Tag: Alex Madera

Chapel Hill Regional hero Alex Madera praises Boshamer Stadium crowd

Just how loud was the Boshamer Stadium crowd Monday night? Ask Alex Madera, who drove in the game-winning run.

I still can’t get over how the UNC baseball team came back and beat LSU on Monday night, closing out the Chapel Hill Regional with a dramatic, 4-3 victory.

The ability to comeback typically isn’t an issue for North Carolina, given how hot their bats are swinging. Vance Honeycutt, Parks Harber and Casey Cook can mash a home run at any time, but virtually everyone in the Diamond Heels’ lineup is a threat, as the above three and Anthony Donofrio, Alex Madera and Friday night hero Gavin Gallaher all sport batting averages over .300.

That wasn’t the case on Monday night.

After UNC scored two quick runs in the first inning, its bats went ice-cold. North Carolina managed just two hits over the second-eighth innings, while the defending College World Series champion Tigers came back for a 3-2 lead in the third.

Every team needs clutch hitting, though, which the Diamond Heels provided plenty of in the ninth and 10th innings.

UNC starting shortstop Colby Wilkerson battled back from an 0-2 count, singling to left field and tying the game at three in the ninth.

In the top of the 10th (we agree, it’s weird North Carolina was the visiting team), Diamond Heels starting second baseman Alex Madera drove a hard ground ball into center field for a 4-3 lead, practically causing Boshamer Stadium to shake. UNC held on to win by that same score, advancing it to the Super Regionals against West Virginia.

What’s wild to think, though, is Madera wasn’t even in Chapel Hill at this time last year.

He was playing at Division-III Arcadia University in Pennsylvania, where crowds paled in comparison to The Bosh.

“It’s incredible,” Madera said about the Boshamer Staduium crowd on Monday night. “There’s nothing like it. You know, obviously at a small Division III school, you’re playing in front of maybe 100, 200 people max. It’s all families mainly. Nobody’s really getting into it that much. Just to hear that tonight, it was it was incredible.”

If Madera thought Monday night’s crowd was wild, imagine how hectic this Friday and Saturday will be, as North Carolina will be playing for its first College World Series berth since 2018.

Can Madera provide more heroics in the next round?

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

Colby Wilkerson, Alex Madera deliver the clutch hitting UNC needed in Monday’s win

UNC baseball players Colby Wilkerson and Alex Madera are heroes amongst everyone in Tar Heel Nation.

The UNC baseball team appeared well on its way to a blowout victory in Monday Night’s Chapel Hill Regional Final against defending national champion LSU, scoring two quick runs in the first inning on a bases-loaded walk and a double-play groundout.

North Carolina could’ve easily added more insurance runs, but hitters decided to be aggressive early in the count – a head-scratching choice after Tiger pitchers struggled with control.

The LSU bats then wasted no time jumping on star UNC freshman pitcher Jason DeCaro, tying the winner-take-all contest on a second-inning home run from standout freshman Jake Brown. Thanks to a Jared Jones home run, the Tigers then took a 3-2 lead in the following inning.

Given how the Diamond Heels started Monday’s game offensively, surely they would rebound and showcase a hitting barrage.

North Carolina didn’t threaten much at all after LSU took the lead – until it was crunch time.

Starting UNC shortstop Colby Wilkerson battled back from a 1-out, 0-2 count against Gage Jump in the ninth inning, tying the game at three on a single to left field.

In the top of the 10th (we agree, it’s weird the Diamond Heels are visitors in their own stadium), facing a 3-2, 2-out count, starting second baseman Alex Madera gave North Carolina the lead when he drove a hard ground ball into center field.

Pandemonium then ensued in Chapel Hill and – in the next half inning – star UNC closer Dalton Pence baited Josh Pearson into a game-ending flyout.

In two desperate situations when the Diamond Heels needed runs, the last two hitters in their lineup came through.

Thanks to Wilkerson and Madera, North Carolina will now host West Virginia this coming weekend in a Super Regional.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

Diamond Heels advance to Super Regionals, come back and beat reigning champs in extras

UNC and LSU provided the college baseball world with an instant classic during Monday night’s Chapel Hill Regional Final.

