An elusive College Baseball World Series title eluded the North Carolina Tar Heels again in 2026. UNC made it to the final to face a scorching-hot Oklahoma team. Despite a big Game 2 in that best-of-three, the Sooners rolled in Game 3 and ultimately denied the Tar Heels a national title. Heading into 2027, UNC will look to further build on the model that got them to the final last year.
The Returnees
In a sense, this is a new era for Tar Heels baseball in 2027. Jason DeCaro and Ryan Lynch are gone, leaving the onus to three pitchers who were key pieces of the 2026 team: Folger Boaz, Walker McDuffie, and Caden Glauber.
Boaz worked mostly as a starter last season, picking up 56 strikeouts over 59 innings. He posted a high 6.83 ERA, although he induced a lot of groundballs during his sophomore campaign. Not a shock, given that he does like to work heavy with a mid-90s sinker.
McDuffie was used in 39 of the Tar Heels’ 69 contests from the 2026 campaign. Working mostly in one and two-inning outings, McDuffie notched six saves, struck out 89 over 72 IP, and was one of Scott Forbes’ key arms during that run to the CWS final. For the right-hander, he won’t overwhelm but he did a great job of changing looks.
And then there’s Glauber, who was perhaps the most important pitcher on the club last season. UNC won every single game that Glauber pitched in expect for one, which wound up being the College World Series winner-take-all game. He struck out 114 over 92 frames.
It’s a simple mix: mid-90s fastball, changeup, and sweeper. And it worked to a tee in 2026.
The Tar Heels may have lost several of their big bats from last season, most notably Macon Winslow, plus Jake Schaffner and Owen Hull. Plus, seniors Rom Kellis and Carter French. However, several of the other notables are still around.
Erik Paulsen finished 2026 with 11 home runs and an on-base percentage of .422. It was a good first year for Paulsen, who faced significantly advanced competition after dominating with Stony Brook of the CAA before going to Chapel Hill.
Cooper Nicholson hit 17 home runs for UNC last season, a team-high. Second on that list was Gavin Gallaher, who only hit .291 in what was a disappointing overall season given his lofty expectations after early success in college. Still, he hit 12 home runs and is back for 2027.
Tyler Howe and Perry Hargett are also returning for 2027.
The Newcomers
UNC grabbed three players from the 2026 Walters State CC team, one that went 53-13 during its season. Those three are junior infielder Kole Fenton, plus pitchers Tim Tyler and Major Osbolt.
Fenton hit .397 as a sophomore with Walters State with 10 home runs and 40 extra-base hits. As for the two pitchers, Osbolt punched out 102 over 73 innings, while Tyler had 94 strikeouts over 57 frames.
Sophomore Jimmy Voorhies struck out 46 over 42 innings for Cal State Northridge last season, tied for the team lead. Voorhies was the only pitcher on that team with more than 20 innings thrown and a K/9 over 9.0.
The Tar Heels also picked up junior Scott Doran from Coastal Carolina. Doran pitched fine in 2026, mostly as a reliever with the Chanticleers. He struck out 39 over 28 innings. Low-90s fastball that topped out at 92-93 MPH, along with a slider and curveball.
With Macon Winslow now in the pros, UNC picked up another catcher transfer to pick up some of the load. That would be former Maryland backstop Devin Russell, who hit nine home runs for the Terps in 2026.
Another big grab, and possibly the biggest, was infielder Jamie Laskofski. Laskofski, last season with William & Mary, led the Tribe in every single major offensive category. The junior batted .355 with 13 home runs, 36 stolen bases, and 65 runs scored.
Lastly, there are eight new freshmen on the 2027 roster. Among them is pitcher Cameron Tarkenton, who was one of many players at the big PG showcase in Arizona two years ago. Fastball/slider/changeup pitcher.
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