By R.L. Bynum
CHAPEL HILL — Owen Hull continues a recent tradition of speedy North Carolina center fielders, and brings an extra edge.
The hits had been slow to come for the George Mason transfer, who stole 42 bases last season, but he stacked them in the No. 8 Tar Heels’ 9–1 victory Tuesday at Boshamer Stadium over N.C. A&T.
Hull topped his hit and RBI totals from the first eight games, going 3-for-5 with a double and four RBI. While his plate discipline has him leading the team with 10 walks, he came into the game 2-for-22 with one RBI.
“Honestly, it’s just another day at the office,” Hull said. “I’m not really changing anything about my mindset. I’m positive every day.”
Hull’s patience has been there even as the hits lagged, saying that he takes his plate discipline seriously.
Carolina’s running game finally popped. The Tar Heels (7–1–1) swiped a season‑high five bags, three by shortstop Jake Schaffner and one by Hull, after stealing only four in the first eight games.
Carolina coach Scott Forbes said the green light depends on matchups as much as mindset.
“I think we can run against anybody, but certain teams, depending on the catcher, how he throws, depending on how quick they are to the plate,” Forbes said. “But we keep working on timing it up and trying to steal and pressure teams as much as possible, so the situation will be what dictates that.”
Hull follows Chicago Cubs minor‑leaguer Kane Kepley, also a left‑handed hitter, who swiped 45 bases last season, and Baltimore Orioles minor‑leaguer Vance Honeycutt, who stole 28 bases in 2024.
The 6–4, 215-pound junior embraces the expectation that he use his speed to beat teams.
“I think that’s part of my game, is to play fast and whatever to help the team win,” Hull said. “Stealing bags can be part of that as well.”
Forbes said that the coaching staff loves Hull’s defensive profile.
“He goes back better than he comes in,” Forbes said. “But, with that, he has a tendency to get the balls like Vance did. He’s not Vance as far as his instincts yet, or he’s not quite as fast. But I’m glad he’s here playing center field.”
Hull says he plays with a “killer instinct” and flexibility that he attributes to being a karate black belt. The physical skills of karate haven’t helped him in baseball, though.
“I haven’t had to use my skills in black belt, thank goodness. But you never know. I’m ready,” he said with a smile.
Speed runs in his family. His paternal grandfather, George Hull, was a running back at Notre Dame. Owen said he’s heard that his grandfather was a physical player with a lot of speed.
Even with a one‑sided score, Forbes pressed the same standard and said he wasn’t satisfied that his team met that.
“I just feel like we just need to do a better job offensively in fastball counts,” Forbes said. “We’ve got awesome kids, but my job is to be honest with them and to coach them. There’s never going to be an excuse for why you’re not ready from first pitch to last. I’m still glad we won.
“But I feel like this team has to be a team that is built on toughness like the 2018 team, and not falling into that distraction of where you’re ranked or what your record is, because none of that matters. It matters what you do today,” Forbes said.
Catcher Macon Winslow led off the second inning with a single up the middle and scored on Hull’s sinking liner down the left‑field line; Hull came home on Michael Maginnis’ one‑out sacrifice fly.
The Tar Heels added three in the fifth when Winslow coaxed a one‑out, bases‑loaded walk, Hull flared a two‑run single to shallow left and first baseman Erik Paulson shot a two‑out RBI single to center. They tacked on three more in the eighth on Schaffner’s RBI double to right‑center, Paulson’s RBI single to left, and Hull’s RBI single to center.
UNC starter Cameron Padgett (three walks, three strikeouts) threw three 2‑hit shutout innings. Freshman right‑hander Caden Glauber (winner, 1–0) took over and produced his best outing of the young season: five hitless innings with no walks and five strikeouts.
Forbes said Glauber and a key defensive gem tilted everything.
Third baseman Cooper Nicholson made a nice, diving back-handed play on a hard fourth-inning grounder, hopped up and threw out Bruce Wyche at first base.
“I thought that was the play of the game,” Forbes said. “And making a play like that is what you have to do to win games where you don’t play that well. I think if that ball gets down the line, we’re in a dog fight.”
Forbes said the story of the game was Nicholson’s play and Glauber’s pitching, praising his consistent velocity.
“He can relieve, he could close, and he could also start,” Forbes said. “It reminds me a lot of Trent Thornton as a freshman in 2013, where you can do anything for us.”
Forbes also liked how a freshman who should be a senior in high school is adjusting to pitching to college hitters.
“If anything, you just have to slow him down,” he said. “Even though he’s young, he’s ultra-competitive, and our guys should take note of that. He wants the ball. Everybody has nerves, but his are good nerves.”
