North Carolina begins its quest to return to the College World Series on Thursday after falling just short last season in a win-or-go-home game against Arizona in the Chapel Hill Super Regional.
The Diamond Heels are the No. 5 national seed and will have home-field advantage through the regional and super regional rounds. But their regional is tough, with perennial powerhouse Tennessee, an experienced ECU squad and a VCU team considered to be the best No. 4 seed in any regional.
On top of that, it is paired with the College Station Regional, which includes one of college baseball’s most consistent programs in No. 12 national seed Texas A&M and a USC team that might be the best No. 2 seed in the field at 43-15.
As always, it will not be a cakewalk for the Tar Heels. Here are three things UNC can do to get back to Omaha.
Starting Pitching Has to Step Up
While UNC’s bats were good enough to advance to the ACC Tournament championship final, its starting rotation struggled in Charlotte. Jason DeCaro, Ryan Lynch and Folger Boaz combined for 10 innings, allowing 12 earned runs, 22 hits and seven walks. Virginia Tech’s potent offense exposed some depth concerns for a deep postseason run.
While he did show some vulnerability in Charlotte, DeCaro has been lights out all year. Lynch has been solid but has moments where he loses himself, while Boaz has been inconsistent throughout the season, resulting in a 7.30 ERA.
That’s not a good sign going into a regional where you that might be considered the “regional of death”.
Limit Bullpen Arms
Limiting bullpen arms will be critical for every team competing in the 16 regionals, and North Carolina is no exception. With the potential to play as many as four games over the weekend, the Tar Heels need to avoid overworking their relievers early and protect their best arms for high-leverage situations.
Right-handers Caden Glauber and Matthew Matthijs have been rock solid out of the bullpen, giving North Carolina two trusted options late in games. If the Tar Heels can get quality outings from their starters and minimize unnecessary pitching changes, they can keep Glauber, Matthijs and the rest of the bullpen fresh and maximize their impact as the regional wears on.
Take Advantage of the Opportunities Given to You
North Carolina’s lineup has shown all season it does not need many chances to change a game. When opponents have opened the door with walks, hit batters or errors, UNC’s bats have made them pay, stacking quality at-bats and applying pressure from top to bottom of the order.
In the ACC Tournament and beyond, North Carolina’s offense has even carried the day when the pitching staff has not met its own standard.
But this is postseason baseball, where you are going against the best of the best. Every mistake is magnified, and the ability to seize momentum becomes critical. If the Tar Heels keep cashing in on the opportunities they are given — whether it is a pitcher falling behind in the count, a leadoff walk, runners in scoring position or bases-loaded opportunities — it could be the difference between going to Omaha or staying home and watching eight other teams play at Charles Schwab Field.
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC Baseball: What the Tar Heels must do to advance to the CWS