By R.L. Bynum
CHAPEL HILL — For the first time in 17 years, North Carolina has earned a top-eight national seed in the NCAA baseball tournament for three consecutive seasons.
The Tar Heels (45–11–1) are the No. 5 overall seed. They host the Chapel Hill Regional for the third consecutive season, opening play as the No. 1 regional seed on Friday against No. 4-seed VCU (37–23) at 5 p.m. (ESPN+), with Tar Heels ace Jason DeCaro expected to start.
“The longer I coach, the less I get into who’s going where,” UNC coach Scott Forbes said Monday afternoon from the visitor’s dugout at Boshamer Stadium. “I just look at who’s coming to our regional. I expect it to always be difficult. I think it’s going to be a really difficult regional. I think every team is really good that’s coming here, starting with who we have to play first in VCU.”
In Friday’s other game at Boshamer Stadium, No. 2-seed Tennessee (38–20) faces No. 3-seed East Carolina (36–22–1) at noon (ESPNU). The winners play on Saturday, and the losers will play an elimination game on Saturday. The regional goes until at least Sunday evening, with a deciding game, if needed, played on Monday.
Should UNC advance, it will host Super Regionals three straight seasons for the first time since making the College World Series from 2007 to 2009. That stretch is the last time UNC was a national seed three straight seasons, as they were No. 3 in 2007, No. 2 in 2008 and No. 4 in 2009.
Carolina advanced to the College World Series two seasons ago and came one win short of reaching Omaha last season.
The winner of the Chapel Hill Regional faces the winner of the College Station Regional, which features No. 12 overall seed Texas A&M (39–14), with Lamar (34–15), USC (43–15) and Texas State (36–24).
According to PEAR Ratings, the Chapel Hill Regional is the second-toughest, and the College Station Regional is the third-toughest. It gives UNC a 65.5% chance of winning the regional, a 3.2% chance of making it to Omaha, an 11.8% chance of making the CWS Finals and a 5.4% chance of winning the NCAA title.
Tennessee finished 15–15 in the SEC. The Vols and the Tar Heels both beat Virginia Tech. Tennessee topped the Hokies 3–1 on March 1 in Arlington, Texas, and UNC beat Tech 10–4 on Friday at the ACC tournament in Charlotte.
Tennessee is in its first season under Coach Josh Elander after Tony Vitello resigned to become the manager of the San Francisco Giants. Vitello’s second Vols team played in the 2019 Chapel Hill Regional, losing to UNC 5–2 in the final game.
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East Carolina split a three-city, three-game series with UNC, with each team winning one game, and the final rain-shortened game ending in a tie.
VCU finished 21–2 in the Atlantic 10 and won the league championship. The Rams got run-ruled at UNC 13–3 on Feb. 25. Both lost to Coastal Carolina: VCU 6–3 on Feb. 22 at Coastal, and UNC fell 12–2 in a run-rule game on April 28. UNC lost two of three in a series to Virginia, and VCU got swept in a three-game series with the Cavaliers, then won 6–2 on April 14 at home. VCU lost twice to Virginia Tech, and UNC beat the Hokies on Friday at the ACC tournament, 10–4.
VCU played in the 2022 Chapel Hill Regional and beat UNC 4–3 in the second game, but Carolina advanced with a 7–3 victory in the final game.
“I learned anything can happen,” Forbes said, looking back at that weekend, when he couldn’t coach the last two games after getting ejected from a game and suspended. “I learned that you can lose a game in a regional and still win the regional. A lot of people want to talk about Tennessee, a lot of people want to talk about East Carolina, but VCU is really good, and that’s who we play first. That needs to be all of our focus.”
The UNC team watched the selection show with season-ticket holders Monday at Boshamer Stadium, a setting Forbes said fits what his roster has worked toward since fall practice.
“We’re playing at the Bosh, we’re a national seed, I love our team, so I’m excited to prepare for the regional and get after it on Friday,” he said.
Forbes said the steadiness of this group showed up most clearly after early setbacks and late-season stumbles.
“I’ve seen them grow a ton, not just as players, but also as men,” he said. “The locker room is the most important thing when you have talent like we have. The culture is good in the locker room, we’re well-led, they play to win, they play loose.
“When you get kicked early on against a team like Virginia to lose that first series, or you get beat pretty good by Coastal late in the season, how you respond says a lot about what you’ve got,” Forbes said. “For me, I know we’ve got a tough group, a group that’s committed and wants to win. I just try to stay out of the way and keep them loose.”
