Final Score Prediction for ACC Championship Between Georgia Tech and North Carolina

Georgia Tech and North Carolina are going to meet today at Noon for the ACC Tournament Championship, and the Yellow Jackets are looking to win their first ACC Tournament since 2014.

In fact, no team has won the ACC Tournament title and ACC regular season championship since North Carolina did it in 2013. Georgia Tech has not been able to accomplish the feat since 2005.

It is not going to be easy though.

Of the nine games that Georgia Tech has lost this season, two of them came against North Carolina. The Tar Heels were the only ACC team that was able to beat the Yellow Jackets in a series this season and the only team that beat the Yellow Jackets via a run rule. Since that game two loss, however, Georgia Tech has won 12 straight conference games, and its only losses were to Xavier and Mercer.

So who wins today?

Preview

Vahn Lackey Georgia Tec — May 31, 2025; Oxford, MS, USA; Georgia Tech Yellowjackets catcher Vahn Lackey (25) react after scoring during the first inning against the Murray State Racers. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

This is going to be a matchup between Carson Ballard (GT) and Folger Boaz (UNC) today on the mound.

Boaz enters this game with a 3-2 record in 14 appearances, boasting a 6.62 ERA as well as a 1.77 WHIP and 8.2 BB%. The majority of North Carolina's bullpen is going to be available for this game today and if Boaz were to start off shaky, it could be a short afternoon for him.

Ballard has gotten better and better as the season has gone on for Georgia Tech and he has been one of the key weekend starters for the team alongside Tate McKee and Jackson Blakely. He is 7-0 this season in 15 appearances with a 3.08 ERA in 38 strikeouts and 13 walks over 38.0 IP. He did not pitch during the series loss against the Tar Heels earlier this season.

Besides the obvious matchup between the top offense in the ACC and the top pitching staff, a key to winning this game for Georgia Tech is not falling behind early. In the two losses to the Tar Heels in that series last month, North Carolina was able to jump out to 3-0 leads in the first inning and forcing Georgia Tech to play catch up.

This Yellow Jackets team is elite, but the best way to try to beat them is to get on them early and force them to play catch. With a bullpen like the Tar Heels, Georgia Tech cannot allow that to happen. Even though they were able to put together a come-from-behind win over Virginia on Thursday, but there is a big difference between UVA's bullpen and North Carolina's.

Georgia Tech's offense has not been able to be slowed so far in the ACC Tournament. In the win against Miami yesterday, Ryan Zuckerman blasted a pair of two-run home runs, and Vahn Lackey had one. Lackey, who is a probable top five (top three?) pick in the upcoming MLB Draft, has been incredible through the first two games of the ACC Tournament and showing why he is an elite two-way player.

While it might not ultimately matter, this is going to be the last chance for Georgia Tech to try to add an impressive win to its resume before the NCAA Tournament field is announced. The Yellow Jackets are trying to become the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament, but UCLA has had them beat in several of the latest projections. Beating the Tar Heels for their 48th victory of the season to cap off a year where they won the regular season and tournament title in one of the toughest conferences in the country would be hard to ignore though.

I think that the Yellow Jackets find a way to get it done this afternoon. They have been rolling ever since their last loss against North Carolina and while the Tar Heels are an elite opponent, James Ramsey and his team will find a way to win a tight game.

Final Score: Georgia Tech 7, North Carolina 4

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