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UNC baseball vs Oklahoma prediction: Who wins NCAA Regional at Chapel Hill?
UNC baseball vs Oklahoma prediction: Who wins NCAA Regional at Chapel Hill?

Yahoo

time5 days ago

  • Entertainment
  • Yahoo

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. Advertisement "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. Buy UNC tickets here Advertisement 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 Advertisement 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@ This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: UNC vs Oklahoma prediction for Chapel Hill Regional final

Sam Angelo, UNC baseball silence 'little birdie,' showcase power in NCAA win vs Oklahoma
Sam Angelo, UNC baseball silence 'little birdie,' showcase power in NCAA win vs Oklahoma

Yahoo

time6 days ago

  • Entertainment
  • Yahoo

Sam Angelo, UNC baseball silence 'little birdie,' showcase power in NCAA win vs Oklahoma

CHAPEL HILL — Oklahoma saved its ace for UNC baseball. But the top-ranked Tar Heels had the trump card, using a booming start to secure an 11-5 victory against pitcher Kyson Witherspoon and the second-seeded Sooners on May 31 at Boshamer Stadium. Advertisement 'A little birdie, apparently, was saying that we couldn't hit 95 (mph),' UNC coach Scott Forbes said after his team clinched a spot in the 6 p.m. regional final on June 1. 'I think the guys took that personally." HOW UNC BEAT OKLAHOMA: UNC baseball vs Oklahoma highlights: Tar Heels advance to regional final KNAPP TIME: Grunt, scream, flex: Inside Jake Knapp's 'emotional' start for UNC baseball in win vs Holy Cross Witherspoon, No. 8 on MLB's list of draft prospects, consistently hits the upper 90s with his fastball. The junior right-hander entered the matchup against UNC with 120 strikeouts and just 20 walks across 91 innings. Advertisement The Tar Heels welcomed Witherspoon to Chapel Hill with a six-run first inning — UNC's best start of the season — that included five two-out hits, capped with a three-run home run by designated hitter Sam Angelo in the No. 8 spot. When asked about the 'little birdie' in question, Forbes smiled before shifting his attention to Angelo's performance at the plate. 'I can't give you my sources. But I can tell you that I'm really proud of this guy to my left,' Forbes said as he looked at Angelo during the postgame press conference. 'Here's a guy that has been one of the best hitters in Division III baseball, had an unbelievable fall (season) for us, unbelievable preseason, started the year in the middle of the order. And it hasn't gone exactly as planned. But I tell you what, he has bought into what UNC is about — being about the team first. There's no doubt in my mind that's why he was rewarded in a big situation like that.' Advertisement Among the nine hitters in UNC's starting lineup vs. Oklahoma, Angelo had the lowest batting average (.225) and two home runs through 37 games. He had two booming blasts against the Sooners' top arm, hitting the three-run shot in the opening inning before a 403-foot homer to center field in the fifth. 'That's just a challenge. Like everyone's saying, that really fired us up and we wanted to prove that we can beat an arm like that,' Angelo said. Before he joined UNC ahead of the 2025 season, Angelo was an All-American as a Division III player at Montclair State, where he logged a .416 batting average, 181 hits, 45 doubles, 35 home runs, 151 RBIs, 100 walks and a .789 slugging percentage. As he prepared to face Witherspoon, Angelo said he wanted to 'be on time for the fastball.' The graduate student took a deep breath and stepped into the batter's box for a moment that would set the tone for the Tar Heels (44-12). Advertisement 'I didn't miss that fastball,' Angelo said with a smile. 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@ This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Sam Angelo, UNC baseball beat Oklahoma with booming start vs Sooners

How does NCAA baseball tournament work? Explaining regionals, supers, CWS format
How does NCAA baseball tournament work? Explaining regionals, supers, CWS format

