Tag: NCAA Baseball Tournament

Matt Poston’s perfection plays a major role in UNC’s Game 1 Chapel Hill Super Regional win

Matt Poston played arguably the largest role in helping UNC win Game 1 of its own Super Regional Friday night.

UNC relief pitcher Matt Poston deserves his flowers for North Carolina’s come-from-behind, 8-6 victory over West Virginia Friday night in Game 1 of the Chapel Hill Super Regional.

After Ben Peterson hit both Mountaineer batters to open the seventh inning, Poston came on in relief. West Virginia carried a 6-4 lead and was threatening to break the game open. Kyle West was already enjoying a career night for the Mountaineers, which included two of his team’s three home runs, so there wasn’t a lot of optimism in Chapel Hill.

What Poston did next was simply amazing.

Exactly a week after struggling in relief against Long Island University during the Chapel Hill Regional, Poston pitched three perfect innings and struck out four Mountaineers, nabbing his fifth win of the year.

Not only did Poston save a rough inning from Peterson, but a rough start from Diamond Heels pitchers in general.

Game 1 starter Shea Sprague appeared to be cruising through the West Virginia lineup, striking out six batters, but he gave up four runs on seven hits in five innings.

UNC wins leader Matthew Matthijs relieved Sprague and lasted an inning, but he gave up a home run to West.

In watching Poston’s postgame interview, you can tell he was relieved to have a bounce-back outing Friday.

Poston’s fifth victory tied him with freshman ace Jason DeCaro for second-most amongst North Carolina hurlers.

I imagine Poston does not pitch much tonight in Game 2, but if head coach Scott Forbes needs Poston, I’m sure he’ll be ready to go.

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Vance Honeycutt’s walk-off home run puts UNC one win away from College World Series

Vance Honeycutt is UNC’s best hitter. He delivered on Friday night to help North Carolina win Game 1 of the Chapel Hill Super Regional.

Vance Honeycutt said it best in his postgame interview – there was some major Bosh Magic during the Chapel Hill Super Regional opener on Friday night against West Virginia.

Just like Monday night against LSU, the Diamond Heels trailed by a run entering the ninth inning. Mountaineers ace Derek Clark, despite allowing a 4-spot to UNC in the third inning, was mowing down the North Carolina lineup.

Up stepped star Diamond Heels catcher Luke Stevenson, hoping to finally solve Clark.

Stevenson did exactly that, launching Clark’s first pitch in the bottom of the ninth over the center field fence – barely over the outstretched glove of Skylar King.

Three batters later, Honeycutt ended the night with a bomb of his own.

Facing a 3-1 count from Aidan Major, Honeycutt launched the baseball well over the left field wall for an 8-6, walk-off victory that put North Carolina one victory away from the College World Series.

 

Honeycutt’s blast was one of three on the night for UNC. Stevenson blasted the game-tying shot to start the ninth, but before that, Colby Wilkerson mashed his third home run of the season in the seventh inning.

Parks Harber gave the Diamond Heels a 3-1 lead in the third, grounding a 3-run single up the middle. Gallagher extended the UNC lead to 4-1 with a single shortly after.

Kyle West, who struggled big-time entering the Super Regional, tortured the North Carolina pitching with two home runs and a single.

It was the Diamond Heel pitching, specifically Matt Poston, that won out in the end. Poston, who struggled during the Regional Round, hurled three perfect innings with four strikeouts to end the game.

With a combination of clutch hitting and shutdown pitching, UNC is one win away from its first College World Series appearance since 2018.

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Texas A&M vs. Oregon College Station Super Regional game time, broadcast info announced

Here is the official game time and broadcast station for Texas A&M’s Super Regional matchup vs. Oregon

Texas A&M (47-13) has emerged as the victor from the College Station Regional with a perfect 3-0 record, defeating Grambling, Texas, and Louisiana in three days. This impressive performance has set the stage for an exciting clash with Oregon.

The Aggies, led by head coach Jim Schlossnagle, are set to defend their home turf in the Super Regional Round. This marks their second appearance in the Supers in three seasons, a testament to their consistent performance. Notably, this is Schlossnagle’s most talented team since his departure from TCU before the 2022 season, adding an extra layer of anticipation to the event.

