North Carolina started the College World Series 1-0 by beating Ole Miss 6-2 on Friday.
The Tar Heels’ victory was fueled by excellent pitching from Jason DeCaro, who struck out nine batters over 6 2/3 innings, and Caden Glauber, who added two strikeouts in 2 1/3 innings. Catcher Colin Hynek’s three-run homer in the eighth inning clinched the win for North Carolina.
Below are some key points from UNC’s win.
DeCaro Delivers Clutch Performances Again
Whenever North Carolina needs Jason DeCaro most, he rises to the occasion. In Game 2 of the Super Regionals against USC, with their backs against the wall, DeCaro delivered a complete-game shutout. Similarly, in Game 1 in Omaha, he kept a strong Ole Miss offense in check. Over 6.2 innings, DeCaro struck out nine batters—matching his career best—while allowing five hits and two earned runs.
On his second start in Omaha after his appearance in the 2024 College World Series, DeCaro said the key was slowing the game down and focusing on one pitch at a time.
“Just trying to slow myself down a little bit,” DeCaro explained when asked about his biggest lesson from 2024. “We talked earlier in the week about taking it one pitch at a time. I think I did a pretty good job with that.”
DeCaro also performed well in two-strike situations, which he credits for his recent success.
“Focusing on better execution when I’m ahead in the count,” DeCaro said, “was essential to my performance. … That’s been a major focus for me over the last three or four weeks. I feel like I’ve definitely improved in that area.”
Colin Hynek’s big moment
There was no bigger moment in the game than Colin Hynek’s at-bat in the bottom of the eighth inning.
After Cooper Nicholson was hit by a pitch and Tyler Howe ripped a two-out double, Hynek jumped on the first pitch he saw and sent it over the left-field wall for a three-run home run, giving the Tar Heels three insurance runs.
Hynek said he stuck to the scouting report and simplified his approach in that moment.
“Going into the at-bat, they took a mound visit, and Coach Wierz was just letting me know from the dugout we’ve got our scouting reports,” Hynek said. “The guy has a changeup that he likes to throw. It’s a pretty good pitch, so I couldn’t play with him at the bottom of the zone. I was trying to see it up, and when I saw the changeup start up I just got a swing off.”
“Seeing it go over is a pretty cool feeling, to homer here. I just stuck to my plan.”
Made the best of its opportunities
North Carolina capitalized on its limited opportunities with runners on base, going 2-for-5 in those situations. Gavin Gallaher delivered the go-ahead RBI single, and Hynek added a three-run home run. Jake Schaffner also recorded a game-tying sacrifice fly in the seventh inning, which did not count as a hit.
The performance marked a noticeable improvement for a Tar Heels lineup that hit just .115 with runners in scoring position during its three-game super regional against USC. North Carolina still advanced to the College World Series, but driving in runners was hardly an offensive strength.
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC Baseball: 3 takeaways from win over Ole Miss on CWS Opening Day
