PREVIEW: North Carolina faces Mississippi in Omaha

OMAHA, Neb. (Interstat) — Top-seeded North Carolina and Mississippi meet Friday at Charles Schwab Field in a pivotal playoff game with a national championship berth on the line. First pitch is set for 7 p.m. EDT under cloudy skies and 77-degree temperatures.

The Tar Heels (50-12-1) carry the nation’s best record into the matchup against the Rebels (41-21), who have won five of their last six. North Carolina advanced by splitting a three-game series with Southern California, punctuated by a 4-3 victory Sunday. Mississippi swept Auburn in a two-game set last weekend.

Players to Watch

Mississippi ace Taylor Rabe has been dominant in his last three starts, all wins. The right-hander threw seven innings of two-run ball against Auburn on June 6, striking out eight. In his previous outing at Nebraska, Rabe worked six hitless innings, allowing one unearned run with nine strikeouts. His sharpest performance came May 15 at Alabama: six shutout innings, no hits, 13 strikeouts.

North Carolina center fielder Owen Hull has been the Tar Heels’ most consistent hitter. He went 4 for 5 with two RBIs in Sunday’s clincher against Southern California and followed a 3-for-4 effort in a 4-0 win Saturday. Over his last 10 games, Hull has multiple hits seven times and has driven in 13 runs. He homered May 24 at Georgia Tech.

Recent Form

Mississippi closed the regular season with a 6-4 win at Auburn on June 5 and needed 10 innings to edge Arizona State 5-4 on May 31. The Rebels’ lineup has shown power: Will Furniss homered and drove in two runs in the Auburn series finale, and Tristan Bissetta added a solo shot.

North Carolina’s pitching staff has been effective in Omaha. Caden Glauber threw 7 1/3 innings, allowing three earned runs with 11 strikeouts in Sunday’s win, while Jackson Rose earned a save with a scoreless ninth. The Tar Heels outscored East Carolina 16-8 in a two-game sweep May 30-31.

Game Outlook

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 7-6 North Carolina victory. The Tar Heels’ depth at the plate and home-field advantage in Omaha give them a slight edge, but Rabe’s postseason resume makes Mississippi a dangerous opponent. The Rebels have won three straight games decided by two runs or fewer.

The winner advances to the next round of the double-elimination playoff bracket.