Latest news with #JakeKnapp
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Grunt, scream, flex: Inside Jake Knapp's 'emotional' start for UNC baseball in win vs Holy Cross
CHAPEL HILL — There were grunts, a scream and flex for Jake Knapp during UNC baseball's 2025 NCAA Tournament opener. The emotions were understandable after a 728-day wait to reach this moment. Following a season-ending elbow injury that caused him to miss the 2024 season, Knapp bounced back to become the ACC's ace as one of the top pitchers in the nation. Advertisement In his first NCAA regional start since getting the ball for the 2023 tournament opener against Iowa in Terre Haute, Indiana, Knapp pitched a gem in the Tar Heels' 4-0 win against Holy Cross on May 30 at Boshamer Stadium in the opener of the Chapel Hill Regional. 'It was awesome. It's what I've been working for. This season's been great, but you play baseball for postseason baseball,' said Knapp, whose elbow injury last season led to Tommy John surgery. 'The adrenaline was high early – walked the first guy – but was able to settle in. … It's a testament to everybody in the program that's helped me get back to where I was.' UNC-HOLY CROSS RECAP: UNC baseball vs Holy Cross highlights: Jake Knapp, Tar Heels win Game 1 of NCAA Regional Advertisement POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE: UNC baseball's Jake Knapp, Scott Forbes, Gavin Gallaher talk Tar Heels' win vs Holy Cross The 6-foot-5, 270-pound graduate student pitched 8 ⅓ scoreless innings, allowing four hits and three walks to go with seven strikeouts. He threw a career-high 119 pitches, improving his record to 13-0 and his ERA to 1.98. Knapp's start was the longest NCAA Tournament outing for a UNC pitcher since Hobbs Johnson went 8 ⅓ innings against N.C. State in the 2013 College World Series. 'Just watching him go out was emotional for all of us, because he didn't have to come back here. He could've signed a pro contract. He believed in Coach (Bryant) Gaines and Coach (Jason) Howell,' UNC coach Scott Forbes said. Advertisement 'He believed in our program and, obviously, he believed that he would get extremely good care rehabbing with (athletic trainer) Terri Jo (Rucinski) and our training staff. They deserve a lot of credit for where he is. People don't see the things that Terri Jo does and how hard she works. She does a phenomenal job of getting our guys better and getting them on the field.' Knapp's postseason debut at Boshamer Stadium made it easier to forget the start in Terre Haute, where he allowed three runs, three walks and six hits in a 5-4 loss to the Hawkeyes. As he walked out to the mound just after 12:06 p.m. ahead of the opener in the 2025 Chapel Hill Regional, Knapp took a few steps beyond the mound, staring toward the outfield wall before he exhaled and returned to step on the rubber. Knapp threw a first-pitch strike, humming a fastball by the batter on a 95-mph heater before issuing a walk. It was an imperfect start for Knapp, who allowed the leadoff batter to reach base in four of the first six innings. But he was perfect at getting out of tough situations, overcoming a bases-loaded jam in the sixth – powered by a few grunts – that led to a rare celebration. Advertisement 'That's a tough nut to crack. There's a reason he is the ACC Pitcher of the Year ... because in those scenarios, he's able to bear down and get the job done," Holy Cross coach Ed Kahovec said. After striking out a Crusader batter with a fastball that reached 97 mph, Knapp screamed and flexed toward the ground as he walked back to the dugout. 'I knew I had some more in the tank. In a big situation like that, not gonna leave anything out there. I was definitely grunting more than I usually do, but oh well.' Knapp said with a smile. Thought to be done after eight scoreless innings, Knapp made a deal with Forbes before heading out to the mound for the ninth. He got to the bump before Holy Cross defenders made their way off the field at the end of the eighth. Advertisement 'I could tell I was going to have to argue, so I didn't even try to argue,' Knapp said of his conversation with Forbes after the eighth. 'I just told him, 'I'm going back out.' He said, 'Are you sure?' I said, 'I'm going back out.' He said, 'Well, if you give up a baserunner, you're coming out.' I said, 'That's a deal.'' Knapp got a flyout to start the ninth, but a single that just escaped the reach of shortstop Alex Madera prompted Forbes to make the walk to the mound and pull Knapp. 'He made the deal. I accepted it,' Forbes said with a smile. Rodd Baxley covers Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding those teams? Send them to rbaxley@ This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Why UNC, Jake Knapp were 'emotional' in NCAA Tournament win vs Holy Cross
