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Super Regional Sweep Sends UNC Baseball to College World Series

A pair of victories over West Virginia saw the UNC baseball program punch its ticket back to the College World Series.

Cam Robertson

UNC baseball outfielder Vance Honeycutt
UNC baseball outfielder Vance Honeycutt / Jeffrey Camarati-USA TODAY Sports

Homefield advantage is important in any and every sport, but no program receives a better boost at home than UNC baseball.

In a season where the Tar Heels didn't lose a home game until mid-April, set a program record with a 27-game home winning streak, and finished a nearly perfect 36-3 in Chapel Hill, the friendly confines of Boshamer Stadium helped UNC come up clutch one last time.

Saturday night, the Tar Heels once again produced on their home field and punctuated their strong play at the Bosh with a 2-1 victory over West Virginia, completing a 2-0 sweep in the Super Regional and sending UNC to the College World Series for the first time since 2018.

UNC’s 42-13 regular season record was enough to earn the Tar Heels the No. 4 ranking in the country and the right to host a regional site in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Tar Heels survived by the skin of their teeth last weekend, quickly dispatching of both Long Island and LSU before facing the Tigers once again in double elimination format with a Super Regional berth on the line. They lost the first game and appeared on their way to dropping the second game before runs in the ninth and 10th innings sent UNC to the next round.

Once again on their home turf this weekend, the Tar Heels were presented with a matchup against West Virginia for the right to head to the College World Series by playing a best-of-three series.

UNC nabbed a come-from-behind victory in the first game, scoring three runs in the bottom of the night off a solo shot from Luke Stevenson before Vance Honeycutt walked it off with a two-run bomb to bring the Tar Heels just one win away from advancing.

The two teams returned to the Bosh on Saturday night, with UNC quickly taking the lead on another Honeycutt homer to kick off the night in the very first at-bat. The Tar Heels then added another in the third off an RBI single from Parks Harber.

UNC gave the Mountaineers fits at the plate all night. Meanwhile, the Tar Heels got a stellar outing from Jason DeCaro on the mound, giving up just a trio of hits and one run while striking out five across his six and one third innings.

West Virginia briefly threatened with a run in the seventh and the potential for more with bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth. But Dalton Pence slammed the door shut both times to punctuate a three-inning save that capped off the Tar Heel victory.

The Tar Heels will now head to Omaha where they will participate in a four-team bracket as they look to continue their run to the College World Series final and capture the program’s first ever national championship.

ALSO READ: Several NBA Teams Checking Out UNC Basketball Product Cormac Ryan

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Cam Robertson
CAM ROBERTSON

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