NCAA Regional Profile: #5 National Seed North Carolina hosts in Chapel Hill, NC

(NCAA photo/CBC image)

By College Baseball Central writers Micah Beutell, Bo Carter, Noah Darling, Caleb Donnelley, Mark Garland, Andrew Kube, Doug Kyle, Jake Mastroianni, Jake McKeever, Andrew Riedell, and Colton Watson

Host: North Carolina Tar Heels (Boshamer Stadium)

1. North Carolina (42-12, 18-11 Atlantic Coast Conference)

2. Oklahoma (35-20, 17-11 Southeastern Conference)

3. Nebraska (32-27, 15-15 Big Ten Conference)

4. Holy Cross (31-25, 17-8 Patriot League)

#1 North Carolina

RPI*   SOS 23  Record vs Q1: 10-5 Q2: 16-5

North Carolina started the season as one of the hottest teams, going 13-0 before beginning ACC play. Carolina would struggle a little bit in the first two ACC series before running the table in the ACC, winning every single weekend series from March 21st until the end of the regular season.

After losing both of their first two ACC series, it felt like the Tar Heels were flying under the radar in the ACC, and most of the attention was garnered around a couple of preseason ACC Champion favorites in Florida State and Clemson, as well as one of the hotter ball clubs at this time, Georgia Tech. North Carolina found themselves playing very good, very consistent baseball heading into the ACC Tournament, which saw them win the ACC Tournament, including beating fellow host Florida State for a third time in about a week.

North Carolina is led by a star-studded pitching staff that consists of ACC Pitcher Of The Year Jake Knapp, as well as a Second Team All-ACC Starter, Jason DeCaro, and All-Freshman Reliever Walker McDuffie. Don’t let the pitching fool you, though; the offense is just as potent with two First Team All-ACC bats in the middle of the order, with Catcher Luke Stevenson and First Baseman Hunter Stokely. The Tar Heels look poised for another trip to Omaha, get ready for Chapel Thrill 2.0

#2 Oklahoma

RPI* 26  SOS 15  Record vs Q1: 11-17 Q2: 5-2

Entering their first year in the SEC, the Oklahoma Sooners more than held their own in the toughest conference in college baseball, going 14-16. Coming into the season, a lot believed the Oklahoma pitching staff might be one of the best in the country and that the team would sink or swim based on their performance, but it was a more balanced approach for the Sooners.

The pitching staff finished the regular season with an ERA of 4.58, which ranked eighth best, while the offense finished with the 10th best batting average. Kyson Witherspoon gave Oklahoma a chance to win every Friday night. The righty, who is expected to go in the first round of the upcoming MLB Draft, finished the regular season with a sparkling 2.48 ERA and 0.94 WHIP in 83.1 innings pitched and 112 strikeouts.

Unfortunately, the rest of the pitching staff didn’t live up to expectations, with Malachi Witherspoon having some ups and downs, Cameron Johnson not reaching his potential, and Cade Crossland not being as consistent. James Hitt and Dylan Crooks were lights out in the bullpen for Oklahoma.

Offensively, they didn’t possess a ton of power with the fourth-fewest long balls in the SEC, but made up for that with 107 stolen bases (second-most in the SEC), 273 walks (eighth-most), and just 412 strikeouts (fourth-fewest). Catcher Easton Carmichael was the clear leader on offense, hitting .321 with 114 home runs, 54 RBI, and 11 stolen bases.

How will Oklahoma win the regional? Skip Johnson has shown he knows how to come up with a pitching plan for the postseason. We’ll see if the rest that the Witherspoons and other Sooner arms garnered from their early exit in Hoover gives them some extra juice headed into a road regional. Whether OU goes with their ace in game one may determine their prognosis on the diamond. It’ll be a tall task to unseat the hosts in Chapel Hill, but keeping the ball in the park and pitching carefully to UNC’s stars should they move on to face them after a game vs Nebraska.

#3 Nebraska

RPI* 51  SOS 37  Record vs Q1: 8-11 Q2: 2-5

The 3-seeded Cornhuskers enter the NCAA Tournament after a regular season and Big Ten Conference tournament that may be the personification of a roller coaster.  The Huskers entered the 2025 regular season ranked in the Top 25 before quickly struggling against a tough out-of-conference schedule. 

Will Bolt’s squad suffered early losses to UC Irvine, LSU and Kansas State, among others.  Their struggles continued as Nebraska didn’t win their first conference series until April, though celebrated two victories over Oregon State in late-March.  The tide turned in late April as the Huskers won five Big Ten series’ in a row before reaching the conference tournament as the league’s 8th ranked team. 

