By R.L. Bynum
OMAHA, Neb. — For the first time in 20 years, North Carolina is a win away from the program’s first national championship.
Dominant pitching and timely hitting powered the No. 4 Tar Heels to a 6–2 victory Sunday at Charles Schwab Field Omaha over Oklahoma in Game 2 of the College World Series Finals to force a deciding game for the national championship.
You knew it had to be a UNC victory the moment freshman right-hander Caden Glauber (12–0) took the mound. He pitched five one-hit shutout relief innings, striking out eight and walking two as Carolina moved to 29–0 when he plays.
UNC Coach Scott Forbes has gotten so accustomed to it that he joked afterward, “I’m sitting here thinking I might start him [Monday] because our chances are pretty good when he pitches.”
Carolina (54–13–1) will be the home team for Game 3 at 7:09 p.m. Monday night (ESPN). As to who he starts, Forbes said he wanted to sleep on it and hadn’t decided. The Sooners will start freshman right-hander Nick Wesloski (1–1, 4.03 ERA).
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More CWS coverage
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— Video, transcript: UNC press conference after Game 2 win at the College World Series Finals
Forbes said that this is exactly the position his team wanted.
“This is what it’s all about,” he said. “This is why you work so hard to play in a night game, national championship game. So, we’re excited about that opportunity. We feel like it’s an honor and a privilege to be in that moment.”
Oklahoma (42–23) has rolled through the tournament with power and came into the game with 10 CWS blasts. But while the Sooners went homerless for the first time in 32 days and 12 games, the Tar Heels slugged a pair to pad their lead after rallying from an early 2–0 deficit.
Owen Hull’s blast to right field led off the fifth inning, and Cooper Nicholson belted a two-run, 372-foot shot to left field in the seventh inning.
Forbes called Hull’s fifth-inning shot “a big, big swing of the bat,” adding that Nicholson’s homer was just as important.
“That ball was touched,” Forbes said. “And I thought for a second he was going to catch it with the wind. So, that was big for us as well.”
The Sooners’ eight straight scoreless innings were their longest of the tournament. Glauber made sure they stayed off the scoreboard while he was on the mound and wasn’t shy about attacking a lineup full of home-run hitters.
“You’ve got to pitch to your strengths and get the guy out whenever you need to,” Glauber said. “A good hitter bats .300, but that means he gets out a good bit, too.”
UNC starter Ryan Lynch pitched four solid innings (3 hits, 3 runs, 1 walk, 5 strikeouts) before coming out with a left oblique injury, and Glauber took it from there, retiring 13 of his first 14 batters.
Forbes said Lynch’s early exit was precautionary.
“Hopefully he can get that thing better and pitch for us [Monday],” Forbes said. “I don’t think it’s too serious, but I didn’t want to gamble. And Globe came in and was lights out for us.”
When Lynch’s game ended, he had thrown only 56 pitches and retired 11 of his last 15 batters.
“The first thing, I was thankful that he told me it wasn’t his arm, because that’s what you dread as a coach,” Forbes said.
Glauber said there was no panic when he was summoned.
“It wasn’t really a rush,” he said. “Injury, you get as much time as you need. They kept telling me that. I don’t really like throwing a ton in the bullpen either way. If I’m coming in, I know I’m coming in.”
Catcher Colin Hynek’s second error in as many games plated Oklahoma’s first run after it opened the first inning with a single and a walk and pulled off a double steal. With one out, Jaxon Willits belted an RBI double to the right-center field wall.
Lynch settled in from there. When he retired the Sooners in order in the second inning, that was the first time a pitcher had pulled that off against them since their second CWS game on June 15. He needed only four pitches to get through the third inning.
After Oklahoma starter Xander Mercurius (1–3; 4 innings, 5 hits, 4 runs, 3 walks, 8 strikeouts) struck out five in the first two innings, the first three Tar Heels reached in the three-run third inning, with the third being Jake Schaffner’s line two-run triple down the right-field line. He scored on a hands-first slide after a wild pitch. With the bases loaded, Mercurius struck out two to escape after throwing 51 pitches in the inning.
Forbes said that inning reflected the poise his club has shown all season after Oklahoma’s quick start.
“They jumped on us quick,” he said. “Our guys did a great job of just putting their heads down and not panicking. We talk about it all the time, being process-oriented, next-play mentality, just play every pitch. When you look up, whatever happens, happens. We did a good job of that.”
He singled out Schaffner, whose triple changed the game.
“That kid brings it every day,” Forbes said. “Nobody recruited him much. Went to North Dakota [State] and thankfully he picked us. I think he’s one of the best shortstops in the country. I know he’s one of the best overall players and teammates and one of the most impressive young men that I’ve ever coached just because of his grittiness and how hard he plays.”
Mercurius’ day was done after Hull’s fifth-inning homer, but Carolina’s offensive pressure had begun long before that.
