CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – Three teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference have punched their tickets to the Men’s College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska, after winning their respective Super Regionals. Florida State, North Carolina and Virginia are the first three teams across the country to secure their spot among the eight-team double-elimination field.
For the 24th time in program history and the first time under head coach Link Jarrett, the Florida State Seminoles will head to Omaha. Florida State dominated the opening game of the Tallahassee Super Regional, setting NCAA records in runs scored and margin of victory. The Seminoles cruised to a 24-4
victory, powered by five home runs, including two from outfielder Jaime Ferrer. ACC Player of the Year James Tibbs III and designated hitter Marco Dinges combined to drive in eight runs on four hits.
Tibbs once again played a key role for the Seminoles on Saturday, launching three home runs and pushing his total to 28 for the season. The Seminoles and Huskies traded blows throughout the day with Florida State chasing a run into the eighth inning. Jaxson West led off the eighth inning with a home run to right field to tie the game at seven before Drew Faurot lifted a sacrifice fly to give Florida State the lead in the ninth. UConn’s Malcom answered the call with a ninth-inning home run, tying the game at eight and forcing extra innings.
In the 12th inning, Tibbs launched a two-run home run, his third
of the day, to right field, putting the Seminoles on top for good. Tibbs became the first Florida State player since 2010 to homer three times in a game. Connor Whittaker worked 3.2 scoreless innings in relief, recording his third strikeout of the day to send the Seminoles back to Omaha.
Florida State will meet the winner of the Knoxville Super Regional in its first game of the Men’s College World Series. Tennessee and Evansville will play in a winner-take-all game three on Sunday following Evansville’s 10-8 victory on Saturday.
Virginia advances to the Men’s College World Series for the seventh time in the past 15 years after sweeping through the Charlottesville Super Regional. The Cavaliers remain a perfect 5-0 throughout the NCAA Tournament.
In the opening game of the Charlottesville Super Regional, Kansas State tied the ballgame with a run in the top of the seventh inning. In the bottom half of the frame, the Cavaliers took the lead on a Henry Godbout three-run home run, earning Evan Blanco his eighth win
of the season. Blanco fanned nine over 7.0 innings of work to lead Virginia to the 7-4 victory.
On Saturday, in the top of the fifth inning, freshman Henry Ford broke a 2-2 tie in the fifth inning with a two-run single through the left side. The Cavaliers would never surrender the lead on their way to sweeping through the Charlottesville Super Regional. Jacob Ference busted the game open in the top of the ninth inning with a two-run triple before Luke Hanson ripped a bases-clearing double to score three runs and push the Hoos scoring into double-digits. The Cavaliers topped off the 10-4 win when Chase Hungate retired the final three hitters he faced and sent the Hoos back to Omaha.
Virginia will meet North Carolina in the first game of the College World Series. The Tar Heels won the Chapel Hill Super Regional on Sunday, sweeping both games against West Virginia. The Cavaliers and Tar Heels will be just the sixth meeting between ACC teams in the opening contest of the Men’s College World Series and the first since 2013.
Vance Honeycutt was the hero for North Carolina on Friday night, launching a towering walk-off home run deep into the night, giving the Tar Heels an 8-6 victory. After falling behind 1-0 early, the Tar Heels exploded for a four-run third inning. The Mountaineers clawed their way back into the game, eventually taking a 6-4 lead in the sixth inning. Freshman catcher Luke Stevenson tied the game at six with a solo shot to lead off the bottom of the ninth, paving the way for Honeycutt’s heroics.
Honeycutt led off Saturday’s game with a solo shot on the first pitch of the ballgame to put the Tar Heels on top early. Parks Harber would double the Tar Heels’ lead in the third inning with a single through the left side to plate Honeycutt. The No. 4 national seed would never surrender the lead, carrying a shutout into the seventh inning.
Strong pitching from Jason DeCaro and Dalton Pence paved the way in the pitcher’s duel, allowing North Carolina to advance to the Men’s College World Series with a 2-1 victory. It will be the Tar Heels' first trip to Omaha since 2018 and the 12th appearance in school history.
Three teams from the ACC marks the most the league has sent to Omaha since 2013. However, the ACC could send as many as five teams to the Men’s College World Series as NC State and Clemson will
both be in action on Sunday.
The Wolfpack lead the Athens Super Regional, 1-0, over No. 8 seed Georgia after a dominant 18-1 victory on Saturday afternoon. NC State and Georgia will begin the second game of the Super Regional at noon on Sunday, June 9, with the game airing on ESPNU. Clemson trails the Clemson Super Regional, 1-0, after falling to Florida, 10-7, on Saturday afternoon. The Tigers and Gators will square off on Sunday, June 9, at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN.