Scott Forbes on UNC outfielder Kane Kepley: 'People don't understand what they're about to watch'

North Carolina center fielder Vance Honeycutt finished his UNC career with 76 stolen bases. He had to ultimate green light to steal whenever necessary, according to head coach Scott Forbes. Honeycutt is now in the pros, and the Tar Heels need an aggressive baserunner to help fill the void lost by their former star.

Without hesitation, Forbes revealed that he will turn to incoming outfield transfer Kane Kepley, who joined the UNC baseball program earlier this summer.

“I mean, it’s not even close,” Forbes said of Kepley during an interview with D1Baseball’s Daron Vaught. “I’m excited for him because I don’t think people understand what they’re about to watch. He is a tough, hard-nosed player, but he’s talented. Don’t let the size fool you. That’s kind of being thrown out the door more and more in the draft.

“He has an unbelievable eye for the plate, and has got power, but can really run the bases, and he will have the green light. I feel like he knows when to shut it down and when not to.”

Kepley, who’s spent two years at Liberty, followed former Flames head coach Scott Jackson to Chapel Hill. Jackson was hired as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the Tar Heels this offseason, and as one of his first orders of business was able to secure Kepley’s commitment.

In 2023, Kepley batted .310 with 19 RBIs and a team-leading 44 runs scored to go with 17 stolen bases (6th best in ASUN). He walked a team-leading 39 times and posted a .457 on-base percentage

Impressively, Kepley logged six hits (tying the program record) on his way to hitting for the cycle against Eastern Kentucky in May 2023. He scored four runs during the 15-12 win. In all, Kepley played in 50 games with 40 starts and was named to the 2023 ASUN All-Freshman team.

He followed that up with an even stronger sophomore campaign, logging 71 hits, 57 runs, 53 walks, 31 RBIs, 25 stolen bases and nine home runs on a .330 batting average.

Now, he’s set to become an integral part of Forbes’ efforts to make it back to the College World Series in 2025. UNC made it there for the first time since 2018 last season but ultimately fell short against eventual champion Tennessee and Florida State.