What an incredible ride this has been for UNC baseball and Scott Forbes. North Carolina has been on a dream run this offseason, but Oklahoma is standing in the way of history being made for the Tar Heels. Despite that, don't mind if Forbes sits back a bit and cherishes what his team has gotten done. And, it's something that he's not going to take for granted.
Scott Forbes and UNC land one of the top pitchers available in the transfer portal
Forbes returned to UNC in 2006 as a pitching coach, serving as a longtime assistant for legendary Heels' head coach Mike Fox. When Fox decided to call it a career, Forbes took over the program, and UNC hasn't missed a beat. With that, Forbes knows he wouldn't be where he is today if it weren't for Fox taking a shot on him in the first place 20 years ago.
“I wasn’t the popular hire at the time. There were a lot bigger names, I had never been a pitching coach. But Coach [Mike] Fox saw something in me and gave me that opportunity.”
— Noah Bieniek (Bee-Nick) (@NoahB77_) June 17, 2026
North Carolina Coach Scott Forbes reflects on being a first-time pitching coach for the ‘06 and ‘07… pic.twitter.com/L0ndrsMxwG
"I wasn't the popular hire at the time," Forbes said. "There were a lot bigger names. I had never been a pitching coach, but Coach Fox saw something in me and gave me that opportunity."
UNC coach Scott Forbes will always be thankful for Mike Fox taking a shot on him
The fact that Forbes added it was hard for him to not get emotional about things make this all extra special too. Fox gave him the keys to the Tar Heels with hopes that he could help this team go all the way, and that's exactly what UNC is on the verge of doing.
Never has the program won the College World Series, though this will make the third appearance with the natty on the line for UNC. Yes, Carolina is 0-2 in previous trips to the College World Series Championship Series, but this campaign sure has a different feel to it. Again, though, the Sooners of Oklahoma are looking to play spoiler in a big way here.
Come Saturday night, Game 1 will arrive and Jason DeCaro is expected to take the bump for Forbes. A lot of us were surprised when DeCaro didn't take the bump for the showdown with West Virginia on Wednesday, but things ended up working out perfectly for North Carolina there. If DeCaro pitches in the dominant fashion we're used to seeing, it's gonna be tough to OU to keep things close in the series opener.
Once Game 2 arrives, the hope will be that UNC will be able to close things out in style, but let's not get ahead of ourselves there - nope, let's take it one game at a time. With that said, Carolina is a sizable favorite to win the natty and end Oklahoma's season with heartbreak. We'd sign up for that any day of the week.
And should it happen, it's going to be a life-changing moment for Forbes. It's also something that will be 20 years in the making, as he's been dreaming of reaching this level with the Tar Heels. Only time will tell if that happens or not, but the UNC faithful are ready to see Forbes and his players give it their all with the ultimate
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