The North Carolina Tar Heels have tied the CWS Championship Series against the Oklahoma Sooners, thanks to a stellar relief performance by freshman Caden Glauber. In his first CWS final appearance, Glauber allowed no runs on one hit, struck out eight batters over five innings, and closed out the game for the Tar Heels in commanding fashion.
North Carolina’s 6-2 win in Game 2 has set up a decisive Game 3 on Monday to crown this year’s national champion. Glauber apparently missed his entire senior year of high school to enroll early in the Tar Heels’ baseball program. Following his impressive performance, Glauber’s parents, Keith and Mary, reflected on his journey and expressed support for his decision to join UNC early.
“I mean, he never had a doubt in his mind. Of course, I had my doubts just about life itself. But, you know, his mom and Caden were on board right away, and I think he’s proven himself correct… He definitely shouldn’t change anything and not listen to me at all, but it’s just a lot of fun. It’s obviously easier to play than it is to watch, so we just enjoy watching all of them so much. It’s great,” Keith Glauber said.
“I think he loves it. I think that, honestly, the team’s confidence in him and the coaches, and just their, you hear them say it all the time, their chemistry is phenomenal. So, I think they’ve all just loved being here together,” Mary Glauber said.
While the Tar Heels’ bullpen stepped up on the mound in the crucial game, the offense also scored consistently, giving the bullpen something to defend. SS Jake Schaffner and 3B Cooper Nicholson were the standout performers at the plate, driving in a couple of runs each, while CF Owen Hull added another.
North Carolina Pitching Coach Was All Praise For Caden Glauber
North Carolina’s pitching coach, Bryant Gaines, praised the freshman highly after his remarkable relief appearance, which was crucial in keeping the Tar Heels alive in the championship series against Oklahoma. Gaines also said Glauber would serve as a role model for incoming young pitchers joining the program.
“I thought he started pitching a little bit more as the outing went. Early, he was throwing a lot of fastballs. And then when he started to settle in and land his slider for a strike, that’s when he started to really use both sides of the plate a little bit better. And once he does that, then typically he’s gonna have a chance to keep on going… I think he’s an outlier. He’s a unicorn. He’s been able to start for us, come in relief, pitching the end of the game, early in the game. He’s done a little bit of everything… So he’s one of those that I’ll be using as an example in my coaching career for a lot of years to come,” Gaines said in the post-game interview.
The Tar Heels and the Sooners play the decisive Game 3 tomorrow night at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, NB, with first pitch scheduled for 7:00 pm EDT.
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