North Carolina Advances to College World Series Finals, Defeats West Virginia 12-7

North Carolina defeated West Virginia 12-7 on Wednesday in Omaha, Nebraska, advancing to the College World Series finals for the first time since 2007. The Tar Heels completed an undefeated 3-0 run through bracket play and will face either Oklahoma or Georgia in a best-of-three championship series beginning Saturday.

The North Carolina offense delivered a dominant performance after struggling through its first two CWS games. Owen Hull went 4-for-4 with a triple and two doubles, narrowly missing the cycle, while Gavin Gallaher contributed four hits and four RBIs. The Tar Heels registered 16 hits and scored 12 runs—their most productive offensive output in nine NCAA Tournament games. Carolina was particularly effective with runners in scoring position, going 8-for-10 in those situations with five extra-base hits.

North Carolina struck quickly, scoring twice in the first inning off West Virginia starter Chansen Cole (10-2). Cooper Nicholson's two-run triple extended the lead to 5-1 in the third inning, and the Tar Heels built a commanding 12-1 advantage before West Virginia mounted a late comeback. Jackson Rose earned the win with 4⅓ innings of shutout relief after North Carolina starter Folger Boaz exited following a 28-pitch first inning. West Virginia scored five runs in the seventh inning and Gavin Kelly added a solo home run in the eighth to make the final margin closer, but the deficit proved insurmountable.

West Virginia (47-17) concluded its first CWS appearance with a 2-2 record, dropping both contests against the Tar Heels. Coach Steve Sabins praised his team's resilience despite the lopsided deficit. North Carolina improved to 53-12-1 on the season and will pursue its first baseball national championship since entering the tournament. Coach Scott Forbes, who was on the pitching staff for Carolina's 2006 and 2007 CWS finalist teams, emphasized the advantage of having two days' rest before the championship series.