so so how is it different leading off than than U batting second is it did do you approach it differently um no I don’t um we had a conversation today coach Forbes and Coach we and I about it um they were like don’t change anything um but we think this kind of gives us the best chance to score runs um and I was all for it so kind of what have help to you know the team win I’m all for so and but you hadn’t been there much since the first like first eight games of the Season yeah it was like nine games I was I was there before um but yeah I mean comfortable so and our first pitch just went to town right off the bat so in the Outfield the kind of Outfield instincts you have how did you develop those um I think they’re just baseball instincts I wouldn’t really specify them as you know Outfield um specifically just you know got out there like freshman year and just kind of got under coach or I guess Angel and Mikey and then you know coach how did a great job um for the first few years now Coach Riley is doing the same thing so just learning um every day and you know just kind of having those baseball instincts you know as a young kid what kind of goes through your mind when you see a ball that could be hit not just to Center but you cover a whole swath of Rim what’s kind of going through your mind yeah just you know uh initial step um that’s kind of the biggest thing um try to be in a good spot on pre pitch to be able to you know get that good first step and then just you know just use your speed and just go Um and I’m kind of always on go out there and just if I can get to it I’m G to try and you know I kind of especially at home um you know I feel like we do a lot of like Outfield work um you know wall work and stuff like that so um you have a pretty good gauge way to get to do you have any specific drills or things to practice your speed both for on the base pass and in the Outfield yeah I think that’s a lot of it’s like just kind of like weight training and like Speed and Agility stuff um you know just whenever I first got here my like 10 yard split was pretty slow um so kind of working on that to get like faster like off the Jump um would be one thing and then you know just like we do a lot of um like no glove stuff in the Outfield um just to kind of work on you know hands and those things like that but you know at the end of the day just kind of get you know get out there and be an athlete in terms of you know talking about positions in the lineup it feels like Madera has probably had the most spots in the lineup just over the course of the Season just despite where no matter where he’s at just how much stability does he really bring to you guys although he might not be the flashiest name maybe yeah he’s kind of like a M day um my freshman year um kind of flip it over um got speed gets on base a lot um and you know has really good B to ball so I think you know having him kind of in that six spot like coach Ford was talking about this morning was is Big just to kind of you know kind of set the table and turn it over a little bit do I do you sorry coach coach said on Monday we asked him who would win in a race you denafo and he said it’s you no question and then said you know he might even be able to beat Trey Turner do you think you can beat Trey Turner I don’t know love to find out that is um talking about in the Outfield what’s the toughest ball for you to handle a lot of times people say this one hit straight at you straight over your head just what gives you difficulty out there if anything um probably the the low liner about head high that’s just smoked um that’s that’s the hardest B to read um and you know that’s what I spent a ton of time on just cuz at first I wasn’t very good at it um and you know instead of making an initial read kind of just kind of just like kind stand still um and just like see it for a little bit longer um because normally those balls they’re not going to leave the yard whenever they’re you know hit that low so try to see it as long as you can and then make that move what was the last time you threw somebody out at second base on the fourth I don’t think I have I think there’s been a couple times I’ve tried um but I think that’s the first one in college what type of bat do you swing uh the Omaha from 202 too thanks question how’s it going my man [Music] congratulations congratulations one of your best outings in quite a while what was going well for you uh I don’t know just feeling well you know you obviously getting out there first start in a while or since last week first time I really going out there and bit extended so you know defin definitely helps when you got guys on the lineup that can put up a big eight spot for you in the first inning um you know our team is just capable of doing that so uh you know with the guys that we got in the lineup it’s very easy to pitch to them or to the other team I feel like you know I can whether I’m struggling or I make mistakes over the play I got guys behind me that can make a lot of plays and you know just uh our hitting ability and one through nine um you know I feel like with our lineup it’s very easy to pitch for this team so what about base is loaded and you got that gu uh struck that that guy looking what was your mentality there with the bases loaded um yeah obviously there you know 3-2 went slider and got him out with the strike you know that’s just a big pitch you got you’re going to have to make them big moments um so you know just trying to slow the game down realize that you know all I need here is I’m one pitch away from getting out of the inning and just trusting that my guys behind me can get the job done just as well as I can with the uh with the strikeout so you know just having the confidence there and the conviction to get the pitch to The Zone and you know what happened what happened glad stck coach forbs is kind of talked about sorry coach for is kind of talked about trying to get the fourth and fifth starter there and push you out there today and you go along I mean just as far as confidence wise where are you um yeah I feel like I have a lot of confidence in myself uh obviously you know I feel like I have more confidence in myself than anybody but you know uh just being able to like I said we got a great defense we got a great group of guys you know going out there and throw for throwing for this team is very easy when you got guys behind you um that can make incredible plays I’m see you know my confidence is really high especially coming off of last year I feel like I did a really good job as a freshman of throwing in big moments so uh you know they tell me I got the ball I’m just going to go out there and try to do my best to help this team win so confidence level really high just um you know just going out there and executing really how hard is it to sit for that long during that bottom of the first um I mean obviously it’s not ideal you know just trying to make sure to keep your body loose I mean it’s nothing you can really control so I mean I I think it just takes uh it’s part of the game part of it uh you know just being an athlete being able to overcome it I mean it’s it’s the same thing about uh we’re playing a team and somebody shoving and guy on the seven hole hasn’t got a A in two innings so I mean it kind of goes just vice versa just keeping your body loose stay mobile how have you seen your game evolve from last season to this year um IID say the biggest thing is just like slowing down I feel like last year as a freshman getting put into situations throwing you know it’s very easy to let the moment get to you and speed things up so you know being able to just take a breath and slow things down and you know uh I guess lock in a little bit more I guess that’s probably the biggest thing you know working on my delivery on the mound um I just I think probably my biggest thing is just being able to slow slow the game down um you know and know that my coaches have confidence in me and I think that’s just a big part of maturing and getting older and you know playing more playing more games and having more experience do you do anything in specific pregame or when you’re on the mound to kind of walk into that state I mean definitely like is I guess like I feel like everybody says it it’s cliche as it sounds just like breathing I you know taking a step to you know realize that at the end of the day it is just a game no matter how hard that you are competing and how hard you want to win um so you know just taking a second to relax you know get a good breath out and go out there and just make sure your body’s loose not not getting super tight so I feel like being able to get my breath out in between pitches and you know just just taking a more relaxed approach to the game rather than just just being way too amped up um which is not a bad thing but just like KN knowing the line of overdoing it if that makes sense you great pretty comfortably sitting there at 94 all night really it felt like just where do you feel like kind of your stuff is at this point and just also physically just where do you feel like you are kind of headed into the exam break a little bit um physically I feel great I think uh coming off last year my V has been going up a lot and I you know Co the coaches and the coaching staff and you know things that got us working on a practice and just getting after it so you know um naturally as you get stronger and as you get older and you get more experience out there your vlo is going to jump so I think right now like physically uh I feel like I haven’t touched what I can yet I feel like I haven’t hit that Peak you know it’s getting to the point where I’m getting extended just making sure that I’m conditioned to where I can you know be able to sit as high as that on all three pitches and keep my V up so I mean just a lot of that goes to like you know the coaches and what we they have us doing in practice and just conditioning really but uh I don’t think that I’m necessarily at my roof yet um you know there’s a lot to unlock so we’ll just see how the season pans out is there a story behind The Fighter tattoo that oh yeah um you guys have probably heard the story of part bird over at ECU lost his leg in a boating accident so uh you know we played showcase ball together for four three four years in high school you know we getting real close that’s my brother and uh just it’s hard seeing somebody like that that’s does everything right and you know has something so tragic like that happen you know going into his freshman year college you know which arguably being a guy that probably would have started for the Pirates as a true freshman you know you know he’s always been there for me and you know all the boys that played with us we have a really good relationship their family so it’s you know it’s just tribute to him you know just being able to understand that you know I I’m lucky that I haven’t been put in a situation where you know a game or my time on the field has been taken away for me um you know as everyone’s praying for him and you know obviously he’s getting it back in and moving you know it’s just something that put him arm because I felt like it meant a lot to me um you know and that’s that’s my brother so you wear number 16 I guess yeah so it’s like that was the kind of like when it first happened initially he we had all got the news that he was in the hospital and he had gotten that uh accident was like like fighter and like he wears 16 so it’s kind of just like his little it was our little like uh I guess hashtag or something