By R.L. Bynum
After North Carolina’s weekend sweep of Notre Dame for its school-record 27th consecutive home victory, the Tar Heels moved up two spots to No. 11 in the latest D1 Baseball Top 25 poll.
The Tar Heels (29–7, 14–4 ACC) lead the ACC Coastal Division by three games over No. 7 Duke (26–10; rank unchanged) No. 10 Virginia (28–8; rank unchanged) and No. 23 Virginia Tech (23–10; down seven spot), who are tied for second place at 11–7.
“We’ve played well in the league,” UNC coach Scott Forbes said after Sunday’s 10–3 win over the Irish. “I’m happy where we are, but we obviously have to keep getting better in all areas. I felt like this weekend we played well. If they made a mistake, we capitalized on it. I feel like we played good defense for the most part, overall.”
UNC is No. 5 in the RPI, second only in the ACC to Clemson at No. 1.
After taking care of Notre Dame (15–18, 2–16), UNC faces much-tougher games this week. The Tar Heels host Coastal Carolina (24–11), which moved up one spot to No. 19, at 6 p.m. Tuesday (ESPN3).
UNC then heads to Raleigh for a three-game series on Thursday at 7 p.m. (ACC Network), Friday at 6 p.m. (ESPN3), and Saturday at 1 p.m. (ESPN3) against N.C. State (20–13, 10–8), which took two of three at Clemson last weekend. The Tigers (29–6, 11–4) fell four spots to No. 6 in the D1 Baseball Top 25.
Other ACC teams in the poll are No. 8 Florida State (30–5, 10–5; up two spots) and No. 12 Wake Forest (24–11, 8–8; up two spots).
Carolina has played two non-conference teams in the poll, losing two of three to No. 9 East Carolina (27–8; rank unchanged) and losing 2–1 last Tuesday in Charlotte to No. 20 South Carolina (25–11; rank unchanged).
D1 Baseball Top 25
Rank | Team | Record | Previous |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Texas A&M | 32–4 | 3 |
2 | Arkansas | 30–5 | 1 |
3 | Kentucky | 30–5 | 8 |
4 | Tennessee | 30–6 | 4 |
5 | Oregon State | 29-–5 | 5 |
6 | Clemson | 29-–6 | 2 |
7 | Duke | 26–10 | 7 |
8 | Florida State | 30-–5 | 10 |
9 | East Carolina | 27–8 | 9 |
10 | Virginia | 28-–8 | 11 |
11 | North Carolina | 29-–7 | 13 |
12 | Wake Forest | 24–11 | 14 |
13 | Vanderbilt | 26–10 | 6 |
14 | Louisiana | 28–9 | 19 |
15 | Oklahoma State | 25–11 | 21 |
16 | Oregon | 25–10 | 18 |
17 | UC Irvine | 25–7 | 12 |
18 | Alabama | 24–12 | 25 |
19 | Coastal Carolina | 24–11 | 20 |
20 | South Carolina | 25–11 | NR |
21 | Arizona | 21–13 | NR |
22 | West Virginia | 22-–13 | NR |
23 | Virginia Tech | 23–10 | 16 |
24 | Georgia | 27–9 | NR |
25 | Dallas Baptist | 26–8 | 15 |
ACC standings
Coastal Division | League | Overall |
---|---|---|
X — No. 11 North Carolina | 17–7 | 35–11 |
X — No. 10 Virginia | 14–10 | 35–12 |
X — No. 9 Duke | 14–10 | 32–14 |
X — Virginia Tech | 13–11 | 31–14 |
Georgia Tech | 12–12 | 28–17 |
Miami | 8–16 | 21–25 |
Pittsburgh | 6–18 | 19–25 |
Atlantic Division | League | Overall |
---|---|---|
X — No. 2 Clemson | 17–7 | 36–10 |
X — No. 8 Florida State | 14–9 | 35–10 |
X — No. 23 N.C. State | 13–10 | 26–18 |
X — Louisville | 13–11 | 29–18 |
No. 12 Wake Forest | 12–12 | 32–16 |
Notre Dame | 9–18 | 25–21 |
Boston College | 8–19 | 21–25 |
(Unless otherwise indicated, games only stream on ESPN3)
Saturday’s results
Louisville 5, Boston College 3
BYU 8, Miami 2
Virginia Tech 14-14, Ohio 1-2, both 6½-inning, 10-run-rule games
Notre Dame 15, Pittsburgh 8
No. 12 Wake Forest 9, Western Carolina 2
No. 23 N.C. State at No. 8 Florida State, canceled, rain
Sunday’s games
Virginia Tech 11, Ohio 2
No. 8 Florida State 8, No. 23 N.C. State 1
No. 2 Clemson 9, Georgia Tech 3
No. 12 Wake Forest 10-17, Western Carolina 5-1; second game 6½ innings, 10-run rule
Notre Dame 15, Pittsburgh 8
No. 9 Duke 23-11, Longwood 3-1, both games 6½ innings, 10-run rule
Tuesday’s games
Pittsburgh at Youngstown State, 1 p.m.
Campbell at No. 11 North Carolina, 6 p.m.
Auburn at Georgia Tech, 6 p.m., ACC Network
No. 2 Clemson vs. Charlotte at Charlotte’s Truist Field, 6 p.m.
Norfolk State at No. 23 N.C. State, 6 p.m.
No. 9 Duke at No. 6 East Carolina, 6 p.m.
Jacksonville at No. 8 Florida State, 6 p.m.
