The hottest college baseball team in the land? They may reside in Chapel Hill.
The Diamond Heels completed an unbeaten ACC Tournament run Sunday afternoon in Charlotte, scoring six runs in the second inning to defeat rival NC State, 9-5. It’s Carolina’s eighth ACC Tournament title and its first since 2019. The final out was recorded just minutes after the UNC women’s lacrosse team won its third national championship in Baltimore.
As has been the case throughout UNC’s late-season surge, it was the bats at the top of the lineup which did major damage all day. Angel Zarate, Danny Serretti and Vance Honeycutt combined for six hits, with Honeycutt hitting home runs in consecutive at-bats in the first and second innings. His first gave Carolina the lead after falling behind 1-0, while his second scored both Zarate and Serretti to punctuate a six-run second. Zarate and Serretti had each contributed RBI hits earlier in the frame.
Honeycutt’s two home runs give him 21 on the season. Combined with the freshman phenom’s 28 stolen bases, he is the first 20-20 player in program history and submits a compelling case for ACC Freshman of the Year honors. He was named ACC Tournament MVP, clubbing four home runs across the entire event.
Mac Horvath scored UNC’s ninth and final run on a wild pitch in the fourth, which was more than enough support for starting pitcher Max Carlson. Carlson, who was pitching on four days rest, gave head coach Scott Forbes five solid innings, allowing three runs on six hits to earn his third win of the season. Nik Pry, Shawn Rapp, Connor Bovair and Davis Palermo combined to allow just two runs on five hits over the remaining four innings.
The win puts a bow on a remarkable turnaround for Carolina, who sat at 23-17 and likely outside the NCAA Tournament picture not long ago. Now, winners of 15 of 17 games and with a conference title to boot, the Tar Heels are almost assured of hosting a regional and have an outside shot at a top 8 seed, meaning UNC would be in line to host a super regional at Boshamer Stadium.
Forbes now has his first conference title since assuming head coaching duties in 2021 and fourth overall with the program. The Tar Heels now head back to Chapel Hill, hardware in tow, to await their seeding assignment in the NCAA Selection Show. The show will take place Monday at noon on ESPN2.
Featured image via Inside Carolina
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