for him so just a lot of support there thanks what what’s that what’s that perspective do for a young guy like you I mean all your former teammates were those guys I mean it’s kind of a dose of reality early yeah definitely I mean as much as uh you know as much as you grow up and you hear from your parents and coaches and stuff that you know nothing’s guaranteed and you know time moves fast you know having somebody that close to you uh you know having something to affect like that or having getting into an accident like that and taking an effect where it affects him and he’s off the field for a while just puts into persective you just got to you know appreciate every day and really like get after it because uh you know like you never know when that you could you could wake up tomorrow and something could happen you can get in the car at tomorrow like you never know so it just puts into perspective that you just got to go out there every day and give it to your all and have fun and just you know you can’t think about tomorrow if that makes sense so you know it I think it it’s a sad as it is obviously suck for somebody that just should not have happened to I think it’s a big Learning lesson and you know he’s he’s taken it um better than anybody that I could imagine I mean if we’re going to be honest I can’t say that I would handle it as well as he does so you know just being able to realize that not everybody has the opportunity that you have and you know just take the got to make the most of it thanks thank you you hate to interrupt your dinner what you eting for dinner yeah let me record the code here I have on my teeth now I’m starving so we’re going and then my daughter that’s my daughter’s horn so I know it’s her that’s text me she told me to park on the side of the road cuz she has to get up Ear go to FCA tomorrow anyway congratulations on being a groomsman first of all yeah thanks yeah that was cool um y’all go ahead leading off Vance is this something that you’re just toying with or is this something you’re going to stick with for for the long term um probably going to start stick with it um I’ve been thinking about it a lot how to have those three guys somewhere in the top three but also have too and Asuna in the top five um I really like the idea of having mad in the six hole kind of like we put mday in there in 2022 you know distribu in the speed a little bit more um and I just kept going back in my mind honestly I would lay down at night and be like who you want to cuz that’s kind of how my my brain works I’m always thinking about the next game or how to get better who would I not want to face to start the game as a pitching coach and as Vance honey cut because I know if he gets on he’s you know he can steal and then you got a guy like Casey cook so I think most likely I’ll stick with it I feel pretty good about it cuz we go right left right left throughout the whole thing um you know and it worked out tonight thankfully U hit the first pitch yeah no doubt you know we talked about it this morning the ACC Network and I said well either Madera or Den lead off and then I sat down with we and was like man I keep wanting to lead off Honeycut and we was like well let’s just do it so we just did it he said you had a conversation with him about not changing his approach yeah I just brought him up um because I trust Vance so much uh I said how do you feel about leading off and he said coach whatever you feel like his best is what I will do um but I told him I didn’t want you to necessarily just because the count goes 31 or 2 or don’t try to work a walk like just be who you are cuz when he’s at his best he’s on the fast ball and he’s ready to hit and then he’ll still walk if he happens to walk um so I want to make sure he knew that and it’s really just one time of game and when did you have this conversation with him um probably about 12:00 I just text him said are you at the stadium and I was trying to decide if I was going to do it or not and after I met with him I was like I’m definitely going to do it do you say like repor in my office like I just said no I said are you here I said are you out of class first and he said yes I said you’re the boss he said yes I said we’ll come up to my office and Vance knows he I mean he know he ain’t in trouble um so yeah I just felt like I I just kind of been thinking like you know like I don’t know it’s because I’m a big brav fan and they go aunia Aussie Riley Olsen Ozuna and in my mind I’m like you know that obviously we don’t have I mean Matt Olsson is like I mean to is not Matt olon but he is Left-Handed he can run distributes to speed and I really like mad I was like how can I get mad in that six hole um and you can’t in the six old if you lead him off and I’d rather to know foro be in a little lower spot where he is more in an RBI spot so so Madera and Stevenson kind of Switched Off where they have been most of the season is that also something you plan to stick with I might because I like Madera with that speed you know if he’s on base then we can do some different things Gavin has been one of our best pure hitters throughout the whole season and then obviously if Steve you know he’s got the power Gavin or Steve hit a double you know or or if all a sudden mad’s over there at third base for some reason and you know we’ve got first and third with Colby I also can safety squeeze that type of thing I like that speed and that six0 Gavin and third I mean if my memory serves he had probably a 60 yard throw over there what have you seen from him growth wise you know just he’s he’s understanding that he has to work as hard over there as he does back there in the cages um and I told him I said if you don’t want to be taken out you got to get better at third or I’m going to put somebody