UNC baseball is closing in on the top spot in the latest USA TODAY Coaches poll, which was released April 20.
The second-ranked Tar Heels (33-7-1, 15-6 ACC) have won six straight ACC series, including a three-game series against Georgia Tech (32-7, 16-5) in a top-three matchup at Boshamer Stadium. Following two wins against the Yellow Jackets, UNC got off to its best 40-game start since the 2013 squad, which advanced to the College World Series.
The Tar Heels won 5-2 against Georgia Tech in Game 1, doing so in front of a record-breaking crowd of 4,357 fans. UNC had a 14-4 victory in Game 2, securing a run-rule win in eight innings. The Yellow Jackets avoided a sweep with a 5-2 win in Game 3.
Across three games, UNC's pitching allowed five runs on nine hits, with 10 strikeouts against one of the nation's top offenses. Leadoff hitter Jake Schaffner had a .600 batting average and five runs in three games. Owen Hull had four hits and eight RBIs, including a grand slam in the second game of the series.
UNC earned its highest-ranked series victory at the Bosh since sweeping No. 3 Clemson in April 2017.
The third-ranked Yellow Jackets, No. 8 Florida State (28-11), No. 12 Virginia (28-13) and No. 20 Boston College (31-12) are the other ACC teams among the top-25 rankings in the coaches poll.
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UNC hosts High Point (26-13, 11-4 Big South) on Tuesday, April 21 (6 p.m., ACC Network Extra), in Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels then travel to Durham for a rivalry series against Duke (22-20, 8-13) from April 23-25. Thursday's opener is set for 7 p.m. and is scheduled to be televised on ACC Network.
Here’s a breakdown of the latest rankings and where UNC stands in the current polls.
Rodd Baxley covers North Carolina Tar Heels athletics for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding UNC? Send them to rbaxley@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: UNC baseball rankings, polls before Duke series