NCAA Baseball: Talking North Carolina Tar Heels with Greg Barnes

The North Carolina Tar Heels are coming off a very successful season. They finished 51-16, made a return trip to Omaha and made some noise in the College World Series while they were there.

The season was an even bigger success when you consider the preseason expectation. The Tar Heels were considered a solid team, but nothing more. Few thought they would be a real player in the ACC championship race and even fewer figured they would be in Omaha.

Coach Mike Fox had other plans, though. He believed in his guys and they responded. They played well all season and exceeded just about everyone's expectations.

I discussed last season and looked ahead to next season with Greg Barnes, who covers the team for InsideCarolina.com.

Thoughts on the 2011 Season

Joseph Healy: There wasn't a lot of buzz surrounding this team before the season, but obviously they were better than everyone thought and they had a good run in Omaha. Is there any reason to call this season anything but a rousing success?

Greg Barnes: It shouldn't be. It should be a success for getting back to Omaha for the fifth time in six years, but the program that Mike Fox has built has reached the level where getting there isn't enough and that's a credit to Mike. I agree that coming into this season there were a bunch of question marks, but when you have some freshman performers like a Colin Moran and a pitcher like Kent Emanuel, who was one of the best pitchers in the nation down the stretch, and an experienced lineup, that's the main reason they played as well as they did and kind of exceeded expectations."

Where Does Kent Emanuel Go from Here?

JH: It's a bit of an apples-to-oranges comparison I'm about to make because Kent Emanuel pitched a lot more than Michael Roth did two seasons ago, but is Kent Emanuel maybe the next Michael Roth?

GB: I actually talked to Scott Forbes, Carolina's pitching coach, about some comparisons and one thing that he said is that Roth has a completely different throwing motion, but he compared Kent Emanuel as more of a traditional style pitcher. He's kind of a mix of Andrew Miller, although he doesn't have the speed and the power that Miller has, and Robert Woodard.

We didn't know exactly what he was going to be when he first stepped on campus in the fall. He had the potential to be the starter, but he really just emerged and proved to be dominant. In all of his postseason performances he was dominant, and in the College World Series against Texas (he was dominant). That's what you can build on. He's definitely going to be the Friday night starter next year and anytime a freshman performs that well, he has the potential to make a jump similar to what Roth did. You can't ask a kid to have an ERA below one like Roth did this year. That's asking too much, but he can definitely make that next step up and be one of the top guys in the country.

What Does Colin Moran Do for an Encore?

JH: Considering the situation of a freshman with the new BBCOR bats that sapped everyone's power, it was an incredible season for Colin Moran. What can he do for an encore next season and what is his ceiling?

GB: I think that's a great season. You have to think of Dustin Ackley when he first came in. He was a local kid and he just really impressed everyone out of the gate with his hitting ability and I think Colin Moran has done the same thing.

He's not quite on the same level that Ackley was, but this is a kid who is very consistent. What I look for in hitters is not necessarily the batting average. His batting average is impressive, but whenever they needed a clutch hit, he got it. That's just something that the kid has. You combine that with his athletic ability and then you've got the makings of a superstar talent. He's a very humble kid and I think that helps. He's grounded so he's going to be able to get better.

I need to see him get more consistent. I think he tired out a little bit toward the end of the year. He kind of avoided a slump. He was headed that way, but kind of got out of it and that says a lot about him. He just needs to round into form. He's a little bit raw. But if he does that, he's going to become a little more dangerous and he will (be someone) they lean on not just next year, but in 2013 as well.

Biggest Holes to Fill for 2012

JH: Looking ahead to next year, what are the biggest holes to fill on this team?

GB: I really think you've got to go to the pitching staff. It was very telling to me that North Carolina really rode Kent Emanuel and Patrick Johnson during the late part of the season and into the postseason. It was a tell-tale sign to me that Chris Munnelly had been the consistent Sunday starter for most of the year and then you get to the ACC tournament and Greg Holt gets the first start.

