DURHAM, N.C. (WNCN) — It took a while for North Carolina’s bats to wake up in the team’s first game of the 2025 Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Championship tournament Friday night, but when they finally did, they propelled the Tar Heels to the semifinal round.
Now, No. 3 seed UNC (40-12) must battle No. 2 seed Florida State (38-13) on a consecutive Saturday. First pitch at Durham Bulls Athletic Park is scheduled for 5 p.m. but could be pushed back if the preceding semifinal game goes long.
The two teams faced each other last weekend in Tallahassee in the final regular season series for both squads. The Tar Heels took two of three from the Seminoles, but lost the last game on Sunday. As a result of finishing in the top four in the league standings, both teams earned a double-bye and didn’t play their first ACC Tournament game until the quarterfinal round Friday.
Florida State played in the early game, easily defeating defending tournament champion Duke by a score of 14-7 to advance to Saturday. UNC, on the other hand, struggled early in nightcap against Boston College. The Tar Heels found themselves down 2-0 going into the bottom of the seventh inning until their offense finally broke through. Carolina ended up winning 7-2 to earn a date with the Seminoles.
The winner of Saturday’s game will move on to play in the championship game on Sunday at noon.