Anyone wanna take a crack at the lineup and rotation? Long ways to go and never know what’ll happen but it’s always fun to put together a potential squad.
Lineup and Rotation Predictions?
- Thread starter tarheeldon13
- Start date
Rotation:
Jason DeCaro
Ryan Lynch
Folger Boaz
MRP:
Olin Johnson
Can Padgett
Kyle Percival
Jackson Rose - Midweek starts
Tim Lawson
Caden Glauber
Andrew Wallen - Midweek Starts
Talan Holliday
SU:
Matty Mathijis
Boston Flannery
CP:
Walker McDuffie
Midweek starters:
Caden Glauber
1. Jake Schaffner - 6
2. Owen Hull - 8
3. Gavin Gallaher - 4
4. Macon Winslow - 2
5. Cooper Nicholson - 5
6. Eric Paulson - 3
7. Michael McGinnis - 9
8. Sawyer Black - 8
9. Rom Kellis IV - DH - this will rotate a ton
I think this is where the lineup falls into place, not where it starts.
gives you plenty R/L matchups and speed and power with Schaffner setting the table.
the pitching staff has a chance to be absolutely if the rotation is as good as I think it will be and we stay healthy. We really missed Matty last year when he went out. A ton of potential with this team.
Don't forget about Cam Seagraves. In addition, Amos Rich could be a wildcard, joining the team next month straight out of HS. PG gave him a perfect score of 10, and says his fastball already gets up to 93. He threw a perfect game in the 17U WWBA (world wood bat association) tournament last summer, pitching for the DIrtbags.
Here’s my crack at opening day lineup
1. Jake Schaffner - 6
2. Owen Hull - 8
3. Gavin Gallaher - 4
4. Eric Paulson - 3
5. Macon Winslow - 2
6. Cooper Nicholson - 5
7. Sawyer Black - 9
8. Perry Hargett - DH
9. Carter French - 7
Kellis, Maginnis and Sowers also being given frequent opportunities to earn spots with early playing time.
Weekend rotation: DeCaro, Lynch, Boaz
Key bullpen arms: McDuffie, Matthijs, Seagraves
Anything we get from true freshmen beyond the above is a bonus!
1. Jake Schaffner - 6
2. Owen Hull - 8
3. Gavin Gallaher - 4
4. Eric Paulson - 3
5. Macon Winslow - 2
6. Cooper Nicholson - 5
7. Sawyer Black - 9
8. Perry Hargett - DH
9. Carter French - 7
Kellis, Maginnis and Sowers also being given frequent opportunities to earn spots with early playing time.
Weekend rotation: DeCaro, Lynch, Boaz
Key bullpen arms: McDuffie, Matthijs, Seagraves
Anything we get from true freshmen beyond the above is a bonus!
Yeah just missed Seagraves should be back and forth between the backend and MR. And the Amos kid is interesting, probably slots in around MR as well. The staff is very talented and deep. Our top 4 arms last year rivaled anyone in the country. But, just not a ton of developed depth but that should change this year.
I definitely agree with this on opening day maybe minus Perry. But, best case scenario is Perry putting all the tools he has together and taking over LF. Carter did a lot for us last year, but we really need some pop from the corner OF spots. But, I agree he probably gets the opening day nod.
Agree wholeheartedly. Ideally someone can take that spot from him as you said. But he’s earned the right to be the guy that has to have it taken from him.
The issue with French is extra base hits. Zero last year. Need a player who brings the wood in the corner outfield.
He had a bases clearing triple into the RCF gap in the final game of the FWS.
Yep, I agree. As noted above, my prediction was for what I think the Opening Day lineup will be. Not necessarily the lineup at the end of the season. Guys will be given an opportunity to unseat him. Up to them if they’re able to do it or not.
I love all the options Forbes has for this year, some spots may be changed based on recent performance, etc.... I also think that guys that may not be in the starting lineup on opening day or drift in and out may have other roles to play as well both from a situation baseball perspective and clubhouse impact standpoint (Carter French for example). But I will throw my hat into the ring on perspective lineups and rotations:
Rotation:
Ryan Lynch
Jason DeCaro
Folger Boaz
(*this may not be the order on opening day but I could see this being how it shakes out by ACC play)
Pen/mid weeks:
Cam Seagraves
Olin Johnson
Jackson Rose
Caden Glauber
Matty Mathijis*
Walker McDuffie
Andrew Wallen*
Tom Chimelewski
My question marks:
Cam Padgett
Kyle Percival*
Boston Flannery
(if anyone wants me to expand on those please let me know)
* coming off injury
Lineup:
1. Jake Schaffner - 6
2. Owen Hull - 8
3. Gavin Gallaher - 4
4. Cooper Nicholson - 5
5. Eric Paulson - 3
6. Macon Winslow - 2
7. Sawyer Black - 9
8. Perry Hargett - DH
9. Carter French - 7
DH/7 rotation could include Rom Kellis, Maginnis, Hargett, French, etc... think until someone really steps up the left field and DH spots will be in flux
Rotation:
Ryan Lynch
Jason DeCaro
Folger Boaz
(*this may not be the order on opening day but I could see this being how it shakes out by ACC play)
Pen/mid weeks:
Cam Seagraves
Olin Johnson
Jackson Rose
Caden Glauber
Matty Mathijis*
Walker McDuffie
Andrew Wallen*
Tom Chimelewski
My question marks:
Cam Padgett
Kyle Percival*
Boston Flannery
(if anyone wants me to expand on those please let me know)
* coming off injury
Lineup:
1. Jake Schaffner - 6
2. Owen Hull - 8
3. Gavin Gallaher - 4
4. Cooper Nicholson - 5
5. Eric Paulson - 3
6. Macon Winslow - 2
7. Sawyer Black - 9
8. Perry Hargett - DH
9. Carter French - 7
DH/7 rotation could include Rom Kellis, Maginnis, Hargett, French, etc... think until someone really steps up the left field and DH spots will be in flux
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I think Percival has to be good this year for this team to reach its potential on the mound. Same with Folger.