However, the Ducks may have been the underdog in the Santa Barbara Regional. Still, they also went undefeated on the weekend, easily making their way to the next round for the second consecutive season. On paper, this could be one of the more exciting matchups on the weekend.

After recording 13 hits and five home runs against Louisiana, coupled with elite pitching performances from Shane Sdao and Chris Cortez, Texas A&M has reached a state of momentum. It is looking to match what the Ducks could bring to the table.

Game times are set, as Texas A&M vs. Oregon will start on Saturday, June 8 at 1:00 p.m. CT., while Game 2 is set for Sunday, June 9 at 6:30 p.m. CT., while both games will air on ESPN2. Game 3’s (if necessary) time has yet to be announced.

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Sooners eliminated from NCAA Tournament after 7-1 loss to UConn

Oklahoma Sooners season comes to an end after 7-1 loss to UCONN in regional title game

Monday was a rough day for both Oklahoma sports teams on the diamond. While the ladies of the softball team lost at the hands of Florida, the baseball team had their own business to tend to.

The mission was straightforward: Win and move on to the Super Regionals to face the Florida State Seminoles.

However, things didn’t go nearly as planned. The UConn Huskies, winners of the Big East regular-season crown, laid waste to the Sooners in Norman to punch their ticket to Tallahassee.

Carson Atwood received the start for the Sooners, while the Huskies sent out DIII transfer Gabe Van Emon to start things in the winner-take-all game.

After keeping the Huskies off the board first, the Sooners opened up the bottom of the first, looking to strike first and capture some serious momentum.

John Spikerman led the inning off with a single up the middle before Bryce Madron worked a walk. An Easton Carmichael double play followed and UConn coach Jim Penders decided to intentionally walk Michael Snyder. Snyder has terrorized opposing pitching staffs in the regional, which led to a Jaxon Willits ground out and the end of the inning.

What started as a promising half-inning fizzled out big time. That was virtually the game for the Sooners.

Both teams were held scoreless until the fourth inning, when things came apart for the Sooners.

Korey Morton cranked a two-run homer over the fence in left-center to put the Huskies out in front. Catcher Scott Mudler made a critical throwing error to complete what would have been a strikeout and the third out of the inning. The ball rolled to the wall on the right field, and Tyler Minnick raced around to third base.

After Skip Johnson relieved Arwood, he brought in Carter Campbell, who promptly gave up a two-run homer. The Huskies lead doubled to 4-0.

After connecting on a couple of singles, in the bottom half of the inning, OU remained scoreless. They couldn’t put together the big hit when needed.

Luke Broadhurst and Korey Morton delivered RBI singles for UConn later in the game to make it 6-0 and that pretty much decided the game.

Van Emon, hardly a flamethrower, used well-located breaking pitches to keep the Sooners off balance. His defense behind him, by far the best defensive unit in this region and the best defensive team OU has played all season, kept dazzling with spectacular plays and made the routine ones look routine. He pitched 7.1 shutout innings, allowed five hits, and walked just two batters en route to the win.

A dynamic offense like Oklahoma’s just ran into bad luck, and a much-improved pitching unit had one of its least effective outings in quite some time. Throw in some defensive miscues by the Sooners, and you will get the result.

With the loss, OU’s season comes to an ends. The Sooners will have quite a few returners but lose some valuable pieces as they leap to the SEC next season. There will be multiple decisions to make, and Skip Johnson and his staff will have to use the transfer portal to fill in gaps along the way.

Johnson and this team were a much-improved group, winning a Big 12 regular season title and earning a top 16 national seed. It’s not the way anyone expected the season to end, but OU shouldn’t hang its head. They put together a terrific season.

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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.

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Kevin Seitter pitches the Ducks into the Super Regionals

Oregon starter Kevin Seitter pitches an absolute gem to send the Ducks into the Super Regionals.

It took a grand total of 128 pitches, but Oregon’s Kevin Seitter pitched the game of his life to send the Oregon Ducks to the Super Regionals with a 3-0 win over Santa Barbara.

Oregon will now go to College Station, Texas to face Texas A&M with a trip to the College World Series in Omaha on the line.

The Ducks went a perfect 3-0 in the Santa Barbara Regional with a win over San Diego and two straight wins over the host Gauchos. These two losses were the only losses UCSB suffered at home this season.

