The NCAA Tournament field is officially set and the opening round matchups have also been revealed.
North Carolina, the No. 5 overall seed in the tournament, will serve as a host for the second consecutive season. The trio of Oklahoma, Nebraska and Holy Cross round out the field of teams for the Chapel Hill Regional.
We know the seedings, the Tar Heels opening round matchup (Holy Cross) and the date and time of the opener (Friday at 12:00 PM EST). The next question is one that we probably all assumed we know the answer to:
Who will Scott Forbes give the ball to in the opener?
Shortly after the official seedings were released, Forbes spoke to the media, providing information on his mindset at this point leading up to the start of the NCAA Tournament.
The guy who he is leaning toward starting won't surprise you by any means.
Forbes confirmed that he is leaning toward starting ace Jake Knapp in Friday's opener against Holy Cross. It makes sense that the Diamond Heels would give the ball to their reliable Friday starter as they begin their quest to Omaha.
Coming back from Tommy John surgery, Knapp has been an absolute dominant force in the UNC baseball program's rotation. The Diamond Heels won each of his 12 regular season starts, 11 which resulted in wins for the senior right-hander. Knapp posted a stellar 2.14 ERA during the regular season, making the lives of opposing offenses a complete nightmare essentially every time out.
Knapp's latest outing was another strong one: a seven inning performance in which he allowed just two earned runs. While his fastball wasn't zooming like it has been in past starts, Knapp was still very much effective, only needing 83 pitches to retire 21 Eagles hitters.
At the pace he was pitching, Knapp could've easily finished the ballgame. However, Forbes elected to go to standout freshman Walker McDuffie to close out the final two innings, electing to not overtax his ace in the ACC Tournament Quarterfinals.
If you're projecting the UNC baseball program's rotation for the NCAA Tournament, the first and second slots in the rotation are likely solidified. Knapp should toe the rubber in the opener, while Jason DeCaro will follow in Game 2. Aidan Haugh, who was used out of the bullpen in the ACC Tournament Semifinals, and Ryan Lynch, the Tar Heels' starter in the ACC Tournament Finals, are both guys who could see work in the rotation over the next few weeks of action.