OMAHA, Neb. — In the bowels of CharlesSchwab Field, after North Carolina's 3-2 walk-off win on Friday against Virginia, Jackson Van De Brake was smothered by a bear hug from former UNC coach Mike Fox.
There in the hubbub beneath the stadium on the opening day of the College World Series, it was a particularly rewarding moment for the senior team captain, whose season has been rerouted and complicated by adversity.
Maybe 20 minutes earlier, Vance Honeycutt's two-out single in the bottom of the ninth inning had delivered the game-winning moment, lifting the Tar Heels to their latest dramatic victory during this wild NCAA Tournament ride. Honeycutt played the hero again, but this thrilling finish wouldn't have been possible without Van De Brake's especially timely emergence.
Tied at 2-2 and with extra innings looming, UNC had the bottom third of its batting order coming up in the bottom of the ninth, and designated hitter Alberto Osuna due to step into the box. Osuna had been struggling, accounting for three of the Tar Heels four strikeouts on Friday — he dropped to 1-for-14 across the last four games — and Forbes felt a change was needed. In Forbes' words, UNC needed a spark there.
"I asked Coach 'Wierz' after Alberto's second at-bat," Forbes said, recalling a conversation with hitting coach Jesse Wierzbicki. "'Hey, if we need to pinch-hit for Alberto, what do you think?'"
Wiezbicki informed Forbes that he had a good feeling about Van De Brake, an All-ACC second-team selection last season, who has enjoyed his share of success in Carolina blue. After playing his first two years of college baseball at Tacoma Community College in Washington, he started 57 games last season for the Tar Heels. His first hit for UNC went for a home run, and he became a productive hitter at the top of the Tar Heels' lineup in 2023.
But this season has been marked by difficulties. A 2-for-27 slump to start the season moved Van De Brake to the bench, and freshman Gavin Gallaher took on the everyday spot at third base. Still, Van De Brake has embraced his place as a team captain, adjusted to his new role, and kept a level head for the Tar Heels. UNC (48-14), the No. 4 national seed, next meets No. 1 national seed Tennessee (56-12) on Sunday night.
"If you look at the numbers, it is what it is," Van De Brake said Friday. "At that point I tell myself that there's one thing I can do and that's support my guys and help win baseball games."
He has had bright moments in 2024. He smashed a grand slam against William & Mary in early May. Down the stretch of the season, he has been a go-to option as a pinch-runner, and he scored the deciding run against LSU in the winner-take-all regional finale. But entering the CWS opener on Friday against Virginia, Van De Brake hadn't had an at-bat since facing Wake Forest three weeks prior in the ACC Tournament.
His .194 batting average and total of 14 hits on the season didn't make him the most obvious choice. But Forbes trusted his coaching staff, and his gut instincts, by giving the nod to Van De Brake.
"The thing about 'Vandy' is he's not an all-or-nothing guy," Forbes said. "Even though he doesn't have a high batting average, he still looks at the ball — he's walked. He has some savvy about him, he can get a bunt down, he can run."
The gamble from Forbes came up aces. Virginia sidewinding reliever Chase Hungate left an elevated fastball over the plate and Van De Brake took advantage, slapping a liner the opposite way down the right-field line for the leadoff double.
"When your number is called, you just have to go," Van De Brake said of the at-bat and the 2-2 pitch he connected on against Hungate.
Van De Brake's double indeed was that spark UNC needed. Two outs later, he was standing on third base, 90 feet away from sending the Tar Heels into the winners bracket. Then, Honeycutt smashed the game-winning single.
While the dugout emptied and Honeycutt was swarmed as the celebration spilled into the outfield grass, Van De Brake jogged and touched home plate before joining in the revelry. He participated in the jumping mob, the occasional butt slaps, and shared a handshake with fellow senior team captain Jake Knapp, before finding Honeycutt for a congratulatory embrace. No showboating or over-the-top hurrahs, just doing his job.
"He's all we could ask for," UNC left fielder Casey Cook said. "He's there for us. He's cheering us on when we're out there playing. It makes us extremely happy to see him come through."
Van De Brake has fully immersed himself as a team captain. While his clutch hit on Friday against UVa might be overshadowed by Honeycutt's walk-off heroics, which make for an easy fit in highlight packages, Van De Brake's teammates couldn't have been happier for his moment in the sun on the big stage of the CWS.
"You don't want it for anyone else other than Jackson," Cook said. "He's our captain."
