Scott Forbes Proud of Where UNC Stands in CWS

Here is what the Tar Heels' head coach had to say following their win on Sunday night.

June 7, 2026; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Scott Forbes during the ninth inning against the USC Trojans at Boshamer Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

The North Carolina Tar Heels defeated West Virginia 5-2 on Sunday night, inching closer to a berth in the National Championship.

With a 2-0 record, North Carolina is on the doorstep of clinching a spot in the championship. Following the win, head coach Scott Forbes explained how his team has reached this stage, beginning by praising pitchers Jason DeCaro and Ryan Lynch.

Forbes' Thoughts

Jun 14, 2026; Omaha, NE, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels starting pitcher Ryan Lynch (53) throws against the West Virginia Mountaineers during the first inning at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images | Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

• "Your starter, anytime, the more length they give you, the better the chances, especially when you really like your bullpen, like we do," Forbes said. "And that’s what you have to have to win championships."

• "And both those guys, we feel like we got 1-A and 1-A the whole season," Forbes continued. "His slider wasn’t as on as it was the last two outings, but he still battled. You said it was just a gritty performance. His stuff is so nasty, and it plays up. You know he can get out of an inning, especially getting a double-play ball. And that’s a credit to our infield. They make those plays behind him."

Jun 14, 2026; Omaha, NE, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels pitcher Caden Glauber (27) throws against the West Virginia Mountaineers during the ninth inning at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images | Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

• "But big pitchers or clutch pitchers make clutch pitches in big situations. And I told him [Lynch] that I thought that was the biggest pitch of the game. The momentum had shifted a little bit, in my opinion. And they had first and third with no outs. And then, boom, just like that, they only get one run. It’s 2-2. And we get back in the dugout. So that was huge for us, for him to almost get to the fifth."

Because the Tar Heels have won their first two games, they have been given an extra day off, meaning they will not play until Wednesday. Forbes shared why this will benefit the team.

Jun 14, 2026; Omaha, NE, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels pitcher Caden Glauber (27) and North Carolina Tar Heels catcher Colin Hynek (23) embrace after defeating the West Virginia Mountaineers at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

• "I mean, I believe in honesty. It feels great," Forbes said. "I mean obviously we want to prepare and play well on Wednesday. But my first year back here as pitching coach in 2006, I wasn’t in here. Coach Fox was in here after a Robert Woodard complete game at Clemson. But we haven’t won that second game since then."

• "So, obviously it feels great to win that game. I’m glad that I’ve been in that position. Maybe that can help me prepare and make sure that our guys don’t get too comfortable and understand that, 'Hey, our goal is just to play really well on Wednesday.' But I think I’ll sleep pretty good tonight after going 2-0, that’s for sure."

Main Takeaways

Jun 14, 2026; Omaha, NE, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels shortstop Jake Schaffner (2) and center fielder Owen Hull (8) celebrate scoring against the West Virginia Mountaineers during the seventh inning at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images | Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

Throughout the season, especially over the last two weeks, North Carolina has illustrated that it is one of the most complete teams in the country. When the pitching isn't clicking on all cylinders, the batting picks up the slack, and vice versa.

Entering the Chapel Hill Regional, there were major concerns surrounding DeCaro, who had struggled in his previous two starts heading into the regional. Since then, the junior pitcher has been impeccable and a major reason the Tar Heels are on the precipice, cementing their spot as one of the two finalists.

Jun 14, 2026; Omaha, NE, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels shortstop Jake Schaffner (2) reacts after scoring on a two-run triple by second baseman Gavin Gallaher (not pictured) against the West Virginia Mountaineers during the seventh inning at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

On Sunday night, North Carolina's offense started hot, jumping to a 2-0 lead in the first inning, but fell flat for the next five innings. However, Gavin Gallaher's RBI triple in the seventh inning was the decisive hit. It was another example of the team finding a way to win in adverse circumstances, which has been the case throughout the offseason.

Forbes deserves a ton of credit for leading this team to this position and showing the ability to adapt and alter his game plan based on the opponent. The veteran head coach has orchestrated risky decisions during the last two weekends, and they have paid off. North Carolina is on its way to the National Championship, and there is no reason to doubt this team heading into Wednesday's contest against the West Virginia Mountaineers.