Statement made.
The UNC baseball program scored right out the gate and never looked back, securing a blowout victory over Oklahoma in the winner-take-all game of the Chapel Hill Regional final.
Hunter Stokley got the offense going in the top half of the first inning, roping a double that scored Luke Stevenson and Gavin Gallaher. Alex Madera would single in the ensuing at-bat, giving Ryan Lynch and the Tar Heels a 3-0 lead to work with.
Oklahoma would battle back into it, as a Dickerson two-run homer cut the Diamond Heels lead to one. Fortunately, North Carolina had plenty of more offense left in the tank, providing more than enough wiggle room for its freshman starter to work with.
Lynch pitched outstanding, lasting into the sixth inning before turning the ball over to fellow freshman Walker McDuffie. The freshman duo combined to allow just the two runs while striking out 13 Sooners, as their efforts on the mound were super impressive.
North Carolina broke the game away for good in the third inning, scoring five runs to re-extend its lead. The Tar Heels' offensive attack was aided by home runs off the bat of Jackson Van De Brake and two from Gavin Gallaher, the hottest hitter in the entire country. Including Van De Brake and Gallaher, the Diamond Heels had four players record three or more hits in the victory.
While the UNC baseball program left some doubt after their performance on Sunday night, they surely left none when they took the field on Monday afternoon. Now, the Tar Heels have a date with Arizona in this week's Super Regionals, which will once again be hosted at Boshamer Stadium.
You can check off one of the goals for the UNC baseball program, as the Chapel Hill Regional title is now secured.
Next item on the list: Super Regionals.