North Carolina Tar Heels NCAA Baseball Tournament Projections: Will Scott Forbes' men qualify?
The North Carolina Tar Heels have played great baseball all season long, finishing the regular season as the No. 7-ranked team in the nation. They had a 41-12 overall record and a 22-8 mark in Atlantic Coast Conference play. The Tar Heels have yet to take the field in the ACC Tournament, however, they are set to face the Pittsburgh Panthers tomorrow and the Wake Forest Demon Deacons on Friday.
After the Demon Deacons beat the Panthers, 8-1 on Wednesday, North Carolina will only need to defeat Wake Forest to advance to the semifinals as they are the top seed in the pool and will advance if there is a tie.
Here's a closer look at whether or not the Tar Heels, who are looking to win their ninth conference tournament championship in program history, will qualify for the NCAA Tournament.
Will North Carolina Tar Heels qualify for the NCAA Tournament?
The North Carolina Tar Heels have been dominant on both sides of the ball this season, resulting in them being one of the best teams in the nation. They rank 24th out of 295 teams in batting average, 33rd in hits, tied for 25th in home runs, tied for 13th in runs scored, 15th in ERA, 50th in strikeouts to walks and 40th in WHIP.
North Carolina has the ninth-best odds, +1500, to win their first national championship in program history. Their title odds trail the Tennessee Volunteers, Texas A&M Aggies, Arkansas Razorbacks, Kentucky Wildcats, Wake Forest Demon Deacons, Clemson Tigers, Oregon State Beavers and LSU Tigers.
The Tar Heels are seemingly a lock to reach the NCAA Tournament after a dominant season in a tough Atlantic Coast Conference. The ACC finished the regular season with three teams ranked in the top 10 and seven teams ranked in the top 25. While North Carolina has an opportunity to earn the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, they will likely need to win the conference tournament to do so.
They appear to be in line to receive a top 16 seed and hosting rights in the regional round of the tournament regardless of the results of this week's ACC Tournament. A strong finish, however, could ensure that they receive a top-eight seed and the opportunity to host games through the super regionals as well.
The College World Series kicks off on June 14 and the Tar Heels will have to get through both the NCAA Regionals and NCAA Super Regionals to qualify.