Updated

Updated · WVU Athletics · Jun 13

West Virginia Faces No. 5 North Carolina in College World Series After 7-5 Opening Win

Updated

Updated · WVU Athletics · Jun 13

West Virginia Faces No. 5 North Carolina in College World Series After 7-5 Opening Win

Q: Is this finally the year North Carolina captures its first-ever College World Series title?

Yes — North Carolina has put itself in as strong a position as it has had in years to win its first College World Series title, but it has not done it yet. The Tar Heels improved to 52-12-1 by beating West Virginia 5-2 in Omaha, moving to 2-0 in the College World Series and into Wednesday’s semifinal with two days of rest. That matters historically: teams that open 2-0 in Omaha have gone on to win 29 of the last 35 NCAA championships. North Carolina also entered the event as one of the betting favorites, especially after higher seeds UCLA and Georgia Tech were eliminated. The case for UNC is built on depth and balance. Its pitching has held up under pressure, with Walker McDuffie delivering key relief against West Virginia and ACC Freshman of the Year Caden Glauber continuing to thrive in high-leverage spots. The Tar Heels are unbeaten in Glauber’s appearances this season, and their lineup has produced timely hits from players such as Gavin Gallaher, Owen Hull and Colin Hynek. There is also a clear historical opening. North Carolina has reached Omaha 13 times and was runner-up in 2006 and 2007, but has never won the national title. This year’s team is now one win from the best-of-three championship series. Still, “finally the year” remains a possibility, not a fact. Omaha is unforgiving, and UNC still must win its bracket and then the final series. But based on its 2-0 start, roster depth and current form, North Carolina looks like one of the strongest title contenders left.

Q: Can West Virginia's historic CWS run survive its next do-or-die elimination game?

Yes — but West Virginia now has very little margin for error. The Mountaineers’ historic first College World Series run is still alive despite Sunday’s 5-2 loss to North Carolina, but it now comes down to Tuesday’s elimination game against Troy. West Virginia already beat Troy 7-5 in its CWS opener, so there is a recent blueprint for survival. The challenge is that Troy has since shown resilience by knocking out Ole Miss 12-8 and has built a reputation for winning elimination games. West Virginia still has the profile of a team capable of extending its stay in Omaha. Its pitching depth remains a major asset, led by Big 12 Pitcher of the Year Maxx Yehl, plus Chansen Cole and Ian Korn. Offensively, catcher Gavin Kelly and speed threat Armani Guzman give the Mountaineers ways to score even in tight postseason games. Their opener against Troy also showed they can execute under pressure. The concern is that Sunday exposed some vulnerability. Yehl had early control issues against North Carolina, and the Mountaineers managed only two runs. Against a confident Troy club seeing them for the second time in four days, West Virginia will need cleaner pitching, sharper situational hitting, and better execution on the bases. So the answer is yes: West Virginia can survive its next do-or-die game. But after the loss to North Carolina, its historic run now depends on proving it can beat a dangerous Troy team twice in the same CWS.

3 articles · Updated · WVU Athletics · Jun 13

Sunday’s 7 p.m. ET game in Omaha sends West Virginia against No. 5 North Carolina, with the winner moving to Wednesday and the loser dropping into Tuesday’s elimination path.
West Virginia reached the matchup by beating Troy 7-5 in its College World Series opener, improving to 46-15 in the program’s first trip to Omaha.
North Carolina arrived from the other side of the bracket with a 6-2 win over Ole Miss and carries a 51-12-1 record as the NCAA tournament’s No. 5 overall seed.
Maxx Yehl gives West Virginia a frontline arm with a Big 12-best 2.10 ERA and 105 strikeouts, while Gavin Kelly leads the lineup at .377 with 17 homers.
The game pairs a first-time CWS team that broke through after Super Regional exits in 2024 and 2025 against a North Carolina program making its 13th Omaha appearance.