Diamond Heels a popular early 2025 College World Series pick by D1Baseball

The North Carolina Tar Heels sport one of the nation’s premier college baseball programs, as they’ve made the College World Series 12 times and the NCAA Tournament 36 times.

As many times as UNC has made the CWS, it has yet to win the title – even with Finals appearances in 2006 and 2007.

UNC’s most recent run to the CWS came this past season, as it clinched its trip by beating West Virginia in the Chapel Hill Super Regional. North Carolina’s CWS journey started off on a positive note, as it came from behind to beat ACC rival Virginia, 3-2.

Diamond Heels’ starting left fielder Casey Cook tied the clash at two in the seventh inning, lining a two-out single to left field himself. Jackson Van De Brake delivered a clutch pinch-hit double to start the ninth, then superstar Vance Honeycutt drove Van De Brake in with yet another walkoff.

UNC didn’t fare well in its second and third CWS games, though. North Carolina struggled offensively in a 6-1 loss to the eventual champion Tennessee Volunteers , while Diamond Heels pitching got rocked in a 9-5 elimination loss against the Florida State Seminoles.

Looking ahead to next season already, UNC is a popular, Way-Too-Early 2025 CWS pick by D1Baseball.

D1Baseball staff writers Aaron Fitt, Mike Rooney, Shotgun Spratling and Pat James, a former Daily Tar Heel and GoHeels writer, all picked the Diamond Heels as part of their Way-Too-Early 8.

LSU , whom North Carolina squeaked by to win the Chapel Hill Regional, was picked by all 10 staff writers to make the 2025 CWS. Florida was the second-most popular pick, collecting nine votes, while Arkansas joined UNC with four votes.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.