Carolina Beats West Virginia 5-2 to Reach Wednesday Bracket Final

Q: Is an 18-year-old freshman the secret weapon for North Carolina's long-awaited championship run?

Yes — Caden Glauber looks like a major weapon in North Carolina’s championship push, even if he is no longer much of a secret. The 18-year-old freshman has become one of the most important arms on a team built around pitching depth. In Sunday’s 5-2 win over West Virginia, he closed the game by striking out both batters he faced, preserving UNC’s place in Wednesday’s bracket final. Carolina is now 27-0 in games he has appeared in this season, a striking indicator of his impact. His broader body of work is even stronger. Glauber entered Omaha with a 10-0 record, a sub-2.00 ERA in some season trackers, and national recognition that includes Perfect Game Co-Freshman Pitcher of the Year and finalist status for Baseball America’s Freshman of the Year. He also delivered in the biggest moment before Omaha, starting the winner-take-all super regional game against USC and striking out 11 over 7.1 innings. That said, UNC’s run is not resting on one player. Walker McDuffie gave Carolina 3.2 scoreless innings Sunday, Ryan Lynch kept the game under control early, and the Tar Heels’ defense and lineup depth were decisive. Gavin Gallaher and Owen Hull produced the key seventh-inning offense, while UNC’s infield made momentum-saving plays. So the better answer is that Glauber is not the lone reason for this run, but he may be the high-leverage freshman arm that gives North Carolina a championship edge it has lacked in past Omaha trips.

3 articles · Updated · UNC Athletics · Jun 14

A three-run seventh inning sent North Carolina past West Virginia 5-2 in Omaha, putting the Tar Heels one win from the best-of-three national championship series.
Gavin Gallaher’s two-run triple on a 1-2 pitch broke the game open after two West Virginia errors, and Owen Hull followed with an RBI single for the final margin.
Walker McDuffie steadied Carolina with 3.2 scoreless innings, allowing three hits and striking out four after starter Ryan Lynch gave up two runs over 4.1 innings.
Carolina’s defense also blunted West Virginia’s push, throwing out Armani Guzman at third to end the Mountaineers’ 21-for-21 postseason stolen-base run and turning two double plays.
Wednesday’s 1 p.m. bracket final will pit Carolina against either Troy or West Virginia, who must play Tuesday while the Tar Heels rest and preserve pitching.