The UNC baseball team, hoping to win its first College World Series in program history, will start its NCAA Tournament run in the Chapel Hill Regional on Friday afternoon.
Many debated North Carolina’s seed entering the tournament, but every projection included a Top-5 seed. The Diamond Heels lost Sunday to Georgia Tech in the ACC Championship game, but would that affect their seeding?
UNC learned its official seeding in Sunday’s NCAA Tournament selection show on Monday afternoon, earning the fifth overall seed.
North Carolina will open its Road to Omaha on Friday at 5 p.m. against Atlantic-10 Champion VCU, which previously played in the 2022 Chapel Hill Regional. The Rams won a shocking 4-3 game against those Diamond Heels, only for the boys in Carolina Blue to come back and win their own Regional.
UNC faces an extremely tough path out of this year’s Regional, also welcoming college baseball powers East Carolina and Tennessee to Chapel Hill. The Vols won the 2024 College World Series, while the Pirates quickly caught fire after a slow start.
5️⃣ Seed@DiamondHeels 🐏
#RoadToOmahapic.twitter.com/lGBlRKFKWl— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) May 25, 2026
The Chapel Hill Regional is set!#GoHeelspic.twitter.com/xjwKuD3kka
— Carolina Baseball (@DiamondHeels) May 25, 2026
North Carolina also faced a tough regular season schedule, previously battling ECU, plus the likes of Virginia, Notre Dame, Boston College, Georgia Tech, Clemson and Virginia Tech. The Diamond Heels will also play in front of their extremely-passionate fanbase, which turns Boshamer Stadium up 10 notches come postseason play.
UNC also had a tough 2025 Regional, welcoming Oklahoma, Nebraska and Holy Cross, all of whom are in this year’s NCAA Tournament. If there’s one thing you should know about the 2026 Diamond Heels, they are equipped for anything.
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC baseball earns 5 seed in NCAA Tournament, to host VCU in opener