For the newcomers and younger players who have not experienced a Chapel Hill Regional, Forbes’ message has been simple, especially with an expected weekend of big crowds at Boshamer Stadium.
“Embrace it, enjoy it, lean on guys that have played in it,” Forbes said. “This is why you came to North Carolina. You want to play in this environment, so don’t get to this environment and play tight. Do the opposite. Go get it, run into it, and have no regrets, no fear of failure. I want you to play like little leaguers, like when you used to go on that field, and you just have a blast, because that’s how you play well.”
UCLA (51–6) is the No. 1 overall seed, and Virginia Tech (30–24) is the No. 2 seed in the Los Angeles Regional.
ACC regular-season and tournament champion Georgia Tech (48–9) is the No. 2 overall seed.
SEC regular-season and tournament champion Georgia (46–12) is the No. 3 seed, and Boston College (36–21) is the No. 2 seed in the Athens Regional. Auburn (38–19) is the No. 4 seed, with N.C. State (32–22), the No. 3 seed in the Auburn Regional.
Other ACC teams to make the field were Florida State (38–17; the No. 1 seed in the Tallahassee Regional), Miami (38–18; the No. 2 seed in the Gainesville Regional) and Wake Forest (38–19; the No. 2 seed in the Morgantown Regional.
Chapel Hill Regional
At Boshamer Stadium
Friday’s results
No. 3 seed East Carolina 7, No. 3 seed (No. 23-ranked) Tennessee 3, 14 innings
No. 1 seed (and No. 4-ranked) North Carolina 8, No. 4 seed VCU 0
Saturday’s results
VCU 5, Tennessee 4; Tennessee eliminated
North Carolina 7, East Carolina 5
Sunday’s results
East Carolina 10, VCU 0; VCU eliminated
North Carolina 9, East Carolina 3; UNC wins regional
| Date(s) | Day/ month | Scores | Opponent (current rank) | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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. 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. 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. | W, 5–2; W, 14–4 (8); L, 5–2 | vs. No. 2 Georgia Tech | 33–7–1, 15–6 |
| 21 | Tuesday | W, 9–2 | vs. High Point | 34–7–1 |
| 23–25 | Thur.–Sat. | W, 3–1; L, 3–1; W, 22–5 (7) | at Duke | 36–8–1, 17–7 |
| 28 | Tuesday | L, 12–2 | vs. Coastal Carolina | 36–9–1 |
| May | ||||
| 3 | Sunday | W, 13–0 (7) (non-conference game) | vs. Duke | 37–9–1 |
| 8–10 | Fri.-Sun. | W, 4–1; W, 12–2 (8); W, 7–3 | vs. Pittsburgh | 40–9–1, 20–7 |
| 12 | Tuesday | W, 13–7 | at UNCW | 41–9–1 |
| 14–16 | Thur.-Sat. | W, 9–4; W, 17–7 (8); L, 7–2 | at N.C. State | 43–10–1, 22–8 |
| ACC tournament | Charlotte | |||
| 22 | Friday | W, 10–4 | Quarterfinal vs. Virginia Tech | 44–10–1 |
| 23 | Saturday | W, 13–5 | Semifinal vs. Pittsburgh | 45–10–1 |
| 24 | Sunday | L, 13–6 | Championship vs. No. 2 Ga. Tech | 45–11–1 |
| NCAA tournament | ||||
| Chapel Hill Regional | ||||
| 29 | Friday | W, 8–0 | VCU | 46–11–1 |
| 30–31 | Sat.–Sun. | W, 7–5; W, 9–3 | East Carolina | 48–11–1 |
| June | ||||
| Chapel Hill Super Regionals | ||||
| 5–7 | Fri.–Sun. | L, 9–5; W, 4–0; W, 4–3 | Southern Cal | 50–12–1 |
| College World Series | Omaha, Neb. | |||
| 12 | Friday | W, 6–2 | No. 18 Ole Miss | 51–12–1 |
| 14, 17 | Sun., Wed. | W, 5–2; W, 12–7 | No. 9 West Virginia | 53–12–1 |
| 20–22 | Sat.-Mon. | L, 9–3; W, 6–2; L, 13–2 | CWS Finals vs. Oklahoma | 54–14–1 |
Photo courtesy of UNC Athletics
