Forbes Reveals Diamond Heels Fall Roster

October 3, 2025 | Baseball

By: William Soulé

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – North Carolina baseball head coach Scott Forbes has unveiled the fall semester roster that features 16 new faces joining the Diamond Heels this season.

Carolina will have 20 players returning from the 2025 ACC Championship winning squad who will be reinforced by a 16-man signing class incoming. The newcomers feature six Division I transfers, one junior college player, and nine high school signees who will all compete for playing time in 2026.

The Tar Heels bring back six letterwinners from the field and 11 more from the pitcher's mound. The position players will be led by Chapel Hill Regional Most Outstanding Player Gavin Gallaher as well as seniors Carter French and Rom Kellis V, sophomore outfielders Sawyer Black and Perry Hargett, and sophomore infielder Lee Sowers.

UNC has a loaded group returning to the arm barn this fall, highlighted by the likes of Jason DeCaro, Ryan Lynch, Walker McDuffie, Olin Johnson, Folger Boaz, Cameron Padgett, Camron Seagraves, Tom Chmielewski, and Boston Flannery. The team will also see returns from injury for experienced arms Matthew Matthijs and Kyle Percival.

The six transfers, all position players, will each factor in heavily to the team's game plan for the upcoming season as Forbes and staff look to replace seven bats that were lost to the pros or graduation (and six of those seven started all 61 games in 2025).

D1Baseball ranked four of the new Tar Heels amongst their top-50 transfer hitters. Former Duke catcher Macon Winslow lead the way at No. 16 with North Dakota State infielder Jake Schaffner at No. 20, George Mason outfield power bat Owen Hull at No. 21, and Stony Brook first baseman Erik Paulsen at No. 33. Former Georgia State Panthers Colin Hynek and Michael Maginnis will also look to make a name for themselves.

The lone recruit from the junior college ranks is Cooper Nicholson, who comes to Chapel Hill from Iowa Central Community College. A powerful infielder who can play all over the dirt, Nicholson hit 50 home runs in two years at Iowa CCC.

The new faces coming in from the high school ranks features five pitchers and four position players. The right-handed arms include Caden Glauber, Talan Holiday, Jake Cackovic, and Justin Mabe with the lone lefty in Jackson Rose. Tyler Howe and Jadyn Nunez will reinforce the outfield with Matt McKnight and AJ Terry slotting into the infield rotations.

2026 Signing Class
Transfers
Owen Hull – George Mason – Junior – Outfielder
• Hit .367 with 83 runs, eight homers, and 63 RBIs in his sophomore season at George Mason.
• Named Second Team All-Atlantic 10 as an outfielder and designated hitter.
• Finished the season ranked fourth in the country in runs scored, 31^st in hits (87), and 10^th in stolen bases (42).

Colin Hynek – Georgia State – Graduate – Catcher
• Played in 132 games for the Panthers, hitting .228 with 33 home runs and 91 RBIs.
• Led the team in home runs last season with 18 for 45 RBIs.
• Threw out 12 baserunners in 2025 and finished with a .983 fielding percentage across 400 chances.

Michael Maginnis – Georgia State – Graduate – Outfielder
• Career .295 hitter in 138 games with 121 starts at Georgia State, moving out to be the regular left fielder after playing in the infield as a freshman.
• Led the team in stolen bases (18) and was second in hits (68) in 2025.
• Voted a team captain for the Panthers in his final season there.

Cooper Nicholson – Iowa Central CC – Junior – Infielder
• Hit .343 in his 121 career games at the junior college level, racking up 41 home runs, 32 doubles, and 132 RBIs.
• Named the ICCAC Player of the Year as a freshman after leading the league in hits, home runs, and total bases while finishing with the second most home runs in the country.
• Two-time NJCAA All-American, earning second team in 2024 and third team in 2025.

Erik Paulsen – Stony Brook – Junior – Infielder
• Named the CAA Defensive Player of the Year alongside earning All-CAA First Team honors in his sophomore season with the Seawolves.
• Earned First Freshman All-America status from Baseball America, D1Baseball, and Perfect Game with a second team selection from the NCBWA.
• Racked up a .330 average in 99 games played for Stony Brook with 13 home runs, 33 doubles, and 68 RBIs. Also threw 51.2 innings with a 4.18 ERA.