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
What channel is UNC-Oklahoma on? Time, TV schedule for UNC's second regional game
Tar Heels Wire The UNC baseball team can finally breathe a sigh of relief after Friday's Chapel Hill Regional opener, escaping Holy Cross in a 4-0 pitcher's duel. North Carolina (43-12) won Friday's highly-anticipated matchup behind another excellent performance from ace Jake Knapp, who improved to 13-0 after 8 1/3 shutout innings. Knapp only allowed four hits and three walks, while striking out seven Holy Cross (31-26) batters. Walker McDuffie came on for the final two batters after 119 Knapp pitches, striking out one Crusader. The Diamond Heels garnered just enough offense to win, utilizing small ball to their advantage. UNC first baseman Hunter Stokely opened the scoring with a fourth-inning single, driving in Gavin Gallaher. North Carolina outfielder Tyson Bass doubled later in the fourth, scoring Stokely, followed by a Sam Angelo single scoring Bass. In the fifth, Gallaher singled to scoring Diamond Heels captain Jackson Van De Brake. As a result of UNC's victory, it advances to face Oklahoma on Saturday at 6 p.m. The Cornhuskers (32-27) and Sooners (35-20) originally had a 5 p.m. first pitch scheduled for Friday's matchup, but inclement weather delayed the start time until at least 7:30 p.m. ET. From there, it was the Sooners who outlasted Nebraska as they beat the Cornhuskers 7-4. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle Are you traveling to Boshamer Stadium for round two of North Carolina's NCAA Tournament action? Have a blast, cheer even louder and fill the stands with Carolina Blue. If you're watching on TV, your favorite streaming device, listening on the radio or placing bets, keep reading below for more broadcast information. What channel is North Carolina vs. Oklahoma on Saturday? Time, TV schedule, radio TV Channel: TBD Time: 6 p.m. ET Radio: Tar Heels Sports Network Announcers: Wes Durham (play-by-play) and Danan Hughes (analyst) Where to watch UNC vs. Oklahoma on live stream Watch UNC vs. Oklahoma live on Fubo TV UNC vs. Oklahoma prediction, picks, odds The Diamond Heels faced a good challenge from Holy Cross on Friday, not scoring until the fourth inning. North Carolina's pitching, like it has all year, carried it to victory. The Sooners are a good team, so Saturday will be a tough test for the Tar Heels. They will face off against Sooners' ace Kyson Thompson, a right-handed pitcher who is considered a top 10 prospect for the upcoming MLB Draft. He has swing and miss stuff and will be a challenge for UNC hitters. Score predictions: Oklahoma 6, UNC 3 Full UNC baseball schedule Feb. 14-15: vs. Texas Tech (W 5-1, 8-3, 4-2) (3-0 overall) Feb. 18: vs. Kansas State (W, 12-9) (4-0) Feb. 22-24: vs./at ECU (W 2-0, 11-6, 6-3) (7-0) Feb. 25: vs. VCU (W 9-4) (8-0) Feb. 26: vs. North Carolina A&T (W 13-4) (9-0) Feb. 28-March 2: vs. Stony Brook (W 16-2, 6-1, 9-5) (12-0) March 4: vs. Coastal Carolina (W 5-4) (13-0) March 7-9: vs. Stanford (L 13-9, W 11-1, L 7-0) (14-2, 1-2 ACC) March 11: at UNC-Wilmington (W 7-3) (15-2) March 14-16: at Louisville (L 8-7, W 6-4, L 5-0) (16-4, 2-4 ACC) March 19: vs. UConn (L 5-1) (16-5) March 21-23: at Boston College (W 5-1, L 3-2, W 10-0) (18-6, 4-5 ACC) March 25: vs. South Carolina in Charlotte, NC (W 13-8) (19-6) March 28-30: vs. Miami (FL) (W 2-0, 4-2, L 4-2) (21-7, 6-6 ACC) April 1: vs. Gardner-Webb (W 11-1) (22-7) April 3-5: vs. Duke (W 4-3, L 9-5, W 8-7) (24-8, 8-7 ACC) April 8: at Elon (W 12-10) (25-8) April 11-13: vs. Wake Forest (W 11-1, 17-1, 3-2) (28-8, 11-7 ACC) April 15: vs. Charlotte (W 14-4) (29-8) April 18-20: at Virginia Tech (W 9-6, L 10-6, W 7-4) (31-9, 13-8 ACC) April 25-27: at Pitt (W 15-5, L 4-2, W 6-0) (33-10, 15-9 ACC) April 29: vs. George Mason (W 13-4) (34-10) April 30: vs. Queens (Charlotte) University (W 14-3) (35-10) May 6: vs. Campbell (W 10-1) (36-10) May 8-9: vs. NC State (W 8-1, L 8-5) (37-11, 16-10 ACC) May 15-17: at Florida State (W 8-3, 11-1, L 5-4) (39-12, 18-11 ACC) May 23: vs. Boston College in ACC Tournament at Durham Bulls Athletic Park (W 7-2) (40-12) May 24: vs. Florida State in ACC Tournament at DBAP (W 7-5) (41-12) May 25: vs. Clemson in ACC Tournament at DBAP (W 14-4) (42-12) May 30: vs. Holy Cross in NCAA Tournament Chapel Hill Regional (W 4-0) (43-12) We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, though, and this doesn't influence our coverage.
