CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — After 293 days of preparation and a clear mission—“The Road to Omaha starts here”—North Carolina’s 2025 baseball season ended in heartbreak. Despite a career outing from freshman right-hander Ryan Lynch, the Tar Heels fell 4-3 to Arizona, ending their bid for a return to the Men’s College World Series.
Lynch Shines, but UNC Can’t Capitalize
Lynch gave UNC everything they needed. The freshman was dominant early, retiring the first three batters in order—something UNC didn’t manage until the eighth inning a day prior. He finished with seven innings pitched, allowing just two runs on three hits, with five strikeouts. The only major blemish: a two-out solo shot by Arizona’s Garen Caulfield, just the third home run Lynch had allowed all season.
But with two runners on in the eighth following a single and a defensive error, Lynch handed the ball over to freshman Walker McDuffie, whose struggles unraveled the tight contest. McDuffie gave up a hit and a walk while another error, this one by Gavin Gallaher, extended the inning.
Reliever Aidan Haugh entered and promptly allowed an unearned run to score, giving Arizona a 4-3 lead. Though he steadied the ship to finish the game, UNC’s offense failed to rally.
Offense Fizzles When It Matters Most
Jackson Van De Brake provided all of UNC’s offense with a three-run homer in the third inning—his eighth of the year and fifth in the past month. Outside of that swing, the Tar Heels’ bats were silent.
UNC went 5-for-31 (.161) overall and just 2-for-13 with runners on base. The bottom of the order finished 1-for-11, and several key opportunities slipped through the team’s fingers. Right fielder Tyson Bass stranded four runners with double plays in the second and sixth innings. Alex Madera, Luke Stevenson, Sam Angelo, and Gallaher also failed to deliver in scoring situations.
The Tar Heels left six runners on base across six different innings.
Season Ends in Disappointment
After months of effort and flashes of greatness throughout the postseason, North Carolina ends its 2025 campaign short of its ultimate goal: Omaha and the program’s first national championship. The sting of a one-run loss will linger, but for young arms like Lynch and Haugh, the future remains promising.
As the team regroups for another run in 2026, the mission on the lounge wall still stands. The road to Omaha is long—and the Tar Heels will be determined to take it again.
