Diamond Heels to Omaha, Wei Lin Update, ACC-SEC Challenge, Two Football Commits
Plus: Caleb Wilson meets "Big Game James," Drake Maye gives back, 3 Baseball transfer commitments, Women's Basketball roster set
⚾ Baseball
The Diamond Heels are headed back to Omaha for their 13th College World Series appearance following their dramatic, walk-off 4-3 victory over the USC Trojans on Sunday to win the best-of-three matchup and give coach Scott Forbes his 250th victory at UNC.
UNC was 1-for-23 with runners in scoring position in the first 25 innings of this series. They were 2 for their last 3 in the final 2 innings, scoring two runs in the bottom of the ninth to pull off Sunday’s comeback.
North Carolina advances to the College World Series for the 9th time in the last 20 years, tying Florida for the most appearances over that span. They will open against Ole Miss in Omaha on Friday.
Coach Scott Forbes also had a big week on the recruiting trail, landing Maryland transfer catcher Devin Russell, former William & Mary shortstop Jamie Laskofski, and Queens transfer left-handed pitcher Joey Ruller.
Laskofski is currently the No. 39 ranked prospect for the 2027 MLB Draft and is coming off sophomore season in which he batted .355 with 13 home runs and 36 stolen bases.
Two other UNC Baseball commits have earned North Carolina Player of the Year awards from the N.C. Baseball Coaches Association. Harrison Ailshie (Salisbury) was named state 5A Player of the Year, and Cam Tarkenton (Cardinal Gibbons) is your 7A Player of the Year.
Congratulations to Jake Schaffner and Caden Glauber, who are up for major awards following their outstanding seasons. Schaffner has been selected as a Brooks Wallace Award finalist as the nation’s top shortstop, while Glauber is a finalist for the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award.
🏀 UNC Basketball, Recruiting & Transfer Portal
The ACC/SEC Challenge matchups for next season were announced this past week. The Tar Heels will host new UNC associate head coach Chuck Martin’s former team, the Arkansas Razorbacks, on Tuesday, Dec. 1 in Chapel Hill.
Caleb Wilson is enjoying the pre-draft experience following his one-and-done season at UNC. On Wednesday, Wilson was invited to serve as a Player Correspondent for Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs, where he met legendary Tar Heel icon James Worthy.
Michael Malone may not be finished constructing the 2026-27 UNC Basketball roster just yet.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Tar Heel Times Newsletter to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.