Oregon gave Seitter a run right away in the first when Drew Smith singled to left to score Mason Neville from second base for the early 1-0 lead. It stayed that way until the fifth as Neville singled to center to chase home Bryce Boettcher and it was 2-0 Ducks.

As it turned out, that was more than enough for Seitter on the mound. He went the entire way for the complete game shut out. He gave up just four hits and struck out seven. Two of those hits came in the ninth inning. Before that last frame, the Gauchos didn’t have a runner reach second base. That’s how dominant Seitter was.

Just for good measure, Jacob Walsh tied the single-season home run record in the seventh inning with his 18th blast of the year. He equals Sabin Ceballos’ mark from last season with a bomb to right-center.

Things got a bit tense in the ninth after Seitter got the first two batters out. Aaron Parker and Zander Darby singled to put runners on the corners. But Seitter bore down and struck out Jonah Sebring to end the game and to let the celebration begin.

Shaky pitching, runners left on base pushes UNC baseball to brink of elimination in NCAA Tournament

A day after locking down LSU in a 4-run victory, the UNC pitching staff struggled in Sunday night’s loss.

The North Carolina Tar Heels’ pitching staff locked down a loaded LSU lineup on Saturday evening.

A day after allowing the LIU Sharks to score eight runs, including five in the final two innings, UNC pitchers held the defending champion Tigers to just two runs – both on bases-loaded walks.

Simply put – to advance and host its first Super Regional in two years, the Diamond Heels would have to excel on the mound. Starting pitching has been up-and-down all year, but the like of Matthew Matthijs and Dalton Pence give the North Carolina bullpen two reliable arms.

Starting pitching doomed UNC early on Saturday night, proving too much to later overcome in an 8-4 loss to LSU.

Even with shaky pitching, the Diamond Heels nearly came back in the ninth inning. They loaded the bases with one out, thanks to shaky pitching from Gavin Guidry, but he struck out Luke Stevenson and got Friday night hero Gavin Gallagher to fly out and send the Chapel Hill Regional to a decisive game Monday.

Aidan Haugh, typically the Diamond Heels’ third starter in their rotation, took the loss by giving up four runs – on five hits – through just three innings. John Pearson, the Tigers’ starting left fielder, drove in their first two runs on a first-inning home run.

Kyle Percival, who entered the game with a 1.61 earned run average, walked both batters he faced before North Carolina head coach Scott Forbes pulled him. Connor Bovair entered Saturday night with a 3.38 ERA, but gave up two runs on five hite in 2 2/3 innings.

UNC enjoyed a decent hitting night at the plate, threatening in the third, seventh, eighth and ninth innings, but left several runners in scoring position. Anthony Donofrio was the Diamond Heels’ best hitter, mashing 3-for-4 with three RBIs.

North Carolina will try to advance again on Monday, June 3, when it battles LSU – at 6 p.m. ET – in a winner-take-all game for a spot in the Super Regionals.

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Texas bats go cold as season comes to an end after loss to Louisiana

Not a great way for the season to end. Texas will have some self evaluation to do.

The Texas Longhorns needed a win to force a rematch with the Texas A&M Aggies on Sunday night. It didn’t go their way after the Ragin’ Cajuns were chasing some retribution of their own. Texas dropped the rematch after winning 12-5 on Friday, 10-2 on Sunday afternoon.

The Texas Longhorns southpaw Ace Whitehead was able to keep the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns bats at bay, allowing just two runs to come around to score. Whitehead threw 94 pitches over 6.2 innings allowing seven hits and fanning six batters. The floodgates opened in the top of the eighth.

It was Texas who used a seven-run inning to win the first matchup but it was Louisiana who did it last. The Cajuns scored seven runs, all coming after two outs in the inning. A pair of three-run homers busted the game wide open and that would all but seal the fate of the Longhorns in this NCAA tournament regional.

Reliever Charlie Hurley had his worst outing of the season at the worst time. He pitched just an inning with six earned runs given up on five hits, one wild pitch, and a hit batter. Hurley was responsible for the two runners on base when Chase Lummus came into the game. The lefty gave up the second three-run homer of the inning, this time to Bryan Broussard Jr.