USA Today

time26-05-2025

  • Sport
  • USA Today

How does NCAA baseball tournament work? Explaining regionals, supers, CWS format

How does NCAA baseball tournament work? Explaining regionals, supers, CWS format Show Caption Hide Caption UNC baseball coach, players discuss winning 2025 ACC Tournament After winning the 2025 ACC Tournament championship, Scott Forbes, Jackson Van De Brake and Gavin Gallaher discussed the Tar Heels' performance. The field for the 2025 NCAA baseball tournament is officially set, as the entire 64-team bracket was revealed on Monday. Vanderbilt was tabbed as the No. 1 overall seed in the country for the first time since 2007, while 12 additional SEC teams heard their names called during the bracket reveal show — the most bids by a conference in a single NCAA baseball tournament. Speaking of the SEC, seven teams from the conference were given home-field advantage in the opening round by hosting a regional to open the postseason. The last five national champions from the College World Series have been from the SEC. Does that trend continue this year? Time will only tell come late June in Omaha, Nebraska at Charles Schwab Field. REQUIRED READING: NCAA baseball bracket 2025: Full regional schedule, matchups, dates for CWS field Regional play starts on May 30 with four noon ET first pitches at the Chapel Hill Regional (UNC vs. Holy Cross), Conway Regional (East Carolina vs. Florida), Athens Regional (Georgia vs. Binghamton) and Clemson Regional (Kentucky vs. West Virginia). As the 2025 NCAA baseball tournament begins and progresses through the CWS, fans who watch the action unfold for the first time may wonder how the tournament format actually works. Here's what you need to know about the format of the NCAA baseball tournament: How many teams make the NCAA baseball tournament? A total of 64 teams make the NCAA baseball tournament, beginning with the regional round. The field is cut by 48 teams heading into the super regional round, at which point 16 teams remain. After the super regional round, the field will be reduced to eight teams, each of which travel to Omaha for the College World Series. Two teams — one from each side of the CWS bracket — will advance to the finals, with one team left standing after one final best-of-three series. How many rounds are there in the NCAA baseball tournament? The NCAA baseball tournament is comprised of three rounds: the regionals, the super regionals and the College World Series. NCAA baseball tournament format explained The NCAA baseball tournament is comprised of 64 teams: 35 at-large bids and 29 automatic qualifiers in 2025. Just like March Madness, the opening weekend of the NCAA baseball tournament is scattered throughout the country at 16 different regional site locations, which are awarded to the top 16 seeds in the bracket. The regional sites consist of a four-team bracket, or pod, and are generally geographically structured. As for the round itself, the format of the regionals is a double-elimination style. To make it out of the regional round, a team can win three straight games or four games, the latter of which consists of making it out of the "elimination bracket" and beating the representative of the "winner's bracket" twice in the regional championship game. Those who win their respective regional round will advance to the best-of-three super regional weekend. The super regionals are traditionally held at the home ballpark of the top eight seeds unless, of course, one of those respective teams is eliminated in the regional round. From there, the final eight teams (i.e., those that win a super regional series), advance to the coveted College World Series. College World Series format Similarly to the regional round of the NCAA baseball tournament, the College World Series begins with a double-elimination style format comprised of two four-team brackets. In other words, the four teams in their respective bracket will clash against each other until there is a winner crowned in each bracket. Those who lose their opening game in Omaha will fall into the "elimination bracket" with an 0-1 record. It's self-explanatory from there: survive and advance. Those that win their opening game in Omaha will advance further in the "winner's bracket" with a 1-0 record. If a team starts the CWS with a 2-0 record, they will need just one additional win in the semifinals to advance into the CWS championship series. Meanwhile, those that lose a "winner's bracket" game will drop into the "elimination bracket" and look to come out of it by winning out. The CWS championship series is a best-of-three format and features the winner of each side of the bracket. The minimum number of games a team can play in Omaha and win the CWS is five games, while the most would be seven games. NCAA baseball tournament regional host sites 2025 Here's a full breakdown of the regional site location for the NCAA baseball tournament, the full ordering of which was announced Monday during the NCAA baseball selection show. Nashville Regional (Vanderbilt) Austin Regional (Texas) Fayetteville Regional (Arkansas) Auburn Regional (Auburn) Chapel Hill Regional (North Carolina) Baton Rouge Regional (LSU) Athens Regional (Georgia) Corvallis Regional (Oregon State) Tallahassee Regional (Florida State) Oxford Regional (Ole Miss) Clemson Regional (Clemson) Eugene Regional (Oregon) Conway Regional (Coastal Carolina) Knoxville Regional (Tennessee) Los Angeles Regional (UCLA) Hattiesburg Regional (Southern Miss) NCAA baseball tournament schedule 2025 Here's a breakdown of the key dates for the NCAA baseball tournament schedule:

