Carolina has had an even more glorious baseball past than you would think in its more than 150 years playing.

Granted, the Mike Fox era with so many trips (7) to the College World Series and coming home with no titles is a little bit of a black mark.

But if you read Jody Jones’ piece on GoHeels.com about those regional runs, you get a new perspective on it.

Having had six Super Regionals in Chapel Hill and winning three, and often facing strong teams from the Southeastern Conference, makes this weekend’s best of three against Arkansas seem so familiar.

Jones’ story takes readers from the weekends in Columbia and Tuscaloosa, where the Diamond Heels were almost uninvited guests until winning on the second on two dramatic Chad Flack home runs, to becoming ranked and highly seeded contenders almost every year after that.

It was also remindful of winning regionals in 1978 and ’89 on SEC ball fields, but who would know that post-season trend would be regular?

Jones goes back and quotes Coach Fox and several of the players instrumental in those victories, some who went on to play professionally but still considered them special moments in their baseball lives.

The 2022 Tar Heels don’t have the cache of past super regional entries, largely due to a mid-season slump. And the Razorbacks are another of the SEC teams with talent throughout the lineup and pitching staff.

But UNC has a chance to do what they haven’t done since 2018, and do it with another packed home stadium. Follow that journey with Jones’ well-researched recent history of Carolina baseball.

As he writes, getting there doesn’t guarantee anything, but it is necessary if the Diamond Heels hope to repeat past glories and maybe even take it a step further.

 

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications/Joe Bray

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our biweekly newsletter.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Related Stories
‹
All About Oklahoma: What to Know About UNC Baseball's National Championship Opponent
The Diamond Heels will face Oklahoma in the best-of-three national championship series at the Men's College World Series in Omaha.
UNC Baseball in the 2026 College World Series: How to Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Start Times
The Diamond Heels will continue to compete at the Men's College World Series in Omaha this week against West Virginia.
The Omaha Diaries, Day 3: The Center of the Universe
In the third edition of The Omaha Diaries, Michael Koh describes the pregame scene outside Charles Schwab Field Friday afternoon.
Who Are the Teams on UNC Baseball's Side of the College World Series Bracket?
The Diamond Heels will play their second game of the Men's College World Series Sunday at 7 p.m. against West Virginia.
'Let's Don't Be Happy': UNC Baseball Adopting 'Business Trip' Mentality at College World Series
The Diamond Heels are bringing a businesslike approach to the Men's College World Series in Omaha this weekend.
UNC-USC Most Watched Super Regional Game On Record, ESPN Says
Approximately 1.3 million people watched the Diamond Heels walk off USC at Boshamer Stadium Sunday, according to ESPN.
'The O Zone': Inside UNC Baseball's Season-Saving Super Regional Comeback
Hear from the heroes of the day as they describe the Diamond Heels' game-winning rally in the ninth inning of the NCAA Super Regionals.
Owen Hull's Walk-Off Delivers UNC Baseball to College World Series
Owen Hull's walk-off hit in the bottom of the ninth helped the Diamond Heels overcome a 3-2 deficit entering the inning and win 4-3.
UNC Baseball in the 2026 NCAA Super Regionals: How to Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Start Times
The Diamond Heels will host an NCAA Super Regional at Boshamer Stadium for the third consecutive year this weekend. UNC will face USC in a three-game series, with the winner punching its ticket to the Men’s College World Series in Omaha. If you aren’t attending the games in person, here’s how to follow along at […]
Ahead of NCAA Super Regionals, UNC Baseball Fueled by Disappointment of 2025
It had been 24 hours since his team’s season had ended in heartbreaking fashion, and Scott Forbes was already laying the groundwork for another successful year. The UNC baseball head coach hosted a sought-after transfer portal recruit in Chapel Hill a day after losing to Arizona in Game 3 of the Chapel Hill Super Regional […]
›