The University of North Carolina baseball team struggled for much of the weekend’s ACC opener series against Virginia, losing once via the mercy rule and giving up nine runs in Game 2.
North Carolina (13-3-1) salvaged Game 3 on Sunday, winning 8-7 in the 12th inning. The Diamond Heels nearly doubled their score in the first two games but gave up seven runs in another inconsistent pitching performance.
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UNC dropped eight spots to No. 14 in the March 9 USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll. Ironically, North Carolina is still two spots ahead of UVA (13-3), while just behind LSU and ahead of Florida State.
|
1 |
UCLA |
13-2 |
Chapter 741 |
twenty two |
1 |
– |
1/2 |
|
2 |
Texas |
15-0 |
Chapter 722 |
7 |
3 |
1 |
2/3 |
|
3 |
mississippi |
13-2 |
Chapter 673 |
0 |
4 |
1 |
3/6 |
|
4 |
Georgia Institute of Technology |
14-2 |
Chapter 651 |
0 |
5 |
1 |
4/5 |
|
5 |
Auburn |
13-2 |
600 |
0 |
7 |
2 |
5/9 |
|
6 |
Arkansas |
12-4 |
520 |
0 |
9 |
3 |
5/9 |
|
7 |
southern miss |
14-2 |
519 |
0 |
11 |
4 |
7/20 |
|
8 |
Georgia |
15-3 |
Chapter 512 |
0 |
10 |
2 |
8/13 |
|
9 |
Clemson |
15-1 |
Chapter 491 |
0 |
12 |
3 |
9/17 |
|
10 |
North Carolina |
14-2 |
Chapter 416 |
0 |
13 |
3 |
10/19 |
|
11 |
Oklahoma |
14-2 |
409 |
0 |
14 |
3 |
11/NR |
|
12 |
wake forest university |
15-1 |
Chapter 357 |
0 |
16 |
4 |
12/25 |
|
13 |
Louisiana State University |
12-5 |
Chapter 356 |
0 |
2 |
11 |
1/13 |
|
14 |
North Carolina |
13-3 |
350 |
0 |
6 |
8 |
6/14 |
|
15 |
Florida |
13-2 |
314 |
0 |
15 |
– |
14/17 |
|
16 |
virginia |
13-3 |
248 |
0 |
NR |
11 |
16/none |
|
No. 17 |
oregon |
10-4 |
234 |
0 |
18 |
1 |
12/18 |
|
18 |
Florida |
14-3 |
225 |
0 |
8 |
10 |
8/18 |
|
19 |
University of Southern California |
15-0 |
217 |
1 |
25 |
6 |
19/NR |
|
20 |
Texas A&M University |
14-1 |
189 |
0 |
20 |
– |
20/none |
|
twenty one |
tennessee |
12-4 |
154 |
0 |
19 |
2 |
15/21 |
|
twenty two |
kentucky |
14-2 |
148 |
0 |
twenty four |
2 |
22/NR |
|
twenty three |
TCCU |
9-6 |
142 |
0 |
twenty one |
2 |
10/25 |
|
twenty four |
Ole Miss |
15-2 |
119 |
0 |
NR |
2 |
21/NR |
|
25 |
coastal carolina |
9-6 |
109 |
0 |
No. 17 |
8 |
7/25 |
Diamond Heels ace Jason DeCaro struggled in his first loss of 2026 on Friday, going just three innings. UNC’s defense didn’t do DeCaro any favors, though, committing three errors. Colin Heineke, Macon Winslow and Owen Hull all had singles to load the bases, but Virginia’s lead was too big to overcome at that point.
Earlier Saturday, UVA went after North Carolina starting pitcher Ryan Lynch, allowing five runs in four innings. Hull and Gavin Gallagher hit home runs for the Diamond Heels, but again fell too far behind to overtake.
UNC finally came to life on Sunday, trading blows with the Cavaliers in hopes of salvaging a Game 3. North Carolina took the lead for the first time on Gallagher’s bomb in the first inning, then rallied from a 5-1 deficit. Late-game heroics in clutch moments included Tyler Howe’s game-tying home run in the ninth inning and the game-winning single three innings later.
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The Diamond Heels look to respond with an even more dominant win on Tuesday, welcoming Bucknell to Boshammer Stadium before heading west to Cal.
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This article originally appeared in Tar Heels Wire: UNC baseball drops to No. 14 in latest USA TODAY Sports coaches poll