Recapping a historic 2026 regular season for Scott Forbes and the Diamond Heels

Scott Forbes and the Diamond Heels have officially wrapped up the 2026 regular season, one that proved to be a very successful one for the boys in Carolina Blue.

The Tar Heels, who are currently ranked as the No. 2 team in the country in the last D1Baseball top 25 poll, finished the regular season with a 43-10-1 record, including 22-8 in conference play. North Carolina won 9 consecutive ACC series in a row to close out the season, including one against Georgia Tech (the conference regular season champions).

With the ACC Tournament ready to begin this week, the Diamond Heels are in a similar spot as they were a year ago. North Carolina claimed the No. 2 seed and will have a double-bye into the quarterfinals, as they'll need three wins in Charlotte to capture a second consecutive ACC Tournament title.

As the regular season comes to a close, let's take a look at some notable numbers and performances.

UNC baseball 2026 regular season in review

Team Overview

Record: 43-10-1
Conference: 22-8
Home: 28-6-1
Away: 14-3
Neutral: 1-1

Team Offensive Leaders

Batting Average: Owen Hull (.370)
Runs scored: Jake Schaffner (69)
Hits: Schaffner (75)
Doubles: Hull (20)
Triples: Schaffner (5)
Home Runs: Cooper Nicholson (14)
RBIs: Hull (67)
Walks: Macon Winslow (43)
Hit By Pitch: Nicholson (21)
Stolen BasesL Schaffner (24)

Team Pitching Leaders

Earned Run Average: Caden Glauber (1.96)
WHIP: Glauber (1.13)
Wins: Jason DeCaro (10)
Appearances: Walker McDuffie (29)
Saves: McDuffie (5)
Innings Pitched: Ryan Lynch (73)
Strikeouts: Glauber (74)

All we do is win!

The Diamond Heels won 43 regular-season games, the most since they won 44 during the 2017 campaign. North Carolina's 22 conference wins tie for the second-most in school history, and their 9 conference series wins are the program's best since winning all 10 series during that incredible 2017 campaign.

Road Warriors

While North Carolina was very good at Boshamer Stadium this season, they were nearly unbeatable on the road. The Tar Heels' 14 wins on the road were the most by the program since 2012, and their .825 road winning percentage is the program's best in nearly 100 years (1934)!

Transfers thriving

North Carolina brought in a handful of transfers to bolster this year's roster, mostly to help replace the talent that the lineup lost from last season's club.

A handful of transfers ended up being stars in their first season on campus. Jake Schaffner served as the sparkplug at the top of the order, filling in beautifully at the short stop position. Owen Hull got red hot as the season went on, serving as a lethal weapon near the top of the order, while Macon Winslow traded his Duke Blue for Carolina Blue, becoming a two-way game changer for Scott Forbes' team. Cooper Nicholson brought the boom, clubbing 14 homers while playing steady defense at third base.

Pitching, Pitching, Pitching

Jason DeCaro put together his best regular season to date, setting himself up nicely to be selected early in this year's MLB Draft. Ryan Lynch, who is also draft-eligible, slid into the rotation after being a bullpen weapon during his freshman year, forming a dominant duo with DeCaro that made the Tar Heels tough to beat.

You can't forget Walker McDuffie, the Diamond Heels' ace out of the pen. He led the team in appearances and found himself on the mound in many high-leverage situations, but even McDuffie, as good as he's been, was overshadowed a bit by the arrival of freshman Caden Galuber.

Caden Glauber- STUD

Glauber does not look like a true freshman when he takes the mound. He is poised, locked in and simply electric when he toes the rubber, as he has mostly been utilized as a bullpen piece throughout the regular season.

However, if you were to take bets as to who would be starting on Friday nights in 2027, Glauber would be the easy pick.

Glauber gives Forbes a weapon he could use in a variety of roles. He can start games, give you multiple innings in middle relief or simply come in to close games if needed. This kid can do it all, as he has already earned his way into the conversation of being not only the top pitcher in the ACC, but one of the best in the country as well.

Postseason Play

North Carolina opens up ACC Tournament action on Friday afternoon in Charlotte. The No. 2 seeded Diamond Heels will have to wait to see who they are playing, as they will face either Notre Dame, Clemson or Virginia Tech in the quarterfinal round.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow