UNC baseball vs Oklahoma prediction: Who wins NCAA Regional at Chapel Hill?
CHAPEL HILL — UNC baseball and Oklahoma will play a winner-take-all game in the Chapel Hill Regional on Monday, June 2, for a spot in the super regional round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
The top-ranked Tar Heels (44-13), who haven't lost a regional at home since 2017, are trying to host a super regional for the second consecutive season. Oklahoma (38-21), which earned a 17-1 win against Nebraska before a 9-5 victory against UNC on June 1, will try to take down the Tar Heels for the second straight day.
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"If we met August 19 — that was our first meeting — if I'd asked y'all in there that we were going to play for a regional championship against Oklahoma on Monday at the Bosh, what would you say? They'd be like, 'Heck yeah.' ... Thankfully, that wasn't an elimination game for us. We have another game," UNC coach Scott Forbes said.
First pitch is set for 3 p.m. at Boshamer Stadium. The game will be televised on ESPNU.
If UNC beats Oklahoma in the winner-take-all game, the Tar Heels will host the Chapel Hill Super Regional against Arizona or Cal Poly. UNC hasn't lost a regional at home since 2017.
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Here's a look at some players to watch, along with a prediction for UNC vs. Oklahoma:
Who will pitch for UNC baseball vs Oklahoma in NCAA Regional final?
The Tar Heels used six pitchers in their first regional final game against UNC, but they saved a few of their top arms for a Game 7 scenario. Freshman pitcher Ryan Lynch is "most likely," who UNC coach Scott Forbes said the Tar Heels will start against the Sooners.
"There's a good chance he will be our pitcher," Forbes said. "We got him and (Walker McDuffie) well-rested and ready."
Lynch, a freshman, has a 4-1 record and 2.92 ERA. He made his first start against Clemson in the championship game of the 2025 ACC Tournament, pitching four scoreless innings, allowing two hits with two walks and seven strikeouts. Fellow freshman Walker McDuffie has a 3-1 record and 3.04 ERA.
UNC baseball vs Oklahoma prediction in NCAA Regional final
The Tar Heels have more pitching at this point, but the Sooners are blistering hot at the plate. Still, in a game that could be tight coming down to the final outs, it's safer to bet on UNC's arms to get it done at the Bosh. UNC 7, Oklahoma 4
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Rodd Baxley covers Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding those teams? Send them to rbaxley@fayobserver.com.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: UNC vs Oklahoma prediction for Chapel Hill Regional final
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