The Blue team evened the second series in the victory column on Saturday afternoon on "Family Day" during the Fall World Series. 

However, the Blue team will have to make up the aggregate run difference in the third game of the second series Sunday of 9 runs in order to win the Fall World Series outright after winning the first three game series.  If the White team keeps their lead - the final deciding game will take place on Tuesday.

The Crucible of Competition

The Diamond Heels have shown a tremendous depth of pitching this fall, but don't underestimate the incredible talent that they will have to sort through to find the best weekend rotation to travel through the gauntlet in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Kent Emanuel threw another gem in the fall, but Hobbs Johnson matched him frame for frame through five innings putting up zeros on the scoreboard, "I thought both of them threw like ACC weekend starters and two of our best guys," Associate Head Coach and Pitching Coach Scott Forbes revealed after the game. "Kent's command sticks out with no walks.  Hobbs had 40 pitches starting the 4th inning which was really, really good.  He had a slip up which he knows he needs to work on those two free walks both scored.  Then he came back and threw two really good innings.  That is where you can tell he is a year older as a junior.  Honestly, I thought those two guys in the bullpen threw well.  I thought there was some really, really bright spots.  I know Chris McCue did not have the outing he wanted to have but all of these guys are definitely getting better and that is what I am looking for."



Moss in his first start in the Fall World Series.  Certainly the sophomore is looking forward to his next opportunity to take the mound for the Diamond Heels.

There is little doubt that Chris Munnelly would like to fight his way back into the weekend rotation during his senior year and that sophomore Benton Moss is not taking anything for granted in the competition stating as much in the post-game interviews after his sub-par outing earlier.

The Diamond Heels have a pair of dominant left handed starters.  Kent Emanuel is a strike thrower who has command of three pitches and will throw them inside and out at any count.  But what makes Hobbs Johnson so effective?

"He just has deception and he has a delivery where you don't see the ball until right before he is going to release it," answered Coach Forbes after Johnson's seven inning appearance. "Guys swing at a lot of fastballs up.  They don't get a lot of solid contact on him.  If his command can come up one tick his strikeouts will go up.   His command still has to get a little bit better and he knows that.  He threw a lot of fastballs today and not a lot of off speed."

The college baseball season is a marathon and injuries can happen at any time.  The Diamond Heels will have the firepower in the starting weekend rotation, the mid-week starters and the bullpen to keep fresh, talented arms coming after opponents all season long.

It's a Family Affair

The Diamond Heels featured Family Day for their players and their families with a picnic in the park, player introductions of their families in attendance and a pretty nice crowd of friends and family enjoying seeing a very entertaining and fast paced game.



Associate Head Coach Scott Forbes waves to the crowd in the Fall World Series. 

"It is awesome.  Every year it grows it seems like and I think that is it is a mark of our program and we definitely feel that separates us from some other places.  Other places I'm sure have it as well.  We definitely have a family atmosphere here and we welcome the parents and welcome their families and understand that their kids are 18 to 22 year old and we take a lot of pride not just to help them succeed in baseball but in life." 



Coach Jackson's son continues the line of adorable bat boys barely taller than the bats.  He's probably ready for some coach pitch baseball - and all the pointers that the Diamond Heels can give him.

One of the most entertaining observations before and after the games is seeing all of the young children in the Tar Heel baseball family.  Here Coach Jackson's son took the reins from Adam Lucas' son as bat boy for the day.

"Absolutely, it's the family.  It is definitely the family.  I had the opportunity to go [and sign professionally] and it is something that we were looking at on that Friday of the draft but the family here with Coach Fox, Forbes and Jackson I didn't find it anywhere else.  Obviously from Georgia and Georgia Tech were in my back yard and they kind of took it for granted that the guys in their state they were going to get.  Even if you go to Clemson and I got a chance to go down to Florida.  It is just the family here and the way they treat you here it is with respect and honor.  It is the same honor that I feel coming to play for them they feel with me coming to play for them.  I could not ask for a better group of guys."

The Diamond Heels have recruited well for this years class that recently came in at #8 on the Collegiate Baseball rankings as well as garnering commitments from future prospective student-athletes in the 2013 and 2014 classes already. 

Will the Tar Heels have another family reunion later this season in Omaha.  Stay tuned and enjoy the ride.