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IOWA CITY, Iowa - Iowa Baseball is headed to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017 and for just the sixth time in program history. Current coach Rick Heller has been at the helm for half of those appearances. 

The Hawkeyes are headed to the Terre Haute (IN) Regional with host Indiana State, Wright State and North Carolina. They open play Friday at 6 p.m. CT against the Tar Heels. 

Heller came to Iowa after four years coaching Indiana State. He led the Sycamores to an outright Missouri Valley Conference title and two NCAA appearances. 

Like Iowa, UNC reached the field as an at-large team. The Tar Heels fell to champion Clemson in the ACC Tournament semifinals, 10-4, on Saturday. The Hawkeyes dropped a 4-0 decision to Maryland in Sunday's Big Ten Tournament title game. 

North Carolina (35-22 overall, 14-14 ACC) is playing in the NCAA Tournament for the 34th time in its history and for the fifth time in a row. The Tar Heels sit at No. 27 in the RPI. 

Iowa (42-14, 15-8) checks in at 32 in the RPI. The Hawkeyes are 20-11 this season in games played away from Banks Field, their home park. 

The Hawkeyes have split a pair of games against North Carolina. They first played in 1990. 

Iowa comes into the NCAAs ranked 14th nationally in on-base percentage (.418), while the Tar Heels check in at 43 (.402). The Hawkeyes' earned run average (4.04) is 11th in the country, while UNC is 50th (4.73). 

Four Tar Heels earned all-ACC honors this spring. Juniors Mac Horvath (22 homers, 1.12 OPS) and Jackson Van De Brake (.939 OPS) landed on the second team. Center Fielder and lead-off hitter Vance Honeycutt, a sophomore, was the league's defensive player of the year, and hit 12 home runs with 19 steals. 

UNC lost its final four regular-season contests. One came in the non-conference at No. 10 overall seed Coastal Carolina and on the road against fourth overall seed Clemson. 

Right-handers Max Carlson (5.97 ERA, 71 Ks), Jake Knapp (4.79, 60) and Connor Bovair (5.57, 57) started 42 of UNC's 57 games this season. Kevin Eaise (3.37) and Matt Poston (1.77) each saved five games in a combined 56 appearances. 

Indiana State is the No. 14 overall seed in the tournament. The Sycamores (42-15) are ninth in the RPI. 

Wright State hails from the Horizon League, a conference its won the last three years in a row. The Raiders (39-21) are 77th in the RPI.