the corner outfield spots are where my biggest question marks are.
I’d be shocked if French isn’t an everyday regular at one of the corner outfield spots.
Locked spots are 2,3,6,8. Outfield corners and second and third will be interesting to watch.
And as Grace posted on the rotation, I think Lynch as the Friday guy is a thing. Love DeCaro’s tool box and his outing down in Tally to follow Jake when Grace and I were there was just a sight to see….and I watched from the field (doing my best photog impression).
But Lynch, if he progresses as he did from the start of the season to the end…..is electric. His improvement from ECU in Durham to Clemson in ACCT is about as impressive an individual glow up as I’ve seen.
Locked spots are 2,3,6,8. Outfield corners and second and third will be interesting to watch.
And as Grace posted on the rotation, I think Lynch as the Friday guy is a thing. Love DeCaro’s tool box and his outing down in Tally to follow Jake when Grace and I were there was just a sight to see….and I watched from the field (doing my best photog impression).
But Lynch, if he progresses as he did from the start of the season to the end…..is electric. His improvement from ECU in Durham to Clemson in ACCT is about as impressive an individual glow up as I’ve seen.
I agree with your first statement.
But not the second. Corner OF will be an asset, both offensively and defensively.
I’m not trying to say it’ll be bad or anything, just pointing out that those two corner outfield spots are going to be in the most flux. I and everyone else is appreciative of what Carter gave us last year. But, him starting at one of those corner OF spots all year gives us a ceiling in the lineup. We really need someone with a little lift and pop in the bat out there. I’ve always said if you can’t get both offense and defense at a premium position you should sacrifice a little defense for more offense. I really think sawyer black will take one of those spots and run with it. The other corner is a question (Carter will inevitably start the year there) but we really need Perry, Maginnis, Rom to hit well enough to take that spot from him, it just gives this team a much higher ceiling.
Speaking of a higher ceiling, Draft Kings has released their early odds to win the CWS, and only 4 teams have lower odds than us:
LSU +800
Georgia +1100
Arkansas +1200
UCLA +1300
UNC +1500
Tennessee +1500
Other schools of interest include FSU at +2000, Coastal at +2200, Clemson at +3000, wolpfack at +4500, and Louisville and Wake at +5000. ECU is well down the list at +20000.
I saw those odds the other day, I was a little shocked. Not because I don’t think we’re good enough, but there are so many questions that need to be answered.
As Tommy mentioned, Ryan seems to be jumping out as the bulldog, the scary Friday guy. Jason seems a bit of a sneaker pitcher and those two games in Tally shows just how well Jason can play in the "clinch a crucial series win" scenario. Remember as much hype as college baseball puts on the "Friday guy", Saturday could mean a series win or forcing a rubber match and Sunday, well, that can determine, sweep, preventing getting swept or a series win. I am very excited to see what Jason's arsenal looks like in his (almost definitely) final year in Chapel Hill, especially his bounce back if he does have a bad outing. I am also one of the biggest Folger Boaz believers, he shoved in the Cape Cod Championship and if he is able to use all four pitches that he has for strikes, not only relying on his slider, and put it all together he could be just the weapon UNC needs.
But @floridahighschoolcoach you asked so here are my opinions on the "question marks".
Boston Flannery:
The Boston Flannery hype has probably never been higher than this offseason. He came into UNC three years ago as the No. 6 overall prospect in the state of New York, and he was told to be a weapon. However, since then it's never really materialized in game settings. As a freshman he pitched 5.1 innings across six appearances, making two starts to the tune of a 15.19 ERA. In 2025 he saw the mound even less tossing only one inning. Yet he still stayed at UNC, which in this landscape is above commendable. But Boston's problem has never been velocity—even as that has upticked now as well—it's his command and the shape of his pitches. Not only is there sometimes a disconnect between the ears but despite his high velocity on his fastball, placing it along with off speed pitches has always been his difficultly. This fall he shoed glimpses of the juice and poise he had in high school, with both spectators, cynical reporters (me) and coaches taking notice. I am hesitant to proclaim this as the year of Boston Flannery without further proof but I am looking forward to see what his work ethic and commitment has produced.
Cam Padgett:
I am a Cam truther and his performance in Omaha in 2024 showed that he can preform on the biggest stage. Did UNC win that game against FSU? No, but Cam was instrumental in stopping the bleeding after the Tar Heels trusty "fix it man" faltered. His ERA has trended down each year, which indicates development, but sometimes like Boston, his fastball will fall flat and he finds himself in a hole that is hard to dig out of—South Carolina last season is an example. With all the young arms that are poised to try to find a spot in this ultra-competitive bullpen, Cam will have to find his niche.
Kyle Percival:
Coming into last season, Kyle Percival was one of UNC's most talked about arms. He had a moderate workload his sophomore year (well in terms of eligibility, to brag for Kyle a bit he graduated UNC in two years with a EXSS degree and his now getting his MBA), with 22.1 innings in 22 appearance recording a 2.42 ERA. Last year coming into the season the coaches said that things clicked for Kyle, but the numbers told a bit of a different story. Know I don't know how long he was dealing with discomfort before his Tommy John surgery, but injuries can take time to recover and both a mini blow to confidence (last season) and an injury are obstacles he will have to overcome. Matthew as well will have to deal with post injury pitching which can effects players arsenal's in any number of ways both positive and negative. I do think that Jake last year was a bit of an outlier just due to his age, experience, mindset and maturity.
I hope these long worded paragraphs can answer any questions you have. Please anyone let me know if there is anything else you want addressed.
But @floridahighschoolcoach you asked so here are my opinions on the "question marks".
Boston Flannery:
The Boston Flannery hype has probably never been higher than this offseason. He came into UNC three years ago as the No. 6 overall prospect in the state of New York, and he was told to be a weapon. However, since then it's never really materialized in game settings. As a freshman he pitched 5.1 innings across six appearances, making two starts to the tune of a 15.19 ERA. In 2025 he saw the mound even less tossing only one inning. Yet he still stayed at UNC, which in this landscape is above commendable. But Boston's problem has never been velocity—even as that has upticked now as well—it's his command and the shape of his pitches. Not only is there sometimes a disconnect between the ears but despite his high velocity on his fastball, placing it along with off speed pitches has always been his difficultly. This fall he shoed glimpses of the juice and poise he had in high school, with both spectators, cynical reporters (me) and coaches taking notice. I am hesitant to proclaim this as the year of Boston Flannery without further proof but I am looking forward to see what his work ethic and commitment has produced.
Cam Padgett:
I am a Cam truther and his performance in Omaha in 2024 showed that he can preform on the biggest stage. Did UNC win that game against FSU? No, but Cam was instrumental in stopping the bleeding after the Tar Heels trusty "fix it man" faltered. His ERA has trended down each year, which indicates development, but sometimes like Boston, his fastball will fall flat and he finds himself in a hole that is hard to dig out of—South Carolina last season is an example. With all the young arms that are poised to try to find a spot in this ultra-competitive bullpen, Cam will have to find his niche.
Kyle Percival:
Coming into last season, Kyle Percival was one of UNC's most talked about arms. He had a moderate workload his sophomore year (well in terms of eligibility, to brag for Kyle a bit he graduated UNC in two years with a EXSS degree and his now getting his MBA), with 22.1 innings in 22 appearance recording a 2.42 ERA. Last year coming into the season the coaches said that things clicked for Kyle, but the numbers told a bit of a different story. Know I don't know how long he was dealing with discomfort before his Tommy John surgery, but injuries can take time to recover and both a mini blow to confidence (last season) and an injury are obstacles he will have to overcome. Matthew as well will have to deal with post injury pitching which can effects players arsenal's in any number of ways both positive and negative. I do think that Jake last year was a bit of an outlier just due to his age, experience, mindset and maturity.
I hope these long worded paragraphs can answer any questions you have. Please anyone let me know if there is anything else you want addressed.
Ding Ding Ding on Flannery.....we've heard - and seen at times- that he's improved, but we've also seen in games his first couple of seasons, he can't find it or gets shelled...see game 2 of this past Fall WS. Unless you throw 97-100, velocity alone won't cut it. Even then, folks can hit it - see Casey Cook at Wake a couple years back - if it's flat or you can't throw it to spots.
That's the deal with Lynch.....velo, ridiculous movement, and hits spots.
This team will be good. It'll be better than the past couple of years IF a lefty arm or two step up big time. Chewy, Folger, Percival, freshmen Jackson Rose and Tim Lawson are the only lefty options.....two of those need big seasons.
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Any word on how Andrew Wallen is progressing? I watched him go pitch for pitch against Walker McDuffie in the 3rd or 4th round of the playoffs a few years ago and thought he had a chance to be a contributor while at UNC. I will say, even then, I thought McDuffie was elite. Injuries have been tough so far, but I feel like if the reports I have heard are correct, Wallen could be an important middle relief and/or mid week guy.