By R.L. Bynum
OMAHA, Neb. — Pitching and defense got No. 4 North Carolina to the brink of the College World Series Finals, but it was the Tar Heels’ explosive offense that sent them there for the first time since 2007.
The hitting was contagious in UNC’s 12–7 victory Wednesday over West Virginia, and it was needed to withstand six late Mountaineers runs. Carolina bettered its combined output of 11 runs in the first two games and showed that this team can swing the bats as well as any team in the country.
Game 1 of the best-of-three series against Oklahoma is at 8:07 p.m. Saturday (ESPN), with Game 2 at 2:37 p.m. Sunday (ABC), and Game 3, if needed, at 8:07 p.m. Monday (ESPN).
Much of the damage came from the top of the order, where a lineup shuffle paid off immediately. Owen Hull (4-for-5, double, triple, steal, 2 RBI) and Gavin Gallaher (4-for-5, 4 RBI) set the tone, and the rest of the lineup kept passing the pressure along.
UNC coach Scott Forbes said that offensive depth has been overlooked for most of the season, even as the Tar Heels kept producing throughout the order. He pointed to the way various hitters keep surfacing in big moments, from stars at the top to role players who lengthen innings, get on base and hand the next batter a chance to do damage.
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“This offense has been pretty doggone good all year,” said Forbes, channeling Roy Williams’ vernacular as he did more than once on Wednesday night. “They don’t get any credit. Every question is about the pitching staff. And I hope that’s the case, and I hope it keeps being the case because they play with an edge. But the common theme on this team is, obviously, Owen’s been Owen, and we’ve had some guys that have been unbelievable. We’ve had different guys step up in big moments.”
Hull said the emphasis in the pregame meeting was simple. The Tar Heels wanted to compete at a high level and be “default aggressive.”
Gallaher said Carolina trusted the plan from batting practice on, when the Tar Heels geared the pitching machine toward the sinker-heavy look they expected to see from West Virginia starter Chansen Cole.
“During BP, going back there off the machine, we’re facing a sinker baller, so we put the machine on sinkers,” said Gallaher, UNC’s second baseman who was named Thursday as the program’s second ABCA Gold Glove winner. “We all just tried to buy into the game plan before the game, so it just became muscle memory during the game.”
Hull, whose preparation has become well known inside the program, again looked like the steady catalyst he has been all season.
Gallaher called him “really fun to watch” because “he hits every pitch, every part of the field.”
Third baseman Cooper Nicholson, who delivered a big two-run triple in the third inning, said the outburst was no surprise from inside the dugout.
“I think our offense gets overlooked,” Nicholson said. “We’ve got some great guys that can swing the bat really well, like Owen and [Jake Schaffner]. They’re good momentum setters.”
Nicholson said that momentum showed up early and spread quickly through the lineup. After UNC had trouble getting going in the first few innings of its first two games in Omaha, Wednesday felt different almost immediately.
“I think it was a good momentum-setter for us,” Nicholson said. “Gavin getting us started with a big swing of the bat.”
Once the Tar Heels started stringing together quality at-bats, he said the confidence only grew. Nicholson said the lineup fed off each baserunner and each hard-hit ball, turning one strong at-bat into the next.
“I think once we got guys on, the momentum was our way,” Nicholson said.
Schaffner (1-for-3, 2 walks, 3 runs, steal), UNC’s sparkplug at the top of the order, said the rest of the dugout has almost come to expect a quality at-bat every time Hull steps in. Schaffner said Hull has been “super special to watch this whole stretch, the whole year, for that matter.”
Gallaher acknowledges the national conversation around North Carolina often begins with pitching and defense, and for good reason. Those have been the traits that carried the Tar Heels to this stage. But he also made it clear the offense deserves its share of the spotlight. Wednesday was the latest example of how dangerous the lineup can be when the approach stays connected from one hitter to the next.
“You can’t win without pitching and defense. Pitching and defense win your championship,” Gallaher said. “So, we’re in the position we are now because of our pitching and defense. But our offense, obviously, we wouldn’t be here without our offense either.”
That balance has defined North Carolina’s stay in Omaha.
The Tar Heels still have not committed an error in three College World Series games, although a passed ball allowed a run to score. They consistently took advantage when opponents slipped defensively in all three Bracket 1 games.
Gallaher said that steadiness comes from not letting the moment rush them, while Schaffner pointed to the work UNC does every day before games.
“I just think we take a deep breath, and we live in the moment,” Gallaher said. “We don’t let the moment get too big. Sometimes, if the moment gets too big, you rush, and your hands are too fast. I think we’re trained for moments like these, and that’s why we’re succeeding in them.”
UNC coach Scott Forbes said that offensive depth has been overlooked for most of the season, even as the Tar Heels kept producing throughout the order. He pointed to the way various hitters keep surfacing in big moments, from stars at the top to role players who lengthen innings, get on base and hand the next batter a chance to do damage.
“This offense has been pretty doggone good all year,” said Forbes, channeling Roy Williams’ vernacular as he did more than once on Wednesday night. “They don’t get any credit. Every question is about the pitching staff. And I hope that’s the case, and I hope it keeps being the case because they play with an edge. But the common theme on this team is, obviously, Owen’s been Owen, and we’ve had some guys that have been unbelievable. We’ve had different guys step up in big moments.”
For Gallaher, the path to this point started long before Omaha. He said the belief took hold in the fall, when the Tar Heels first gathered and began imagining what their season could become. Now, after three clean wins on college baseball’s biggest stage, the vision they talked about in August has turned into the opportunity they wanted most.
“We all started buying in on Aug. 17, when we had our first team meeting,” Gallaher said. “We talked to Coach Forbes, and we vividly imagined what we wanted to do, and this is exactly where we wanted to be.”
If the offense produces as it did on Wednesday, it could be a special weekend for the Carolina program.
College World Series
At Charles Schwab Field Omaha in Omaha, Neb.
Pool play
All listed times are ET
June 12 results
West Virginia 7, Troy 5
North Carolina 6, Ole Miss 2
June 13 results
Oklahoma 9, Alabama 0
Georgia 7, Texas 1
June 14 results
Troy 12, Ole Miss 8; Ole Miss eliminated
North Carolina 5, West Virginia 2
June 15 results
Texas 14, Alabama 2; Alabama eliminated
Oklahoma 4, Georgia 3
Tuesday’s results
West Virginia 12, Troy 0; Troy eliminated
Georgia 2, Texas 0; Texas eliminated
Wednesday’s results
North Carolina 12, West Virginia 7; West Virginia eliminated
Oklahoma 11, Georgia 4; Georgia eliminated
CWS Finals
(Best-of-3 series)
North Carolina vs. Oklahoma
Game 1 Saturday: Oklahoma 9, North Carolina 3; Sooners lead series 1-0
Game 2 (Oklahoma home team): Sunday, 2:39 p.m., ABC
Game 3 (UNC home team): Monday, if needed, 7:09 p.m., ESPN
| 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, 17 | Sun., Wed. | W, 5–2, W, 12–7 | No. 9 West Virginia | 53–12–1 |
| 2 | Saturday | L, 9–3 | CWS Finals vs. Oklahoma | 53–13–1 |
| 21 | Sunday | 2:39 p.m. | vs. Oklahoma | ABC |
| 22 | Monday | 7:09 (if needed) | vs. Oklahoma | ESPN |
Photo courtesy of UNC Athletics