else in there Innings eight and nine and you know Gavin’s the type of kid that’s going to take that coaching in the right way and keep working on it and that’s the key is you know can he make that backhand throw and have the arm strength and he’s starting to show that he can do it I mean he is a baseball player you saw that play at first where he just slid that’s a reaction play and he’s always kind of shown that when we recruited him but he’s got that’s that’s the hardest position to play he’s gotten better at it and then uh pageant he pitched a couple three inning relief stints and then really extend today pitches some of the best you’ve seen from him right yeah I thought he held his stuff um his last start Garder web he lost a little bit of his control in the third um but I thought he got better today I didn’t think he was really sharp early but he got better each inning which was good to see so we we need another guy that we can extend we’re starting Peterson tomorrow which will be fun to see how he does because he could you know he started the year as a starter but both those guys can help us in a role some way shape or form if we need them how important do you think it was for padet to get out of that basis loaded Jam I mean that’s how you stay in the game you know that guy hits a double down the line or I mean you’re one swing away too like the players don’t think like the coaches do I mean that guy hits a grand slam it’s eight to four just like that so that’s what I’m thinking like and Coach gain’s credit calling pitches he did the same thing I did because that I would have done that kid’s got the most power on the team I don’t care if we walk them and it’s 8 to one i’ rather be 8 to one than 8 to four and get the next guy and it’s still 8 to one but credit to him because he threw a 3-2 slider and he threw a great pitch that guy was obviously looking for a fast ball you touched on the D um you know as good as he’s been all year I think he’s hit safely now 11 last 12 seven multi-hit games in that span how important just kind of that stability he really kind of brings this L obviously a lot of stability in that’s why I love him in that six hole he’s not quite as aggressive as I want him to be at stealing bases either so he has the speed down there but really what really balanced our line up line up and I go back to him my day was having a guy because you got those power guys and sometimes a power guy might strike out but I you know then you have a lefty between Alberto and Gavin that’s hard to strike out that can run that moves the ball and it gets a hit game yeah um so that puts more pressure on the defense throughout the whole order and originally we had Harbor Harbor in our in NOA four or five but the more I looked at it the more I didn’t like that so we just went to this lineup when you get up last question we eight nothing we talked about maturity a lot do you say anything to the guys stay focused all that or do you let your guys just lead it you know what this time of year historically for us like it’s show time you know like you’re you’re playing I mean there’s there’s basically different situations right we’ve been in the mall in North Carolina for the most part uh thankfully we’ve been in a good position where you’re really trying to solidify potential host or solidify National seed but we’ve also been in a position where we got to win this game cuz we’re on the bubble you know like in 22 like every game so those guys that have been through that they know what our philosophy is and it’s you know historically it’s not the best day to play us when it’s the last last day of class cuz that is a little bit of a celebration for our guys I mean you know and then they they get sleep they get to sleep in tomorrow I mean you know the reading day um so they know this time of year uh that staying Focus I don’t need to tell them that and the respect they have for one another too of okay we want to get everybody in the game if possible and the better we play you can get some arms in there potentially they hav pitched in a while um I guess that’s the negative of a 10 run rule cuz ol Johnson was getting ready to come in the game but the positive is when you’re ahead like that you know you get some guys cuz you’re always one injury away you get hasin behind the plate you got Vandy in there having it bat you got Johnny having it bat Dixon Alvarez so that’s that’s a good thing when you talk about kind of being in these different spots just over your entire ten year when it comes to May how much does it help with this team where you do have you know a lot of guys still left over from your first season of the head coach when you’re fighting to get in some other ones you know been starting Super Regionals as well as some who haven’t even tasted the postseason their careers because of where they’re coming from yeah it’s a great mix um CU we’re playing two freshman they they’re just freshman uh in the transfers you know like a Deno he’s dying to play in the postseason you like that’s just that’s why he wanted to come to a school like North Carolina then Parks Harbor’s been the postseason he’s played in the SEC but he hasn’t been no and then we have a lot of returners that lost to Arkansas at home in a city Regional and they got that taste of being so close even though they won that ACC Championship they want to get back in that spot so they’re you know telling all these guys like here’s how we get there so it’s a it’s a great mix and it makes me feel good because we’ve got guys that you know if we do get to that point hopefully they’ve been in regionals they’ve been in the big games and you know I got to trust them when we get to it than coach thank you’re wearing pretty uniform
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