Erik Paulsen said the Tar Heels adjusted by letting the fastball travel and refusing to let the early strikeouts dictate the rest of the afternoon.
“I think just hitting’s contagious,” Paulsen said. “You see one person get something done, you have more confidence at the plate. And I think that’s exactly what we did today.”
Glauber came on and struck out the side swinging, setting the tone for the rest of the evening. Against the hottest offense in college baseball, he trusted the preparation and the people around him.
“When you play for the best team in college baseball, it’s pretty easy to go out there with the defense you have and the offense you have,” he said. “The preparation takes over the fear. We work so hard on it. You’ve got to have the right mindset, and you know that you’re made for the moment, whatever moment you’re in.”
That confidence mirrored the tone in Carolina’s dugout after it fell behind 2–0 in the first inning. Nicholson said there was no sense that the game was slipping away.
“I think we’re a tough group offensively,” he said. “We put together some gritty at-bats, as you saw. We got on base a ton. [Carter] French, he went 0-for-0 with four walks. That’s just showing what our offense is like.”
Nobody embodied that patience more than French. Forbes smiled when talking about the senior outfielder’s path from little-known walk-on to one of the most reliable pieces in the lineup.
“He has that slow heartbeat and ice water in his veins,” Forbes said. “His at-bats today were huge for us.”
Nicholson’s biggest swing came in the seventh. On a 3–0 count, he got the green light from Forbes and drove a two-run homer to left.
“Coach Forbes gave me the green light on 3–0,” Nicholson said. “I swung at a bad pitch. I should not have swung at that. I was just sticking through the at-bat, looking for something over the plate. Got a breaking ball and swung at it.”
Forbes quickly jumped in with the perfect response: “Glad he swung at it.”
Carolina backed its pitching with defense late, turning a double play behind Glauber for the final two outs.
Forbes called it another example of his team’s connectedness, a quality he believes has defined it all season.
“This team really loves each other,” he said. “That’s a credit to them in the locker room, working things out, because things aren’t perfect throughout the year. But if you have a special locker room, they work it out.”
That unity has now carried the Tar Heels one victory from history. Forbes said his team will embrace the opportunity rather than tense up under it.
“We want to win the national championship, and we’re going to go after it like crazy,” he said. “But I just want the guys to play free and easy and to have fun going after that national championship. So, I’m going to do the same thing and practice what I preach.”
He also made sure to acknowledge the support surrounding the program as Carolina prepares for one final game.
“I do want to give a shout out to the Carolina fans,” Forbes said. “All of our alumni, the players that have made it out here that I’ve coached, it’s been unbelievable. We have a send-off at our hotel. It’s one of the more impressive things I’ve ever seen.”
Now the Tar Heels get the stage they wanted, a winner-take-all Monday night in Omaha with a national title on the line. Forbes summed up the moment simply enough.
“Embrace that, enjoy it and go after it,” he said.
Notes
— Carolina was one win away from the 2006 national championship after beating Oregon State 4–3 in Game 1, but lost 11–7 and 3–2 in the other two games.
— The win snapped a two-game UNC losing streak in CWS Finals after losing Saturday’s Game 1 9–3 and losing 11–4 in 2007 to Oregon State, which won the title with a 9–3 Game 2 victory.
— Eight of 22 teams that lost Game 1 of the CWS Finals came back to win the title.
— UNC is 3–0 in elimination games during this tournament, earlier beating USC twice in the Chapel Hill Super Regional.
— Carolina’s 54 wins are the second-most in program history behind the 56–10 CWS team in 2013.
— The Sooners lead the all-time series 4–3, with two earlier losses coming in last season’s Chapel Hill Regional.
— UNC is 6–6 against SEC teams in the CWS, including 2–1 this year.
— The last time Oklahoma went without a home run was in its 6–2 loss to LSU in the first round of the SEC tournament on May 19.
— All of the fathers of the UNC players wore buttons with “Paulsen 44 Omaha 2026” on them for Father’s Day. Erik Paulsen’s dad, Erik Paulsen Sr., a NYPD detective who was one of the first responders on 9/11, passed away last year with oropharyngeal cancer.
— Kellis got his first CWS start, replacing Macon Winslow (who was 1 of 12 in the CWS and 4 for 34 in the NCAA tournament) at DH. He batted ninth, with right fielder Carter French moving up one spot to 8th in the lineup.
— Schaffner’s triple tied the program single-season record with eight.
— The game drew a crowd of 24,621.
— French, who made a terrific catch at the right-field wall in the eighth inning, is the first player with four walks in a CWS game.
No. 4 UNC 6, Oklahoma 2
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
Game 2 Sunday: North Carolina 6, Oklahoma 2
Game 3 Monday: Oklahoma 13, North Carolina 2; Sooners win national title
| 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
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