CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – For the 12th time in program historical past, the College of North Carolina baseball group is heading to the School World Collection.
Freshman Jason DeCaro pitched 6 1/3 innings, and Vance Honeycutt homered on the primary pitch of the sport to steer the Tar Heels to a 2-1 win over West Virginia on Saturday, securing their first journey to Omaha since 2018, and first below head coach Scott Forbes.
The house-standing Tar Heels (47-14), the No. 4 nationwide seed, went to Omaha seven instances from 2006-18. They returned by sweeping the best-of-three Tremendous Regional collection towards unseeded West Virginia (36-24).
“I am actually completely satisfied for this group and these gamers,” Forbes mentioned. “My entire objective was to get these guys to Omaha as a result of they need to be there.”
The Tar Heels will play No. 12 seed Virginia in an opening-round recreation subsequent weekend.
Honeycutt, who homered on the ultimate pitch of Sport One, launched the primary pitch of Sport Two over the left discipline wall, sending the gang right into a frenzy.
He led off the third with a bunt single and moved to 3rd on Casey Cook’s base hit again up the center. Parks Harber adopted with an RBI single via the left aspect, simply scoring Honeycutt.
“I have been saying it for the reason that starting of the season; [Honeycutt] is the most effective participant within the nation,” Forbes mentioned. “He mentioned, ‘Coach, simply belief us and bounce on our again,’ that is what I’ve finished.
“He alters the sport.”
DeCaro (6-1) allowed one run and two hits, struck out 4, and walked two earlier than being changed by nearer Dalton Pence.
He struck out the aspect within the second and solely allowed one base runner the subsequent 4 innings earlier than being lifted from the sport.
“He is a particular child,” Forbes mentioned. “We favored Jason at the moment within the matchup. Him, Coach Gaines and Coach Howell had a plan, and the pitcher has to go on the market and execute it. It is enjoyable calling pitches when he is throwing it like he was tonight.”
Reed Chumley, the ultimate batter DeCaro confronted, scored on Kyle West’s RBI single within the seventh. Pence struck out Ben Lumsden to finish the inning.
Pence retired the aspect so as within the eighth, however WVU mounted its most severe scoring risk within the ninth, placing the tying run at second base with one out and loading them with two down.
Nonetheless, Pence induced a groundball to first and gained the race with Lumsden to the bag, giving UNC its eighth Tremendous Regional title.
Pence pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings and struck out six whereas issuing three walks and permitting one hit to earn his eighth save.
Tyler Switalski (5-3) allowed two runs and 5 hits and issued one stroll with 4 strikeouts.
POSTGAME NOTES
• The Tar Heels recorded their forty seventh win of the season, their most since successful 48 in 2009.
• North Carolina is 8-3 all-time within the Tremendous Regional spherical. The Tar Heels have 17 Tremendous Regional wins, ninth most all-time.
• UNC recorded its sixth Tremendous Regional sweep (2006, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2018, 2024).
• Carolina improved to 16-2 this season when permitting two runs or much less.
• The Tar Heels completed 37-3 (.925) at Boshamer Stadium, recording the best successful proportion in stadium historical past.
• Honeycutt broke his program single-season dwelling run report, belting his twenty sixth of the season. It was the 63rd homer of his profession.
• DeCaro turned in his sixth high quality begin of the season.
• Pence recorded his eighth save of the season, tying for thirteenth most in class historical past.
