By R.L. Bynum

With three ACC series left, all five NCAA tournament projections have No. 15 North Carolina as a regional host.

Four of those project the Tar Heels (31–10, 15–6 ACC) as a top-eight seed, meaning they would also host a Super Regional should they win in the regional round.

UNC leads the ACC Coastal Division by two games, has the best ACC record and is No. 7 in the RPI. Atlantic Division-leading and No. 5-ranked Clemson (32–8, 13–5) is No. 5 in the RPI.

After this weekend’s home series against Virginia Tech (26–12, 12–9; unranked and No. 39 in the RPI), beginning at 6 p.m. Friday (ESPN3), UNC is at home May 10–12 against Louisville (24–16, 9–9; unranked and No. 80 in the RPI) and at No. 6 Duke (29–12, 13–8; No. 21 in the RPI) May 16–18.

Wins in two of those three series, particularly if the Heels win the series with the Blue Devils, should secure a top-eight seed.

The NCAA will announce the field at noon on May 27, the day after the ACC tournament championship game at Charlotte’s Truist Field. The College World Series in Omaha begins June 14.

With an RPI of No. 33 last season, the NCAA sent the Tar Heels to Terre Haute, Ind., for the regionals, where they went 1–2 and finished the season 36–24.

Of the five projections, Baseball America has Carolina as the highest at No. 6 seed, hosting with Mississippi State, Utah and Bryant.

D1 Baseball and College Sports Madness each have UNC as a No. 7 seed, the former projecting the regional to include Alabama, Northeastern and Niagara and the latter projecting the field to include Texas Tech, UConn and Sacred Heart.

On3.com has Carolina as a No. 8 seed, hosting West Virginia, Utah and Navy.

DRatings is the only one that doesn’t project UNC as a top-eight seed. It has the Heels as a No. 12 seed, hosting Alabama, Kennesaw State and Rider.

Matthijs, Pence on watch list

UNC relievers Matthew Matthijs and Dalton Pence (top photo) are on the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Stopper of the Year Midseason Watch List.

Matthijs (11–3, 3.29 ERA), a sophomore right-hander, leads all Division I pitchers in wins, and has an ACC-leading 24 appearances, which is third nationally. He has 40 strikeouts and nine walks in 38⅓ innings, and 11 scoreless appearances of an inning or more.

Pence (2–1, 1.65 ERA), a redshirt sophomore left-hander, has four saves in 22 appearances, with opponents only hitting .165. He has 40 strikeouts in 32⅔ innings and is tied for third in the ACC in appearances and fourth in saves.

The only other schools with two pitchers on the list are Arkansas, Lamar, Louisiana and Oregon.

NOTES — In Friday’s 6 p.m. opener UNC right-hander Jason DeCaro (2–1, 4.41 ERA) will oppose Hokies left-hander Jeremy Neff (0–0, 7.04 ERA). On Saturday at 2 p.m., Carolina left-hander Shea Sprague (2–1, 3.71 ERA) opposes Virginia Tech right-hander Brett Renfrow (5–1, 3.50 ERA). UNC right-hander Aidan Haugh (3–0, 3.06 ERA) takes on Hokies right-hander Griffin Stieg (3–2, 4.79 ERA) in Sunday’s 1 p.m. series finale. … The Tar Heels, who won two of three games at Virginia Tech last season, lead the all-time series 81–32–3, including 47–16–2 in Chapel Hill, and have won four of the last five games. … Virginia Tech leads the ACC in home runs with 78, and Carolina is tied for third with 76. … … Nearly two dozen former players and staffers from the 1984 ACC championship team will be at a 40-year anniversary celebration Saturday, including Olympians Scott Bankhead and All-ACC picks Jeff Hubbard and Todd Wilkinson. Former head coach Mike Robers will throw out the ceremonial first pitch.

