Scott Forbes had some major shoes to fill when taking over as the UNC baseball program’s head coach.
He replaced longtime North Carolina head coach Mike Fox months after the 2020 season, which COVID ended early. Forbes, a longtime Fox assistant, led the Diamond Heels to NCAA Tournament appearances in each of his first three head coaching campaigns.
This year, however, Forbes is arguably overseeing his most talented group of players.
UNC won its first ACC Regular Season Title since 2018, going 41-12 (22-8). North Carolina is a Top-25 hitting team in the nation, with seven players hitting a minimum .300. Forbes brought in the ACC’s top recruiting class, headlined by Georgia transfer Parks Harber and freshman catcher Luke Stevenson.
The most impressive thing that I think Forbes is doing this year? Helping the Diamond Heels play this well with – essentially – an entirely brand new pitching staff.
With all the success Forbes helped UNC to in the regular season, it’s no surprise he was named the ACC Coach of the Year.
Look how much North Carolina players love their head coach, as evident by Monday’s locker room celebration:
https://www.instagram.com/p/C7My8oBA_gU/?img_index=1
Forbes played his announcement perfectly: taking congratulations from his guys, then essentially telling them to lock in for the postseason.
The Diamond Heels begin their quest for the ACC Championship on Thursday afternoon, facing Pitt at 3 p.m. ET. UNC then turns around to battle Wake Forest, the country’s preseason number one team, on Friday at 7 p.m. ET.
After the ACC Baseball Championship ends, I have no doubt North Carolina will set its sights one the first College World Series title in program history.
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