USC, North Carolina Make History With Chapel Hill Super Regional TV Ratings

The USC Trojans’ revival in baseball aided the viewership numbers in Chapel Hill Super Regional series.

Jun 5, 2026; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; The USC Trojans celebrate USC Trojans catcher Andrew Lamb (29) during the seventh inning against the USC Trojans at Boshamer Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

During the 2019 college baseball season there was a slight uptick in the sport’s popularity. Across all Super Regional series, the average viewership was 510,000 with Florida State-LSU and UCLA-Michigan leading the charge. Despite the numbers it still fell short of the 2009 season that ended with 1.93 million viewers for the College World Series. 

Then on June 7, ESPN logged a historical day for the sport. Three Super Regional series crushed television ratings, becoming the most-watched Super Regional telecast since 2019 and jumping to No. 2 on the all-time list, while featuring five of the top 10 games of all time.

Jun 5, 2026; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels catcher Colin Hynek (23) reacts after making it to second base against the USC Trojans in the fourth inning at Boshamer Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

Leading the group was the USC Trojans and North Carolina Tar Heels in the Chapel Hill Super Regional. Game 3 brought 1.3 millions viewers and peaked with 1.7 million, making it the most watched super regional round on record. Right behind them was Georgia-Mississippi State with 1.2 million viewers (peaked at 1.6 million) and Texas-Oregon with 1.1 million (peaked at 1.3 million).

Fans tuned in for the '26 @NCAABaseball Super Regionals!

⚾️ Most-watched Supers since '09
⚾️ Up 31% YoY
⚾️ Top 2 most-watched Super Regional telecasts EVER & 5 of the top 10 most-watched pic.twitter.com/LlsA1QuA2o

— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) June 10, 2026

Key Factors Heading Into Chapel Hill Super Regional

June 7, 2026; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; USC Trojans pitcher Andrew Johnson (13) pitches the ball to the North Carolina Tar Heels during the second inning at Boshamer Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

Before going into the supers, the Trojans reached had back-to-back regional appearances. After losing Game 1, Southern Cal won four-consecutive elimination games while scoring a total of 51 runs in the College Station Regional. The Trojans’ road dog mentality gave them the grit to survive the losers bracket and ultimately gave them the edge over the host team, Texas A&M.

USC's top performers at College Station were pitchers Mason Edwards and Grant Govel led the bullpen with a total of 14 strikeouts, 12 hits and nine runs. At the plate, Augie Lopez gave a spark to the Trojans’ offense with seven runs, eight hits, nine RBIs, a double and two home runs.

The Trojans would have to face another Goliath in UNC. The Tar Heels entered the postseason ranked No. 5 and got to host their regional. They rolled through their opponents, posting a total of 24 runs and only allowing eight scores in three games.

One of the top performers in the Chapel Hill Regional was Erik Paulsen Jr. who recorded two runs, six hits, six RBIs, three doubles and was named the “Most Outstanding Player” of the regional. Another reliable bat was Owen Hull who posted two runs, three hits, four RBIs and a triple. Leading the bullpen was Ryan Lynch who threw seven scoreless innings, five strikeouts and only two hits in the regional opener, which set the tone for UNC moving forward.

An Exciting, Down-to-the-Wire Series

Jun 5, 2026; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; USC Trojans pitcher Mason Edwards (30) reacts during the first inning after striking out the North Carolina Tar Heels at Boshamer Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

After missing out on the super the past two decades, it looked as if the Trojans were not ready for the moment as they fell behind 5-1 entering the sixth inning in Game 1. Chase Herrell held the Tar Heels to one run in two innings to keep the Trojans in the game. Then Dean Capentier hit a go-ahead grand slam in the top of the sixth to take a 6-5. Southern Cal completed the late-game rally with three runs in the seventh to win 9-5.

The Tar Heels evened the score in Game 2 with a dominant 4-0 victory. Through nine innings, Jason DeCaro threw eight strikeouts, two hits and one walk. Paulsen Jr. and Colin Hynek each had a home run and an RBI.

It all came down to Game 3 – a tied series between two programs with limited super regional success in recent history. Entering the fourth inning, the Trojans and Tar Heels were locked at 1-1. Then USC scored in back-to-back innings – Kevin Takeuchi home run at the top of the fourth, Andrew Lamb home run at the top of the fifth – seemingly putting the game away at 3-1.

Then in the bottom of the eighth, UNC caught fire at the plate starting with Hull’s double and ending with Macon Winslow’s double-RBI to cut into the Trojans’ lead 3-2. As the Trojans struggled at the mound in the final inning, Carter French’s single advanced runners to first and second base with Jake Schaffner’s sacrifice fly tying the game.

It all built up to a cinematic ending with Hull drilling a walk-off RBI for the win. 

USC’s back-to-back 30-plus win seasons, regional victory and tough postseason run cemented themselves as a team to look forward to in the coming seasons while UNC continues to build its legacy with 13 Super Regional berths (91-50 all-time record) as they head to Omaha, Nebraska.

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