Preview: Shea Sprague prepares for CWS pitching debut against Tennessee

OMAHA, Neb. — Head coach Scott Forbes never expected this moment. 

After junior pitcher Shea Sprague had a terrible preseason according to Forbes, he didn’t know if the Elon transfer would even see the starting rotation. His velocity was down. He was being hit hard. 

And most importantly, he couldn’t locate his out pitch — the changeup. In January, Sprague hit sophomore outfielder Carter French four times with his offspeed. 

“I don't know why it was Carter French every time,” Sprague joked. 

But with each pitch in the regular season, his confidence grew. His role quickly shifted from early bullpen arm to weekend starter. As Forbes describes it, he crossed that white line.

Fast forward several months, Sprague will be taking the mound to start UNC’s second game in the Men’s College World Series on Sunday. He has become an indispensable part of UNC’s rotation as its second starter boasting a 4.00 ERA, and has proven himself to be given the start with a spot in the CWS semi-finals on the line.

“I think the preseason definitely helped, definitely highlighted some of the flaws that I needed to work on in my game,” Sprague said. “But I think it was all for the better.”

Forbes said Sprague’s biggest outing of the season was during the second-weekend series of ACC play against Miami. UNC lost the opening two games, and Sprague took the mound with the hopes of preventing a sweep.

While only going 3.1 innings, eight of the first nine outs that he recorded were by punch out. In Forbes’ words, he set the tone for the game. 

“You're like, ‘OK, we need to win this game badly,’” Forbes said. “And if he doesn't start like that, who knows? Maybe we get swept. So since then, I feel like he's taken a step, a step, a step.”

And the moment has only gotten bigger for Sprague with each time he toes the rubber. He started UNC’s win-or-go-home game against Wake Forest in the ACC tournament and started last week in its game-one victory in the Super Regionals. 

Sprague has learned to embrace the occasion, rather than shy away from it. This is something he will lean on in Sunday’s outing.

“I've been acclimated,” Sprague said. “I mean, in Charlotte, LSU, and last weekend — a bunch of people there — it gets to a point where kind of all meshes into one, I guess. But tomorrow's going to be special, and I can't wait.”

His first start in Omaha will be far from an easy task. The Volunteers hold arguably the best offense in the country, spearheading the SEC in almost every major statistical category. Their powerful bats lead the country in home runs by 24.

And the number one team in the nation proved it in its opening game of the CWS on Friday. Falling behind 9-4, Tennessee stormed back and scored 12 runs, including four in the ninth to walk off Florida State. The Volunteers combined for 18 hits in the game, five of which came from junior second baseman Christian Moore who hit for just the second cycle in CWS history.

This is the high-octane offense that Sprague will hope to contain on Sunday. Forbes said the key to success will be going after the Volunteers' hitters so as not to fall behind.

“You have to be careful from the pitching standpoint,” Forbes said. “When you have a team like that and you look at it on paper, if you start trying to nibble, you're going to be in hitter’s counts all day. You got to go right at them.”

While Forbes may not have expected this moment to come in January, Sprague has been everything he could have hoped for out of the transfer portal this offseason. 

Elon head coach Mike Kennedy raved to Forbes about the pitcher. After he pitched 90 innings for Kennedy the year prior, Forbes hoped he would secure at least 50 from Sprague this season. Not only has the transfer given him 24.1 more innings than that already, but he stabilized the rotation during a season of injuries to key pitchers.

But to become that player and to overcome his poor preseason, Forbes said Sprague had to put in the work. He worked meticulously in the weight room and pushed himself with his conditioning to become what Forbes describes as a “gamer.”

Sprague may not have faced a lineup quite like Tennessee in his career, but all of the work that he has put in this year has led to this moment on Sunday in Omaha.

“They got dudes all up and down the lineup, so it's definitely exciting to go test yourself, see what you do against these guys,” Sprague said. “And if I'm making pitches, we'll be just alright.”

@brendan_lunga18

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