Can UNC win the Baseball Crown?

by Sharon Thorsland

North Carolina is back in the College World Series for the second time in three years. The 5th-ranked Tar Heels (50-12-1) hit the prime-time stage in Omaha in their opener, taking on #18 Ole Miss (41-21) Friday night at 7:00. That follows the first game between Troy and #16 West Virginia at 2:00.

UNC swept its home regional and beat Southern Cal in a walk-off hit in Game 3 to advance to Omaha for the 13th time, while the Rebels cruised through their postseason opponents, going undefeated against Arkansas, Arizona State and Auburn. This is their seventh College World Series appearance; they won it all back in 2022. So, what makes them so good? They hit a lot of home runs. The Rebels have 107 on the season, led by Judd Uttermark (22) and Tristan Bissetta (23). On the flip side, the Rebels strike out a lot, with 657 Ks on the season, that’s second most in D-1. UNC hoping to add to that number – the Tar Heels boast an elite pitching staff led by ace Jason DeCaro, who is 11-2 on the season with a 2.28 ERA. Freshman reliever Caden Glauber is undefeated at 10-0 on the year and ranks fifth in the nation with a 2.20 ERA. The Heels also gave up an ACC-low 49 home runs this season. Can they keep it up against Uttermark and the Rebels?

UNC has plenty of firepower of its own, besting the Rebels in almost every offensive category. Slugger Owen Hull leads the way. The junior outfielder is one of the biggest reasons the Tar Heels are in Omaha after going 4-for-5 (all doubles) in Game 3 against USC.

The UNC’s dominant pitching, look for this one to be a low-scoring affair with the Heels advancing to face the winner of the Troy/WVU game. Go Tar Heels!