NCAA baseball tournament bracket predictions: National seed, super regional hosts
NCAA baseball tournament bracket predictions: National seed, super regional hosts

USA Today

time26-05-2025

  • Sport
  • USA Today

NCAA baseball tournament bracket predictions: National seed, super regional hosts

NCAA baseball tournament bracket predictions: National seed, super regional hosts Show Caption Hide Caption UNC baseball coach, players discuss winning 2025 ACC Tournament After winning the 2025 ACC Tournament championship, Scott Forbes, Jackson Van De Brake and Gavin Gallaher discussed the Tar Heels' performance. All 16 regional hosts have been announced and each of the 29 automatic qualifiers have already won their respective conference championships, narrowing down the NCAA baseball tournament field. Vanderbilt, No. 1 in the NCAA's RPI, won the SEC tournament 3-2 over Ole Miss on Sunday, and were announced as a regional host. The Commodores have a strong chance at earning the No. 1 overall seed when the field is revealed on Monday afternoon. REQUIRED READING: NCAA baseball tournament: Regional host sites for College World Series bracket The SEC was well represented when the regional hosts were announced on Sunday night, occupying eight of the 16 locations to start the NCAA tournament as Vanderbilt, Arkansas, Georgia, Auburn, Ole Miss, LSU, Tennessee and Texas will all host at least the regional round. With regional hosts and automatic qualifiers being determined, here are the latest NCAA baseball tournament predictions ahead of Monday's selection show: College baseball national seed predictions Vanderbilt Texas North Carolina Arkansas LSU Georgia Auburn Oregon State Coastal Carolina Ole Miss Clemson Florida State Tennessee Oregon Southern Miss UCLA College baseball NCAA bracket predictions Here are our latest 64-team bracket predictions ahead of the selection show on Monday: *Automatic bids Nashville Regional Vanderbilt* (1) Kansas State Louisville Fairfield* Austin Regional Texas (2) Dallas Baptist Arizona State Houston Christian* Chapel Hill Regional North Carolina* (3) Oklahoma Rhode Island* Columbia* Fayetteville Regional Arkansas (4) Kansas Creighton* Arkansas-Little Rock* Baton Rouge Regional LSU (5) Florida Miami Wright State* Athens Regional Georgia (6) Wake Forest Stetson* Utah Valley* Auburn Regional Auburn (7) Duke Troy Central Connecticut* Corvallis Regional Oregon State (8) Arizona Cal Poly* Saint Mary's* Conway Regional Coastal Carolina* (9) NC State East Carolina* USC Upstate* Oxford Regional Ole Miss (10) TCU East Tennessee State* Fresno State* Clemson Regional Clemson (11) Western Kentucky* Kentucky Binghamton* Tallahassee Regional Florida State (12) Northeastern* Mississippi State Bethune-Cookman* Knoxville Regional Tennessee (13) West Virginia Nebraska* Miami (Ohio)* Eugene Regional Oregon (14) UC Irvine Oklahoma State North Dakota State* Hattiesburg Regional Southern Miss (15) Alabama Cincinnati Holy Cross* Los Angeles Regional

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