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May 31, 2026; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels pitcher Folger Boaz (36) pitches against the East Carolina Pirates during game 6 of the Chapel Hill Regional at Boshamer Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-Imagn Images | William Howard-Imagn Images
Man, how can you not be romantic about baseball?
Jason DeCaro spun what was easily the best game of his Carolina career yesterday as the Tar Heels were able to stave off elimination and win 4-0 against USC. A season that hasn’t seen him go for a complete game and one where he would usually see the bench after five or six in favor of Caden Glabuer, DeCaro just took the ball and refused to give it up. He saved his fastest pitch for last, and all game the Trojans were completely confounded.
It’s completely flipped this series on its head. All of a sudden the Tar Heels are looking today at being able to roll out Folger Boaz, backed up by Glauber, and then Walker McDuffie as a backstop to try and shake off his rough outing on Friday. USC’s hopes were in their starting pitching, and both starters for the Trojans were unable to deliver wins for the team—as it was the bullpen that secured it on Friday.
The reward for the winner is a trip to Omaha, Nebraska and a match up against the winner of the Auburn Super Regional, the Rebels of Ole Miss, in a bracket that has been ripped to shreds and perhaps offered the most wide-open opportunity the Tar Heels will see to get a National Title.
To do so, the bats are going to have to wake up. Carolina has only scored nine runs in the two games, and they have left an eye-popping 21 runners on base over the course of the weekend. Thirteen of those runners were stranded yesterday alone. The Tar Heels have only put up a crooked number three times in eighteen innings, and those crooked numbers were each only two. It’s a credit to the Trojans’ pitching that they’ve been able to throw themselves out of every jam, enough to pull the comeback on Friday and never truly feel out of it Saturday.
All that said, expect USC to go with several pitchers today as their typical day three starter Diego Velazquez basically serves as an opener. He’s only gone five innings once the entire season — against Nevada — and his last outing was last Sunday against Texas State, where he just went 3 1/3 in the Trojans’ win. USC’s coach Andy Stankiewicz has not been shy about pulling his starters when their counts got high, and at this point you even wonder if you’ll see Mason Edwards throw an inning or two as he only went three on Friday (though those three innings did cost him 77 pitches).
Again, for the Tar Heels they are just set up perfectly. Jason DeCaro is likely the only pitcher that is ruled out for today. Even Ryan Lynch might pop in if needed with a day off. Still, with a lineup of Folger Boaz, Caden Glauber, Walker McDuffie, and the emerging Jackson Rose who went 2 1/3 scoreless on Friday, you have to give the nod to the Carolina bullpen today.
For one more time it’s going to be a scorcher, so once again bear that in mind if you are heading over to the Bosh today. Get there early, enjoy the block party, hydrate, and remember you CAN bring in your own food and non-alcoholic drinks to the park. That could be important on what will likely be the biggest crowd of the season for the last game in Boshamer for 2026. If you aren’t going to be there, here’s how you can catch the action:
- Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
- Location: Boshamer Stadium, Chapel Hill, NC
- TV: ESPN, where Mike Ferrin will handle play-by-play with Gaby Sanchez doing color.
- Streaming: ESPN Unlimited. If you subscribe to a cable service, some now have agreements with ESPN to have access already included.
- Radio: WCHL 97.9 in Chapel Hill as well as online and through the Varsity app. Dave Nathan will take you through the game for the Tar Heels, and it’s free.
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