By R.L. Bynum
CHAPEL HILL — North Carolina and Tennessee are taking a similar approach to the first day of the Chapel Hill Regional, and it has everything to do with what could be waiting on Saturday.
The No. 1 regional seed Tar Heels (45–11–1) and No. 2 seed Volunteers (38–20) are both lining up their rotations so their top arms will be available Saturday, when the bracket could bring them together. That plan starts Friday, when both teams will open with their No. 2 starters while keeping their aces in reserve for a potential Saturday game.
Tennessee will start senior left-hander Evan Blanco (7–4, 4.94 ERA), a former Virginia pitcher, against East Carolina at noon Friday, a decision first-year head coach Josh Elander announced ahead of the opener. The Pirates will start redshirt left-hander Ryan Towers.
The move allows the Volunteers to keep junior ace right-hander Tegan Kuhns (5–4, 3.39 ERA) on track for the second game of the tournament, a spot that could carry added weight if Tennessee advances and the matchup lines up as expected.
Kuhns earned the SEC Pitcher of the Year honor twice in the final month of the regular season. Blanco was the ace of Virginia’s 2024 College World Series team.
“I don’t look at it like that, like we’re saving Tegan and by any means,” Elander said Thursday. “Blanco is a guy that we have a lot of confidence in. He’s thrown in the College World Series. We’re preparing for any kind of situations, but simply it came down to Evan Blanco, we feel comfortable giving him the ball to the gate, and we ain’t saving anybody for anything. We’re trying to win this first game.”
UNC is doing the same. Coach Scott Forbes said Thursday that the Tar Heels will hand the ball to sophomore right-hander Ryan Lynch (4–4, 4.44 ERA) in Friday’s 5 p.m. opener against VCU (36–23), saving junior Jason DeCaro (10–2, 2.30 ERA), an All-ACC First Team pick, for Saturday. For Forbes, the decision is less about hiding one pitcher and more about the flexibility that comes with having multiple weekend-caliber options.
“I feel like we have multiple aces,” Forbes said. “I feel like Jason DeCaro and Ryan Lynch are both Friday-night guys.”
That confidence is what makes the chess match possible. In a tournament setting, a team often has to decide whether to play the long game with its pitching or take the most direct path through the opening matchup.
Both North Carolina and Tennessee are signaling they believe they have enough depth to win Friday without pushing their No. 1 starters into the first game.
Forbes said the choice for North Carolina came down to how the staff viewed matchups across the bracket, not a lack of trust in either pitcher at any spot.
“When it comes to deciding who’s going to start which game in a regional, we feel confident in both Jason and Lynch in both scenarios,” Forbes said. “Most of the time it becomes, what do we feel like is the better matchup, even though we feel like they match up well against anybody, and they ain’t going to be scared of anybody.”
The Tar Heels’ plan is built to cover multiple possibilities, including the chance that the bracket produces a high-profile meeting between the top two seeds.
If North Carolina and Tennessee both win Friday (or both lose), Saturday could bring the kind of matchup that typically defines a weekend, and both teams are trying to make sure their best option is available for it.
For Tennessee, that means keeping Kuhns for the second game rather than asking him to work on short rest later. Starting Blanco, a veteran left-hander, also gives the Volunteers a different look against East Carolina, and it keeps the bullpen aligned behind him.
Forbes pointed to Lynch’s track record as a weekend starter and the way his presence, along with a deep bullpen, gives the Tar Heels options as the tournament progresses.
There is also an element of trust that goes beyond the top of the rotation. In a format that can turn quickly on one inning or one pitching decision, Forbes said he values having experienced groups that have carried the program to this point.
“The one thing I want to say about these guys, this junior class, they’re a huge reason we’re here,” Forbes said. “They have been phenomenal.”
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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 the ACC
