The Pitching Matchup: LSU Baseball vs. North Carolina Starters Released (NCAA Tournament)

Luke Holman set to be on the mound for the Tigers with a chance to put LSU in the driver's seat of the Chapel Hill Regional.

The LSU Tigers return to the diamond on Saturday with a matchup against the North Carolina Tar Heels on the horizon.

The reigning National Champions are clicking on all cylinders with the one-two punch of Gage Jump and Luke Holman handling bisiness on the mound to close out SEC play.

After Jump dominated on the mound on Friday, it's Holman's time to take the bump on Saturday in a pivotal winner's bracket matchup against the Tar Heels.

With a win on Saturday, LSU has the chance to place themselves in the driver's seat of the Chapel Hill Regional.

Here are the details for Saturday's showdown, the pitching matchup and a full scouting report on the Tar Heels:

The Matchup: No. 2 LSU (41–21) vs. No. 1 North Carolina (43–13)

On the Mound: Luke Holman (9–3, 2.54 ERA) vs. Shea Sprague (3–1, 4.02 ERA)

North Carolina head coach Scott Forbes told media on Thursday that freshman Jason DeCaro would start in the Tar Heels' NCAA Tournament opener against Long Island with Sprague set to start on Saturday.

Now, all focus shifts to an anticipated Holman vs. Sprague showdown in Boshamer Stadium.

Get to know the Tar Heels:

The ACC regular season champions earned the No. 4 overall seed in this year's NCAA Tournament with the chance to carry its success into postseason ball.

A program that provides a balanced attack in all facets of the game, their pitching is a piece that gives them that extra boost led by aces Jason DeCaro and Shea Sprague.

Get to Know the Aces: DeCaro and Sprague

The Tar Heels rank No. 14 in ERA, No. 35 in WHIP, No. 52 in hits allowed per nine innings and have two shutouts on the season, but their one-two punch on the mound has helped in a big way this season.

DeCaro... The true freshman righty comes into the NCAA Tournament with a 3.80 ERA in 14 starts with 64 strikeouts and 34 walks in Year 1 with the Tar Heels.

Sprague... The veteran in the North Carolina pitching rotation came in from Elon during the offseason and burst on the scene fast. A right-handed pitcher, Sprague started 12 games during the 2024 season with a 4.02 ERA. The walk to strikeout ratio is impressive for Sprague with just 14 walks on the year to 55 strikeouts.

The Sluggers: Casey Cooks and Vance Honeycutt

The Tar Heels are a program that doesn't provide flare at the plate, but their patience is what has allowed them to be successful. After ranking Top 25 in home runs and batting average, they're impressive at getting on base at an efficient rate while utilizing a touch of power at times.

Their two power hitters come in Casey Cooks and Vance Honeycutt. The tandem was named to the All-ACC first team with slugging percentages of .688 and .699, respectively.

The Chapel Hill Regional Bracket:

Friday’s Games
No. 2 LSU 4, No. 3 Wofford 3
No. 1 North Carolina 11, No. 4 Long Island 8

Saturday’s Games
No. 3 Wofford (41–19; Cowan 9–2, 3.55 ERA) vs. No. 4 Long Island (33–24): 11am CT (loser eliminated) on ESPN+
No. 2 LSU (41–21; Holman 9–3, 2.54 ERA) vs. No. 1 North Carolina (43–13; Sprague 3–1, 4.02 ERA): 4 p.m. CT on ESPN2

Sunday’s Games
UNC-LSU loser vs. Wofford-Long Island winner, 11am CT (loser eliminated)
UNC-LSU winner vs. winner of Sunday afternoon game, 5 p.m. CT
Monday’s game (If necessary)
Rematch of Sunday’s second game for regional title if both teams have one loss, TBA

The updated graphic via LSU Baseball:

Other LSU News:

NCAA Tournament Bound: LSU Baseball's Regional Site Revealed on Monday

The Betting Odds: What are LSU's Chances of Winning the College World Series?

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Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and LSU Country: @LSUCountry_FN for all coverage surrounding the LSU program.