A&T (2–6) didn’t get a runner past second until the ninth against reliever Camron Seagraves, who yielded a walk and Tyler Smith’s RBI single. Carter French, who came in late in center field, averted further damage with an over‑the‑shoulder catch on a deep drive by Wyche.
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Notes
— UNC continues its 11-game homestand at 4 p.m. Wednesday against VCU (4–3), with junior right-hander Boston Flannery (0–0, 4.15 ERA) starting, before beginning a three-game series against first-year Division I program Le Moyne (0–6) on Friday. VCU lost 6–3 at No. 9 Coastal Carolina on Sunday. LeMoyne got swept in a three-game series at Tarleton State and at James Madison, giving up double-digit runs in five of those games.
—Starting Aggies sophomore second baseman Boaz Harper played at UNC last season, appearing in one game and getting no plate appearances. He went 0-for-4.
—Carolina is 11–2 against A&T, with wins in four consecutive meetings.
—The flags at the stadium were half-staff in memory of civil rights leader Jesse Jackson, an A&T alum who died last week.
No. 8 UNC 9, N.C. A&T 1
| Date(s) | Day/ month | Times/ scores | Opponent (current rank) | Record/ TV * |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February | ||||
| 13–14 | Fri., Sat. | W, 9–4; W, 12–2 (7); W, 4–3 (11) | vs. Indiana | 3–0 |
| 17 | Tuesday | W, 10–0 (7) | vs. Richmond | 4–0 |
| 18 | Wednesday | W, 5–3 | vs. Longwood | 5–0 |
| 20–22 | Fri.-Sun | W, 10–0 (8); L, 10–3; T, 3–3 | vs. East Carolina | 6–1–1 |
| 24 | Tuesday | W, 9–1 | vs. N.C. A&T | 7–1–1 |
| 25 | Wednesday | W, 13–3 (7) | vs. VCU | 8–1–1 |
| 27–28 | Fri., Sat. | W, 16–3 (7); W, 12–2 (7) | vs. Le Moyne | 10–1–1 |
| March | ||||
| 1 | Sunday | W, 21–1 (7) | vs. Le Moyne | 11–1–1 |
| 3 | Tuesday | W, 5–1 | vs. Elon | 12–1–1 |
| 6–7 | Fri., Sat | L, 13–3 (7); L, 9–2; W, 8–7 (12) | vs. No. 10 Virginia | 13–3–1, 1–2 ACC |
| 10 | Tuesday | W, 13–3 (7) | vs. Bucknell | 14–3–1 |
| 13–15 | Fri.-Sun. | W, 8–1; W, 6–2; W, 10–2 | at California | 17–3–1, 4–2 |
| 18 | Wednesday | W, 8–2 | vs. UNCG | 18–3–1 |
| 20–22 | Fri.–Sun. | W, 11–1 (8); L, 2–0; W, 7–6 | vs. Louisville | 20–4–1, 6–3 |
| 24 | Tuesday | W, 9–1 | vs. South Carolina in Charlotte | 21–4–1 |
| 28, 29 | Sat., Sun | W, 6–5; W, 13–7; W, 15–10 | at Notre Dame | 24–4–1, 9–3 |
| 31 | Tuesday | W, 5–4 (14) | vs. Campbell | 25–4–1 |
| April | ||||
| 2–4 | Thur.-Sat. | L, 6–1, W, 5–2, W, 8–7 | vs. No. 24 Boston College | 27–5–1, 11–4 |
| 7 | Tuesday | W, 8–4 | vs. Charlotte | 28–5–1 |
| 10–12 | Fri.–Sun. | L, 9–5, W, 6–4 (14), W, 12–5 | at Clemson | 30–6–1, 13–5 |
| 14 | Tuesday | W, 14–5 | vs. UNCW | 31–6–1 |
| 17 | Friday | W, 5–2 | vs. No. 2 Georgia Tech | 32–6–1, 14–5 |
| 18, 19 | Sat., Sun. | noon, 1 | vs. No. 2 Georgia Tech | ACCN |
| 21 | Tuesday | 6 p.m. | vs. High Point | |
| 23–25 | Thu.-Sat. | 7, 6, 3 | at Duke | Thurs. ACCN |
| 28 | Tuesday | 7 p.m. | vs. No. 7 Coastal Carolina | ACCN |
| 29 | Wednesday | 6 p.m. | vs. Queens | |
| May | ||||
| 3 | Sunday | 2 p.m. (non-conference game) | vs. Duke | ACCN |
| 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 N.C. State | Thurs. ACCN |
| 19–24 | Tues.-Sun. | ACC tournament | Charlotte | ACCN (final ESPN2) |
| 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. |
- Games not on TV stream on ACC Network Extra unless otherwise note.
Photo courtesy of UNC Athletics
