NCAA Baseball Tournament Begins with Five NC Teams Competing

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Five North Carolina baseball teams have secured spots in the NCAA regional round. The tournament kicks off on Friday and culminates in the College World Series starting June 13.

Wake Forest will be competing as the No. 2 seed in the Knoxville Regional. The Demon Deacons will face Cincinnati in the opening round at 1 p.m. on Friday. After suffering an early exit in the ACC Tournament, the team is eager to prove themselves on the national stage.

“This is where it counts,” said a Wake Forest player. “We’re really excited to play our best baseball these coming weeks. The guys have had good practice, and we feel ready to showcase our skills.”

North Carolina, fresh off a victory in the ACC Tournament, will host a double-elimination regional round in Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels, ranked third nationally, will play Holy Cross at noon on Friday, while Nebraska takes on Oklahoma later in the day.

“We think we are better than a five seed,” said a North Carolina player. “It’s great to play at home, and we’re confident going into the weekend.”

Duke will compete in the Athens Regional, opening against Oklahoma State at 6 p.m., following a matchup between Georgia and Binghamton earlier in the day. NC State heads to the Auburn Regional to play Stetson at 2 p.m., while East Carolina makes the short trip to the Conway Regional to face Florida at noon.

With the regional games taking place from May 30 through June 2, excitement builds as teams vie for a chance to advance to the Super Regionals scheduled for June 6-9.