2023 North Carolina Tar Heels baseball team

The 2023 North Carolina Tar Heels baseball team represented the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the 2023 NCAA Division I baseball season. The Tar Heels played their home games at Boshamer Stadium, and were a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They were led by head coach Scott Forbes, who was in his third season. He was assisted by Bryant Gaines, Jesse Wierzbicki, and Jason Howell. Dave Arendas served as director of operations.

The Tar Heels finished 36–24 overall and 14–14 in ACC play to finish in fourth place in the Coastal Division. They finished tied for seventh/eight in seeding for the ACC Tournament. They won the tiebreaker and were the seventh seed for the tournament. They were placed in a Pool with second seed Virginia and eleventh seed . The Tar Heels won both of their pool games and advanced to the Semifinals, where they lost to eventual champions Clemson. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament and were placed as the third seed in the Terre Haute regional. They lost to Iowa in the opening game, but defeated to force an elimination game versus Iowa. The Tar Heels lost 6–5 in thirteen innings to end their season.

Previous season

In Forbes' second year at the helm, the Tar Heels improved from their 2021 campaign. Finishing the season 42–22, the 2022 Tar Heels won the ACC Tournament and hosted both an NCAA Tournament Regional and Super Regional. Freshman sensation Vance Honeycutt broke out in a big way, leading the Tar Heels in many batting statistics en route to winning the ACC Freshman of the Year award. They were swept by Arkansas in the Chapel Hill Super Regional, denying Forbes his first College World Series appearance as a head coach.

Personnel

Roster Class Listing as reflected on GoHeels.com 2023 North Carolina Tar Heels roster Pitchers 14 - Justin Szestowicki - Freshman 15 - Cameron Padgett - Freshman 24 - Matthew Matthijs - Freshman 25 - Ben Peterson - Junior 26 - Kyle Percival - Freshman 27 - Connor Bovair - Junior 29 - Kevin Eaise - Graduate 31 - Alden Segui - Sophomore 35 - Max Carlson - Junior 36 - Nik Pry - 5th 38 - Matt Poston - Junior 40 - Michael Colonna - Freshman 41 - Will Sandy - 5th 42 - Jake Knapp - Graduate 43 - Nelson Berkwich - Junior 44 - Carson Starnes - Sophomore 46 - Will Simmons - Freshman 47 - Nick Argento - Freshman 48 - Connor Hegan - Freshman 49 - Dalton Pence - Sophomore 53 - Caleb Crain - Freshman Catchers 5 - Eric Grintz - Junior 52 - Tomas Frick - Junior

Infielders 3 - Colby Wilkerson - Junior 4 - Austin Hawke - Freshman 6 - Jackson Van De Brake - Sophomore 10 - Mac Horvath - Junior 19 - Johnny Castagnozzi - Junior 45 - Hunter Stokely - Junior Outfielders 1 - Bryce Blaser - Freshman 2 - Reece Holbrook - Sophomore 7 - Vance Honeycutt - Sophomore 11 - John Long - Freshman 18 - Jackson Rusiecki - Freshman 39 - Carter French - Freshman

Utility 8 - Patrick Alvarez (INF/OF) - Junior 12 - Jesse Jaconski (INF/OF) - Freshman 16 - Casey Cook (INF/OF) - Freshman 17 - Joe Jaconski (INF/OF) - Sophomore 23 - Alberto Osuna (1B/DH) - Junior 28 - Dylan King (C/OF) - Freshman 54 - Max Riemer (C/OF) - Senior 

Coaching staff 2023 North Carolina Tar Heels coaching staff Name Position Seasons Alma mater Scott Forbes Head coach 3 NC Wesleyan (1998) Bryant Gaines Assistant Head Coach/Recruiting Coordinator 13 North Carolina (2011) Jesse Wierzbicki Assistant Coach 7 North Carolina (2011) Jason Howell Assistant Coach 3 North Carolina (2002) Dave Arendas Director of Baseball Operations 18 North Carolina (1990)

Schedule and results Legend Win Loss PostponementBoldNorth Carolina team member * Non-Conference game † Make-Up Game

