Baseball Completes Sweep of Cal

Sunday, March 15

Berkeley, Calif.

4 PM ET

North Carolina

17-3-1

Cal

13-7

North Carolina

California

Photo by: AINSLEY E. FAUTH

March 15, 2026 | Baseball

Box Score

By: William Soulé

BERKELEY, Calif. – Consistent offense and shutdown pitching from North Carolina baseball combined for a dominant win, 10-2, to cap off a series sweep of Cal on Sunday afternoon in Stu Gordon Stadium.

The No. 15 Tar Heels (17-3-1, 4-2 ACC) picked up their first conference sweep of 2026, outscoring the Golden Bears 14-5 across the weekend. Ironically, Wake Forest represents the team's last conference sweep (April, 2025) and their most recent road sweep (March, 2024).

The Carolina bats did not let off the gas in the finale with the series already secured. The Heels scored in six of the nine frames on the day, including four straight from the second to the fifth to ensure they controlled the game throughout.

Ten different players reached safely as UNC racked up 10 hits and 11 walks. The visiting Heels had double-digit hits in all three games of the series.

Macon Winslow led the way for the explosive group that totaled six extra base hits on Sunday. Winslow, who served in the designated hitter spot today, had a double and a home run with three RBIs and a walk.

Colin Hynek and Erik Paulsen made it a multi-home run game for Carolina with solo shots in the second and fifth respectively. Hynek's line drive just cleared the outfield wall, originally ruled a triple before an umpire's conference and video review confirmed it left the yard.

In the fourth, Cooper Nicholson picked up his double down the left field line to put two in scoring position for Carter French. The former walk-on would then step up and smack his first career triple down the other basepath to score them both.

French, starting in right field for all three games against the Golden Bears, earlier in the game had converted a double play by snagging a fly out and throwing out the runner on first. Carolina got elite defense from its outfielders all weekend, as all three starters provided a double play alongside a litany of impressive snags. The effort further proved why they're one of the most formidable defensive units in the country.

The arms for the Tar Heels were just as good as the support they were provided. Starter Folger Boaz went 4.1 innings surrendering just one run on four hits while punching out three.

Walker McDuffie and Matthew Matthijs followed him in relief, combining for 3.2 shutout frames and five strikeouts. McDuffie picked up the win, his fourth of the year, already surpassing his total from a stellar freshman season.

The Tar Heels will return to friendly confines of Boshamer Stadium next weekend for another ACC series when they host Louisville.