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USA Today
24-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UNC stages seventh-inning comeback to down Boston College, advance in ACC Tournament
UNC stages seventh-inning comeback to down Boston College, advance in ACC Tournament Can UNC enact revenge on Florida State Saturday night? The UNC baseball team is unofficially locked into an NCAA Tournament spot, but winning this weekend's ACC Tournament will improve UNC's Regional seeding. North Carolina had a chance to win the ACC Regular Season Title, but clinched third place after losing its finale at Florida State. The Diamond Heels earned a double-bye in the ACC Tournament as a result, facing Boston College Friday in their opener. UNC trailed for most of Friday night's quarterfinal matchup, but something changed once the seventh inning rolled around. North Carolina overcame a 2-run deficit in the seventh, scoring five runs during the frame en route to a 7-2 victory. With their win, the Diamond Heels advance to face FSU in a rematch, this time in Saturday's ACC Tournament Semifinal Round at 5 p.m. UNC ace Jake Knapp tossed another gem Friday, throwing seven innings of 2-run ball, but lacked the run support needed to extend his undefeated streak. North Carolina finally broke through with another clutch hit from Jackson Van De Brake, as its captain doubled down the right-field line and tied the game at 2-all. Van De Brake also supplied the Diamond Heels with their winning run, scoring on a wild pitch. Luke Stevenson and Lee Sowers singled during the seventh inning, extending UNC's lead to 5-2. North Carolina wasn't done pouring on runs in the later frames, with Stevenson mashing a 2-run home run in the eighth. You thought Knapp was stellar on Friday? Diamond Heels closer Walker McDuffie hurled two perfect frames, striking out three batters across the eighth and ninth innings. UNC won its regular season series in Tallahassee, taking the first two of three games from the Seminoles earlier in May. FSU eliminated North Carolina in the 2024 College World Series, so there's plenty on the line in Saturday's ACC Semifinal matchup. Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
USA Today
20-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Where does UNC baseball land in USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll entering ACC Tournament?
Where does UNC baseball land in USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll entering ACC Tournament? Can UNC keep its positive momentum going into the ACC Baseball Tournament? The North Carolina Tar Heels head into this week's ACC Baseball Tournament with plenty of momentum, having just won a weekend series at Top-10 Florida State. UNC had a chance to clinch the ACC Regular Season Title with a win in Saturday's finale, but faltered late in a 5-4 defeat. North Carolina still ended its regular season in third place, clinching a double-bye for its conference tournament. Regardless of how the Diamond Heels perform this week in Durham, they'll be hosting an NCAA Tournament Regional the following week. On Monday, May 19 in USA TODAY Sports' latest Coaches' Poll, UNC rose one spot to third. North Carolina trails just top-seeded LSU and Texas in the Coaches' Poll, plus North Carolina is one spot ahead of Arkansas. The ACC is well-represented in the Coaches' Poll, taking up an entire fifth of the Top 25. Florida State is sixth, Clemson is 12th, Georgia Tech is 16th and NC State is 23rd. At this point in the season, rankings don't matter too much. We have a good idea which automatic qualifiers will be in the NCAA Tournament, while teams from smaller conferences need conference tournament titles to make the Regional Round. The Diamond Heels are hitting the ball well this year, highlighted by four starters mashing a minimum .300, but pitching is their hallmark. Jake Knapp is a name all eyes should be focused on, with UNC's ace carrying an 11-0 win-loss record into conference tournament week, while the bullpen is even deeper than last year's talented bunch. Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
