North Carolina concluded preseason competition with the Fall World Series, an intrasquad tradition where athletes can fuel their competitive motors in game environments before the regular season.
The reward for winning these scrimmages and other offseason workouts goes beyond mere bragging rights. It even goes beyond Coach Mike Fox’s intricate incentives system — which tasks players to run miles for losses and takes away miles for wins.
“We keep score of pretty much everything all fall,” Fox said. “If we have a fun day, we do a scavenger hunt of teams of four or five. We play capture the flag, we go bowling, there are a variety of things.”
Team Navy took this year’s Fall World Series title, sweeping Team Blue. But despite what the scoreboard says — in the stadium and in Fox’s long spreadsheet — the series is something the team can look forward to with the regular season not quite on the horizon.
“We’re athletes; it’s just who we are,” sophomore catcher Brendan Illies said. “We love to have fun. We love to compete with one another. We love to talk crap.
“Being able to play games is a lot better than just practicing over and over again — it’s a break from our normal routine.”
The 2016 Tar Heels mix a deep, top-notch class of first-years with a load of veteran talent to round out their roster. First-year pitcher Austin Bergner and senior outfielder Adam Pate both put together impressive performances throughout the series. Bergner pitched six shutout innings in game one, and Pate made an impact offensively.
This year, North Carolina looks to bounce back from a disappointing second half of the 2015-16 season. The Tar Heels have failed to make the NCAA tournament for the past two seasons — something that hasn’t happened since 1996-97.