! style="" | Regular season |- valign="top"

|-bgcolor="#ffdddd" | February 17 || Seton Hall* || No. 12 || Chapel Hill, NC || L 8–10 || Payero (1–0) || Eaise (0–1) || None || 2,582 || 0–1 || – |-bgcolor="#ddffdd" | February 18 || Seton Hall* || No. 12 || Boshamer Stadium || W 11–2 || Padgett (1–0) || Frontera (0–1) || None || 3,049 || 1–1 || – |-bgcolor="#ddffdd" | February 19 || Seton Hall* || No. 12 || Boshamer Stadium || W 4–2 || Pence (1–0) || || || 2,632 || 2–1 || – |-bgcolor="#ddffdd" | February 21 || Radford* || No. 12 || Boshamer Stadium || W 14–2 || Percival (1–0) || Seitz (0–1) || None || 2,324 || 3–1 || – |-bgcolor="#ddffdd" | February 22 || Longwood* || No. 12 || Boshamer Stadium || W 10–0 || Knapp (1–0) || Taylor (0–1) || Eaise (1) || 2,013 || 4–1 || – |-bgcolor="#ffdddd" | February 24 || || No. 12 || Greenville, NC || L 5–6 || || Pence (1–1) || Root (1) || 6,003 || 4–2 || – |-bgcolor="#bbbbbb" | February 25 || at No. 11 East Carolina* || || Clark–LeClair Stadium || colspan=7| Postponed (inclement weather) Makeup: May 3 |-bgcolor="#ffdddd" | February 26 || No. 11 East Carolina* || No. 12 || Boshamer Stadium || L 5–6 || Ritchie (1–0) || || Spivey (1) || 4,042 || 4–3 || – |-bgcolor="#ddffdd" | || VCU* || No. 13 || Boshamer Stadium || || || Peters (1–1) || None || 1,974 || 5–3 || –

|-bgcolor="#ddffdd" | March 1 || VCU* || No. 13 || Boshamer Stadium || W 14–10 || Eaise (1–1) || Walton (0–1) || None || 2,028 || 6–3 || – |-bgcolor="#ddffdd" | March 3 || Stony Brook* || No. 13 || Boshamer Stadium || || Poston (1–0) || O'Neill (0–2) || None || 2,104 || 7–3 || – |-bgcolor="#ddffdd" | March 4 || Stony Brook* || No. 13 || Boshamer Stadium || W 7–5 || Bovair (1–0) || Fero (0–2) || None || 1,338 || 8–3 || – |-bgcolor="#ddffdd" | March 5 || Stony Brook* || No. 13 || Boshamer Stadium || W 15–4 || Knapp (2–0) || Smink (0–3) || None || 2,902 || 9–3 || – |-bgcolor="#ddffdd" | March 7 || Western Carolina* || No. 14 || Boshamer Stadium || W 8–4 (5) || Percival (2–0) || Bright (0–1) || None || 2,334 || 10–3 || – |-bgcolor="#ddffdd" | March 8 || Penn State* || No. 14 || Boshamer Stadium || W 15–5 || Berkwich (1–0) || Miller (1–2) || None || 1,896 || 11–3 || – |-bgcolor="#ffdddd" | March 10 || No. 17 Virginia || No. 14 || Boshamer Stadium || L 3–7 || Tonas (1–0) || Carlson (0–1) || Berry (2) || 1,960 || 11–4 || 0–1 |-bgcolor="#ffdddd" | March 11 || No. 17 Virginia || No. 14 || Boshamer Stadium || L 4–8 || || Bovair (1–1) || None || 3,162 || 11–5 || 0–2 |-bgcolor="#ddffdd" | March 11 || No. 17 Virginia || No. 14 || Boshamer Stadium || W 6–0 || Poston (2–0) || O'Connor (1–1) || None || 3,103 || 12–5 || 1–2 |-bgcolor="#ddffdd" | March 14 || at Charlotte* || No. 18 || Charlotte, NC || W 16–3 || Eaise (2–1) || Spolyar (1–2) || None || 1,522 || 13–5 || – |-bgcolor="#ddffdd" | March 15 || High Point* || No. 18 || Boshamer Stadium || W 16–2 || Sandy (1–0) || Duffy (0–2) || None || 1,769 || 14–5 || – |-bgcolor="#ddffdd" | March 17 || at Pittsburgh || No. 18 || Charles L. Cost FieldPittsburgh, PA || W 17–7 || Bovair (2–1) || Sokol (2–1) || None || 289 || 15–5 || 2–2 |-bgcolor="#bbbbbb" | March 18 || at Pittsburgh || No. 18 || Charles L. Cost Field || colspan=7| Canceled (inclement weather) |-bgcolor="#bbbbbb" | March 19 || at Pittsburgh || No. 18 || Charles L. Cost Field || colspan=7| Canceled (inclement weather) |-bgcolor="#ddffdd" | March 21 || NC A&T* || No. 15 || Boshamer Stadium || W 6–4 || Sandy (2–0) || Carter (1–1) || Poston (1) || 2,067 || 16–5 || – |-bgcolor="#ddffdd" | March 23 || Duke || No. 15 || Boshamer Stadium || W 6–3 || Carlson (1–0) || Porksch (2–1) || || 3,471 || 17–5 || 3–2 |-bgcolor="#ffdddd" | March 24 || Duke || No. 15 || Boshamer Stadium || L 5–8 || || Matthijs (0–1)|| Tallon (4) || 4,011 || 17–6 || 3–3 |-bgcolor="#ddffdd" | March 25 || Duke || No. 15 || Boshamer Stadium || W 5–3 || Knapp (3–0) || Gow (2–2) || Sandy (1) || 3,969 || 18–6 || 4–3 |-bgcolor="#ffdddd" | March 28 || || No. 13 || Boshamer Stadium || L 7–12 || Sharkey (3–0) || || None || 2,554 || 18–7 || – |-bgcolor="#ddffdd" | || at Notre Dame || || Frank Eck StadiumSouth Bend, IN || W 10–8 || Berkwich (2–1) || Bosch (0–1) || Eaise (2) || 302 || 19–7 || 5–3

