Scott Forbes Provides Insight on Decisive Decisions in UNC's Win

Here is what the Tar Heels' head coach had to say after the team's win against West Virginia.

Jun 17, 2026; Omaha, NE, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Scott Forbes talks on the mound against the West Virginia Mountaineers during the seventh inning at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images | Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

The North Carolina Tar Heels officially stamped their ticket to the National Championship after defeating the West Virginia Mountaineers 12-7 on Wednesday afternoon.

Throughout the postseason, head coach Scott Forbes has been instrumental in pushing all the right buttons and making perfectly-timed decisions. During his postgame press conference, the 51-year-old head coach discussed the factors behind his decision to start Folger Boaz and modify the batting order.

Forbes on Batting Lineup Changes

Jun 17, 2026; Omaha, NE, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels second baseman Gavin Gallaher (5) drives in a run against the West Virginia Mountaineers during the second inning at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images | Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

North Carolina's batting order has, for the most part, remained the same throughout the offseason. However, Forbes made slight alterations on Wednesday, crediting his staff for persuading him to do so.

• "Scott Jackson, that’s why I changed the lineup," Forbes said. "I got a text. I already made the lineup last night. I had done all my prep. I dug in pretty hard. I told him to dig in more. He must have dug in more this morning. Got a text — me and him and [Jesse Wierzbicki] just text each other about the lineup; we have a three-way text."

Jun 17, 2026; Omaha, NE, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels center fielder Owen Hull (8) scores as first baseman Erik Paulsen (44) and shortstop Jake Schaffner (2) at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images | Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

• "He said, I really think we might want to consider this because of how good the starter and Korn, who we thought we would see 1-2, have been against right-handed hitters," Forbes continued. "They thought it was really tough at-bat. So, we wanted to try to pressure them more."

Forbes Discusses North Carolina's Pitching

Jun 17, 2026; Omaha, NE, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels pitcher Jackson Rose (35) pitches against the West Virginia Mountaineers during the fourth inning at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

During this run, the Tar Heels' starting pitchers have been stellar, allowing Forbes to experiment a bit with the rotation. Although Folger Boaz is a natural reliever, Forbes felt comfortable giving him the nod, with a surplus of pitching options at his disposal.

• "I felt great about Folger Boaz," Forbes said. "When you have a deep bullpen — and as a head coach if you see something that you don’t like and you feel like it’s a key part of a game — it just is what it is. And it’s never personal. And our players know it’s not personal."

Jun 17, 2026; Omaha, NE, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels pitcher Cameron Padgett (15) throws against the West Virginia Mountaineers during the seventh inning at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images | Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

• "I thought he had good stuff, but I had the pitch come in," Forbes continued. "I know where the pitches were called. I just felt like we needed to make a change right there. But that did go into the thought process. We thought, okay, we can piece this thing together. We don’t need Folger Boaz to go five innings, maybe one time through the lineup, maybe get us into the fourth."

Main Takeaways

Jun 17, 2026; Omaha, NE, USA; The North Carolina Tar Heels celebrate the win against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images | Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

The Tar Heels have lost one game all postseason, proving to be one of the best teams in the country. Additionally, North Carolina's ability to win games in multiple fashions illustrates how complete its roster is. Pitching has been the most consistent component for the Tar Heels, but their bats were the main catalyst for the victory on Wednesday.

Against West Virginia, North Carolina totaled 16 hits, with four players compiling multiple hits. Owen Hull and Gavin Gallaher each went 4-of-5 from the plate, combining for six RBIs, which proved to be overwhelming performances.

Jun 17, 2026; Omaha, NE, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels center fielder Owen Hull (8) celebrates after driving in a run on a double against the West Virginia Mountaineers during the fourth inning at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Overall, North Carolina was dominant in this quadrant, winning all three games and outscoring its opponents 23-11. Not to mention, their pitching was outstanding, with Jason DeCaro and Ryan Lynch developing into a lights-out one-two punch. As Forbes mentioned earlier this postseason, starting pitching is the greatest denominator, the one component of a team that is capable of neutralizing an opposing offense.