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Winning a national championship in college baseball may be the toughest of any sport, regardless of how much talent is on a roster. That was even more obvious this season, when top-ranked North Carolina couldn’t earn a return trip to the Men’s College World Series. But the Tar Heels had plenty of company: for the first time since 1957, no school that made it to Omaha the previous season is back.
CHAPEL HILL — Two damaging errors and the inability to come up with big hits ended top-ranked North Carolina’s dreams of back-to-back trips to the College World Series and only left the Tar Heels with heartbreak.
Here are images from top-ranked UNC’s season-ending 4-3 loss to No. 21 Arizona.
CHAPEL HILL — The script will be a little different, but Coach Scott Forbes will use a similar plan to the one that earned top-seeded North Carolina a regional title on Monday.
Here are images from No. 21 Arizona’s 10–2 victory over top-ranked UNC in Saturday’s Chapel Hill Super Regional Game 2, a game attended by Bill Belichick.
CHAPEL HILL — It’s just not in the cards for aces trying to challenge top-ranked North Carolina.
CHAPEL HILL — The “doctor” was patient while he waited his turn, but after walking on and being a reserve for his first 2½ seasons, Carter French became a key part of top-ranked North Carolina’s run to the ACC title and the Super Regionals.
CHAPEL HILL — Top-ranked North Carolina will open the Chapel Hill Super Regional against four-time national champion and No. 21-ranked Arizona on Friday at Boshamer Stadium.
CHAPEL HILL — Scott Forbes played the long game with beautiful results for his top-ranked Tar Heels.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Scoring droughts that had been too common all season and the inability to hit the defensive boards down the stretch meant a sudden end to North Carolina’s season and a frustrating, painful finish to senior center Maria Gakdeng’s career.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Here is video and a complete transcript from North Carolina’s postgame press conference at Legacy Arena, with Coach Courtney Banghart, Lexi Donarski and Alyssa Ustby, after the Tar Heels’ 47-38 loss to Duke on Friday in the Sweet 16. In addition, there’s a video of intereviews in the dressing room with Maria Gakdeng, Indya Nivar and Reniya Kelly.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Playing during the second weekend of the NCAA tournament means double duty for coaches who must navigate the transfer portal while still preparing their teams for the Sweet 16. The women’s basketball transfer portal opened Tuesday, and with 90 players having entered in the first three days, there’s plenty of talent out there to recruit. Florida State star Ta’Niya Latson is reportedly about to add her name.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Reniya Kelly has a lot of championship memories of playing at Legacy Arena, which is only 20 minutes away from her home in Hoover.
The most emotional was her last high school championship game two years ago when she led Hoover High School to a state Class 7-A championship.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Here is video and a full transcript as No. 3-seed North Carolina met with the media on Thursday ahead of its Friday Sweet 16 clash with No. 2-seed Duke. For the Tar Heels, it was Coach Courtney Banghart, Alyssa Ustby and Reniya Kelly at the press conference. In addition, there’s video of dressing room interviews with Lexi Donarski, Indya Nivar, Maria Gakdeng, Lanie Grant & Grace Townsend.
Caleb Love smiled when asked Wednesday what he remembers about the 3-point shot over Mark Williams to give North Carolina a win over Duke in a national semifinal game in 2022. “I made the shot,” said Love, who is 4–3 against the Blue Devils after his Arizona team lost at home to the Blue Devils a 69–55 on Nov. 22.
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