|-bgcolor="#ddffdd" | April 2 || at Notre Dame || || Frank Eck Stadium || W 5–2 || Bovair (3–1) || Findlay (4–1) || Eaise (3) || N/A || 20–7 || 6–3 |-bgcolor="#ffdddd" | April 2 || at Notre Dame || No. 13 || Frank Eck Stadium || L 1–9 || Tyrell (5–1) || Knapp (3–1) || None || 847 || 20–8 || 6–4 |-bgcolor="#ffdddd" | April 4 || || No. 13 || Truist FieldCharlotte, NC || L 0–5 || Proctor (2–0) || Poston (2–1) || None || 6,277 || 20–9 || – |-bgcolor="#ddffdd" | April 6 || at Georgia Tech || No. 13 || Atlanta, GA || W 8–1 || Carlson (2–1) || Brown (1–2) || None || 1,235 || 21–9 || 7–4 |-bgcolor="#ddffdd" | April 7 || at Georgia Tech || No. 13 || Russ Chandler Stadium || W 10–6 || Bovair (4–1) || Schmolke (4–1) || None || 1,076 || 22–9 || 8–4 |-bgcolor="#ffdddd" | April 7 || at Georgia Tech || No. 13 || Russ Chandler Stadium || L 4–8 || King (3–0) || Knapp (3–2) || None || 1,427 || 22–10 || 8–5 |-bgcolor="#ddffdd" | April 11 || Queens* || No. 13 || Boshamer Stadium || W 10–6 || Padgett (2–0) || || Eaise (4) || 2,572 || 23–10 || – |-bgcolor="#ffdddd" | April 13 || Miami (FL) || No. 13 || Boshamer Stadium || L 4–5 || Walters (3–0) || Eaise (2–2) || None || 3,587 || 23–11 || 8–6 |-bgcolor="#ddffdd" | April 14 || Miami (FL) || No. 13 || Boshamer Stadium || || Pry (1–0) || Gallo (0–3) || None || 3,054 || 24–11 || 9–6 |- bgcolor="#ffdddd" | April 15 || Miami (FL) || No. 13 || Boshamer Stadium || L 3–4 || Chestnutt (3–0) || Knapp (3–3) || Torres (2) || 3,694 || 24–12 || 9–7 |-bgcolor="#ddffdd" | April 18 || Charlotte* || No. 18 || Boshamer Stadium || W 5–3 || Pence (2–1) || Kramer (2–3) || Eaise (5) || 2,959 || 25–12 || – |-bgcolor="#ffdddd" | April 21 || || No. 18 || Boshamer Stadium || || Roman (2–0) || Eaise (2–3) || || 4,012 || 25–13 || 9–8 |- bgcolor="#ffdddd" | April 22 || No. 20 Boston College || No. 18 || Boshamer Stadium || L 4–9 || Coon (1–0) || Berkwich (2–2) || Ryan (2) || 2,991 || 25–14 || 9–9 |-bgcolor="#ffdddd" | April 23 || No. 20 Boston College || No. 18 || Boshamer Stadium || L 2–6 || || Padgett (2–1)|| None || 3,595 || 25–15 || 9–10 |-bgcolor="#ddffdd" | April 25 || UNCW* || || Boshamer Stadium || W 18–2 || Pence (3–1) || Lawson (1–1) || None || 2,427 || 26–15 || – |- bgcolor="#ffdddd" | April 28 || at Virginia Tech || || English FieldBlacksburg, VA || 0–7 || Arguelles (2–1) || Bovair (4–2) || None || 658 || 26–16 || 9–11 |- bgcolor="#ddffdd" | April 29 || at Virginia Tech || || English Field || W 12–8 || Carlson (3–1) || Hackenberg (4–5) || Poston (3) || 2,231 || 27–16 || 10–11 |- bgcolor="#ddffdd" | April 29 || at Virginia Tech || || English Field || W 13–7 || Peterson (2–0) || Higgins (2–2) || None || 2,363 || 28–16 || 11–11

