Full Preview of the Chapel Hill NCAA Baseball Tournament Regional
Full Preview of the Chapel Hill NCAA Baseball Tournament Regional Can the Diamond Heels advance out of a loaded field?
Postseason baseball is officially here – and if you haven't been following college baseball this season, your North Carolina Tar Heels are playing their best baseball right now.
UNC (42-12, 18-11), which dominated Clemson to win the ACC Tournament as a 3-seed, will host an NCAA Tournament Regional as the fifth national seed. Oklahoma, Nebraska and Holy Cross all join the Diamond Heels in Chapel Hill, compiling one of the postseason's tougher fields.
North Carolina will open its Regional slate against Holy Cross (31-25, 17-8) on Friday, May 30 at 12 p.m. If UNC beats the Patriot League champion Crusaders, UNC will advance to face the winner of Oklahoma-Nebraska on Saturday at 6 p.m.
The Diamond Heels aren't the only conference tournament champion in the Chapel Hill Regional. Nebraska (32-27, 15-10) beat UCLA to capture the Big 10 Tournament Championship, while Holy Cross downed Army West Point to win the Patriot League. Oklahoma (35-20, 14-16) escaped Kentucky and Georgia in the SEC Tournament, but fell to Vanderbilt in Game Three.
Just because North Carolina is hosting a regional, doesn't mean it'll advance to host a Super Regional. UNC nearly watched its season end against LSU in the 2024 Chapel Hill Regional, but mounted a late comeback and advanced to host West Virginia.
With how they ended the season, though, I'd be shocked if the Diamond Heels don't advance past the Regional Round. It doesn't help North Carolina's case it welcomes some of the top non-hosting teams in the NCAA Tournament, but if I've learned anything about UNC baseball in 2025, it's that no challenge is too large to overcome.
Chapel Hill Regional Seeds/Schedule
#1 Seed – North Carolina
#2 Seed – Oklahoma
#3 Seed – Nebraska
#4 Seed – Holy Cross
Friday, May 30
Game 1: No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 4 Holy Cross | 12 p.m.
Game 2: No. 2 Oklahoma vs. No. 3 Nebraska | 5 p.m.
Saturday, May 31
Game 3: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2 (Elimination game) 12 p.m.
Game 4: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 | 6 p.m.
Sunday, June 1
Game 5: Winner of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4 - 12 p.m. (Elimination Game)
Game 6: Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 4 - 6 p.m.
Monday, June 2
Game 7: (If necessary) Winner of Game 6 vs. Loser of Game 6 - Time TBA
Position Players to Watch
UNC – Jackson Van De Brake, Kane Kepley
After being relegated to a reserve role in 2024, Van De Brake, the Diamond Heels' captain, is taking full advantage of his senior season. Van De Brake is currently hitting .314 (third best amongst North Carolina hitters) with 64 hits, including a UNC-best 15 doubles.
Kepley, a speedster in the outfield, is arguably the Diamond Heels' top offseason transfer. UNC needed to replace its entire starting outfield from 2024, but Kepley slides in perfectly. Kepley is mashing .293 with 60 hits, a team-best six triples and 38 stoles bases.
Oklahoma – Easton Carmichael, Jason Walk
Carmichael is a beast at the dish, leading the Sooners with a .321 batting average, 71 hits, 14 home runs, 55 RBIs and a .588 slugging percentage. Walk also sports the power-speed combo so many teams covet – three triples, eight home runs, 17 stolen bases and an Oklahoma-best 12 doubles.
Nebraska – Cayden Brumbaugh, Dylan Carey
There are top-tier hitters scattered across the Cornhuskers' lineup, but if I had to pick two guys to watch, I'm looking at Brumbaugh and Carey. Brumbaugh leads Nebraska with 74 hits and 27 walks, while his 18 doubles and .316 batting average are second-best on the team. Carey is arguably the Huskers' top slugger, leading his teammates with 20 doubles, 40 RBIs, plus tying with Tyler Stone for a team-best eight home runs.
Holy Cross – Chris Baillargeron, CJ Egrie
Baillargeron is mashing a Crusaders-best .386, plus he leads his teammates with 76 hits and 52 RBIs. Egrie is hitting .311, but he does his most damage on the basepaths, stealing a team-high 35 bases and scoring a team-best 67 runs.
Pitchers to Watch
UNC – Aidan Haugh, Jake Knapp
Haugh is an integral part of the Diamond Heels' star-studded, 3-man rotation. Going into the Chapel Hill Regional, Haugh carries a 5-4 win-loss record, 3.74 ERA and 73 strikeouts.
Knapp isn't just North Carolina's ace, but one of the top pitchers across college baseball. Knapp, the 2025 ACC Pitcher of the Year, carries a UNC-best 12-0 win-loss record, 2.17 ERA and 78 strikeouts into the Chapel Hill Regional.
Oklahoma – Kyson Witherspoon, Dylan Crooks
What the Diamond Heels have in Knapp, the Sooners have in Witherspoon. The unquestionable ace of Oklahoma's pitching staff, Witherspoon leads his teammates with 10 victories and 120 strikeouts, with the latter statistic tied for sixth-best in the nation.
It's difficult to find strong closers in college baseball, but Crooks is one of the country's elite bullpen arms. Crooks leads Oklahoma and is tied for third nationally with 14 saves, plus he carries a team-best 1.86 ERA.
Nebraska – Ty Horn, Luke Broderick
Horn sports a concerning 5.29 ERA, but he leads the Cornhuskers with 70 strikeouts. Broderick is another top-tier closer, anchoring Nebraska's bullpen with a team-best 12 saves, tied for fifth nationally.
Holy Cross – Danny Macchiarola, Jaden Wywoda
The Crusaders have not one – but two – 9-game winners on their pitching staff. Macchiarola leads Holy Cross with a 3.02 ERA and 91 strikeouts, while Wywoda's 9-2 win-loss record is best amongst starters.
Chapel Hill Regional Winner – Prediction
The Chapel Hill Regional carries an extremely tough field, but I like the Diamond Heels to advance – with three wins in three games. UNC is loaded across its starting lineup, while UNC's pitching staff is a massive upgrade from 2024.
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