UNC Beats West Virginia 5-2, Reaches First CWS Semifinal Since 2013

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 · Chapelboro.com · Jun 15

Three seventh-inning runs—set up by two West Virginia errors and capped by Gavin Gallaher’s two-run triple—broke a 2-2 tie and sent UNC into the College World Series semifinals.
Walker McDuffie steadied North Carolina after starter Ryan Lynch exited before the fifth inning, throwing 3.2 scoreless innings before freshman Caden Glauber finished the 5-2 win with two strikeouts.
UNC improved to 2-0 in Omaha for the first time since 2006 and to 52 wins, its highest single-season total since 2013.
Wednesday’s next game will be against the winner of Tuesday’s elimination matchup between West Virginia and Troy, with UNC needing one more win to reach the national championship series.