|- bgcolor="#ffdddd" | May 2 || No. 13 Campbell* || || Boshamer Stadium || L 5–6 || Cummings (3–1) || Poston (2–2) || Rund (5) || 3,163 || 28–17 || – |- bgcolor="#ddffdd" | May 3 || at No. 14 East Carolina* || || Clark–LeClair Stadium || W 2–1 || Pence (4–1) || Hunter (3–2) || Carlson (1) || 5,991 || 29–17 || – |- bgcolor="#ddffdd" | May 9 || Gardner–Webb* || || Boshamer Stadium || W 5–4 || Eaise (3–3) || Fox (3–3) || Poston (4) || 2,955 || 30–17 || – |- bgcolor="#ddffdd" | May 11 || NC State || || Boshamer Stadium || W 9–8 || Poston (3–2) || Fritton (3–4) || None || 3,242 || 31–17 || 12–11 |- bgcolor="#ddffdd" | May 12 || NC State || || Boshamer Stadium || W 9–3 || Carlson (5–3) || Willadsen (5–4) || None || 3,584 || 32–17 || 13–11 |- bgcolor="#ddffdd" | May 13 || NC State || || Boshamer Stadium || W 12–2 || Knapp (4–3) || Highfill (5–2) || None || 3,502 || 33–17 || 14–11 |- bgcolor="#ffdddd" | May 16 || || || Springs Brooks StadiumConway, SC || L 6–8 || Billings (2–0) || Bovair (4–3) || Sharkey (7) || 2,322 || 33–18 || – |- bgcolor="#ffdddd" | May 18 || at No. 7 Clemson || || Clemson, SC || L 7–14 || Clayton (7–0) || Carlson (4–2) || None || 4,102 || 33–19 || 14–12 |- bgcolor="#ffdddd" | May 19 || at No. 7 Clemson || || Doug Kingsmore Stadium || L 4–5 || Ammons (2–0) || Poston (3–3) || None || 4,644 || 33–20 || 14–13 |- bgcolor="#ffdddd"