from www.goheels.com:
OMAHA, NEB.—Colin Hynek hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to lead North Carolina to a 6-2 win over Ole Miss on Friday night at Charles Schwab Field in both teams’ opening game in the College World Series.
After the Rebels led, 1-0, through five innings, Carolina tied it at 1-1 in the bottom of the sixth. The Tar Heels added two runs in the seventh inning and three in the eighth on Hynek’s homer to earn the come-from-behind win.
With the win, the Tar Heels improved to 51-12-1 and marched on in the winner’s bracket in Omaha to face 16th-seeded West Virginia on Sunday at 7 p.m. ET. The Rebels fell to 41-22 and will try to stay alive in an elimination game against Troy on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET.
The fifth national seed, UNC improved to 6-1 in the 2026 NCAA Tournament and handed Ole Miss its first loss after its 5-0 start in the tournament.
Jason DeCaro started on the mound and allowed five hits and two earned runs in 6.2 innings for Carolina, striking out nine to tie his career high before leaving the game in the top of the seventh.
Caden Glauber pitched the final 2.1 innings, blanking the Rebels while fanning two to pick up the win, improving to 11-0 in 2026. Carolina is 26-0 when he pitches this season.
Taylor Rabe struck out seven Tar Heels in 5.2 innings for Ole Miss, allowing one earned run while striking out seven before giving way to reliever Hudson Calhoun (5-4), who took the loss after allowing two earned runs in 0.1 innings.
How It Happened:
• Ole Miss started the scoring in the top of the third inning. Brayden Randle hit a bloop double down the left field line before advancing to third on a ground out. Dom Decker followed with a double into the left field gap to drive in Randle for the game’s first run.
• In the top of the sixth inning, DeCaro pitched out of a jam, stranding Rebel runners on second and third base to keep the Tar Heels within a run by striking out leadoff hitter Austin Fawley.
• Owen Hull responded with an opposite-field, solo home run to left in the bottom of the sixth to tie the score at 1-1.
• In the top of the seventh, Ole Miss’s Decker smacked a two-out double, his second of the game, and came in to score on a single to left center by Judd Utermark to give the Rebels a 2-1 lead.
• The Tar Heels struck back in the bottom of the seventh and took their first lead of the game. After Tyler Howe and Hynek earned back-to-back walks, Jake Schaffner hit a sacrifice fly and Gavin Gallaher singled up the middle to give Carolina a 3-2 advantage.
• Hynek then smashed a three-run home run to left center in the bottom of the eighth, driving in Tyler Howe and Cooper Nicholson for a 6-2 Tar Heel lead that proved to be the final margin.