It was only his second start of the year and he also got a start in the final game of the season at the College World Series. He didn't really perform that well. So when you're taking your Sunday starter out and putting Greg Holt in, that leads you to say that there are obviously questions about that third starter. Cody Stiles was a guy that looked pretty good during the week and he didn't get any play in the postseason.

With Patrick Johnson and Greg Holt graduating, you have Kent Emanuel as a bonafide starter on Friday and a whole lot of question marks behind him and that's where they're really going to have to rely on some of these young guys that they signed like a Bryan Brickhouse or Dillon Maples that are coming in.

You're hoping those guys don't go into the pros. If you can get those guys to campus, you're probably set, but you're going to have to sweat it out until that August 15 (signing) date. I think the starting pitching rotation has to be the biggest question mark at this point in time.

Which Returning Players Will Be Asked to Play a Bigger Role?

JH: Who are some guys who maybe didn't play a huge role last season, but will likely be looked to to step into a bigger role next season?

GB: I think there's a couple guys. Brian Holberton is a good example. He really came on strong late in the year. He's a guy that they're really counting on to kind of continue to develop maybe as a good bat at the plate and he's a guy that can do that. Seth Baldwin is a kid playing right field. He's in the same situation. He's kind of been inconsistent at the plate, but he's come on and they really need that.

You're (going to) lose Levi Michael, you lose Jesse Wierzbicki and you lose Ben Bunting. Those are three valuable pieces, but if you go back to the postseason, Jacob Stallings, a catcher, he's a guy that really elevated his play. I expect him to come back. Chaz Frank in left field is kind of the same way.

Then you've got other guys like Matt Roberts (who) came in with a lot of hype. He's going to need to step up and improve his play. Tom Zengel is a guy that started a lot of games early in the year. There's potential for some guys there to take that next step.

Give Mike Fox credit because we've said that for years about this team and each year it seems like somebody or several people step up and fill those voids.

Strength of This Team in 2012

JH: To put it simply, what is the strength of this team moving forward into next year?

GB: It's always going to be pitching and defense and that's how Mike Fox has built this team. You mention the BBCOR bats. That helped this team. That's one of the reasons that North Carolina was able to surprise people this past season. They rely so heavily on pitching and defense that when this change was made, it didn't really hurt them. They're not a team that's going to hit a lot of home runs. They were one of the top defensive teams in the country in terms of fielding percentage.

Scott Forbes is without a doubt one of the top two or three pitching coaches in the country. You are going to be able to rely on those arms.

Thoughts on the BBCOR Bats

JH: It worked out well for North Carolina, but what were the overall thoughts on the bats? Did you hear a lot of moaning and groaning from the players?

GB: In the ACC, I don't think a lot of people had many concerns about it because it is more of a pitching-dominant league. Virginia has one of the best pitching staffs in the country. Florida State is really the only team that relies heavily on their bats. So I don't think there were a lot of people upset about them. Many coaches seemed to like the change.

A lot of people said early on that it took some getting used to with how the ball would come off the dirt in the infield, but for the most part, and especially with the Tar Heel coaching staff and players, it really wasn't much of a concern. It goes back to what we talked about. With them relying so heavily on pitching, it didn't hurt them near as much as some other teams that really rely on the long ball.

Expectations for Next Season

JH: Let's wrap this up and put a nice little bow on it. What is a reasonable expectation for the team next season?

GB: Since Mike (Fox) has been there, really if you go back to 2006, his goal has always been to put this team in position to get to Omaha. If you look at their roster, I think they're in good position to do that. If they can get (Bryan) Brickhouse or (Dillon) Maples to come in instead of going pro, you will have a very good pitching rotation yet again. They will be young, but they'll be solid up front.

One area they've really struggled in recent years has been at the plate, but Stallings played very well down the stretch, we talked about Colin Moran, Baldwin and Holberton...those are some guys that have stepped up.

I think they're going to be in good shape to make another run to Omaha.