North Carolina didn't envision going down 1-0 in the College World Series Championship series.
The red-hot Oklahoma Sooners gave UNC more than it could handle on Saturday afternoon, as they now sit one win away from a national championship.
For the Diamond Heels, one loss means the end of the season, while a win means that a winner-take-all game will be held on Monday night in Omaha.
While the Tar Heels might be down, it's wise to not count them out just yet, as they've been in this position before and are more than capable of getting back into this series.
Past history tells us not to count UNC out of this series
Throughout the 2026 season, North Carolina has lost the first game of a three-game set and ended up winning the series.
Here's the three instances in which this scenario played out in the Diamond Heels' favor:
vs. Boston College:
Game 1: Lost 6-1
Game 2: Won 5-2
Game 3: Won 8-7
vs. Clemson:
Game One: Lost 9-5
Game Two: Won 6-4
Game Three: Won 12-5.
vs. USC:
Game One: Lost 9-5
Game Two: Won 4-0
Game Three: Won 4-3.
Scott Forbes has the perfect mindset following UNC's CWS Game 1 loss to Oklahoma
Sure, two of those three series were in the regular season, but you can't ignore that the Tar Heels faced this same situation in the Chapel Hill Super Regional. While USC seemed to have all the momentum, the Diamond Heels took it right back in Game Two and held onto win the deciding game in walk-off fashion to clinch their ticket to Omaha.
While this series isn't at Boshamer Stadium, maybe some of that Bosh Magic will carry over to Charles Schwab Field to help the Tar Heels out.
The moral of the story is simple: don't count this team out until the final out is recorded.
It's easy to get lost in the result of one game. Oklahoma dominated the first game of the series, which, from a fans perspective, takes some wind out of the sails for the Tar Heels. However, this group is resilient and has overcome plenty of obstacles before, as they definitely have what it takes to string together back-to-back wins.
Let's face it: if they didn't have it in them, there's no shot they'd be one of the two teams still standing.
Scott Forbes said it perfectly following the game. Flush it, get a good night's rest and get ready to play another baseball game. Baseball is a beautiful sport given it's quick turnaround, as there isn't much time to dwell on the negatives. All you can control is the present, and we know that the Diamond Heels are going to give it everything they have in order to keep their season alive.
On Sunday, the main objective is to win another baseball game, something this group has done 53 times this season. Win No. 54 would mean that this group would extend its season one more day, allowing this special group to take the field together one last time.
If we've learned anything about this group this season, it's that they never should be counted out.
Add us as a preferred source on Google