The Championship Blueprint: 5 Things UNC Must Do to Win It All
Article by: Michael Blevins
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With a thrilling comeback, a little Bosh Magic, and a red-hot Owen Hull, the Tar Heels punched a ticket for their 13th trip to Omaha. So far, the Heels are 0-12 in trips to the Cornhusker State. Still, with their versatile lineup, electric pitching staff, and big game experiences, the Diamond Heels are in a great position to earn their first National Championship in program history. For that to happen, there are five things the Tar Heels must do if they want to be the first-ever Tar Heel squad to win the Championship.
Chris, Trevor, Andrew, and Andrew's Mom, Patty, Experiencing Bosh Magic!
The Tar Heels have only had 12 losses on the entire year. In seven of those losses, the Heels have had an inning giving up 4 or more runs in that one frame. In three of the losses, the Heels gave up an inning in which the opponent scored three runs. That’s 10 of the 12 losses where the opponent had a huge outburst in one frame. The other two losses were a 2-0 shutout against Louisville and a 6-1 loss to Boston College, where the most they scored in one inning was two runs.
We saw this bite the Heels in the USC series. Ryan Lynch was dealing, until he ran into trouble in the sixth inning, and all of a sudden, 3 singles, a fielder’s choice, and a grand slam later, the Heels went from up 5-1 to trailing in the blink of an eye!
In the 2026 season, the Tar Heels have only won 1 game in which they have given up an inning in which the opponent scored 4 or more runs. That was on April 4th when the Eagles of Boston College scored 6 in the 5th inning, but the Heels were victorious in comeback fashion, 8-7. UNC has only won 4 games where they gave up a 3-spot in an inning. So, the Heels must limit the big inning in Omaha. It will be up to Forbes and Gaines to know when the starter is at the end of their rope and navigate these explosive offenses with extreme care! However, it is also vital for DeCaro, Lynch, Glauber, and Boaz to finish games well! Whether that is the 5th or the 9th, the Heels need their starters to close out innings strong to help limit any potential big innings!
I think it is safe to say that the last few weeks of postseason play have brought out the best of the Tar Heel starting pitching. Both Ryan Lynch and Jason DeCaro have pitched legacy-type games. Lynch hurled one of his best performances in regional game 1 against VCU, where he went 7 shutout innings. Even against USC, Lynch had a season low in walks while attacking the zone. He just got snakebit in the 6th with some bad luck.
As for DeCaro, the Saturday season-saving complete game shutout of USC to force the Sunday winner-take-all was one of the most masterful performances I have been able to witness from a Tar Heel pitcher. That was the kind of performance scouts and MLB executives are wildly excited about come July. When DeCaro gets into trouble is when he is not attacking the strike zone and trying to ‘nibble’ after getting ahead in the count. I had a pro scout tell me that DeCaro “pitches like he is in the 1990’s,” looking for weak contact. When Saturday versus USC came around, there was no nibbling, no looking for weak contact, there was only Jason DeCaro's attack mode! That’s the DeCaro the Heels must have in Omaha to bring home the trophy!
Footage Courtesy of ESPN
On top of Lynch and DeCaro, the Heels will need to lean heavily on Folger Boaz and Co-Freshman Pitcher of the Year Caden Glauber. If Glauber has proven one thing, it’s that he is always in attack mode. If the Tar Heel pitching staff can put together 5 straight attack-mode outings, there’s no doubt UNC can bring home the hardware!
I am not sure there is a more productive top of the order in the country than Jake Schaffner, Gavin Gallaher, Owen Hull, Macon Winslow, and Erik Paulsen. They combine for 46 of the 80 homers that the Heels have hit. Collectively, they have hit .323 with an on-base percentage of .441 and an eye-popping .552 slugging percentage. That is an OPS of .963 from the top 5 guys in the lineup.
If UNC is going to win its first Baseball National Championship, the bottom of the lineup will have to do exactly what they did in the 9th inning on Sunday against USC… produce. Colin Hynek, Cooper Nicholson, Tyler Howe, and the combination of Rom Kellis V or Carter French will decide how successful the Heels are in Omaha. Collectively, this year, that group has slashed .262/.395/.477 for an OPS of .872.
Colin Hynek | Footage Courtesy of ACC Network
This group has been a solid bottom-of-the-lineup group. I would even say it has been one of the most solid groups in the country for the bottom of the order. They have accounted for 33 home runs, but 16 of those came off the bat of Nicholson, and that leaves only 17 homers between Hynek, Howe, and Kellis V. The good news is, Charles Schawb Field doesn’t allow that many home runs, which plays into the strength of the Tar Heel offense! With the Bottom of the order, their success will be determined by getting on base, getting timely hits, and setting up the top of the order with RBI opportunities. If the bottom of the lineup produces, the Heels’ offense will shine in Omaha.
Tyler Howe | Footage Courtesy of ACC Network
The most underrated part of the Diamond Heels team is their defense. They finished the year ranked 8th in the country in Fielding Percentage (.986) and ranked 4th in turning double plays (56). The Heels have the best defense left in the tournament field, and to hoist the final trophy of the year, they will have to show up in big moments!
Time after time this season, the Heels have gotten out of monster jams with great catches, outstanding plays, and clutch double plays. I still remember the Georgia Tech series where it seemed like the Heels turned double plays on command! The big Saturday run-rule win was made possible by three clutch inning-ending double plays when GT was threatening. In the biggest games, the Tar Heel defense has been at its best. That must continue for the next two weeks!
Carter French Catch vs Clemson | Footage Courtesy of ESPN
Before the last point, let me give Gavin Gallaher some roses. This man moved from third base to second base this year, and all he has done is lead the entire country for second basemen in a stat called Defensive Runs Saved by saving 12.2 runs on defense. DRS quantifies a player's entire defensive performance by attempting to measure how many runs a defender saved. Gavin has been a wizard at second base, and it has been a joy to watch.
It is no secret. The Tar Heels were abysmal when they had runners in scoring position in the Super Regional matchup with USC. When Owen Hull came to the plate in the bottom of the 9th of game three, UNC was 2-25 with RISP. Now, don’t forget, UNC did have 3 sac flies, none bigger than Jake Schaffner’s, to tie the game 2 batters earlier. However, 3-2,6 with even 3 sacrifice flies with Runners in scoring position, normally will not win a lot of ballgames,s especially in Omaha.
If Forbes and Company are going to Nebraska and bring back the hardware, the Heels are going to have to push runners across when they have the opportunity! Don’t let one tough weekend with a miserable RISP average make you forget that UNC usually hits over .300 with RISP throughout the 50+ win 2026 campaign. So, you tip your cap to USC pitching and know that in Omaha, the Heels are going to light it up!
These are the 5 things that the Tar Heels are going to have to do in Omaha to bring home UNC’s first-ever National Baseball Championship. It’s going to be a week of exciting matchups in Omaha! Make sure to follow Heels on Franklin on Twitter to catch some in-person updates as Chris Smith and Andrew Forest are heading to Omaha for some fantastic Tar Heel coverage!
