UNC overcomes late deficit to finish sweep of Stony Brook

Maybe no one was happier to see North Carolina lose a late lead Sunday than UNC baseball coach Mike Fox.

He wasn’t glad his team was losing — certainly a coach wouldn’t be happy about that. But falling behind did offer Fox a new perspective on his team.

In these early season games, Fox isn’t simply looking to win. He’s looking to learn about the plethora of talented new faces he has at his disposal and how they respond to various situations.

In this weekend’s three-game sweep against Stony Brook, he accomplished both.

“It almost took everybody on our roster to help us get a couple wins today,” said Fox, after the Tar Heels rallied back from an 8-6 deficit to seal Sunday’s twinbill.

“We used a lot of guys today, and they all contributed. Really, if I had to script out the day, that’s how I would’ve done it.”

Fox mixed and matched to get as many players into each game as possible.

He dipped into the bench and summoned a pinch-hitter 10 times throughout the series, giving freshmen like Alex Raburn and Korey Dunbar opportunities to prove themselves.

In the fifth inning of Sunday’s second game, the infielder-turned-utility player Raburn flashed more versatility with a perfectly placed bunt that nestled nicely on the third-base line for a base hit.

In the same game, Dunbar, a highly touted catcher, picked up his first career base hit and nearly cleared the wall with a booming double.

“They’re all starting to get confidence,” junior Parks Jordan said. “That’s the biggest thing. As a freshman, they all can play. Everybody on the team can play. It’s good to see them in there and getting some things done.”

Of course, Fox only has nine spots to work with in his starting lineup, which poses a bit of a conundrum for players who are talented enough to start but are crowded out and forced to the bench.

“It’s really important that they feel like they’re part of the team whether they’re playing or not,” Fox said.

“We don’t look at it as a problem. It’s only a problem if players don’t understand, and I think they understand that they can help us even if they’re not in the lineup.”

Freshman Skye Bolt, who has started every game so far this year, has had more opportunities than many of his fellow first-year players.

But he said contributing as a freshman is still surreal even for him.

“We know whoever we throw in there is going to be big time, and you mix that with a freshman that’s eager to get in there,” Bolt said.

“Heck, I’m still playing every game like I feel like it’s my first.”

Contact the desk editor at sports@dailytarheel.com.