OMAHA, Neb. – Maybe it was destiny that led both West Virginia and North Carolina to the College World Series.
Their paths to Charles Schwab Field were nearly identical, both filled with adversities faced and heroically overcome.
The Mountaineers (46-15) had their moments in the regional round with two victories against Kentucky. First, there was a ninth-inning rally capped off by Paul Schoenfeld’s two-run home run. That was followed a day later by Armani Guzman’s walk-off base hit in the 10th inning.
North Carolina (51-12-1) faced its drama in the super regionals against Southern Cal. Forced to a winner-take-all third game, the Tar Heels trailed, 3-2, in the bottom of the ninth. That was until Owen Hull’s double provided a walk-off victory.
“I mean, you have to do special things to win and get this far already,” North Carolina head coach Scott Forbes said after the Tar Heels’ 6-2 victory against Ole Miss on Friday. “But, you have to do even more special things to win out here.”
The two schools will now meet at 7 p.m. Sunday (ESPN) with a berth to the national semifinals on the line for the winner. The loser will fall into the loser’s bracket and will be forced to win three more times for a shot at the national championship series.
“I think from day one, in the fall, you kind of know how much you want to win,” WVU outfielder Armani Guzman said. “From the first game of the season to now, we want to win just as much, whether it’s against Georgia Southern on Opening Day, or (Friday) against Troy at Omaha.
“It’s just one of those things where we know we want to win and we want to succeed as a team.”
There is familiarity, to some degree, between both programs. In 2024, it was the Tar Heels who knocked the Mountaineers out of the super regionals with a two-game sweep in Chapel Hill.
That was just the beginning of WVU’s climb into national respectability, back when Randy Mazey was still the head coach, Steve Sabins was his trusty assistant and J.J. Wetherholt was still the star player on the roster.
North Carolina, meanwhile, has been on the national stage for decades. The Tar Heels are making their 13th trip to the World Series, yet are still seeking their first national championship.
“Our program has high standards. We have great culture,” Forbes said. “But, you’ve got to work. And the guys understand, if you don’t work, you’re not going to make it. But then when you choose to work and you’re disciplined, you reap the benefits.
“And these guys, you just look at their bodies, they’ve stayed in the weight room. They’ll work at practice (Saturday). It will be short. It will be intense. But when a team decides that they’re going to do certain things and make certain decisions, they have the confidence.”
Both will be coming off intense opening-round wins. WVU knocked off Troy, 7-5, after Tyrus Hall drove in two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning on Friday. North Carolina, meanwhile, scored two runs in the seventh inning and added three more in the eight for a 6-2 victory against Mississippi.
Colin Hynek’s three-run homer provided the final blow against Ole Miss. Hall finished with four RBIs for the Mountaineers. Maybe that shouldn’t be a surprise, he’s collected 14 RBIs since the start of the NCAA tournament.
“Just trying to be aggressive and attack whatever pitch I can get,” Hall said.
Only one team can advance, and someone’s run of destiny will be cut short. North Carolina knows what the spotlight feels like, yet it hasn’t hoisted that national title over its collective heads just yet.
Meanwhile, West Virginia wasn’t the team expected to make it this far, yet the Mountaineers don’t seem to care about any of that.
“I thought the guys were grounded and were themselves,” Sabins said. “And I think that’s all you’re looking for this time of year.”
WVU is expected to start Big 12 Pitcher of the Year Maxx Yehl (9-2, 2.10 ERA) on the mound, while the Tar Heels are undecided. North Carolina ace Jason DeCaro pitched 6 2/3 innings against Ole Miss and threw 106 pitches. Freshman Caden Glauber – North Carolina’s top reliever – came on in relief and threw 33 pitches to earn his 11th win of the season.
It’s likely the Mountaineers will see sophomore Ryan Lynch (5-4, 4.22 ERA) to start.
Whatever the pitching matchup is, North Carolina is the favorite, according to Las Vegas odds, but WVU has thrived as an underdog most of the season.
“I think I want people to know that our culture means a lot to us and that this thing has been built by people, and it’s been built by our staff, and it’s been built on the belief that you can accomplish anything that you want if you have the belief,” Sabins said. “That’s what this place is all about.
“Our state is a state that’s really rooted in unity and rooting for each other and believing that anything is possible, and it’s a little bit of a chip-on-the-shoulder kind of state. It’s a small rural state that thinks that things haven’t always gone their way. You’ve got to fight extra hard and work extra hard and you’ve got to show up longer and harder in order to accomplish great things. So, that’s kind of the mentality that our team has taken.”
