University of North Carolina Athletics
Saturday, February 14
Chapel Hill
12 PM
North Carolina
2-0
12
vs
2
Indiana
0-2
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Indiana
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
2
4
2
North Carolina
1
0
0
0
3
6
2
12
9
0
Photo by: NATE SKVORETZ
Baseball Completes Sweep Of Indiana In Dramatic Fashion
February 15, 2026 | Baseball
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – A doubleheader Saturday ended with two very different checks in the win column for North Carolina baseball, as they put together a 12-2, seven inning run-rule and an 11th inning, 4-3 walk-off to complete a sweep of Indiana.
The Tar Heels (3-0) did in fact play 18 innings across their two games, just shaving off two frames in the first to save them for the second. It is the first time the program has had a run-rule and an extra innings contest in the same series.
UNC made it 12 years in a row winning their opening weekend series, with nine of those being via sweep. Carolina is now 5-2 under head coach Scott Forbes against Big Ten opposition and 144-43 in the friendly confines of Boshamer Stadium.
Game 1 – North Carolina 12, Indiana 2 (7 Innings)
An all-around dominant effort helped the Heels to their first run-rule of the season. The day's first RBI came from Erik Paulsen, who had a big game, in the bottom of the first.
Carolina wouldn't score again until the fifth, relying on starter Folger Boaz to keep them in the driver's seat. The junior delivered, going 5.0 innings giving up two hits and one run while racking up six strikeouts on his way to a win.
The momentum got rolling in the fifth thanks to the first UNC home run of the season, a three-run shot way gone from Paulsen. The Heels' first baseman would finish the game with five RBIs off two hits and a bases-loaded HBP.
The big blow came via a six run sixth inning from the Tar Heels highlighted by Colin Hynek's two RBI triple. That knock, along with Jake Schaffner's earlier three bagger, gave Carolina four triples through their first two games. It is the most by the team in back-to-back games since at least March 2015 in a pair of contests against Duke and the most triples they've had in a series since having four against Long Beach State in March of 2017.
It also gave Schaffner triples in back-to-back games to kick off his career in Chapel Hill. He is the first Heel to accomplish that feat since Danny Serretti did it against Georgia Tech in April of 2022.
A double in the first AB of the season from Rom Kellis V and a subsequent error on a Cooper Nicholson grounder put the game away in the bottom of the seventh.
Game 2 – North Carolina 4, Indiana 3 (11 Innings)
While the offense stole the show for Carolina in the first game, the pitching and the defense would be the focus for most of game two.
Indiana scored first to take their first lead of the series, but Tyler Howe's deep single to the right field wall brought in Nicholson to square it up. Those would be the only two earned runs by either team until the winner.
From there the pitchers would duel. Sophomore standout Ryan Lynch officially joined the weekend rotation to kick off 2026 after making three starts to end his stellar freshman season. He rallied well from that first inning speed bump to allow just three hits and the one run with six strikeouts in 5.0 IP.
One of the highlights of the afternoon slate for the Tar Heels was the return to the mound of Matthew Matthijs. One of the team's most reliable bullpen arms the last two seasons, he had Tommy John surgery after an injury on Apr. 4, 2025 against Duke. 316 days later he's back throwing for Carolina, anchoring the middle innings with 2.1 frames of one hit work with three Ks.
It was an error on a grounder from the first batter Matthijs faced that would allow two runs to be scored by the Hoosiers, setting the stage for the bottom of the ninth. Down a pair, Carolina loaded the bases with two outs. Pinch hitting Lee Sowers chopped a grounder to the Indiana second baseman who mishandled the throw to first and suddenly the game was tied once again.
Up steps Duke transfer catcher Macon Winslow with the first at-bat of the bottom of the 11th. Sensing a chance to make his name known in Chapel Hill, the junior smoked a 398-foot line drive home run off the scoreboard to secure the walk-off win for North Carolina. It's the program's first opening weekend walk-off since Feb. 15, 2020, against Middle Tennessee State.
The Tar Heels will be back in action on Tuesday, Feb. 17 at home against Richmond. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET and coverage will come on ACCNX.
The Tar Heels (3-0) did in fact play 18 innings across their two games, just shaving off two frames in the first to save them for the second. It is the first time the program has had a run-rule and an extra innings contest in the same series.
UNC made it 12 years in a row winning their opening weekend series, with nine of those being via sweep. Carolina is now 5-2 under head coach Scott Forbes against Big Ten opposition and 144-43 in the friendly confines of Boshamer Stadium.
