UNC baseball players, coach discuss College World Series berth
After clinching a spot in the College World Series, UNC baseball coach Scott Forbes and several Tar Heels discussed the run to Omaha.
UNC is projected as a top-five overall seed, meaning the Tar Heels are on solid footing to host a regional and super regional.N.C. State’s seeding is less certain after a series loss, but the Wolfpack remains in contention to host.Duke, the reigning ACC champion, will likely have to hit the road for the regional round.
Entering the final two weeks of the regular season, UNC baseball and N.C. State remain in the race for an ACC regular-season championship.
 The fifth-ranked Tar Heels (35-10, 15-9 ACC) and 19th-ranked Wolfpack (30-15, 15-8) remain among the league squads listed in the latest USA TODAY Sports Coaches top 25 poll on May 5. The Tobacco Road rivals start a three-game series on May 8 at Boshamer Stadium in Chapel Hill. No. 3 Florida State (33-10, 14-7), which hosts UNC in the final week of the regular season, currently sits atop the ACC standings.
Duke (32-15, 14-10) travels to No. 9 Clemson (37-12, 14-10) for a three-game series from May 9-11. The Blue Devils are among the teams to receive votes in the coaches poll.
Here’s a breakdown of the latest bracket projections for the 2025 NCAA Tournament, which begins with regional games on May 30. The selection show is at noon on May 26.
UNC baseball NCAA Tournament projections
According to Aria Gerson’s latest projections for The Tennessean on May 5, the Tar Heels are on track to be the No. 5 overall seed in the 2025 NCAA baseball tournament. Gerson has UNC hosting No. 2 seed Northeastern, No. 3 seed Kentucky and No. 4 seed High Point in the Chapel Hill Regional. D1Baseball also predicts UNC to secure the No. 5 seed, with Oklahoma, Northeastern and Central Connecticut State set to play in the Chapel Hill Regional. The Tar Heels are the No. 4 overall seed in Baseball America’s projections. Xavier, Texas A&M and George Mason are listed as the teams in the Chapel Hill Regional. With games against N.C. State and Florida State on deck, the Heels have a chance to boost their metrics and move up in the projections. But that also leaves open the possibility for a drop, though UNC appears to be in solid shape to host a regional as a top-16 seed.
NC State baseball NCAA Tournament projections
The Wolfpack took a step back with a series loss at Miami in the first weekend of May, meaning N.C. State could slide down to the No. 2 line for the regional round. In Gerson’s latest projections, the Wolfpack is a No. 2 seed in the Baton Rouge Regional, alongside No. 4 overall seed LSU, No. 3 seed Kansas and No. 4 seed Long Island. D1Baseball and Baseball America released their projections before N.C. State’s two losses to the Hurricanes. D1Baseball has the Pack hosting a regional as the No. 13 overall seed, with Ole Miss, Connecticut and High Point coming to Raleigh. Baseball America has State as the 16th and final national seed, hosting Oklahoma, Northeastern and Yale in the Raleigh Regional. The Wolfpack needs a good showing in Chapel Hill to better its odds of being a regional host.
Duke baseball NCAA Tournament projections
The Blue Devils are the reigning ACC Tournament champions, but they haven’t quite played to the level of rivals UNC and N.C. State to this point in the season. Duke has a big opportunity at Clemson before returning to Durham for a final home stand against Georgia Tech. In Gerson’s projections, the Devils are a No. 3 seed in the Auburn Regional, which features the Tigers as the No. 9 overall seed. Dallas Baptist and Columbia are also in that regional pod. D1Baseball has Duke as a No. 3 seed traveling to reigning national champion Tennessee, the No. 6 overall seed, in a group that includes UTSA and Holy Cross. The Blue Devils are also a No. 3 seed in Baseball America’s projections, predicted to play at No. 10 overall seed West Virginia in a pod that includes Ole Miss and Missouri State.
Rodd Baxley covers Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding those teams? Send them to rbaxley@fayobserver.com.Â