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I am not exactly sure what the difference between Sunday and Tuesday was for the Tar Heels.

After Sunday’s gut-check loss 5-2 in 10 innings, the mood surrounding Tuesday’s game against ultra-hot Southern Miss seemed drastically different.

Maybe it was because we had a late practice Monday and I was unable to write my daily postcard. I feel like I am obliged to keep that tradition running now — that is, not writing before games — but I don’t think it has much of an influence.

Maybe it was the dominance of Adam Warren and Company on the mound Tuesday. Between his dominance and the rest of the bullpen (had to give a shout out), the Golden Eagles did not have a chance to even get in the game.

Maybe it was because this game turned into the “Dustin Ackley and Ryan Graepel Show.” Along with the rest of the lineup, we decided to make history: Dust set the career record for College World Series hits, and we tied the record for hits in a single game in the CWS.

Maybe it was because we rolled up listening to simply the radio on the bus. In years past, we have notoriously had the “Rocky” soundtrack cued up to pump us up for games. Sunday we had no music. Tuesday we ended up pushing the radio’s “seek” button, and were rocking out to AC/DC and then cruising to some R&B slowjams.

Maybe it was Logan Munson and Colin Bates donning Dubble Bubble buckets as hats. Claiming it was to “keep us loose,” it was natural for those two to wear them.

They are the only guys on the team that could fit in them. Snugly, too, I might add.

Maybe it was because Coach Fox told us Monday not to meet as a team before curfew, as we do every game of every road trip.

“It’s never won us a national championship before,” Coach told us after practice.

I have no idea what it was.

But whatever we changed, you can be sure we will be sticking with it come Thursday.

Chase Jones is a Ragsdale High School alumnus and the bullpen catcher for the UNC baseball team. He gives News & Record readers an inside view of the College World Series.