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Off to a 3-0 start in the College World Series, thanks to two wins vs. West Virginia and another against Ole Miss, the UNC baseball team will now make its first Finals appearance since 2007.
19 seasons ago, North Carolina battled Oregon State for a second-straight season. The boys in Corvallis know a thing or two about beating the Diamond Heels, most recently knocking them out of the 2018 CWS.
As UNC prepares to play in its first CWS Championship Series since the Mike Fox days, let's re-visit that 2007 trip, then analyze why the 2026 squad is better poised to bring home gold.
Led by future MLB starters like Dustin Ackley, the '07 North Carolina team was a premier team in program history. These Diamond Heels won 57 games overall, including their first 16 to begin the regular season, plus their fifth overall ACC Tournament.
UNC swept its way through the 2007 Chapel Hill Regional, beating Jacksonville, East Carolina and Western Carolina. North Carolina then took two of three games from South Carolina in Supers.
The Diamond Heels began their '07 Omaha run with an 8-5 win over Mississippi State, then lost by 10 runs to Rice. UNC responded emphatically with three consecutive wins, including two against Rice.
North Carolina finally met its match in Oregon State, with both teams returning to the Finals for a second-straight season.
The Diamond Heels' pitching struggled immensely, giving up 11 runs in Game 1 and nine in Game Two. UNC's offense, pretty solid up to that point, only pushed across seven runs in two games.
Oregon State sported future MLS starters on its roster, too, most notably shortstop Darwin Barney. The Beavers jumped on North Carolina pitching, while their bullpen was near-impossible to hit.
The '26 Diamond Heels are talented across the board.
Their starting rotation goes four deep, with ACC Freshman of the Year Caden Glauber able to thrive in relief or as a starter. Walker McDuffie and Jackson Rose give UNC a 3-headed monster in relief.
North Carolina can hit the ball one through nine in its batting order. Owen Hull is the country's best remaining hitter in Omaha, mashing nearly .400 with 85 runs batted in. Leadoff man Jake Schaffner gets on base at will, while Erik Paulsen is one of five Diamond Heels with double-digit home run totals.
UNC will be tested against a red-hot Oklahoma squad, which last lost on May 30 in Georgia Tech's Regional. When comparing the 2026 OmaHeels to the '07 boys, this year's team is better poised to win it all.
This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC baseball: Re-visiting 2007 CWS finals trip, comparing to '26 run
Continue reading...
19 seasons ago, North Carolina battled Oregon State for a second-straight season. The boys in Corvallis know a thing or two about beating the Diamond Heels, most recently knocking them out of the 2018 CWS.
As UNC prepares to play in its first CWS Championship Series since the Mike Fox days, let's re-visit that 2007 trip, then analyze why the 2026 squad is better poised to bring home gold.
How did the '07 squad reach Omaha?
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Led by future MLB starters like Dustin Ackley, the '07 North Carolina team was a premier team in program history. These Diamond Heels won 57 games overall, including their first 16 to begin the regular season, plus their fifth overall ACC Tournament.
UNC swept its way through the 2007 Chapel Hill Regional, beating Jacksonville, East Carolina and Western Carolina. North Carolina then took two of three games from South Carolina in Supers.
The Diamond Heels began their '07 Omaha run with an 8-5 win over Mississippi State, then lost by 10 runs to Rice. UNC responded emphatically with three consecutive wins, including two against Rice.
What happened in the Championship Series?
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North Carolina finally met its match in Oregon State, with both teams returning to the Finals for a second-straight season.
The Diamond Heels' pitching struggled immensely, giving up 11 runs in Game 1 and nine in Game Two. UNC's offense, pretty solid up to that point, only pushed across seven runs in two games.
Oregon State sported future MLS starters on its roster, too, most notably shortstop Darwin Barney. The Beavers jumped on North Carolina pitching, while their bullpen was near-impossible to hit.
Why is the '26 squad better poised to win it all?
You must be registered for see images attach
The '26 Diamond Heels are talented across the board.
Their starting rotation goes four deep, with ACC Freshman of the Year Caden Glauber able to thrive in relief or as a starter. Walker McDuffie and Jackson Rose give UNC a 3-headed monster in relief.
North Carolina can hit the ball one through nine in its batting order. Owen Hull is the country's best remaining hitter in Omaha, mashing nearly .400 with 85 runs batted in. Leadoff man Jake Schaffner gets on base at will, while Erik Paulsen is one of five Diamond Heels with double-digit home run totals.
UNC will be tested against a red-hot Oklahoma squad, which last lost on May 30 in Georgia Tech's Regional. When comparing the 2026 OmaHeels to the '07 boys, this year's team is better poised to win it all.
This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC baseball: Re-visiting 2007 CWS finals trip, comparing to '26 run
Continue reading...
