UNC Baseball: The Tar Heels are ranked highly in forecasts that are “way too early.”

Diamond Heels Set Their Sights on Omaha After 2025 Super Regional Setback

After a tough ending to the 2025 season, the North Carolina Tar Heels baseball team is looking ahead to 2026 with high hopes. UNC came up short in its quest to return to Omaha, falling in the super regionals to Arizona. Despite the disappointment, the Diamond Heels are already being pegged as strong contenders to make a run at the College World Series next year.

As is tradition across all sports, the offseason has brought a wave of early predictions for the upcoming year. D1Baseball.com joined in the fun this week, with 10 of its writers making their first picks for the 2026 College World Series. Seven of them picked UNC to reach Omaha—ranking the Tar Heels just behind UCLA (10 votes), LSU (8), and Texas (8) in popularity.

Of course, early optimism comes with plenty of variables. The transfer portal and 2025 MLB Draft could still reshape the roster. Head coach Scott Forbes is already facing the task of replacing several key players. Jake Knapp, who was named National Pitcher of the Year by multiple outlets, and veteran Hunter Stokely have both run out of eligibility. Meanwhile, star catcher Luke Stevenson is projected to go early in the draft after a standout season.

Even so, Forbes has a track record of successfully reloading talent through the transfer portal, and he’s already added new faces—including one that raised eyebrows: former Duke catcher Macon Winslow, now headed to Chapel Hill.

That said, preseason predictions don’t guarantee postseason success. Just look at Texas A&M and Virginia, both of whom were widely expected to be elite in 2025 but ultimately failed to even qualify for the NCAA Tournament.

Still, having seven national writers put UNC in their projected 2026 CWS field is a strong endorsement. A lot can change between now and next spring, but all signs suggest the Diamond Heels could be serious contenders once again.