UNC Baseball Score Shock: Tar Heels Stun West Virginia 5-2 in College World Series Thriller – Full Highlights & What’s Next

OMAHA, Neb. — North Carolina’s bats exploded early and never cooled off, powering the Tar Heels to a 12-5 win over West Virginia in Wednesday’s College World Series matchup. With the victory, UNC improves to 53-12-1 and moves within one win of the championship series, while the Mountaineers fall into Thursday’s elimination bracket. How the game unfolded • First-inning statement: Jake Schaffner ripped a leadoff single and later scored on Owen Hull’s two-run double, staking UNC to a 2-1 edge after WVU scratched across an opening-frame run. • Middle-inning onslaught: The Tar Heels plated three runs in both the third and fourth, highlighted by Gavin Gallaher’s bases-clearing double and Cooper Nicholson’s RBI triple that chased Mountaineer starter Chansen Cole. • Closing punch: A two-spot in both the sixth and seventh innings — capped by Carter French’s RBI double down the right-field line — pushed the lead to 12-1 before WVU rallied for four in the seventh to add late respectability. Key numbers • Hull finished 5-for-3 with four extra-base hits (two doubles, one triple) and two RBI, raising his season total to 85 RBI, tops on the roster. • Gallaher drove in four, pushing his postseason RBI tally to 14. • Folger Boaz, Jackson Rose and Matthew Matthijs combined to limit WVU to five runs on nine hits while striking out eight. • UNC’s 15-hit outburst is its largest of the tournament, and the 12 runs match the program’s single-game CWS record set in 2007. What’s next Coach Scott Forbes’ club will get Thursday off before facing the survivor of WVU–Troy on Friday at 2 p.m. ET (ESPN). One more win sends the Heels back to the best-of-three finals for the first time since 2007. West Virginia, meanwhile, must navigate the loser’s bracket for a chance at a rematch. Why it matters Wednesday’s result keeps UNC perfect in Omaha (3-0) and extends a 10-game postseason winning streak built on balanced offense and a bullpen that has allowed just nine earned runs over its last 41 innings. With veteran bats locked in and the pitching staff well-rested, the Tar Heels have positioned themselves as legitimate national title favorites. Fans searching for “UNC baseball score” can expect more fireworks if this lineup stays hot; through three CWS contests, North Carolina is averaging 8.7 runs and slugging .529, both tournament bests