Louisville at Vanderbilt, 7 p.m., ESPN2
Date | Day/ month | Time/ score | Opponent/event (current ranks) | TV/ record |
---|---|---|---|---|
February | ||||
16 | Friday | W, 10–3 | vs. Wagner | 1–0 |
17 | Saturday | W, 16–5 | vs. Wagner | 2–0 |
18 | Sunday | W, 20–6 | vs. Wagner | 3–0 |
20 | Tuesday | W, 8–7 | vs. Elon | 4–0 |
23 | Friday | W, 2–1 | vs. No. 6 East Carolina | 5–0 |
24 | Saturday | L, 7–4 | vs. No. 6 East Carolina in Fayetteville | 5–1 |
25 | Sunday | L, 10–9 | at No. 6 East Carolina | 5–2 |
27 | Tuesday | W, 8–2 | vs. VCU | 6–2 |
28 | Wednesday | W, 12–3 | vs. Longwood | 7–2 |
March | ||||
1 | Friday | W, 12–2 | vs. Princeton | 8–2 |
2 | Saturday | W, 11–2 | vs. Princeton | 9–2 |
3 | Sunday | W, 13–6 | vs. Princeton | 10–2 |
5 | Tuesday | W, 7–3 | at Campbell | 11–2 |
8 | Friday | W, 2–1 | vs. Pittsburgh | 12–2, 1–0 ACC |
9 | Saturday | W, 7–3 | vs. Pittsburgh | 13–2, 2–0 ACC |
10 | Sunday | W, 6–5, 10 innings | vs. Pittsburgh | 14–2, 3–0 ACC |
12 | Tuesday | W, 13–7 | vs. Rutgers | 15–2 |
13 | Wednesday | W, 9–8 | vs. Rutgers | 16–2 |
15 | Friday | L, 14–1 | at Miami | 16–3, 3–1 ACC |
16 | Saturday | L, 2–1 | at Miami | 16–4, 3–2 ACC |
17 | Sunday | W, 18–6, 7 innings (10-run rule) | at Miami | 17–4, 4–2 ACC |
19 | Tuesday | W, 11–0, 7 innings (10-run rule) | vs. UNCW | 18–4 |
22 | Friday | W, 5–4 | vs. Georgia Tech | 19–4, 5–2 ACC |
23 | Saturday | W, 11–5 | vs. Georgia Tech | 20–4, 6–2 ACC |
24 | Sunday | W, 9–2 | vs. Georgia Tech | 21–4, 7–2 ACC |
26 | Tuesday | W, 10–8 | vs. N.C. A&T | 22–4 |
29 | Friday | W, 6–5 | at No. 12 Wake Forest | 23–4, 8–2 ACC |
30 | Saturday | W, 10–6 | at No. 12 Wake Forest | 24–4, 9–2 ACC |
31 | Sunday | W, 14–10 | at No. 12 Wake Forest | 25–4, 10–2 ACC |
April | ||||
4 | Thursday | L, 14–11 | at No. 10 Virginia | 25–5, 10–3 ACC |
5 | Friday | L, 7–2 | at No. 10 Virginia | 25–6, 10–4 ACC |
6 | Saturday | W, 12–7 | at No. 10 Virginia | 26–6, 11–4 ACC |
9 | Tuesday | L, 2–1 | vs. No. 13 South Carolina in Charlotte | 26–7 |
12 | Friday | W, 13–0, 6½ innings (10-run rule) | vs. Notre Dame | 27–7, 12–4 ACC |
13 | Saturday | W, 7–2 | vs. Notre Dame | 28–7, 13–4 ACC |
14 | Sunday | W, 10–3 | vs. Notre Dame | 29–7, 14–4 ACC |
16 | Tuesday | L, 5–4 | vs. Coastal Carolina | 29–8 |
18 | Thursday | L, 9–8 | at No. 23 N.C. State | 29–9, 14–5 ACC |
19 | Friday | L, 5–4 | at No. 23 N.C. State | 29–10, 14–6 ACC |
20 | Saturday | W, 14–3 | at No. 23 N.C. State | 30–10, 15–6 ACC |
23 | Tuesday | W, 5–2 | vs. Gardner-Webb | 31–10 |
26 | Friday | W, 8–1 | vs. Virginia Tech | 32–10, 16–6 ACC |
27 | Saturday | W, 6–3 | vs. Virginia Tech | 33–10, 17–6 ACC |
28 | Sunday | L, 4–3 | vs. Virginia Tech | 33–11, 17–7 ACC |
30 | Tuesday | W, 13–1, 6½ innings (10-run rule) | vs. Charlotte | 34–11 |
May | ||||
1 | Wednesday | W, 19–2, 6½ innings (10-run rule) | vs. William & Mary | 35–11 |
7 | Tuesday | 6 p.m. | vs. Campbell | ESPN3 |
10 | Friday | 6 p.m. | vs. Louisville | ESPN3 |
11 | Saturday | Noon | vs. Louisville | ESPN3 |
12 | Sunday | Noon | vs. Louisville | ACCN |
14 | Tuesday | 6 p.m. | at UNCW | FloSports |
16 | Thursday | 7 p.m. | at No. 9 Duke | ACCN |
17 | Friday | 6 p.m. | at No. 9 Duke | ESPN3 |
18 | Saturday | 1 p.m. | at No. 9 Duke | ESPN3 |
21–26 | Tuesday- Sunday | TBA | ACC tournament in Charlotte | ACCN |
31 | Friday | TBA | NCAA Regional | TBA |
June | ||||
1–3 | Saturday- Monday | TBA | NCAA Regional | TBA |
7–10 | Friday- Monday | TBA | NCAA Super Regional | TBA |
14–24 | Friday- Monday | TBA | College World Series in Omaha, Neb. | TBA |
Photo courtesy of UNC Athletics