Game 1 – North Carolina 12, Indiana 2 (7 Innings)
An all-around dominant effort helped the Heels to their first run-rule of the season. The day's first RBI came from Erik Paulsen, who had a big game, in the bottom of the first.
Carolina wouldn't score again until the fifth, relying on starter Folger Boaz to keep them in the driver's seat. The junior delivered, going 5.0 innings giving up two hits and one run while racking up six strikeouts on his way to a win.
The momentum got rolling in the fifth thanks to the first UNC home run of the season, a three-run shot way gone from Paulsen. The Heels' first baseman would finish the game with five RBIs off two hits and a bases-loaded HBP.
The big blow came via a six run sixth inning from the Tar Heels highlighted by Colin Hynek's two RBI triple. That knock, along with Jake Schaffner's earlier three bagger, gave Carolina four triples through their first two games. It is the most by the team in back-to-back games since at least March 2015 in a pair of contests against Duke and the most triples they've had in a series since having four against Long Beach State in March of 2017.
It also gave Schaffner triples in back-to-back games to kick off his career in Chapel Hill. He is the first Heel to accomplish that feat since Danny Serretti did it against Georgia Tech in April of 2022.
A double in the first AB of the season from Rom Kellis V and a subsequent error on a Cooper Nicholson grounder put the game away in the bottom of the seventh.
Game 2 – North Carolina 4, Indiana 3 (11 Innings)
While the offense stole the show for Carolina in the first game, the pitching and the defense would be the focus for most of game two.
Indiana scored first to take their first lead of the series, but Tyler Howe's deep single to the right field wall brought in Nicholson to square it up. Those would be the only two earned runs by either team until the winner.
From there the pitchers would duel. Sophomore standout Ryan Lynch officially joined the weekend rotation to kick off 2026 after making three starts to end his stellar freshman season. He rallied well from that first inning speed bump to allow just three hits and the one run with six strikeouts in 5.0 IP.
One of the highlights of the afternoon slate for the Tar Heels was the return to the mound of Matthew Matthijs. One of the team's most reliable bullpen arms the last two seasons, he had Tommy John surgery after an injury on Apr. 4, 2025 against Duke. 316 days later he's back throwing for Carolina, anchoring the middle innings with 2.1 frames of one hit work with three Ks.
It was an error on a grounder from the first batter Matthijs faced that would allow two runs to be scored by the Hoosiers, setting the stage for the bottom of the ninth. Down a pair, Carolina loaded the bases with two outs. Pinch hitting Lee Sowers chopped a grounder to the Indiana second baseman who mishandled the throw to first and suddenly the game was tied once again.
Up steps Duke transfer catcher Macon Winslow with the first at-bat of the bottom of the 11th. Sensing a chance to make his name known in Chapel Hill, the junior smoked a 398-foot line drive home run off the scoreboard to secure the walk-off win for North Carolina. It's the program's first opening weekend walk-off since Feb. 15, 2020, against Middle Tennessee State.
The Tar Heels will be back in action on Tuesday, Feb. 17 at home against Richmond. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET and coverage will come on ACCNX.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Boaz, Folger (1-0)
L: Bergman, Jackson (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Moore, Will 1
RBI: Moore, Will 1
SH: Schuyler, T.J. 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Denny, Hogan 1 ; Stewart, Aiden 1
HBP: Stewart, Aiden 1
Batting:
2B: Kellis V, Rom 1 ; Hull, Owen 1
3B: Schaffner, Jake 1 ; Hynek, Colin 1
HR: Paulsen, Erik 1
RBI: Nicholson, Cooper 1 ; Maginnis, Michael 1 ; Hynek, Colin 2 ; Kellis V, Rom 1 ; Paulsen, Erik 5
Base Running:
RUNS: Nicholson, Cooper 1 ; Schaffner, Jake 1 ; Hynek, Colin 1 ; Kellis V, Rom 1 ; Paulsen, Erik 2 ; Gallaher, Gavin 1 ; Winslow, Macon 2 ; Hull, Owen 3
SB: Schaffner, Jake 1 ; Hynek, Colin 1
HBP: Nicholson, Cooper 1 ; Paulsen, Erik 1 ; Winslow, Macon 2 ; Hull, Owen 1
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
dh/c
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
5
AB
1
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
LHP
/ Baseball
OF/1B
/ BaseballC
/ BaseballOF/C
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
INF
/ BaseballINF
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
C
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