Tom Suiter: Heels on the Brink Again

Carolina wasn't the best team Saturday night, were they? Game 1 in the best of three went to Oregon State, and it was a decisive 11-4 win.

So for the fourth time in this College World Series, the Tar Heels are on the brink of elimination. But it is two out of three, as UNC coach Mike Fox was quick to point out afterward.

"We'll regroup, and we're glad it's the best two out of three," a disappointed Fox said. "We have all the faith we'll play better. We have to. It's a new day and a new game — we start over. Every game is different here. Each loss, we've come back better. It's an opportunity to win another game. We've won a lot of games. Last time I checked, they have to beat us two out of three."

Carolina just couldn't get it going in Game 1. Too many mental and physical mistakes. Playing four games in five days seems to have left them flat at the wrong time.

And the pitching was woeful. Starter Alex White gives up five runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings, and five more pitchers after him did little right. And again, leaving runners on base was a problem.

Fox said it best: "We got beat by a much better team tonight in every phase of the game. That's all we can say."

Repeat champions in the College World Series don't happen often, but well-coached Oregon State, which had just a 10-14 record in Pac 10 conference play, now is one win away from joining a select group.

It's not over though. The Tar Heels have been coming from behind this entire NCAA tournament. This is a veteran team that doesn't panic, and if history means anything, they will play well tonight. Playing from behind doesn't bother this group. When the vultures circle, this team seems to find new life.

They do need good pitching tonight from Luke Putkonen, however. He was brilliant last Tuesday in beating Louisville in Carolina's first elimination test. It would also help if Carolina could get him some runs early.

The Tar Heels know this series is not over. They know this because the scenario is the same as last year except the roles are reversed. Carolina, which was the better-rested team in 2006, beat Oregon State in Game 1 only to have the Beavers win the next two and the championship.

Saturday night, Carolina appeared tight, though they say they weren't. Still, when they fell behind early, the worried looks were visible. Get an early lead and the fun returns. Look at the Beavers — they haven't been behind in their last 61 innings. That will breed confidence.

The Tar Heels will enter venerable Rosenblatt Stadium tonight knowing what has to be done. Can they do it? Of course. Carolina is a very talented baseball team — more so, I still believe, than Oregon State.