer Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Camarati-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Camarati-Imagn Images

"That's how confident they are," Forbes said. "These guys do see what is written and what's out there. I think they feel like they're pretty tough and they're pretty good. So, I think their approach was, 'Yeah, it's the toughest regional, but it's going to be the toughest for everybody else.' Really great teams and our guys showed up, and we're going to have to show up again and beat another great team this weekend in the Super Regional."

Main Takeaways

May 30, 2026; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels catcher Colin Hynek (23) is greeted at the plate after a home run during game 4 of the Chapel Hill Regional at Boshamer Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-Imagn Images | William Howard-Imagn Images

North Carolina's dominant performance in the Chapel Hill Regional validated its No. 5 overall seeding. What made this weekend even more impressive from the Tar Heels' perspective is the fact that they were capable of imposing their will for the majority of this three-game span.

Forbes also deserves credit for his ability to adapt and keep the task on course even in the most adverse moments. Overall, the Tar Heels outscored their opponents 24-8 this weekend, and if the pitching staff and batting lineup can continue to gel, they have an opportunity to advance past the Super Regional this upcoming weekend.

Add us as a preferred source on Google