Baseball Cruises Down I-85 To Face Clemson

Friday, April 10

Clemson, S.C.

6 PM

North Carolina

Clemson

Photo by: AINSLEY E. FAUTH

April 9, 2026 | Baseball

By: William Soulé

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The Diamond Heels travel southwest along I-85 for their third ACC road series of the season where they will face off with Clemson in Doug Kingsmore Stadium. It will be the first time since 2023 that the two teams have squared off in the regular season, splitting their last two meetings in the ACC Tournament in '23 and '25.

These two programs have defended their own turf well. The home team has won the last 12 non-neutral site games between them. The last game won by an away team was an 8-7 win for the Heels in 2015. The last time either team won the series on the road was a Carolina sweep in Clemson in 2012.

SCHEDULE
Game 1: Friday, Apr. 6 – 4 PM – ACCNX – Live Stats
Game 2: Saturday, Apr. 7 – 2 PM - ACCNX – Live Stats
Game 3: Sunday, Apr. 8 – 1 PM - ESPN2 – Live Stats

No. 6 North Carolina Tar Heels (25-5-1)(11-4 ACC)
Head Coach: Scott Forbes
Record at UNC: 228-109-1
Record vs. Clemson: 5-4

Clemson Tigers (22-12)(4-8 ACC)
Head Coach: Erik Bakich
Record at Clemson: 155-65
Record vs. UNC: 4-1

PROJECTED STARTERS
Friday: RHP Jason DeCaro vs. RHP Aidan Knaak
Saturday: RHP Ryan Lynch vs. LHP Michael Sharman
Sunday: LHP Folger Boaz vs. RHP Drew Titsworth

SERIES HISTORY
All-Time: CLEM 106-97-1
Current Streak: W1
Chapel Hill: 50-37-1
Away: 32-53
Neutral Site: 15-16
First Meeting: 1901

CONTROLLED THE CONTEST AGAINST CHARLOTTE
➤ Five runs in the second inning allowed Carolina baseball to control the game in an 8-4 win over Charlotte.
➤ Outside of a ninth inning blip that gave the 49ers some consolation, the Heels' pitching staff was stellar once again in keeping their opponents at arm's length. Prior to that final frame, Jackson Rose, Camron Seagraves, and Tom Chmielewski combined to hold Charlotte to just four hits and one run while striking out seven.
➤ Chmielewski put together his longest outing as a Tar Heel with 3.1 IP with two hits, one run, two punchouts and no walks. He is the 10th UNC pitcher to eclipse the 3.0 innings pitched mark in a game, showing off the depth of weapons head coach Scott Forbes has to choose from.
➤ Gavin Gallaher and Colin Hynek led the way at the plate, each contributing a pair of hits and RBIs. The duo bookended the scoring run in the bottom of the second with RBI doubles.

DYNAMITE BEHIND THE DISH
➤ Carolina's dynamic duo at catcher have been elite offensively and defensively, living up to the billing Coach Forbes gave as the best one-two punches behind the plate since Cody Roberts and current undergrdaute assistant Brandon Martorano in '17/'18.
➤ Through 34 games, Winslow and Hynek have allowed just 10 steals on 16 attempts. It's the fewest stolen bases surrendered in that amount of games for UNC since 2008 and tied for the least this century.
➤ 16 attempts is the least faced since as far back as our stats go to 1998.
➤ Carolina also leads the ACC in SBA by a wide margin. Pitt has the second fewest with 24.
➤ And its not like they've only faced teams that don't run. Louisville and Boston College, who currently sit 2nd and 3rd in attempts in the ACC with 184 between them, went a combined 1-2 against the Heels.
➤ It was BC's only blank weekend of 2026 and the fewest for Lousiville since 2024.

GLOBE LIFE
➤ True freshman Caden Glauber (nicknamed "Globe" by his teammates) has quickly emerged as a go-to arm for Forbes and his staff.
➤ The barely 18 year old, who should still be getting ready for his senior prom right about now, leads the relievers in innings pitched, strikeouts, and saves.
➤ Forbes has described him as a "future Friday guy" with elite velocity for a kid his age, topping out at 97. He's the only Carolina pitcher that has cracked the top-25 hardest pitches thrown by the team this year that isn't named Ryan Lynch.
➤ His performance has turned some heads on the national stage, earning him a spot on Baseball America's Freshman of the Year Watch List.
➤ UNC has a reputation for trusting young arms (see below). DeCaro also graduated high school early.

LAST TIME WAS FOR A TITLE
➤ In the most recent matchup against the Tigers, the two teams were playing for the right to be called champions of the conference.
➤ A 14-4 win gave Carolina its ninth ACC Tournament title in program history and second under Forbes.
➤ UNC's offense exploded to amass the program's largest ever margin of victory in a title game. Every single starter for the Heels scored as the bats erupted for 13 hits, three doubles, and three home runs.
➤ Captain Jackson Van De Brake led the way with five RBIs on two hits highlighted by a three-run bomb as part of a eight-run fifth inning for Carolina.
➤ Freshman Ryan Lynch made his first collegiate start and was exceptional on a huge stage, throwing 4.0 IP of shutout work with seven strikeouts and just two hits.