If this weekend at Boshamer Stadium taught us anything, it would be that this year's Diamond Heels squad is the absolute real deal!
The Tar Heels, ranked No.3 in DIBaseball's top 25 rankings, welcomed the No. 2-ranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets for a three-game set that had major ACC and national implications.
While the Yellow Jackets came into the series red hot, the host Tar Heels weren't intimidated at all, ultimately defending its home field by taking two of the three games played.
Game 1
On Friday night, North Carolina's pitching staff did something that teams have struggled to do all season long: stifle Georgia Tech's offensive attack.
Behind the trio of ace Jason DeCaro, freshman Caden Galuber and super bullpen arm Walker McDuffie, the Tar Heels' pitching staff held Georgia Tech to two runs on just six hits, making it near impossible for the offense to get going.
Offensively, the Tar Heels got going early and never looked back. North Carolina scored three runs in the first, highlighted by a Macon Winslow home run, and added runs in both the second and third innings courtesy of solo homers off the bats of Colin Hynek and Erik Paulsen, as that's all the runs they'd need to secure the first game of the series.
Game 2
Looking to build momentum in the series, North Carolina followed the same pattern that led them to victory on Friday night: excellent pitching and early offense.
By the time the second inning came to a close, North Carolina held a demanding 7-0 lead, one that felt incredibly safe considering how good the pitching staff has been. Ryan Lynch faltered a bit, allowing three runs in 4.2 innings of work, but McDuffie and Matthew Matthijs combined to allow just one run over the remainder of the game.
The Tar Heels' offense kept rolling, scoring 14 runs to capture a mercy rule victory in the eighth inning.
Owen Hull was the star, collecting two hits and two runs scored. The big swing of his came in the second inning when he clobbered a grand slam to deep center field, ending the afternoon with six RBIs to pace the offense.
Game 3
While a sweep would've been beautiful, Georgia Tech wasn't going to leave Chapel Hill without a win.
Folger Boaz struggled on the mound, allowing the Yellow Jackets to get out to an early lead. The bullpen, led by Matthijs, Jackson Rose and Camron Seagraves, gave the Diamond Heels a chance to stay in the game, but the Tar Heels ultimately felt short in their comeback effort.
This series proves that the UNC baseball program is as good as advertised. Not many people (including 90% of the D1Baseball team) believed the Diamond Heels would win the series, which was a bit disrespectful given the series was played at the Bosh.
However, the Diamond Heels didn't need the media to believe in them: they believe in themselves and secured a series win that will have the whole country talking.
This weekend put the country on notice: this UNC baseball squad is a force to be reckowned with.
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