Scott Forbes believes Shea Sprague is, 'not afraid of the big moment,' in Game 1 start

Ahead of the biggest game of the season to date, North Carolina head coach Scott Forbes will be giving the ball to Shea Sprague as the starting pitcher against West Virginia. The decision comes after usual Friday starter Jason DeCaro pitched late in the weekend during regionals.

And as Forbes sees it, just because DeCaro was the usual opening starter for a series, he views him and Sprague as relative equals. Plus, he knows the moment won’t be too big for Sprague.

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“He’s not afraid of the big moment at all,” Forbes said of Sprague. “Competitive. We feel like we’ve had two guys that have been equal, so it didn’t really matter which one pitched first. I’m excited for him. He matches him.”

Forbes also cited Sprague’s strong outing in the regional weekend, against LSU and starting pitcher Luke Holman, as something that gives him confidence with DeCaro on ice for the opener.

“He threw really good against Holman, kept us right there, so he deserves the opportunity, he’s going to be ready for sure,” Forbes said. “Once DeCaro, we decided to use DeCaro, it was an easy decision.” 

Forbes discussed dealing with West Virginia ace Derek Clark

North Carolina will have a formidable task facing West Virginia starting pitcher Derek Clark during the upcoming Chapel Hill Super Regional series. And Forbes was highly complimentary of the diminutive hurler during his press conference ahead of the weekend.

The transfer from Northwood University stands just 5-foot-9, but Forbes explained that Clark being small doesn’t make him any less difficult to hit. And with one of the 25 best earned run averages in the country, Clark has earned the recognition.

“He’s got a quick arm, he hides the ball, he’s got some deception,” Forbes said. “He throws three pitches for strikes and can throw the ball where he wants to. His fastball’s got a little ride to it, as they say now. But it’s got that late life, he can go up in the zone when he needs to. He’s ultra competitive, he’s very athletic.”

And what ultimately stands out about Clark to Forbes isn’t his height, but his ability to hammer the strike zone.

“So, three pitches for strikes, it doesn’t matter if you’re 6-6, if you’re 5-8, 5-7, you’re going to have a chance to be good and keep hitters off balance,” Forbes said.