Preview: Tough ACC slate headlines UNC baseball's 2024 schedule

North Carolina is ranked No. 14 in the Perfect Game preseason poll, but if it hopes to end its season in Omaha, it will have to defeat some fierce competition before the postseason.

The Diamond Heels had a strong non-conference performance last season, going 22-10, but struggled immensely when it came to conference play, only managing to win half of their games for the third year in a row.

UNC was unable to redeem its poor ACC play, not only failing to make it back to the ACC Championship after falling to Clemson in the semifinals, but also losing to Iowa in a 13-inning heartbreaker to end its season before the super regionals.

Here’s a look at the Diamond Heels' regular season matchups.

Non-conference play

The Diamond Heels start their 2024 campaign with a five-game homestand at Boshamer Stadium, beginning with a three-game set against Wagner on Feb. 16.

Their first ranked matchup will be against No. 17 East Carolina on Feb. 23. UNC dropped two of three games to ECU last year, losing both by only one run. The weekend series with the Pirates will be an early road test for the Diamond Heels in late February.

Other ranked non-conference matchups in April include a border battle in Charlotte with No. 13 South Carolina and a home contest against in-state foe No. 25 Coastal Carolina. The Tar Heels are hoping to reverse the outcome from last season against Coastal Carolina, after its pitching staff was tagged with eight runs in the eighth inning en route to a 12-7 loss to the Chanticleers.

These midweek matchups amidst ACC play will force the Diamond Heels to test the depth of their roster prior to the postseason to see what their ceiling might be this year.

ACC slate

UNC’s challenging ACC slate starts off in early March on a spring break weekend series against Pittsburgh. Its conference play doesn’t get any easier with matchups against Miami, Georgia Tech and Notre Dame through mid-April.

North Carolina will face a daunting six-game stretch starting on March 29 when it travels to Winston-Salem to face the top-ranked Demon Deacons. This is the first time these two squads will face off in nearly two years, with their last meeting resulting in UNC winning two out of three at home.

After that, the Diamond Heels head to Charlottesville to play No. 10 Virginia, who they dropped two of three against last season. These back-to-back away matchups will be a true test for UNC to see if it is capable of beating ranked ACC opponents on the road.

The road to the postseason only intensifies from there, as the Diamond Heels will also face two more ranked conference opponents away from home.

UNC will travel to Raleigh to face No. 19 N.C. State on April 18, who it swept at home in 2023. Later in May, the Diamond Heels will take on rival No. 23 Duke 10 miles down the road, who they won the series against last season, for their final three-game regular season set.

The main difference in 2024? Both of these series are on the road, where the Diamond Heels were only 9-8 last season, as opposed to 24-12 at Boshamer Stadium.

If the Diamond Heels can steal two out of three from a few of their ACC foes, they will set themselves up much better for the conference tournament and the NCAA postseason.

@anna_laible

@dthsports | sports@dailytarheel.com