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
UNC baseball rolls past Holy Cross in Chapel Hill Regional opening game
UNC baseball rolls past Holy Cross in Chapel Hill Regional opening game After being selected as the nation's No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament, the UNC baseball team welcomed in Holy Cross, Oklahoma, and Nebraska to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, for the Chapel Hill Regional. In the No. 1 vs No. 4 seed game in the first round, the Diamond Heels took on Holy Cross and breezed by the Crusaders 4-0 on Friday afternoon. ACC Pitcher of the Year, Jake Knapp, took the mound for the Tar Heels in the top of the first inning and struck out the side, fanning the entire first inning to set the tone for the game. Knapp ended up throwing 8.1 innings, giving up four hits with three walks and seven strikeouts in 119 pitches. Walker McDuffie closed out the final two-thirds of the ninth inning and recorded one strikeout. Danny Macchiarola threw the first 4.1 innings of the game for Holy Cross, giving up all four runs that North Carolina scored in the outing. He allowed seven hits with just one strikeout. Derek Volz closed out the final 4.2 innings scoreless with three strikeouts. Hunter Stokely got the Tar Heels on the board after three scoreless innings with an RBI single to center, scoring Gavin Gallaher. Once the first run was on the board, North Carolina started raining in the runs that inning. Two batters later, Tyson Bass would score Stokely on a double to left, followed on the very next at-bat by S Angelo scoring Bass. UNC would go up 3-0 in the fourth. Gallaher had an RBI single in the fifth inning, scoring Jackson Van De Brake as the final run that North Carolina would score in the game, winning 4-0. The Tar Heels will now play the winner of the Oklahoma vs. Nebraska game on Saturday, May 31st, at 6:00pm ET at Boshamer Stadium in Chapel Hill. Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
Winnipeg Free Press
3 days ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Knapp improves to 13-0, leads No. 5 seed Tar Heels past Holy Cross 4-0 in regional
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Jake Knapp scattered four hits over 8 1/3 innings and fifth-seeded North Carolina opened the NCAA Tournament with a 4-0 win over Holy Cross on Friday in the Chapel Hill Regional. Knapp (13-0) threw a career-high 119 pitches and exited for Walker McDuffie when Chris Baillargeon got the fourth hit for the Crusaders in the ninth inning. North Carolina (43-12), hosting its 13th regional while making its 37th NCAA appearance, matches up with the winner of the Nebraska-Oklahoma game and Holy Cross (31-26) meets the loser on Saturday. The Tar Heels only had seven hits but bunched them together. Gavin Gallaher had a one-out triple in the fourth and Hunter Stokely singled him home. With two outs, Tyson Bass had an RBI double and Sam Angelo singled in Bass. Jackson Van De Brake had a double to lead off the fifth and Gallaher's single drove him home. The defense helped Knapp, who walked three and struck out seven, with three double plays. Knapp induced a shallow fly to center and followed with a strikeout after Holy Cross loaded the bases in the sixth. Danny Macchiarola (9-5) allowed all of the Tar Heels runs and hits before Derek Volz threw 3 2/3 innings of hitless relief, though he issued three walks. Holy Cross won the Patriot League regular-season and tournament for the first time ever to advance to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017 and 12th time overall. ___ AP college sports:
Washington Post
3 days ago
- General
- Washington Post
Knapp improves to 13-0, leads No. 5 seed Tar Heels past Holy Cross 4-0 in regional
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Jake Knapp scattered four hits over 8 1/3 innings and fifth-seeded North Carolina opened the NCAA Tournament with a 4-0 win over Holy Cross on Friday in the Chapel Hill Regional. Knapp (13-0) threw a career-high 119 pitches and exited for Walker McDuffie when Chris Baillargeon got the fourth hit for the Crusaders in the ninth inning.