Momentarily, Nebraska lost momentum as a fly ball representing the 27th out of their opening round game against Michigan State hung up long enough for the ultimate roller coaster of emotions to be felt as the fly-ball was misplayed, resulting in Nebraska tying the game and extending their season.  Nebraska rode momentum and their annual home-field advantage in the Big Ten Tournament at Charles Schwab Field, defeating the Spartans, Oregon, Penn State and UCLA to secure back-to-back conference championships and a bid to the NCAA Tournament. 

The Huskers have been led offensively this season by the experience of Dylan Carey, Case Sanderson and Cayden Brumbaugh, though 2024-hero Gabe Swansen appears to have found his groove again late-in-the-season.  Despite veteran leadership, the Huskers have enjoyed the emergence of Freshman Devin Nunez this season, who launched a homerun in the Big Ten title game against UCLA.  Despite an early-season loss of Mason McConaughey to injury, Nebraska presents with some depth on the mound, counting on returnees Jackson Brockett, Will Walsh and Ty Horn.  Luke Broderick has been tremendous out of the bullpen. 

Nebraska enters the postseason with an RPI of 51 thanks to an 8-11 record against Q1 competition, additionally going 2-5 against Q2.  The Huskers are a combined 22-11 against quads 3 and 4 this season.  Last year, the Huskers came up short in the NCAA Tournament, falling to eventual College World Series participant, Florida in the Stillwater Regional.  In Chapel Hill, Nebraska will aim to first beat the talented Sooner arm of Kyson Witherspoon before, potentially, tangoing with the top-seeded Tarheels. 

Will Bolt gushed over his team’s ability to spread base hits around rather than relying on a few big swings, like they may have during their 2024 postseason run.  Big Red will have to scatter base hits against the quality pitching they’ll face in North Carolina while looking to create momentum in front of a hostile crowd, unlike the one they utilized to find their groove in Omaha.

#4 Holy Cross

RPI* 136  SOS 217  Record vs Q1: 1-2 Q2: 0-3

After an absence stretching back to 2017, Holy Cross has once again earned its place in the NCAA tournament, dispatching a resilient Army team in a hard-fought series. As the second squad to punch their ticket, it is worth reflecting on a season marked by consistency, strategic excellence, and relentless effort.

Finishing with a commendable 17-8 record, Holy Cross dominated the Patriot League and secured the league’s top seed. The Patriot League’s unique postseason format, two series played across consecutive weekends, posed a unique and distinctive challenge that we dont see in other conference tournaments. Holy Cross faced familiar foes in Lehigh, whom they had confronted three times in the regular season finale. Such repeat encounters can breed complacency, yet the Crusaders demonstrated poise, capturing two of three games and imposing their will with multiple run-rule victories.

The next hurdle was Army, a tenacious squad that tested Holy Cross’s mettle. The Crusaders commanded game one with authority earning a run rule victory. While game two culminated in a dramatic extra-innings walk-off, courtesy of Gianni Royer.

Looking ahead to the Chapel Hill Regional, this 2025 Holy Cross team is poised to challenge the prevailing narrative that Patriot League teams struggle in tournament play, having lost twelve straight tournament games. Their style is characterized by aggressive base running and timely hitting. Jimmy King, CJ Egrie, and Gianni Royer each boast over twenty stolen bases, underscoring the team’s emphasis on speed and opportunism.

At the plate, Chris Baillargeon has been a standout performer, maintaining a batting average just south of .400 and ranking as the 47th best transfer nationally according to 64. Complimenting him is designated hitter Sean Scanlon, ranked 21st in the transfer portal, whose bat adds further depth to an already potent lineup.

On the mound, Danny Macchiarola emerged as the staff ace, delivering a complete-game shutout in the Patriot League finals, mhis second such performance this season. Jaden Wywoda provides reliable support as the number two starter, while relievers Derek Volz and Pedro Leon bring durability and control out of the bullpen. Volz, in particular, has excelled, limiting opposing hitters to a sub-.200 on-base average across 43 innings pitched.

This Holy Cross squad thrives on a dynamic, aggressive style, swings that generate runs and swift feet that disrupt defenses. If UNC can successfully contain their running game, it may temper the Crusaders’ offensive potency. Yet, as this tournament unfolds, Holy Cross stands ready to defy expectations and assert their presence on the national stage.

*****

*-Warren Nolan RPI