Texas finally scored again in the bottom of the eighth with the game well in doubt for the Longhorns. Rylan Galvan brought Peyton Powell around to score on an RBI single. Pinch hitter Jack O’Dowd reached on a hit down the first base line that was misplayed to load the bases. Freshman Tommy Farmer IV would strikeout on a 3-2 pitch from SBC Pitcher of the Year, LP Langevin.

With the seasons coming to an abrupt end, the Longhorns have some self evaluation to do as they look to 2025 in the SEC.

UNC pitchers enjoy much-needed Saturday bounceback against defending champs

Diamond Heel pitchers enjoyed quite the turnaround in Saturday’s Chapel Hill Regional nightcap.

The North Carolina Tar Heels’ unusually shaky bullpen nearly put them in the elimination bracket of their own regional Friday night.

Holding onto a 5-3 lead over Long Island University entering the eighth inning, UNC head coach Scott Forbes brought in star closer Dalton Pence to close things out.

LIU tied the game at five in the ninth, scoring two runs against Pence and opting Forbes to call for reliever Matt Poston. The Sharks took an 8-5 lead into the bottom of the ninth, striking fear and disbelief into the hearts of Tar Heel Nation.

Lucky for the Diamond Heels, their bats came alive in the home half of the ninth, with freshman Gavin Gallagher capping off a 6-run ninth inning by hitting a walk-off grand slam. With UNC now knowing it’d match up against LSU, one had to wonder if North Carolina’s pitching staff would hold up against a significantly stronger offense.

It certainly did.

On Saturday, June 1, a day after giving up eight runs to the now-eliminated NEC Champions, Diamond Heel pitchers allowed just two runs on seven hits. This was a crucial factor in UNC’s 6-2 victory, which advanced them to Sunday’s 6 p.m. Chapel Hill Regional Final.

Starter Shea Sprague’s outing lowered his earned run average to a team-best 3.76. Ben Peterson lowered his ERA to under 5.00, one of 11 North Carolina pitchers to do so, while Pence’s 2 2/3 no-hit innings solidified his back-of-the-bullpen spot.

The Diamond Heels will play either Wofford for the first time – or LSU again – on Sunday at 6 p.m.

Will the UNC pitching staff show up and push them into the Super Regional?

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How to watch Texas vs Louisiana in an elimination game in the College Station Regional

Here is how you can tune in to watch Texas vs Louisiana in the NCAA baseball regional elimination matchup on Sunday.

It all comes down to this game for the Texas Longhorns baseball team looking to avoid elimination from the NCAA baseball tournament. They must win a rematch with the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns to get a second shot at Texas A&M after the 4-2 loss in extra innings.

Louisiana has already played in one elimination game needing a win over Grambling to get a shot at redemption against the Longhorns. The Ragin’ Cajuns took care of business with a 12-5 win over the Tigers.

First pitch between the Longhorns and Ragin’ Cajuns in Game 5 of the regional is set for 2 p.m. CT. The winner will play again on Sunday night where they will face off with regional host Texas A&M at 7 p.m. CT.

How to watch, listen, and stream Game 5

  • Date: Sunday, Jun. 2
  • Time: 2 p.m. CT
  • Location: Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park in College Station, Texas
  • TV: ESPN2/ESPN+
  • Radio: Longhorn Radio Network
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (watch here)

Texas Longhorns vs Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Series History

This marks the second meeting in three days between the Longhorns and Ragin’ Cajuns. In the first meeting, Texas used a seven-run inning to take care of Louisiana.

The Longhorns lead the overall series 7-3.

Texas Longhorns Team Leaders

  • Batting Leader: Jared Thomas (.351)
  • Doubles Leader: Jalin Flores (22)
  • Home Run Leader: Max Belyeu, Jalin Flores (18)
  • RBI Leader: Jalin Flories (56)
  • Wins: Max Grubbs (6)
  • ERA: Grant Fontenot (2.45)

Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Team Leaders

  • Batting Leader: Kyle DeBarge  (.360)
  • Doubles Leader: Kyle DeBarge (18)
  • Home Run Leader: Kyle DeBarge (21)
  • RBI Leader: Kyle DeBarge (71)
  • Wins: LP Langevin, Andrew Herrmann (6)
  • ERA: Andrew Herrmann (3.09)

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