Jake Schaffner – North Dakota State – Junior – Infielder
• Selected as the Summit Leage Defensive Player of the Year and a Brooks Wallace Award semifinalist in his sophomore campaign for the Bison.
• Garnered a .353 batting average across his two seasons at North Dakota State, recording six triples, 18 doubles, three home runs, and 34 stolen bases.
• Finished in the top 10 on the Bison single-season list in hits (t-2nd, 84), at-bats (4th, 229) and stolen bases (9th, 18) in 2025.

Macon Winslow – Duke – Junior – Catcher
• Made 56 starts at catcher in 2025, logging a .278 batting average with 43 runs scored, 13 doubles, one triple, and nine home runs.
• Named to the Athens Regional All-Tournament Team after racking up four hits and two homers to see the Blue Devils take the regional.
• Holds a career .993 fielding percentage behind the dish with a little bit of time spent in the outfield as a freshman. Has thrown out 12 runners in 47 attempted steals for a 26% rate.

High School
Jake Cackovic – Holly Springs, N.C. – RHP
• Named to the 2025 NCBCA All-State Team.
• Selected as the Holly Springs Male Athlete of the Year.
• Also a talented basketball player, earned SWAC All-Conference honors twice.

Caden Glauber – Fort Mill, S.C. – RHP
• Ranked as the No. 240 overall prospect in the country and the fourth best recruit from South Carolina by Perfect Game.
• Earned all-state honors in both 2024 and 2025.
• Led Catawba Ridge to the 5A state championship game in his senior season.

Talan Holiday – Pembroke Pines, Fla. – RHP
• Ranked as the No. 43 prospect and No. 9 right-hander from the state of Florida according to Perfect Game.
• Won two state championships and appeared in three with American Heritage.
• Finished his high school career with a 1.43 ERA in 35 starts, racking up 207 strikeouts and an 18-4 record.

Tyler Howe – Huntersville, N.C. – Outfielder
• Ranked as the No. 93 overall outfielder in the country and the No. 20 recruit in the state of North Carolina by Perfect Game.
• Three-time QCAC Conference Player of the Year and 4A All-State honoree.
• Named the Charlotte Observer's Baseball Player of the Year in his senior season.

Justin Mabe – Lexington, N.C. – RHP
• Ranked as the No. 26 recruits in the state of North Carolina and the No. 10 right hander by Perfect Game.
• A two-time All-State selection and four-time all-conference.
• Recorded 66 strikeouts in 42.2 innings pitched in his senior season, maintaining a 2.46 ERA.

Matt McKnight – Charlotte, N.C. – Infielder
• Ranked as the No. 147 overall recruit in the country and the No. 6 prospect from North Carolina according to Prep Baseball Report.
• Named the SW4A Conference Baseball Player of the Year alongside first team all-state honors in his senior season.
• Hit .413 with seven doubles, eight home runs, 32 RBIs and 36 runs to earn a spot on the Charlotte Observer all-star first team.

Jadyn Nunez – Miami, Fla. – Outfielder
• Ranked as the No. 349 overall recruit in the class and the No. 37 prospect from Florida according to Perfect Game.
• Two-time member of the all-district and All-Dade County teams.
• Hit .364 in his senior season with 10 home runs, 14 doubles, and 45 RBIs. Also racked up 43 strikeouts in 49.2 innings on the mound with a 3.24 ERA.

Jackson Rose – Woodstock, Ga. – LHP
• Ranked as the No. 296 overall prospect in the class and the 32^nd best lefty according to Perfect Game.
• Earned first team all-state honors in his senior season.
• Led his team to a state championship in 2024 and semifinal appearances in 2023 and 2025.

AJ Terry – Randolph, N.J. – Infielder
• Ranked as the No. 270 overall recruit in the class and the No. 9 prospect from the state of New Jersey according to Perfect Game.
• Two-time all-state and three-time all-conference honoree.
• Named the MCADA Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2025.