Current News
Current Sports
Search
About Us    |    Our People    |    Affiliates    |    Advertise
Sports

Follow along: Tar Heels top Mountaineers, 12-7

By Greg Carey 
Jun 17, 2026; Omaha, NE, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels shortstop Jake Schaffner (2) slides home to score against West Virginia Mountaineers catcher Matthew Graveline (0) during the first inning at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

OMAHA, Neb. — Here we go again.

It’s West Virginia vs. North Carolina from Charles Schwab Field with first pitch set for 1:07 p.m. (CST). The Mountaineers (47-16) need a win to prolong their season at least one more game, while the Tar Heels (52-12-1) are within one victory of winning Bracket 1 and securing a spot in the Men’s College World Series Finals.

The Mountaineers are 4-0 in elimination games throughout the postseason following Tuesday’s 12-0 victory against Troy.

— — — — —

4:21 p.m. — FINAL: North Carolina 12, West Virginia 7. Glauber allows two singles in the ninth, but finishes off the Mountaineers. UNC improves to 54-12-1 and awaits the winner of Georgia-Oklahoma in Bracket 2 in the best-of-three Men’s College World Series Finals. The most successful season in the 135-year history of WVU baseball ends at 47-17.

4:03 p.m. — END 8: North Carolina 12, West Virginia 7. McDougal works a scoreless eighth and Kelly belts a 428-foot solo home run to left with two outs that ties him with Mark Landers and Jedd Gyorko for the single-season school record with 19 homers.

3:48 p.m. — END 7: North Carolina 12, West Virginia 6: Graveline scores the Mountaineers’ sixth run on a passed ball and Wills follows with a walk before the inning ends when Glauber catches Lumsden looking. WVU had seven straight reach with two outs, including five by way of hit. McDougal is on for Bassinger to start the eighth.

3:40 p.m. — The Tar Heels scored twice in the seventh on a Carter French double and Schaffner single, both with two outs. WVU has answered back as six straight have reached with two outs. It began with Guzman legging out an infield single. He scored on Kelly’s triple, and since then, Schoenfeld singled home Kelly, Sean Smith worked a walk and Graveline and Ineich accounted for back-to-back singles off Cameron Padgett, who had come on for Matthijs. UNC leads 12-5 and Caden Glauber is coming on to pitch with runners at the corners.

3:07 p.m. — END 6: North Carolina 10, West Virginia 1. The Mountaineers load the bases with one out to chase Rose, who is replaced by Matthew Matthijs. On Matthijs’ first pitch, Wills lines out to second and it turns into a double play with Graveline thrown out trying to get back to second.

2:54 p.m. — UNC adds two more and does all its damage with two outs, including a triple from Hull, who scored on Gallaher’s single. After Reese Basinger replaced Korn, Gallaher stole second and scored on Paulsen’s single. UNC’s 2-4 hitters are a combined 10-for-12 with seven RBI and six runs. Leadoff batter Jake Schaffner has walked twice and scored three times.

2:40 p.m. — END 5: North Carolina 8, West Virginia 1. Rose retires the Mountaineers in order and has allowed two baserunners across 14 plate appearances since taking over in the second.

2:31 p.m. — Guzman shifts from right field to first base and Brock Wills takes over in right.

2:29 p.m. — END 4: North Carolina 8, West Virginia 1. Zahir Barjam pinch hit for Kresser with one out, but the Mountaineers aren’t able to muster anything against Rose, who has not allowed a hit outside of Guzman’s bunt single.

2:18 p.m. — Paulsen makes it 8-1 with a two-run single. It’s all UNC, which has nine hits thus far.

2:16 p.m. — West Virginia continues to hurt its cause defensively with a throwing error from first baseman Brodie Kresser creating a two on with one out situation, and the Tar Heels continue to make the Mountaineers pay. This time it’s a run-scoring double from Hull that makes it 6-1. UNC has two in scoring position with one out.

2:10 p.m. — END 3: North Carolina 5, West Virginia 1. Guzman reaches on a leadoff bunt single and gets to second with one out, but is ultimately tagged out on a fielder’s choice from Paul Schoenfeld. Much like Sunday’s matchup, the Tar Heels have been the better defensive team.

1:58 p.m. — Paulsen gets a single to fall in on a weakly hit pop up that should have been caught and Cooper Nicholson follows with a two-run triple that splits the gap in right-center. WVU’s defense hasn’t done much to help its pitchers and the Tar Heels are in front, 5-1.

1:53 p.m. — Gallaher singles through the left side of the infield to score Schaffner, though a heady play by Graveline results in Hull being thrown out at third. Cole’s outing is done and Korn is coming on with the Mountaineers trailing, 3-1.

1:50 p.m. — Schaffner works a four-pitch walk to start the third, Hull follows with a single off the end of his bat and Korn is warming in the bullpen.

1:45 p.m. — END 2: North Carolina 2, West Virginia 1. Rose is sharp in the second, retiring the bottom of the Mountaineer lineup in order and on only seven pitches.

1:40 p.m. — Cole works a quick and effective second, retiring the bottom of the UNC lineup in order — all on ground ball outs. The first one came on a high-level play from third baseman Tyrus Hall. Freshman left-hander Jackson Rose takes over at pitcher for Boaz. He is 4-0 across 21 appearances and six starts with 46 innings pitched. Rose has a 2.35 earned-run average and opponents are hitting a mere .174 against him as opposed to .332 against Boaz.

1:33 p.m. — END 1: North Carolina 2, West Virginia 1. The Mountaineers get one back courtesy of Matthew Graveline’s two-out single that brought in Armani Guzman, but a solid defensive play by second baseman Gavin Gallaher for the final out of the inning ensures the Mountaineers strand two in scoring position. Folger Boaz had walked Guzman to start his outing before a Gavin Kelly single, but both WVU outs on balls put in play in the inning were strong defensive plays.

1:15 p.m. — Chansen Cole walks Jake Schaffner, who steals second and scores on Owen Hull’s double. Hull steals third with one out and scores on an error charged to Tyrus Hall as the third baseman was unable to catch a throw from catcher Matthew Graveline that could have resulted in Hull being wiped out. UNC, which is 42-4 when scoring first, leads 2-0. The Tar Heels are 19-0 this year when scoring multiple runs in the first inning. There is early action in the Mountaineer bullpen with Ian Korn getting loose.

12:55 p.m. — Starting lineups are being introduced for both teams. The wind is forcefully blowing out today. Steady gusts of between 15-20 miles per hour throughout the early afternoon.





More Sports

Sports
WVU's Montesa, Yehl selected on Day 1 of the MLB Draft
Montesa was selected by the Cardinals while Yehl was taken by the Royals.
By Joe Brocato
July 11, 2026 - 7:37 pm
Sports
Building depth a focus at North Marion as the Huskies look to remain in Class AAA's top tier
NMHS has advanced to at least the quarterfinal round in six consecutive seasons.
By Joe Brocato
July 11, 2026 - 5:38 pm
Sports
Title defense continues for Wheeling Central Catholic with several key returners
The Maroon Knights went 10-2 last fall in winning their first championship since 2019.
By Joe Brocato
July 10, 2026 - 3:11 pm
Sports
Brand's unique path at Marshall helped lead to more success for soon-to-be Herd Hall of Famer
Christian Brand proved he belonged and then some over his first few years at Marshall, but redshirting prior to his senior season became a 'blessing in disguise.'
By Greg Carey
July 10, 2026 - 3:00 pm