UNC 9, ECU 3 - Postgame Quotes

North Carolina head coach Scott Forbes, Chapel Hill Regional Most Outstanding Player Erik Paulsen and regional championship game winner Jackson Rose spoke to the media following the Tar Heel win on Sunday.

Scott Forbes

“Our guys, they showed up. The definition of a team. I watched (Saturday’s) game again last night and I see our guys celebrating that aren’t everyday players. That’s the mark of a great team. And our guys played well top to bottom all weekend.

“I’m mostly excited for these guys on our team more than anybody else. The players make the team, players make the program, that’s why everybody’s here to watch. They put in work since August 17. That’s why we won that regional. We’re process-oriented, though. We’re going to move on, and we’re going to start busting it tomorrow in the weight room to get ready for this super regional here at Boshamer Stadium…

“I just thought Folger Boaz was outstanding, phenomenal teammate, phenomenal leader for us, part of that big junior class that we work really hard to recruit. They’ve done so much for us. I thought he was aggressive. I thought he set the tone early, and we had to have a good start on the mound, and we needed three or four innings. That’s what he gave us. Walker McDuffie came in, got a big double play ball, and then Jackson Rose was outstanding. They just pick each other up. As far as the debate, we just feel like Folger is better when he starts, and Rosie’s starting to get used to coming out of the bullpen and looked really good against Georgia Tech. So that was our plan. …

“We wanted to strike early and work hard to get a lead, even if that meant bunting and that type of thing. We didn’t have to do that necessarily, but you know that helps and again puts more pressure on them, makes them make decisions. They had to go to Norby early, and he’s their best guy, and man, he’s pitched off pure guts, give him a lot of credit. Obviously he must be a great team first guy to go to the bullpen like that in his draft year. But we had a couple big swings of the bat against him, and didn’t let him settle in, so that was big for us.”

Erik Paulsen

“We knew it was the region of death for everyone else. We knew we were going to go out there and play our game of baseball, and when we play our best, nobody can beat us.” (Jackson Rose: “He’s right.”)

On his emotional day

”It really hit me after I hit the double in the bottom of the eighth, and then went back out there in the top of the ninth, just looking around Boshamer Stadium, seeing how packed it was, and wishing my dad was in the stands. It was definitely emotional, and while I was taking all that, a pop-up got hit to me. But it was great, my mom up in the stands and she’s the strongest woman I know. I was really happy to see her smile and I can’t wait to see her when I get out of here.”

Jackson Rose

“I didn’t know what the plan was. I just went out there and pitched every pitch I could, and got out of every inning I could. And if they were going to let me go back out there, I was going to do everything I could to make us win.”

“Being around the older guys and seeing how good of men they are to me, it kind of just helps going in here every day, being around them that much easier, and makes me that much better of a person.

“(Having Caden Glauber around) it’s sweet. Me and Caden are buddies. We come to the games together, and we’re living together right now in the dorm, and we’re always hanging out, we’re always close. We were here alone in the summer, and we were always a little nervous about getting here, and then we got here and it all just came together. The culture here, all the older guys were great to us.”