Carolina baseball has again earned the easiest route to Omaha.
The Mike Fox era of Tar Heel baseball has made Carolina synonymous with the College World Series. Fox’s program has been there seven times, losing twice in the championship game or series. Before Fox’s return to his alma mater, UNC had been to Omaha just four times, and back then it seemed nearly impossible.
Carolina cracked the code after winning the super regional in 2006 at Alabama. From then on, it seemed easier although Fox was having more sustained success in recruiting than any of his predecessors. That made the goals of challenging for the ACC championship and holding a national ranking attainable.
Because that’s the code.
Do that and, with 16 regional sites in the first round of the NCAA tournament, you are almost guaranteed to play at home the first weekend. The Tar Heels earned their third straight regional at the Bosh while wrapping up the NCAA tourney bid after blitzing a Georgia Tech team they will likely see again for the ACC title.
Playing at home the first weekend doesn’t guarantee anything. Remember the Diamond Heels losing two games to Davidson in Chapel Hill and cleaning out their lockers? But with a UNC-W opponent they have already beaten twice and a Liberty nine they split games with this season, the odds are good.
Most coaches would rather talk about building a program than building a team, and Mike Fox has done that. Years ago, UNC had standout players but it wasn’t a recruiting destination like it is today. And when the first pitch is thrown, the current players now have a legacy to maintain, and with that comes a distinct goal.
Win enough games overall, finish high enough in the ACC and hold a national ranking all season. There can be some blips along the way, and the current Tar Heels certainly had some from losing their first four ACC games and then ending the regular season with two lopsided losses to N.C. State.
Their post-season hopes were dimming but they recovered by playing their best baseball through the ACC tournament. And now they get to start the diamond dance at home, and maybe even stay home on another road to Omaha.
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