By R.L. Bynum
CHAPEL HILL — Carolina’s pursuit of a return to the College World Series will start just like last year’s amazing run — at Boshamer Stadium in the Chapel Hill Regional.
For the second consecutive season and the 10th time in program history, No. 3-ranked North Carolina is a national seed in the NCAA baseball tournament, this time as the No. 5 overall seed after being a No. 4 overall seed last season.
UNC (42–12) opens play at noon Friday (ACC Network) against No. 4 regional seed Holy Cross (31–25). No. 2 regional seed Oklahoma (35–20) will face No. 3 regional seed Nebraska (32–27) at 5 p.m. (ESPN+) in the other first-round game of the double-elimination event. None of the other three teams in the Chapel Hill Regional are ranked.
UNC coach Scott Forbes, who says he expects to start ace Jake Knapp against Holy Cross, didn’t want to say it, but appeared to be surprised that his team is a No. 5 seed.
“I think it’s perfect for this team, to be honest with you. This team reminded me of the ’18 team,” Forbes said of that team that made the College World Series as a No. 6 seed. “That team had the no meat, not enough meat, or shirts made. This team will use that the right way, but in the day, we’re a national seed, and we know we’re going to play at home as long as we win, and that’s what we’re most excited about. And the goal still is — it doesn’t matter what your national seed — to be the No. 1 overall team when it all ends.”
A large contingent of Tar Heels fans gathered at Boshamer Stadium to watch the selection show on the big screen after players mingled with fans in the concourse before the show started.
“It’s better to be at home,” Forbes said. “I don’t care how you spin it, because we know we’re going to be here. We can sleep in our own beds. We get to use our own facility. We don’t have to pack, we don’t have to travel. So, hopefully, that will help us and be an advantage.”
Carolina, which beat Clemson 14–4 Sunday at Durham Bulls Athletic Park for the program’s ninth ACC title, is making its 37th NCAA tournament appearance and eighth in a row, the longest active streak in the ACC.
If UNC wins the Chapel Hill Regional, which it has done 10 times, it will host the Super Regionals the following weekend, June 6–9. UNC is hosting for the 14th time and sixth time in the last eight seasons.
Forbes was happy that UNC is playing in the first game because of how bad weather has disrupted the schedule in some seasons.
“We like, personally, to play that first game,” Forbes said. Have a little more recovery, because then after that, you’re playing all night games if you win. You hope you don’t lose the first game. But I’ve seen anything happen.”
The Chapel Hill Regional winner will be matched up in the Supers with the Eugene Regional winner. Playing in Eugene are No. 12 overall seed and No. 1 regional seed Oregon (42–14), Utah Valley (32–27), Cal Poly (41–17) and Arizona (39–18).
UNC, which was 6th in the RPI, is 5–1 against host teams, going 3–1 against No. 9-seed Florida State, and beating No. 11-seed Clemson and No. 13-seed Coastal Carolina in single games.
The top Holy Cross hitter is senior first baseman Chris Baillargeon, who is hitting .386. Sophomore outfielder John LaFleur leads the Crusaders in home runs with seven. The Holy Cross ace is junior right-hander Danny Macchiarola, who is 9–4 with a 3.02 ERA.
Chapel Hill Regional
At Boshamer Stadium
Friday’s results
No. 1 North Carolina 4, Holy Cross 0
No. 2 Oklahoma 7, No. 3 Nebraska 4
Saturday’s results
Nebraska 4, Holy Cross 1; Holy Cross eliminated
North Carolina 11, Oklahoma 5
Sunday’s results
Oklahoma 17, Nebraska 1; Nebraska eliminated
Oklahoma 9, North Carolina 5
Monday’s result
North Carolina 14, Oklahoma 4
UNC (45–13) advances to Super Regional against No. 21-ranked Arizona (42–18), which won the Eugene Regional on Sunday night with a 14–0 win over Cal Poly. Game 1 of the best-of-3 series is Friday at Boshamer Stadium.
UNC schedule
| Date(s) | Day/ month | Times | Opponent (current rank) |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | |||
| 13–15 | Fri.-Sat. | 4, noon, 1 | vs. Indiana |
| 17 | Tuesday | 4 p.m. | vs. Richmond |
| 18 | Wednesday | 4 p.m. | vs. Longwood |
| 20–22 | Fri.-Sun. | 4 (Greenville; ESPN+), 2 (DBAP), 2 (CH) | vs. East Carolina |
| 24 | Tuesday | 4 p.m. | vs. N.C. A&T |
| 25 | Wednesday | 4 p.m. | vs. VCU |
| 27–28 | Fri., Sat. | 4 p.m., 2 p.m. | vs. Le Moyne |
| March | |||
| 1 | Sunday | 1 p.m. | vs. Le Moyne |
| 3 | Tuesday | 4 p.m. | vs. Elon |
| 6–8 | Fri.-Sun. | 4, 2, 1 | vs. Virginia |
| 10 | Tuesday | 4 p.m. | vs. Bucknell |
| 13–15 | Fri.-Sun. | 9, 5, 4 | at California |
| 18 | Wednesday | 4 p.m. | vs. UNCG |
| 20–22 | Fri.-Sun. | 8, 2, 1 Friday on ACCN | vs. No. 8 Louisville |
| 24 | Tuesday | 6:30 | vs. South Carolina in Charlotte |
| 27–29 | Fri.-Sun. | 6:30, 3, 1 | at Notre Dame |
| 31 | Tuesday | 8 p.m., ACCN | vs. Campbell |
| April | |||
| 2–4 | Thur.-Sat. | 6, 6, 2 | vs. Boston College |
| 7 | Tuesday | 7 p.m., ACCN | vs. Charlotte |
| 10–12 | Fri.-Sun. | 6, 2, 12:30 (Sunday on ACCN) | at No. 19 Clemson |
| 14 | Tuesday | 6 p.m. | vs. UNCW |
| 17–19 | Fri-Sun. | 6, noon, 1 (Saturday, Sunday on ACCN) | vs. No. 5 Georgia Tech |
| 21 | Tuesday | 6 p.m. | vs. High Point |
| 23–25 | Thu.-Sat. | 7, 6, 3 (Thursday on ACCN) | at Duke |
| 28 | Tuesday | 7 p.m., ACCN | vs. No. 6 Coastal Carolina |
| 29 | Wednesday | 6 p.m. | vs. Queens |
| May | |||
| 3 | Sunday | 2 p.m., ACCN (non-conference game) | vs. Duke |
| 6 | Wednesday | 6 p.m. | vs. Winthrop |
| 8–10 | Fri.-Sun. | 6, noon, 1 | vs. Pittsburgh |
| 12 | Tuesday | 6 p.m. | at UNCW |
| 14–16 | Thurs.-Sat. | 7, 6, 1 (Thursday on ACCN) | at No. 17 N.C. State |
| 19–24 | Tues.-Sun. | ACC tournament (ACCN, ESPN2 for final) | Charlotte |
| 29–31 | Fri.-Sun. | NCAA Regionals | Campus sites |
| June | |||
| 5–7 | Fri.-Sun. | NCAA Super Regionals | Campus sites |
| 12–22 | Fri.-Mon | College World Series | Omaha, Neb. |
Photo courtesy of the ACC
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