'Best' Becoming Key Term With UNC Ahead of National Championship

The Tar Heels are looking to secure their first national title this weekend.

Jun 5, 2026; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels outfielder Owen Hull (8) hits the ball in the seventh inning agains the USC Trojans at Boshamer Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

The North Carolina Tar Heels have found themselves in the College World Series Final for the first time since 2007, and they didn’t get there by accident. 

The Tar Heels, who are ranked No. 5 in the country, have been one of the best teams in all of college baseball all season long, and they’ve continued their success into the postseason so far. North Carolina is 8-1 in its nine NCAA Tournament games and just recently completed an easy defeat of No. 16 West Virginia to advance to the Final.

Jun 5, 2026; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Scott Forbes reacts during the seventh inning against the USC Trojans at Boshamer Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

UNC Has Dominated 

On both sides of the ball, the Heels have been dominant. They’ve outscored their opponents by 29 runs since the start of the postseason, and have outscored their College World Series opponents by 12 in their three games. They’ve pitched two shutouts and have scored at least five runs in six of their nine NCAA Tournament contests up to this point. 

They’ll take on Oklahoma with a national title on the line later this weekend.

They’ll be looking to secure their first national title in program history, while also looking to avoid finishing as the runner-up for the third time in the 21st century, as they fell just shy of getting the job done in both the 2006 and 2007 postseasons. Ironically, they lost to Oregon State in both of those College World Series Finals. Oklahoma is a very tough team that won’t be easy to take down, but the Tar Heels have beaten many high-quality opponents on their journey to this point. 

Jun 5, 2026; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Scott Forbes makes a visit to the mound in the seventh inning against the USC Trojans at Boshamer Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

Now trying to exercise those prior demons, the Tar Heels have all the makings of a true title contender — as they’ve proven so far. So much so that some are declaring them the very best team in the country. Danny Graves of the ACC Network recently said there is no better team in the country than the one that resides in Chapel Hill. 

Jun 14, 2026; Omaha, NE, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels shortstop Jake Schaffner (2) reacts after scoring on a two-run triple by second baseman Gavin Gallaher (not pictured) against the West Virginia Mountaineers during the seventh inning at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Graves’ Thoughts

“You already know what I feel about this,” Graves said. “I’m very homer ACC conference. I got nothing to say about that other conference, except good luck. And that’s what they’re probably saying to us, good luck. I do honestly believe that North Carolina is the best team in college baseball," Graves said.

"They have the best starting rotation. They have the best bullpen. They have the best freshmen. They have the best defense. They have the best head coach. He’s got the best shoes. What else do you want me to say?”