By R.L. Bynum
Winning a national championship in college baseball may be the toughest of any sport, regardless of how much talent is on a roster.
That was even more obvious this season, when top-ranked North Carolina couldn’t earn a return trip to the Men’s College World Series. But the Tar Heels had plenty of company: for the first time since 1957, no school that made it to Omaha the previous season is back.
“Obviously, we came up short [Sunday],” shortstop Alex Madera said. “I don’t think that shows the work we put in this season to get to this point. Obviously, the goal is to get to Omaha and then the national championship. But we just came up a little short.”
It’s of little solace, but at least UNC is one of two schools that made the 2024 College World Series and was one win away from a return. The Tar Heels were the only team to make it to Omaha last year that had two chances to clinch a return trip.
The Tar Heels’ season ended at 46–15 after losing to No. 21 Arizona 4–3 on Sunday in Game 3 of the Chapel Hill Super Regional. Fellow ACC school Florida State, the No. 7-ranked team and No. 9 seed, lost the opener of the Corvallis Super Regional and was one win away from returning to Omaha after forcing Game 3. But the Seminoles lost to Oregon State 14–10 on Sunday night.
The only other 2024 CWS school that even made it to the Supers was the reigning national champion, No. 15-ranked and No. 14-seed Tennessee, which was swept by No. 6-ranked and No. 3-seed Arkansas in the Fayetteville Super Regional, 4–3 and 11–4.
Two schools that made the CWS last season didn’t even make the NCAA tournament (Texas A&M and Virginia), and three others lost in the regional round (Florida, Kentucky and N.C. State).
The only seeded teams to make it to Omaha this season are No. 3 Arkansas, No. 6 LSU, No. 8 Oregon State, No. 13 Coastal Carolina and No. 15 UCLA. Joining them will be three unseeded teams — Louisville, Arizona and Murray State.
Carolina hasn’t made it to Omaha in consecutive seasons since going four straight years from 2006 to 2009.
The SEC has been hyped as the best baseball league, but it will only have two teams in Omaha: LSU and Arkansas.
UNC scores
| 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), 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 | 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. | vs. Campbell |
| April | |||
| 2–4 | Thur.-Sat. | 6, 6, 2 | vs. Boston College |
| 7 | Tuesday | 7 p.m. | vs. Charlotte |
| 10–12 | Fri.-Sun. | 6, 2, 12:30 | at No. 19 Clemson |
| 14 | Tuesday | 6 p.m. | vs. UNCW |
| 17–19 | Fri-Sun. | 6, noon, 1 | vs. No. 5 Georgia Tech |
| 21 | Tuesday | 6 p.m. | vs. High Point |
| 23–25 | Fri.-Sun. | 7, 6, 3 | at Duke |
| 28 | Tuesday | 7 p.m. | vs. No. 6 Coastal Carolina |
| 29 | Wednesday | 6 p.m. | vs. Queens |
| May | |||
| 3 | Sunday | 2 p.m. (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 | at No. 17 N.C. State |
| 19–24 | Tues.-Sun. | ACC tournament | 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 by Smith Hardy
tarheeltribune.com 