Baseball Completes Sweep Of Red Raiders To Open Season

Saturday, February 15

Chapel Hill

12 PM

North Carolina

3-0

Texas Tech

0-3

Texas Tech

North Carolina

Photo by: Ainsley E. Fauth

February 15, 2025 | Baseball

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: William Soule

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Carolina baseball completed the opening weekend sweep of Texas Tech with a 4-2 win on Saturday afternoon. The Tar Heels (3-0, 0-0 ACC) got three runs in the bottom of the first and a fourth in the fourth that was enough to see them over the finish line.

It is the 18^th time this century Carolina has swept its opening weekend series and the fifth time in the last six years. The last time they did so against a power five opponent was in 2017 against Kentucky.

The story of the afternoon was the pair of true freshman arms making their collegiate debuts that head coach Scott Forbes called upon to deliver in big moments. The first was Ellerbe, N.C., native Camron Seagraves who entered the game with runners on first and second and only one out. The young gun delivered, giving up no runs in 1.2 innings while adding two strikeouts.

Following him was the Moorestown, N.J., kid Ryan Lynch. The flamethrower threw 4.0 innings and registered seven strikeouts and zero walks on his way to picking up the win. Matthew Matthijs came in in the ninth to close it out, picking up his first career save.

The Red Raiders took an early lead, their first of the series, but Carolina responded with a big inning of their own in the bottom of the first. The first three hitters reached for UNC before Rom Kellis drove in a pair with a single up the middle with the bases juiced to swing the lead back to the boys in blue. A Sam Angelo sac fly brought in Luke Stevenson to make it 3-1 Heels after one.

The one-two punch of Kane Kepley and Tyson Bass at the top of the order was effective all weekend for UNC. The duo reached base on their first two at-bats in the game and Kepley added a RBI groundout late that brought around Jackson Van De Brake to extend the Tar Heels' cushion beyond reach.

The transfer outfielders have already shown their defensive prowess early in their Carolina careers. Kepley robbed a home run in game one of the series and Bass made an impressive diving stop himself in this one to rob Texas Tech of an extra base knock.

The Tar Heels are scheduled for two midweek games against NC A&T (Tues., Feb. 18) and Kansas State (Wed., Feb. 19) before the big weekend series against East Carolina. Follow along on GoHeels.com and @DiamondHeels on Twitter for updates with potential weather looming.