By R.L. Bynum
OMAHA, Neb. — Just as the Chapel Hill Regional essentially turned into a best-of-three series between No. 4 North Carolina and East Carolina, Bracket 1 at the College World Series is playing out in a similar way.
The Tar Heels (52–12–1) just hope for similar results.
No. 9 West Virginia (47–16), which lost 5–2 to UNC on Sunday night, earned a rematch with the Tar Heels by rolling to a 12–0 victory over Troy in an elimination game at Charles Schwab Field Omaha on Tuesday.
The Mountaineers now must beat Carolina at 2:07 p.m. Wednesday, with WVU the home team, to force a deciding Bracket 1 game on Thursday. UNC, of course, hopes for a “sweep,” just like the one they pulled off against the Pirates with wins of 7–5 and 9–3. ECU could have forced a deciding game if the Pirates had won that latter contest.
Junior left-hander Folger Boaz (3–3, 7.03 ERA) will start for Carolina. It’s not clear who will pitch for West Virginia, but you are unlikely to see right-hander Dawson Motesa. He threw 112 pitches over 5⅓ innings of two-hit, shutout ball, walking four and striking out six on Tuesday.
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West Virginia coach Steve Sabins said that sophomore right-hander Chansen Cole (10–1, 3.14 ERA) and graduate right-hander Ian Korn (6–1, 2.95 ERA) are two possibilities.
Cole started the Mountaineers’ 7–5 Friday win over Troy, going 2⅔, giving up seven hits, four runs and no walks while striking out two and throwing 52 pitches. Korn threw six relief innings in that game, giving up two hits, one run, three walks and four strikeouts and throwing 79 pitches.
“Those are two really trusted arms that threw Game 1 of this tournament. Those are definitely options. We probably will start there,” Sabins said after Tuesday’s game.
Among the other pitchers Sabins said could see the mound against UNC were sophomore right-hander David Hagen, senior left-hander Ben McDougal (who threw 27 pitches Tuesday), graduate right-hander Reese Bassinger (25 pitches), senior right-hander Carson Estridge (16 pitches), freshman right-hander JT Huether and sophomore left-hander Joshua Surigo.
“Like I told the team, there’s other pitchers that haven’t been in there as much,” Sabins said. “But crazier stuff has happened and we’re in this position because of those guys as well. You just normally lean on experience a little bit. And if things don’t work out, then you end up putting some less experienced pitchers in there. But that’s kind of the game plan as of now. But we’ll make a decision [Tuesday night] and have to turn it around pretty quick.”
Second baseman Gavin Kelly, who was 1-of-4 against UNC, delivered the big blow with a three-run homer to left field in the four-run sixth inning.
WVU reliever Reese Bassinger, who pitched a hitless inning Sunday against Carolina, all but sealed the win when he entered the game with the bases loaded and nobody out in the seventh inning. He retired the next three Troy batters in order, including two swinging strikeouts.
West Virginia tied the CWS record with seven stolen bases, including three in the ninth inning, which began with the Mountaineers leading by seven runs. Right fielder Armani Guzman stole three bases to push his single-season school record to 42.
Guzman has 12 steals for the tournament, which is as many as Oklahoma, which is second in the tournament for team steals. The Mountaineers have swiped 29 bases in the tournament.
This is the first CWS appearance for West Virginia, who is appearing in its 17th NCAA tournament game.
UNC is 4–1 against West Virginia, including a 2–1 and 8–6 sweep in the 2024 Chapel Hill Super Regional to advance to Omaha. West Virginia won 5–1 on March 19, 2014, and Carolina won 4–3 on March 4, 2000.
College World Series
At Charles Schwab Field Omaha in Omaha, Neb.
Sunday, June 21, game on ABC, all other games on ESPN
Bracket 1
No. 5-seed and No. 4-ranked North Carolina (51–12–1), No. 16-seed and No. 9-ranked West Virginia (47–15), Troy (39–32; eliminated) and No. 23-ranked Ole Miss (41–23; eliminated)
Bracket 2
No. 3-seed and No. 3-ranked Georgia (52–13), No. 6-seed and No. 6-ranked Texas (46–14), Oklahoma (40–22) and No. 7-seed and No. 16-ranked Alabama (42–21; eliminated)
Pool play
All listed times are ET
Last Friday’s results
West Virginia 7, Troy 5
North Carolina 6, Ole Miss 2
Last Saturday’s results
Oklahoma 9, Alabama 0
Georgia 7, Texas 1
Sunday’s results
Troy 12, Ole Miss 8; Ole Miss eliminated
North Carolina 5, West Virginia 2
Monday’s results
Texas 14, Alabama 2; Alabama eliminated
Oklahoma 4, Georgia 3
Tuesday’s games
West Virginia 12, Troy 0; Troy eliminated
Texas vs. Georgia, elimination game, 7:07 p.m.
Wednesday’s games
North Carolina (junior left-hander Folger Boaz; 3–3, 7.03 ERA) vs. West Virginia (Chansen Cole; 10–1, 3.14 ERA OR graduate right-hander Ian Korn; 6–1, 2.95 ERA), 2:07 p.m.
Oklahoma vs. Texas-Georgia winner, 7:07 p.m.
Thursday’s games
North Carolina vs. West Virginia if WVU wins Wednesday, 2:07 or 7:07
Deciding Bracket 2 game if Oklahoma loses on Wednesday, 2:07 or 7:07
CWS Finals
(Best-of-3 series)
Game 1: Saturday, 8:07 p.m.
Game 2: Sunday, 1:37 p.m.
Game 3: Monday (if needed), 8:07 p.m.
Times in brackets are Central Time, with games starting 7 minutes after the listed times.
| 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. 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 | Sunday | W, 5–2 | No. 9 West Virginia | 52–12–1 |
| 17 | Wednesday | 2:07 p.m. | No. 9 West Virginia | ESPN |
| 18 | Thursday | 2:07 or 7:06 | No. 9 West Virginia (if UNC loses Wed.) | ESPN |
| 20–22 | Sat.-Mon | 8:07, 1:37, 8:07 (if needed) | CWS Finals (if UNC wins Wed. or Thursday) | ESPN, ABC, ESPN |
Photo via @NCAABaseball
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