Jun 18, 2024; Omaha, NE, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Link Jarrett and North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Scott Forbes talk before the game at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

UNC Baseball In Midst of Incredible Run

Originally posted on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI
By Jeremiah Artacho | Last updated Aug 5, 2025 11:30 AM ET

Last year, when the UNC baseball team featured star center fielder Vance Honeycutt, Head Coach Scott Forbes and the Tar Heels made it to the Super Regionals, defeating West Virginia, filled with walk-off magic. Eventually, North Carolina faced Virginia in the first game of the College World Series, winning 3-2. However, the following matchup against the Tennessee Volunteers (and then-national champion) saw the Tar Heels lose 6-1.

Coach Forbes' team was unable to make it out of the elimination side of the bracket, falling to the Florida State Seminoles 9-5. Honeycutt's time in Chapel Hill came to a close, and he can now be found in the Minor Leagues playing for the Baltimore Orioles' High-A affiliate, the Aberdeen IronBirds.

As of last season, the UNC found plenty of success, winning the ACC Championship and making it to the Super Regionals — outs away from claiming its ticket to the College World Series, but the Arizona Wildcats mounted a comeback that was too much for the Tar Heels in the end.

The past two seasons have marked UNC as one of five programs across the college baseball landscape to make the Super Regionals in two consecutive seasons (Florida State, Oregon State, Tennessee, and West Virginia complete the list).

Proud of our process. #GoHeels pic.twitter.com/MfiIydcdCp
— Carolina Baseball (@DiamondHeels) August 1, 2025

North Carolina's success can be credited to its offensive firepower considering the presence of guys like Honeycutt, but then Luke Stevenson (now in the MLB with the Seattle Mariners), Gavin Gallaher (a rising junior). Then, the pitching staff has played a huge role in keeping opponents off the scoreboard, especially with Jake Knapp's stellar 2025 season, going undefeated as the ace of Coach Forbes' staff.

The Tar Heels are going to be without Knapp next year, but rising junior Jason DeCaro is up next to step into the ace role alongside the arms of rising sophomores Walker McDuffie and Ryan Lynch, who both had impressive freshman seasons.

There is still a lot of time between now and the first game of the baseball season, but the talent UNC has its roster should be enough to make the Super Regionals three years in a row. According to D1Baseball, the Tar Heels are predicted to be a part of the final eight teams in Omaha, playing in the College World Series.

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This article first appeared on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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