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After North Carolina’s 13–2 defeat to Oklahoma in Game 3 of the College World Series final, head coach Scott Forbes, second baseman Gavin Gallaher, and pitcher Matthew Matthijs addressed the media.
The Tar Heels (54-14-1) have now lost all three championship series appearances, including consecutive losses in the final in 2006 and 2007. The Sooners (43-23) secured their third national title, their first since 1994.
Here’s what Gallaher and Matthijs shared.
MATTHEW MATTHIJS: At times, challenging, but sometimes we were a little dumb on the field, but there’s nobody in that locker room that I wouldn’t want to go to battle for no matter what troubles we have. Just thankful for that group.
And I’m sure Gavin can say the same thing, they voted us captains, and we tried to lead the best we could. I’d go do this journey all over again with them.
GAVIN GALLAHER: Yeah, he said it. He said it well. Just really thankful that this team and this coaching staff, they trusted me to put the C on my jersey. It’s something that UNC hasn’t done for long. And it’s an honor and a privilege to be able to say that I was a part of that.
But I mean, I love this team. I love every single guy in that locker room. It’s a special group.
GAVIN GALLAHER: Yeah, I mean — sorry — yeah, the coaching staff, they’re amazing. I mean, that’s all I can say about them. If you are a player and you’re looking for a place that’s going to care for you and they’re going to love you, they’re going to put you as a person before they put you as a player, they’re going to show up every day and they’re going to give you their best no matter what their lives off the field look like.
It’s something that, I look around guys I know at other schools, and they don’t have the same experience. So I mean, it’s truly amazing. It’s truly amazing.
MATTHEW MATTHIJS: I don’t think there’s another program out there that has the coaching staff that truly loves every single player as much as that man right there does. He cares about us. He loves us.
There’s no other coaching staff that I would want to play for, spend my four years. I want to say thank you for giving me an opportunity when I was 14 years old. And I’ve loved every minute. And thank you.
GAVIN GALLAHER: Yeah, I mean, a lot of things. But, I mean, this is probably the most hurt I’ve ever felt in my life, and not just because we’re one game away from doing something that no UNC baseball team has ever done, but more so just because this is the end of the season. We say it all the time, from the very beginning, this team will never be this team again.
And I’ve been here for three teams, and this is the best team I’ve ever played with. Like I said earlier, I love every single one of those guys in the locker room. Matty said it too. I would go to battle for anybody in that locker room.
Just the way that everybody showed up every single day, everybody put themselves to the side and put the team first. And no matter who you put on that field, you could trust that they were going to give everything that they had. And that’s just a requirement of being here.
So to see a group buy into that as much as we did, yeah, it’s just the reason we’re here.
MATTHEW MATTHIJS: We talk about our pillars every day. And I mean, what comes to mind right now is just thankfulness. Thankful for this journey. Thankful for those guys in that locker room.
I’m not perfect. I mean, I’m not the perfect leader that I can be all the time, but I mean, those guys just — I just jumped on their backs and just enjoyed the ride.
And for this four years of college baseball, I mean, had some ups and downs, injuries, obviously. But just ending it here, obviously we wanted to win that last game. But there’s nobody, no school, no coaches that I would ever question going back on and not playing for the University of North Carolina.
MATTHEW MATTHIJS: I think they just take advantage of your mistakes. You make a mistake in the zone, they’re going to hit it pretty well.
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC Baseball: Captains reflect on College World Series loss
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The Tar Heels (54-14-1) have now lost all three championship series appearances, including consecutive losses in the final in 2006 and 2007. The Sooners (43-23) secured their third national title, their first since 1994.
Here’s what Gallaher and Matthijs shared.
As the captains and the leaders of this team, how would you describe and put into words what it was like to lead this group this season?
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MATTHEW MATTHIJS: At times, challenging, but sometimes we were a little dumb on the field, but there’s nobody in that locker room that I wouldn’t want to go to battle for no matter what troubles we have. Just thankful for that group.
And I’m sure Gavin can say the same thing, they voted us captains, and we tried to lead the best we could. I’d go do this journey all over again with them.
GAVIN GALLAHER: Yeah, he said it. He said it well. Just really thankful that this team and this coaching staff, they trusted me to put the C on my jersey. It’s something that UNC hasn’t done for long. And it’s an honor and a privilege to be able to say that I was a part of that.
But I mean, I love this team. I love every single guy in that locker room. It’s a special group.
If you can sort of speak to that from the coaching standpoint, when you listen to Coach Forbes say what he said about you guys and the journey and the love and the fellowship that you guys have.
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GAVIN GALLAHER: Yeah, I mean — sorry — yeah, the coaching staff, they’re amazing. I mean, that’s all I can say about them. If you are a player and you’re looking for a place that’s going to care for you and they’re going to love you, they’re going to put you as a person before they put you as a player, they’re going to show up every day and they’re going to give you their best no matter what their lives off the field look like.
It’s something that, I look around guys I know at other schools, and they don’t have the same experience. So I mean, it’s truly amazing. It’s truly amazing.
MATTHEW MATTHIJS: I don’t think there’s another program out there that has the coaching staff that truly loves every single player as much as that man right there does. He cares about us. He loves us.
There’s no other coaching staff that I would want to play for, spend my four years. I want to say thank you for giving me an opportunity when I was 14 years old. And I’ve loved every minute. And thank you.
Gavin, after the game, when you’re standing the dugout watching Oklahoma on the field, can you just describe what’s going through your head?
GAVIN GALLAHER: Yeah, I mean, a lot of things. But, I mean, this is probably the most hurt I’ve ever felt in my life, and not just because we’re one game away from doing something that no UNC baseball team has ever done, but more so just because this is the end of the season. We say it all the time, from the very beginning, this team will never be this team again.
And I’ve been here for three teams, and this is the best team I’ve ever played with. Like I said earlier, I love every single one of those guys in the locker room. Matty said it too. I would go to battle for anybody in that locker room.
Just the way that everybody showed up every single day, everybody put themselves to the side and put the team first. And no matter who you put on that field, you could trust that they were going to give everything that they had. And that’s just a requirement of being here.
So to see a group buy into that as much as we did, yeah, it’s just the reason we’re here.
Matty, you’ve been with this program for four years. You battled injury. You’ve seen adversity with the teams you’ve played with. Just what has that journey as a Tar Heel meant to you?
MATTHEW MATTHIJS: We talk about our pillars every day. And I mean, what comes to mind right now is just thankfulness. Thankful for this journey. Thankful for those guys in that locker room.
I’m not perfect. I mean, I’m not the perfect leader that I can be all the time, but I mean, those guys just — I just jumped on their backs and just enjoyed the ride.
And for this four years of college baseball, I mean, had some ups and downs, injuries, obviously. But just ending it here, obviously we wanted to win that last game. But there’s nobody, no school, no coaches that I would ever question going back on and not playing for the University of North Carolina.
Yesterday, your teammates contained their offense, but collectively Oklahoma’s offense has been on a roll in the postseason. What makes their lineup so difficult to deal with?
MATTHEW MATTHIJS: I think they just take advantage of your mistakes. You make a mistake in the zone, they’re going to hit it pretty well.
Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC Baseball: Captains reflect on College World Series loss
Continue reading...