ACC standings

Coastal Division	League	Overall
No. 12 North Carolina	17–7	35–11
No. 11 Virginia	14–10	35–12
No. 10 Duke	14–10	30–14
Virginia Tech	13–11	30–14
Georgia Tech	12–11	28–16
Miami	8–16	21–25
Pittsburgh	6–16	19–23

Atlantic Division	League	Overall
No. 4 Clemson	16–7	35–10
No. 7 Florida State	13–9	34–10
No. 21 N.C. State	13–9	26–17
No. 13 Wake Forest	12–12	29–16
Louisville	13–11	298–18
Boston College	8–19	21–25
Notre Dame	7–18	22–21

(Unless otherwise indicated, games only stream on ESPN3)
Wednesday’s results
No. 12 North Carolina 19, William & Mary 2, 6½ innings (10-run rule)
No. 11 Virginia 10, Navy 0, 7 innings (10-run rule)
Virginia Tech 11, N.C. A&T 9
No. 13 Wake Forest 15, High Point 12
Thursday’s results
Miami 3, BYU 2, 12 innings
Louisville 12, Boston College 7
Friday’s results
No. 4 Clemson 11, Georgia Tech 4
Georgia Tech 14, No. 4 Clemson 12
Louisville 3, Boston College 0
Miami 6, BYU 4
Pittsburgh 3, Notre Dame 1
No. 20 N.C. State 8, No. 7 Florida State 7
Saturday’s games
Louisville 5, Boston College 3
BYU 8, Miami 2
Virginia Tech 14-14, Ohio 1-2, both 6½-inning, 10-run-rule games
Pittsburgh at Notre Dame, 4 p.m., ACC Network
Western Carolina at Wake Forest, 5:30
No. 20 N.C. State at No. 7 Florida State, 7 p.m., ACC Network
Sunday’s games
No. 20 N.C. State at No. 7 Florida State, 1 p.m.
Ohio at Virginia Tech, 1 p.m.,
Longwood at No. 10 Duke, doubleheader, 1 p.m.
Georgia Tech at No. 4 Clemson, 1 p.m.
Western Carolina at No. 13 Wake Forest, doubleheader, 1 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Notre Dame, 2 p.m.
Tuesday’s games
Pittsburgh at Youngstown State, 1 p.m.
Campbell at No. 12 North Carolina, 6 p.m.
Auburn at Georgia Tech, 6 p.m., ACC Network
No. 4 Clemson vs. Charlotte at Charlotte’s Truist Field, 6 p.m.
Norfolk State at No. 20 N.C. State, 6 p.m.
No. 10 Duke at East Carolina, 6 p.m.
Jacksonville at No. 7 Florida State, 6 p.m.
Louisville at No. 17 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. 5 East Carolina	5–0
24	Saturday	L, 7–4	vs. No. 5 East Carolina in Fayetteville	5–1
25	Sunday	L, 10–9	at No. 5 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. 13 Wake Forest	23–4, 8–2 ACC
30	Saturday	W, 10–6	at No. 13 Wake Forest	24–4, 9–2 ACC
31	Sunday	W, 14–10	at No. 13 Wake Forest	25–4, 10–2 ACC
	April
4	Thursday	L, 14–11	at No. 11 Virginia	25–5, 10–3 ACC
5	Friday	L, 7–2	at No. 11 Virginia	25–6, 10–4 ACC
6	Saturday	W, 12–7	at No. 11 Virginia	26–6, 11–4 ACC
9	Tuesday	L, 2–1	vs. No. 15 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. 20 N.C. State	29–9, 14–5 ACC
19	Friday	L, 5–4	at No. 20 N.C. State	29–10, 14–6 ACC
20	Saturday	W, 14–3	at No. 20 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	2 p.m.	vs. Louisville	ESPN3
12	Sunday	1 p.m.	vs. Louisville	ACCN
14	Tuesday	6 p.m.	at UNCW	FloSports
16	Thursday	6 p.m.	at No. 10 Duke	ACCN
17	Friday	6 p.m.	at No. 10 Duke	ESPN3
18	Saturday	1 p.m.	at No. 10 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