University of North Carolina Athletics
Lucas: ACC Baseball Rapid Reactions
May 24, 2026 | Baseball, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
Quick takeaways from the ACC baseball championship.
By Adam Lucas
1. Georgia Tech outslugged Carolina, 13-6, to win the ACC baseball championship in Charlotte on Sunday.
2. The overwhelming takeaway from this game: these are two of the best three or four teams in the country. The Jackets and Tar Heels played four games this year (all in the state of North Carolina) and the combined run differential was three runs in those four games. Both these teams go into Memorial Day exactly where they want to be: in contention for a spot in the College World Series.
3. Keep in mind the ACC tournament has almost zero bearing on how a team fares in the NCAA Tournament. The last time Carolina won the ACC Tournament and advanced to Omaha was over a decade ago (2013). Of Carolina's eight CWS appearances this century, only two were paired with an ACC Tournament title.
4. Carolina's starting pitchers had an uncharacteristic weekend in Charlotte. The three UNC starters--Jason DeCaro, Ryan Lynch and Folger Boaz--threw a combined 10 innings and allowed a combined 12 earned runs, with 22 hits and seven walks allowed in those ten innings. Tech's offense is one of the best in the country. But the Heels will need more length from their starters to make a deep postseason run.
5. The flip side, though, is that the Tar Heels have two elite bullpen arms who can get outs at any juncture of the game against any hitters in the game. Walker McDuffie and Caden Glauber are weapons; figuring out how to best deploy them will be a big part of Carolina's postseason success.
6. At the same time the starting pitchers are going through a rough patch, the offense appears to be postseason-ready. The Heels scored 29 runs in three games in Charlotte. Pounding out 22 hits in the win over Pitt on Saturday marked UNC's most hits in a game since 2010.Â
7. Owen Hull continues to key those offensive exploits. The center fielder has driven in 18 runs in his last seven games and hit over .400 this weekend.
8. And while Hull is the headliner, one notable development in Charlotte was the emergence of Rom Kellis V. He homered twice on Saturday and also drove in a pair of runs on Sunday. In a place in the UNC lineup where there has been some fluidity, Kellis V is in position to claim that spot going into NCAA play.
9. The other consistent factor for Carolina: the defense has been excellent. The Heels made just one error in three games (it was by a pitcher) and utilized key double plays to beat both Virginia Tech and Pitt. Entering Sunday, Carolina's .981 was the tenth-best fielding percentage in the country.
10. Keep in mind that Carolina's pitching "issues" are relative and were most noticeable against one of the best offenses in the country. If the Tar Heels can continue to hit and play defense the way they did in Charlotte, they won't need shutout pitching to advance through next weekend. They'll just need to throw strikes and judiciously use the dynamic Glauber and McDuffie in the right spots.
11. What now? Host sites will be announced this evening and barring a stunning surprise, Chapel Hill will host a baseball regional next weekend. The NCAA baseball tournament field will be announced during the selection show Monday at noon. Postseason baseball at Boshamer Stadium is one of the best settings in Carolina sports. Season ticket holders and Rams Club members will, as always, have priority access for tickets. Other ticket information will be released this week.
1. Georgia Tech outslugged Carolina, 13-6, to win the ACC baseball championship in Charlotte on Sunday.
2. The overwhelming takeaway from this game: these are two of the best three or four teams in the country. The Jackets and Tar Heels played four games this year (all in the state of North Carolina) and the combined run differential was three runs in those four games. Both these teams go into Memorial Day exactly where they want to be: in contention for a spot in the College World Series.
3. Keep in mind the ACC tournament has almost zero bearing on how a team fares in the NCAA Tournament. The last time Carolina won the ACC Tournament and advanced to Omaha was over a decade ago (2013). Of Carolina's eight CWS appearances this century, only two were paired with an ACC Tournament title.
4. Carolina's starting pitchers had an uncharacteristic weekend in Charlotte. The three UNC starters--Jason DeCaro, Ryan Lynch and Folger Boaz--threw a combined 10 innings and allowed a combined 12 earned runs, with 22 hits and seven walks allowed in those ten innings. Tech's offense is one of the best in the country. But the Heels will need more length from their starters to make a deep postseason run.
5. The flip side, though, is that the Tar Heels have two elite bullpen arms who can get outs at any juncture of the game against any hitters in the game. Walker McDuffie and Caden Glauber are weapons; figuring out how to best deploy them will be a big part of Carolina's postseason success.
6. At the same time the starting pitchers are going through a rough patch, the offense appears to be postseason-ready. The Heels scored 29 runs in three games in Charlotte. Pounding out 22 hits in the win over Pitt on Saturday marked UNC's most hits in a game since 2010.Â
7. Owen Hull continues to key those offensive exploits. The center fielder has driven in 18 runs in his last seven games and hit over .400 this weekend.
8. And while Hull is the headliner, one notable development in Charlotte was the emergence of Rom Kellis V. He homered twice on Saturday and also drove in a pair of runs on Sunday. In a place in the UNC lineup where there has been some fluidity, Kellis V is in position to claim that spot going into NCAA play.
9. The other consistent factor for Carolina: the defense has been excellent. The Heels made just one error in three games (it was by a pitcher) and utilized key double plays to beat both Virginia Tech and Pitt. Entering Sunday, Carolina's .981 was the tenth-best fielding percentage in the country.
10. Keep in mind that Carolina's pitching "issues" are relative and were most noticeable against one of the best offenses in the country. If the Tar Heels can continue to hit and play defense the way they did in Charlotte, they won't need shutout pitching to advance through next weekend. They'll just need to throw strikes and judiciously use the dynamic Glauber and McDuffie in the right spots.
11. What now? Host sites will be announced this evening and barring a stunning surprise, Chapel Hill will host a baseball regional next weekend. The NCAA baseball tournament field will be announced during the selection show Monday at noon. Postseason baseball at Boshamer Stadium is one of the best settings in Carolina sports. Season ticket holders and Rams Club members will, as always, have priority access for tickets. Other ticket information will be released this week.
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