North Carolina's 13th CWS Appearance: Will Owen Hull Finally Break The Program's Title Curse?
Alright, Seattle, listen up! We're down to the wire in college baseball, and the College World Series Championship is about to go OFF. It's No. 5 North Carolina squaring off against Oklahoma, and let me tell you, this isn't just any finals matchup. Both these squads bulldozed their way through Omaha without a single loss to get here. Something's gotta give when they hit Charles Schwab Field this Saturday, and if their last games are any indication, we're in for an absolute slugfest!
Tar Heels' History and Hull's Heroics
Look, North Carolina earned their spot in this championship showdown by absolutely lighting up No. 16 West Virginia, dropping a huge 12-7 win on Wednesday. The big story for the Tar Heels? Owen Hull. The dude went 4-for-5 at the plate, ripping four extra-base hits and coming up just a home run shy of the cycle. You gotta be kidding me! That kind of offensive spark is exactly what you need in the finals. On the mound, UNC definitely has the edge with ace Jason DeCaro and star reliever Caden Glauber leading what's been one of college baseball's nastiest pitching staffs all year. But here's the kicker, 12s, this is UNC's 13th trip to Omaha, and they still don't have a title. They made back-to-back championship appearances in 2007 and 2008 and came up short both times. This program has the second-most CWS appearances without hoisting the trophy. The pressure is MOUNTING.
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Oklahoma's Offensive Onslaught and Freshman Fire
Now, don't sleep on Oklahoma. Hours after UNC's win, the Sooners punched their ticket by straight up dispatching No. 3 Georgia, an 11-4 beatdown that had everyone talking. Dasan Harris and Jason Walk each launched two home runs in that game. But that's just the tip of the iceberg! Oklahoma's bats have been on another planet this postseason. Get this: out of their 91 home runs all year, a jaw-dropping 43 of them came in their last 16 games! SIX different players have gone yard since the CWS started. That's pure, unadulterated power. And here's the wild card: their pitching. Freshmen Xander Mercurious and Nick Wesloski got inserted into the rotation and have been lights out. Both were excellent in their first Omaha starts, combining for 13 innings, 13 strikeouts, and only four earned runs allowed against Georgia, a team known for hitting the cover off the ball. They've got two trophies in their past, but it's been 32 years since their last title, and they came up short in the championship series back in 2022. They're hungry!
This championship series is going to be electric, folks. Game 1 kicks off Saturday at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. Game 2 is Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET on ABC, and if we need it, Game 3 is Monday at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. Will UNC finally break their title curse, or will Oklahoma's red-hot offense and surprising freshmen arms take home the hardware? It's all on the line. And hey, while we're talking baseball, tough break for our own Mariners last night, falling to the Baltimore Orioles 5-3. Tough one, but we bounce back!
This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.