Feb. 3, 2026, 3:09 p.m. ET

Parts of the country are recovering from a weekend winter storm – and it’s cold outside. Both make February the perfect time for college baseball season to begin, right?

There’s plenty to be excited about if you’re a UNC baseball fan. The Tar Heels fell one game short of the 2025 College World Series, return most of their pitching and a few solid bats, including some from the transfer portal.

Get excited about this: in USA TODAY Sports’ first 2026 Coaches’ Poll, North Carolina sits eighth. UNC is one of nine ACC schools in the poll, along with Georgia Tech (fourth), Louisville (11th), Florida State (14th), Clemson (17th), NC State (19th), Miami (FL) (21st), Virginia (22nd) and Wake Forest (25th).

Check out the poll below:

RankTeamRecordPTS1stPrevChgHi/Lo1LSU0-073315NR-1/12UCLA0-072414NR-2/23Texas0-06350NR-3/34Georgia Tech0-05960NR-4/45Arkansas0-05820NR-5/56Mississippi State0-05741NR-6/67Coastal Carolina0-05030NR-7/78North Carolina0-04900NR-8/89Auburn0-04620NR-9/910TCU0-04490NR-10/1011Louisville0-04380NR-11/1112Oregon State0-04290NR-12/1213Georgia0-04000NR-13/1314Florida State0-03910NR-14/1415Tennessee0-03840NR-15/1516Florida0-02690NR-16/1617Clemson0-02360NR-17/1718Vanderbilt0-02030NR-18/1819North Carolina State0-01810NR-19/1920Southern Miss0-01540NR-20/2021Miami (FL)0-01400NR-21/2122Virginia0-01010NR-22/2223Oregon0-01000NR-23/2324Arizona0-0980NR-24/2425Wake Forest0-0930NR-25/25Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!Others Receiving Votes

Kentucky 92; Ole Miss 59; West Virginia 42; Texas A&M 38; Oklahoma 28; East Carolina 25; Dallas Baptist 19; UC Irvine 13; Kansas 11; Murray State 7; Arizona State 7; USC 6; UC Santa Barbara 6; Duke 6; Alabama 6; Troy 5; Oklahoma State 5; UTSA 4; Northeastern 2; Nebraska 1; Connecticut 1; Cal State Fullerton 1; Bethune-Cookman 1;

North Carolina starts its season on Friday, February 13 at 4 p.m. against Indiana, a Big 10 program with eight NCAA Tournament appearances since 2010. The Diamond Heels don’t leave their home state until mid-March, when they travel to California for a 3-game, weekend series against the Golden Bears.

The big name to watch on UNC’s 2026 roster is third baseman Gavin Gallaher, who may shift around due to the plethora of new, position players. Gallaher loudly introduced himself to Tar Heel Nation in the 2024 Chapel Hill Regional, blasting a walk-off grand slam during the opener against LIU, then blossomed as a sophomore last season (team-best 17 home runs, 68 RBIs).

North Carolina’s pitching staff may be the country’s best, at least on paper. UNC returns starters Jason DeCaro and Ryan Lynch, plus bullpen arms Matthew Matthijs and Walker McDuffie.

Add in big-name transfers, like Macon Winslow and Michael Maginnis in the field – and the Diamond Heels are set for an extremely successful season.

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