In case you're unfamiliar with the term "pitching off," (or pitching out of a regular rotation) it refers to adjusting a team's typical weekend rotation for an upcoming tournament.
The logic behind it is rather simple: instead of using the team's ace in the opening game, a coach might save them for a later, winner 's bracket game.
Ahead of the Chapel Hill Regional, the managers from each team have been going through their respective game plans. Both ECU and Tennessee previously announced that they will "pitch off," electing to throw their regular Saturday starter in the tournament opener on Friday.
While it was expected that North Carolina would stick with the regular rotation, Scott Forbes had a change of heart.
Ryan Lynch will start the opener of the Chapel Hill Regional
While speaking to the media on Thursday, Forbes announced that sophomore right-hander Ryan Lynch will get the ball against VCU on Friday afternoon. Jason DeCaro, the team's No.1 starter, will take the mound on Saturday against ECU or Tennessee.
UNC baseball coach Scott Forbes said sophomore RHP Ryan Lynch will start Friday vs. VCU and junior RHP Jason DeCaro will start Saturday vs. Tennessee or ECU.
— Shelby Swanson (@shelbymswanson) May 28, 2026
“We feel confident in both Jason and Lynch in both scenarios… they ain’t gonna be scared of anybody.”
This is a roll of the dice for the Diamond Heels, as the hope is that Lynch can lead them to victory in the opener allowing DeCaro to take the mound in the 1-0 game on Saturday. However, if it backfires, you still have DeCaro on the bump for the elimination game, but the path to winning the regional becomes much more difficult if you lose the opening contest.
For Forbes, he's confident in both of his starts to get the job done, regardless of who takes the mound when.
“We feel confident in both Jason and Lynch in both scenarios," Forbes said. they ain’t gonna be scared of anybody.”
Chapel Hill Regional Preview: Getting to know the Virginia Commonwealth Rams
Lynch has struggled in his last two starts, failing to complete at least five innings in each one. A combination of high pitch count and ineffectiveness has hurt him in starts against NC State and Pittsburgh, but the Tar Heels have full faith that he can bounce back in a big way on Friday.
In case you're wondering when the last time the Tar Heels "pitched off," you don't have to go that far back in time. At the Terre Haute Regional in 2023, Jake Knapp (who didn't make a Friday start that entire season) took the bump in the opener while Max Carlson, the ace of the staff, followed on Saturday. While the concept was popular during Forbes's first eight seasons as the program's pitching coach from 2006-2013 (used in six of eight regional appearances), it's become rarer since he took over as the head coach of the Tar Heels.
Now, Forbes is going back to the strategy, believing that this recipe is one that makes sense for his team as they begin their quest to Omaha.
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