University of North Carolina Athletics
Jason DeCaro
Photo by: AINSLEY E. FAUTH
Lucas: Ole Miss Rapid Reactions
June 12, 2026 | Baseball, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
Quick takeaways from Carolina's first game in Omaha.
By Adam Lucas
1. What a performance by the Tar Heels in Omaha, beating Ole Miss 6-2.Â
2. Carolina got a little bit from everybody. It started with Jason DeCaro, who fired 6.2 innings of excellent baseball, allowing just two runs on five hits and tying his career high with nine strikeouts. Put that with his super regional performance and he's been a star in the postseason.
3. That got the game to Caden Glauber, the veteran handing it off to the freshman. Glauber allowed three hits in his 2.1 innings, striking out a pair and walking none. The Tar Heels remain undefeated this year when Glauber pitches.
4. That type of pitching set the stage for the offense, some of the small type and some of the big type. Somewhat surprisingly, against an Ole Miss team lauded for its power, it was Carolina who found a way to cut two balls through the Omaha wind. The first was an opposite field rocket from Owen Hull for the day's first UNC run.
5. And the second allowed everyone to breathe a little, as Colin Hynek blasted a three-run home run to provide the eventual 6-2 winning margin. It's so typical of this team that with all the stars on the roster, it was Hynek who stayed on the field to do the postgame interview.
6. But don't forget about two big at bats from the top of the order in the seventh. After a textbook bunt from Carter French, Jake Schaffner lofted a sacrifice fly, and then Gavin Gallaher came through with a two-out RBI single that gave the Heels their first lead of the day.
7. A bad break for the Tar Heels led to the game's first run. Both left fielders spent most of the early innings shading their eyes from the Omaha sun. It played a role when Brayden Randle dropped in a bloop double on the left field line that Tyler Howe didn't pick up right away. Leadoff man Dom Decker drove him home with an RBI double to snap a 12.2 scoreless inning streak for DeCaro.
8. Howe didn't let the tough play bother him, though. He finished with a pair of hits and scored two runs. He was integral to the bottom of the Carolina order that was on base eight times in the 6-9 spots in the order. Cooper Nicholson had a pair of walks, Howe had two hits and a walk, Hynek had the big home run plus a walk, and French had a walk plus the key bunt.Â
9. Both teams got an early example of the way Charles Schwab Field plays in June. With one on in the top of the second, Austin Fawley hit a ball hard to center that looked like it might be at least a double off the bat. Instead, Owen Hull had to come in to play it in the air and record the out. The Omaha winds were blowing in on Friday evening, making the park play even bigger. The wind also kept a Gavin Gallaher laser in the park in the bottom of the third, turning a certain Boshamer Stadium homer into an Omaha flyout.
10. Carolina was outhit 8-5 but it didn't matter. The Tar Heels continue to have very good at-bats, even against Ole Miss starter Taylor Rabe, who had walked just 11 hitters all season. Carolina worked four of them from Rabe and six in the game. So while they weren't always getting runners via base hits, they got them by virtue of free bases, and every single runner was important. That approach helped get Rabe out of the game in the sixth, and the Heels scored five runs off the Rebel bullpen in 2.1 innings.
11. Overall, it was a very representative performance of this year's Carolina team. The Heels got a big blast or two, had scrappy at-bats, pitched very well, and played airtight defense (including a ninth inning double play even while positioned in a shift).Â
12. The Tar Heels now advance to play West Virginia on Sunday at 7 p.m. in a critical game to see who can move to 2-0 in this half of the bracket. But they'll take at least a couple hours to enjoy this one, a very well-played College World Series classic against a quality opponent.Â
1. What a performance by the Tar Heels in Omaha, beating Ole Miss 6-2.Â
2. Carolina got a little bit from everybody. It started with Jason DeCaro, who fired 6.2 innings of excellent baseball, allowing just two runs on five hits and tying his career high with nine strikeouts. Put that with his super regional performance and he's been a star in the postseason.
3. That got the game to Caden Glauber, the veteran handing it off to the freshman. Glauber allowed three hits in his 2.1 innings, striking out a pair and walking none. The Tar Heels remain undefeated this year when Glauber pitches.
4. That type of pitching set the stage for the offense, some of the small type and some of the big type. Somewhat surprisingly, against an Ole Miss team lauded for its power, it was Carolina who found a way to cut two balls through the Omaha wind. The first was an opposite field rocket from Owen Hull for the day's first UNC run.
5. And the second allowed everyone to breathe a little, as Colin Hynek blasted a three-run home run to provide the eventual 6-2 winning margin. It's so typical of this team that with all the stars on the roster, it was Hynek who stayed on the field to do the postgame interview.
6. But don't forget about two big at bats from the top of the order in the seventh. After a textbook bunt from Carter French, Jake Schaffner lofted a sacrifice fly, and then Gavin Gallaher came through with a two-out RBI single that gave the Heels their first lead of the day.
7. A bad break for the Tar Heels led to the game's first run. Both left fielders spent most of the early innings shading their eyes from the Omaha sun. It played a role when Brayden Randle dropped in a bloop double on the left field line that Tyler Howe didn't pick up right away. Leadoff man Dom Decker drove him home with an RBI double to snap a 12.2 scoreless inning streak for DeCaro.
8. Howe didn't let the tough play bother him, though. He finished with a pair of hits and scored two runs. He was integral to the bottom of the Carolina order that was on base eight times in the 6-9 spots in the order. Cooper Nicholson had a pair of walks, Howe had two hits and a walk, Hynek had the big home run plus a walk, and French had a walk plus the key bunt.Â
9. Both teams got an early example of the way Charles Schwab Field plays in June. With one on in the top of the second, Austin Fawley hit a ball hard to center that looked like it might be at least a double off the bat. Instead, Owen Hull had to come in to play it in the air and record the out. The Omaha winds were blowing in on Friday evening, making the park play even bigger. The wind also kept a Gavin Gallaher laser in the park in the bottom of the third, turning a certain Boshamer Stadium homer into an Omaha flyout.
10. Carolina was outhit 8-5 but it didn't matter. The Tar Heels continue to have very good at-bats, even against Ole Miss starter Taylor Rabe, who had walked just 11 hitters all season. Carolina worked four of them from Rabe and six in the game. So while they weren't always getting runners via base hits, they got them by virtue of free bases, and every single runner was important. That approach helped get Rabe out of the game in the sixth, and the Heels scored five runs off the Rebel bullpen in 2.1 innings.
11. Overall, it was a very representative performance of this year's Carolina team. The Heels got a big blast or two, had scrappy at-bats, pitched very well, and played airtight defense (including a ninth inning double play even while positioned in a shift).Â
12. The Tar Heels now advance to play West Virginia on Sunday at 7 p.m. in a critical game to see who can move to 2-0 in this half of the bracket. But they'll take at least a couple hours to enjoy this one, a very well-played College World Series classic against a quality opponent.Â
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Friday, June 12
Friday, June 12