By R.L. Bynum
The center of the college baseball world this weekend will be at Boshamer Stadium in one of the biggest regular-season series in Carolina baseball history.
No. 2 Georgia Tech takes a 13-game win streak, the longest in the country and its longest since 2011, into the three-game series with the No. 3 Tar Heels, who are 21–4–1 at home this season.
UNC (31–6–1, 13–5 ACC), second in the ACC, is built around pitching depth, returning the backbone of a staff that posted a 3.47 team ERA last season, third nationally and best in the ACC for a second straight year.
League-leading Georgia Tech (31–5, 15–2), meanwhile, arrives with an offense that has been overwhelming by any era’s standards, leading Division I in batting average (.362), on-base percentage (.478), slugging percentage (.642), OPS (1.120) and total runs (393).
Two ace junior right-handers will start Friday’s 6 p.m. series opener (ACC Network Extra), with UNC Jason DeCaro (5–2) opposing Tate McKee. The teams play at noon Saturday and at 1 p.m. Sunday, with both games airing on ACC Network.
“We know it’s no secret that Georgia Tech can really hit,” UNC coach Scott Forbes said. “But if you start nibbling, they’re going to hit it even better. So ever since I’ve been here, we’re going to be aggressive. We’re going to go after whoever we play. I don’t care who they are, so I’m just excited to watch our guys. It’s going to be fun.”
This is only the fourth time since the D1Baseball Top 25 poll began in 2015 that two ACC teams have been ranked in the top three, and the first time since May 2023.
It’s the first matchup of top four teams in Chapel Hill since late April 2017, when No. 4 Carolina swept No. 3 Clemson.
The Yellow Jackets apply sustained offensive pressure that changes how a staff has to manage innings. Georgia Tech is second in the country in walks, consistently increasing pitch counts.
Even if Carolina limits home runs, Georgia Tech can still create extra-base damage. Shortstop Carson Kerce, hitting .402, leads the nation in doubles (21), and the Jackets are near the top nationally in doubles and home runs.
The threats keep coming throughout the lineup, led by catcher Vahn Lackey, who has a team-high .509 OBP and is hitting .386 with 12 home runs and 45 RBI.
Two other big bats in a lineup packed with them are All-American center fielder Drew Burress, who has a .475 OBP, and third baseman Ryan Zuckerman (No. 11 in top photo), who has a team-high 14 home runs.
Seven wins in the Jackets’ win streak have come against top 15 opponents, and they have outscored opponents 130–41 during the streak.
While the offense is what jumps out for Georgia Tech, the Jackets’ team ERA is 4.23 and they held opponents to fewer than five runs in 12 consecutive games earlier this season.
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Notes
— Carolina has won its last three ACC series, two of them on the road, including taking two of three at Clemson last weekend.
— Georgia Tech leads the all-time series with UNC 85–70, including 31–30 in Chapel Hill.
— The Jackets are off to the best 36-game start in program history, and their 15–3 ACC record marks the best league start since 2005.
— James Ramsey is in his first season as Tech’s head coach after Danny Hall retired last year following his 32nd season as the Yellow Jackets’ coach.
— Georgia Tech is the only Power 4 team with five players slugging over .660: Zuckerman (.773), Lackey (.765), Caleb Daniel (.690), Kerce (.677) and Will Baker (.661). Third baseman Cooper Nicholson leads UNC at .550.
Series at a glance
— 6 p.m. Friday, ACC Network Extra: Georgia Tech junior right-hander Tate McKee (6–0, 3.50 ERA) vs. UNC junior right-hander Jason DeCaro (5–2, 2.58 ERA)
— Noon Saturday, ACC Network: Georgia Tech junior right-hander Porter Buursema (0–1, 3.44 ERA) vs. UNC sophomore right-hander Ryan Lynch (2–3, 4.41 ERA)
— 1 p.m. Sunday, ACC Network: Georgia Tech sophomore right-hander Jackson Blakely (5–1, 2.34 ERA) vs. UNC junior left-hander Folger Boaz (3–0, 6.10 ERA)
—Friday’s announcers are Daron Vaught and Paul Shuey, with Wes Durham and Eduardo Perez on the call for the games Saturday and Sunday.
| 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 |
| 17–19 | Fri-Sun. | 6, noon, 1 | vs. No. 2 Georgia Tech | Sat., Sun. 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 via @GTBaseball
