Durham, N.C. — The No. 3-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels powered their way to a commanding 14–4 win over Clemson on Sunday, capturing their ninth ACC Baseball Tournament championship at Durham Bulls Athletic Park — and doing it in historic fashion.
UNC (42–12) rolled through the bracket with wins over Boston College, Florida State, and finally Clemson, earning their first conference tournament crown since 2022. With the victory, the Tar Heels moved into a tie for second-most ACC baseball titles in league history.
Offensive Onslaught Breaks Records:
Carolina’s offense was nothing short of electric, delivering the largest margin of victory in a title game in program history. The team racked up 13 hits, including three doubles and three home runs — all of which came during a monstrous eight-run fifth inning.
It marked the most runs scored by the Tar Heels in an ACC tournament game since 2007.
Leading the charge was team captain Jackson Van De Brake, who finished with five RBIs on two hits, including a towering three-run homer that capped off the fifth-inning explosion. Van De Brake has been red-hot, leading the team with 15 hits and 19 RBIs over the last 10 games.
Top to Bottom: A Complete Team Effort:
Every Tar Heel starter reached home plate at least once, as UNC scored in five of the first six innings. Sophomore Gavin Gallaher got things going with a booming double off the left-field wall in the first, driving in Luke Stevenson to open the scoring. Gallaher finished the day 3-for-4 with two doubles and wrapped up the tournament hitting .400.
By the third inning, RBIs from Kane Kepley, Van De Brake, and Alex Madera had stretched the lead to 4–0.
Lynch Delivers in Clutch First Start:
True freshman Ryan Lynch delivered a gutsy performance in his first collegiate start. After loading the bases with no outs in the fourth, Lynch stayed composed and retired three straight batters — two via strikeout and one on a groundout — to escape the jam unscathed.
Lynch tossed 4.0 shutout innings, allowing just two hits while striking out seven.
“The story of the game was Ryan Lynch,” said head coach Scott Forbes. “For a true freshman to do that against a team like Clemson — load the bases and not give up a run — that’s incredible.”
Back-to-Back-to-Back Blasts Seal the Deal:
The fifth inning was the knockout punch. UNC sent eight runs across the plate, fueled by home runs from Hunter Stokely (399 ft.), Tyson Bass (377 ft.), and Van De Brake (408 ft.). By the time the dust settled, nine batters had reached safely, and the Tar Heels had built an insurmountable lead.
Two more runs in the sixth pushed it to 14–0 before Clemson managed to score a few late runs to avoid the shutout.
Tournament Honors and Next Steps:
Catcher Luke Stevenson was named ACC Tournament MVP, with Jake Knapp and Jackson Van De Brake also earning spots on the All-Tournament Team.
The Tar Heels now shift their focus to the NCAA Tournament, riding high after one of the most dominant performances in ACC championship history.
