Heading into the final weeks of the regular season, the No. 22 UNC baseball team is riding high.

At 29-16 overall, and 13-10 in the conference, the Diamond Heels currently sit in second place in the ACC Coastal Division and have their sights currently set on hosting an NCAA tournament regional in Chapel Hill—with the team also starting to show why they believe they have the talent to reach the College World Series in Omaha.

Their recent winning surge—picking up victories in 12 of the last 15 games after a slow start to the year–has the Tar Heels gaining confidence in what they’re truly capable of, which UNC head coach Mike Fox says is a good sign this deep into the season.

“Winning kind of breeds confidence,” says Fox. “It’s helped our team, and that’s a good thing. We need to be playing well this time of year.”

Zac Gallen has spear-headed the dominant UNC weekend pitching rotation for most of the year. (Spencer Herlong/UNC Athletics)

Zac Gallen has spear-headed the dominant UNC weekend pitching rotation for most of the year. (Spencer Herlong/UNC Athletics)

Entering the year, it was known that pitching was going to be the strong point of this squad, but with an infield made up of mostly freshmen and sophomores Coach Fox worried about what kind of results he would get from his bats and gloves.

So far, he’s only seen major strides in one of those areas.

“We’ve gotten much better defensively,” Fox says. “I have to question whether or not we’ve improved much offensively. We’re abysmal with the bases loaded. I mean we’re just absolutely abysmal [in that situation].”

“Our hitters have got to kinda take stock of who they are.”

All season long the Diamond Heels have won games on the backs of their outstanding starting pitchers–Zac Gallen, JB Bukauskas, and Benton Moss—but as the season reaches its home stretch, Gallen says he believes his teammates have what it takes to step up in the other aspects of the game.

“We’re playing good baseball,” says the sophomore. “The offense is gonna come. And if it doesn’t, defense is gonna pick it up, pitching is gonna pick it up. If the pitching isn’t there, then the offense will pick it up.”

“So it just kinda becomes ‘alright we’re down the stretch, we’ve got a shot to host a regional. I’m in it, you’re in it, let’s go, we’re all in.’ ”

Side-arm reliever Trevor Kelley has made the most of his senior year--pitching in 32 out of UNC's 45 games thus far. (UNC Athletics)

Side-arm reliever Trevor Kelley has made the most of his senior year–pitching in 32 out of UNC’s 45 games thus far. (UNC Athletics)

Although the team has also received criticism at times for a perceived lack of bullpen depth, the Tar Heels boast one of the top reliever tag teams in the ACC—relying heavily on junior Trent Thornton and senior Trevor Kelley to get the big outs in crunch time—two seasoned veterans who were around the last time UNC reached the College World Series in 2013.

Comparing the teams, Kelley has definitely noticed a major similarity between that season and this one.

“[2013] was an incredible year, and this year there’s a lot of qualities in the locker room that were in the ’13 team,” Kelley says.

“[But] I think [the main quality is] team chemistry. Everyone pulls for one another, we just stay positive, and everyone’s ready.”

According to Coach Fox, Kelley has been the unquestioned MVP of the team so far this season, putting up a fantastic 2.23 ERA while pitching in 32 of UNC’s 45 games so far–leading the NCAA in relief appearances and consistently providing help any time the team finds itself in a jam.

“Trevor, you know, it’s pretty much been documented [that] he’s kind of been our savior,” Fox says.

“We’ve pitched him a lot, but I think it’s confidence, it’s his senior year. He’s much more relaxed, and he’s always seemed to have a lot of fun.”

Team chemistry has been a major strength for the Diamond Heels in 2015. (UNC Athletics)

Team chemistry has been a major strength for the Diamond Heels in 2015. (UNC Athletics)

With the final weeks of the season approaching, everyone in the clubhouse is trying to maintain a “game by game” attitude, but Zac Gallen has made it clear that there is a bigger goal behind all of the clichés.

“Our big goal is Omaha, but you know, right now we’re just taking it game by game, just trying to win every game, win every inning,” Gallen says.

The Tar Heels path to Omaha will resume on Tuesday when they host UNC-Asheville at Boshamer Stadium, with first pitch set for 6 p.m.

2015 Statistical Leaders:

Batting Average: Brian Miller (freshman designated hitter)- .327

Home Runs: Korey Dunbar (junior catcher), Skye Bolt (junior center-fielder)- tied with six apiece

RBI: Tyler Ramirez (sophomore right-fielder)- 33

On-base Percentage: Joe Dudek (sophomore first baseman)- .478

Pitching ERA: Hunter Williams (freshman mid-week starting pitcher)- 1.96

Pitching Record: Benton Moss (senior weekend starting pitcher)- 6-0 (with a 2.77 ERA)

Pitching Appearances: Trevor Kelley (senior relief pitcher)- 32