Zac Gallen's UNC roots shine through as he rocks Michael Jordon shirt before NLCS

Zac Gallen and the Arizona Diamondbacks will kick off their NLCS against the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday, Oct. 16. The eagerly-awaited Game 1 of the series is scheduled to commence at 8:07 p.m. ET at Citizens Bank Park.

Gallen is expected to play a pivotal role for the Diamondbacks in this series. The pitcher also seems to be up for the challenge.

On Sunday, Gallen donned a University of North Carolina Michael Jordan jersey during a press conference. The pitcher is a known fan of the NBA legend.

Gallen, like his idol Michael Jordan, attended UNC. He played baseball for three seasons for the Tar Heels before being drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the third round of the 2016 MLB draft.

Jordan, on the other hand, played basketball with UNC for three seasons. He went on to have an iconic career in the NBA, winning six championships with the Chicago Bulls.

Gallen, who is having his best season in the MLB this year, will be hoping to get Arizona to the World Series. However, the Diamondbacks will have to beat the Phillies to contend for the title.

A look at Zac Gallen's stats in the 2023 MLB season

Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Zac Gallen

Zac Gallen has had a fabulous season with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2023. He racked up 220 strikeouts and 47 walks in 210.0 IPs with a 3.47 ERA during the regular season, helping them finish second in the NL West.

Gallen has continued his excellent run into the postseason as well. The Arizona pitcher allowed two earned runs through six innings in the Wild Card round against the Milwaukee Brewers, which was enough to help lead his team to a 5-2 win.

He also contributed during the Diamondbacks' series win against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Divisional Series. Now, Gallen will turn his focus to the NLCS against the Phillies this week.