The UNC baseball team was three outs away from elimination in its own NCAA Tournament Regional on Monday night.

LSU’s bullpen was mowing through the Diamond Heels’ star-studded lineup, which included the powerful bats of Vance Honeycutt, Casey Cook and Parks Harber. North Carolina only managed two hits after the first inning, with both coming against star Tigers reliver Will Hellmers.

Tar Heel Nation hoped, but didn’t necessarily expect based on how Monday’s game went, for what happened in the ninth and 10th innings.

Colby Wilkerson drove in Friday night hero Gavin Gallaher to tie the game at three in the ninth inning, Alex Madera drove in pinch-runner Jackson Van De Brake during the 10th for the go-ahead run, then Dalton Pence – North Carolina’s star closer, baited LSU slugger Josh Pearson into a game-ending flyout that advanced UNC to the Super Regionals with a 4-3 victory.

The Diamond Heels will now host West Virginia, which went 3-0 in the Tuscon Regional, this coming weekend.

With North Carolina facing a 3-2 deficit in the top of the ninth (weird, we know), Gallaher found another clutch hit in his bat with a lead-off double. Madera then struck out by bunting a 1-2 pitch just foul, then Wilkerson worked his way back from an 0-2 count to drive in Gallaher.

Pence then worked around a Hayden Travinski single in the ninth, striking out Paxton Kling to end the Tigers’ threat.

Gage Jump, normally a starter for the Tigers, got two quick outs to start the 10th. UNC pinch-hitter Johnny Castagnozzi mashed a two-out pitch to right field, Jump intentionally walked Gallaher, then Madera drove in Van De Brake for the go-ahead run.

It wouldn’t be a Diamond Heels game without a little final-inning drama. Pence recorded two quick outs, walked Jared Jones, then Honeycutt caught a towering fly ball from Josh Pearson to send Chapel Hill into pandemonium.

On a night where North Carolina pitching excelled, it was the hitting that found a way to come through in crunch time.

As a result, UNC will be hosting a Super Regional for the second time in three years.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

UNC baseball edges out LIU in thrilling Chapel Hill Regional

The University of North Carolina held off the Sharks to win 11-8 in a thrilling Chapel Hill Regional opener.

Who knew Sharks could be so dangerous? Well, the University of North Carolina baseball program found that out early during their first game of the Chapel Hill Regional. 

The Tar Heels needed a walk-off grand slam from freshman Gavin Gallaher to escape a big upset bd in the bottom of the ninth. After UNC gave up the lead in the top half of the inning, they found themselves down three with three outs to go.

And then one of their talented freshmen delivered the big swing for a 11-8 win.

The game had its ups and downs for the Diamond Heels, grabbing an early lead, losing it, re-grabbing the lead and then relinquishing it back up. In fact, it was not looking good for a lot of it.

Pitcher [autotag]Jason DeCaro[/autotag] got the start, becoming the third freshman since 1999 to start a Regional opener, and despite looking to be in control, things would soon explode. After taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning, it felt like easy sailing for UNC, however, the third inning showed otherwise. The Long Island Sharks attacked, put three runs on the board, and officially put UNC on their heels. 

The Tar Heels did start to answer back in the fourth inning with a sweet homer by [autotag]Gavin Gallaher[/autotag].

Panic would creep in with UNC struggling to put up runs, only scoring that one in the fourth, and finding themselves down 3-2 heading into the sixth. However, in Tar Heel fashion, UNC surged back, tying the game with a Gallaher double, before [autotag]Alex Madera[/autotag] stepped up to the plate adding two more runs. 

LIU did muster up another run in the eighth, but the damage appeared to be done until it wasn’t… Instead of finishing the job, UNC added more work to their plate after allowing four runs in the ninth inning to go down 8-5 before the Gallaher heroics.

Next up for the UNC is a date against the LSU Tigers as they look to get a one-game advantage. The two teams will face off Saturday at 5 p.m., with the winner taking on whoever wins between LIU and Wofford.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.