Summer Catches: Dalton Pence

As the 2022 summer leagues wind down and the seasons conclude, GoHeels.com will chat with members of the Diamond Heels to catch up on their summer activities heading into the fall.

Redshirt freshman Dalton Pence missed the 2022 season at UNC due to injury, but worked himself back to pitch for the Forest City Owls of the Coastal Plain League this summer. He posted a 5-0 record with a 0.87 ERA in 41 innings pitched, holding opposing hitters to a .171 batting average. He averaged 7.68 strikeouts per nine innings with a 3.89 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Pence appeared in eight games, making seven starts and earning a save in his lone relief appearance. Pence

GH: How's the arm?
DP: It's good. I feel like I'm ready to come back in the fall and compete.

GH: What was it like to get on the mound in a competitive environment for the first time since high school?
DP: It was good. I missed it a lot. I missed the competition just the adrenaline rush and getting out there and being with my team.

GH: When you stepped on the rubber for the first time were there any moments of anxiety?
DP: Yes, coming off a major surgery like that there's always a little doubt in your mind, but I just had to trust what we did at school and what I've been doing on my own was for the better.

GH: Was there a sense of relief after you threw that first pitch?
DP: There was a big sense of relief. It felt like a big weight off my shoulder.

GH: How did your coaches approach your starts and your throwing program?
DP: Coach Forbes and Coach Gaines communicated with my coaches in Forest City a lot about my starts. They knew I would be starting once a week and I was on a pitch count. They wouldn't let me go too extreme on it. I hit that pitch count and they'd pull me out.

GH: What was it like pitching against your Carolina teammates?
DP: Eric Grintz is the only one I faced while I was on the mound. I like battling with him. The first time we faced High Point, and I threw, he won and got the best of me on that day. The second outing I got the best of him.

GH: What was it like to start the all-star game?
DP: It was good. It was it's kind of a sense of relief of getting back to how I know I can throw. I'm getting that confidence back in myself and finally getting that sense of relief that I made it back to where I am, or back to where I was.

GH: What was the toughest part of the whole rehab process?
DP: The toughest part of the rehab process was sitting out for the year. It was a blessing and a curse. It was a curse because I wanted to throw. I wanted to be out there and show my teammates that I can do it, and that I belong here. At the same time it was a blessing because I was able to sit with Coach Gaines and learn more about how we do our pitch calling, how to pitch hitters, and just learn more about the game.

GH: What are some of those things that you worked on over the summer?
DP: I worked on speeding up my breaking ball, working faster to the plate and mixing looks with runners. I learned more about competing with batters, facing multiple hitters multiple times, how to read batters and their swings. I learned a lot more about the game than just throwing the ball.

GH: What's the one thing you learn that you're going to bring back with you to Chapel Hill this fall?
DP: To have fun each and every day. It's a blessing to wear the Carolina Blue uniform and play for a university with such amazing coaches and amazing teammates.

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