The North Carolina Tar Heels baseball team is set to face the East Carolina Pirates on Saturday, May 30, at 5 p.m. ET on ACC Network in Game 4 of the Chapel Hill Regional in the 2026 NCAA Tournament at Boshamer Stadium. The No. 5 overall seed, UNC enters the matchup with a 46-11-1 record after opening regional play with an 8-0 win over VCU. East Carolina, the No. 3 seed and now 37-22-1, advanced after a dramatic 7-3 victory over Tennessee in 14 innings. The winner will move on to the regional final on Sunday, May 31.
The in-state rivals are meeting in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012, and history has generally favored North Carolina. UNC has won seven of the eight postseason meetings between the programs. East Carolina is seeking its first NCAA Tournament win over the Tar Heels since 1982, adding extra significance to the matchup for the Pirates.
UNC and ECU both arrive in strong form after impressive opening-round performances. The Tar Heels blanked VCU behind solid pitching and timely offense, while the Pirates survived a long, extra-inning battle against Tennessee to earn their first regional victory. The contrast in styles sets up an intriguing second-round game, with UNC looking to continue its dominant start and ECU aiming to build on its momentum.
Viewers can watch the game on ACC Network, and the contest will also stream on ESPN+. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. Saturday. The Chapel Hill Regional bracket began Friday, May 29, with ECU defeating Tennessee and UNC beating VCU. Saturday’s earlier game features Tennessee against VCU at noon on ESPN+, with the UNC-ECU winner advancing into Sunday’s winner’s bracket game. The loser of UNC-ECU will face the winner of the earlier elimination game on Sunday afternoon.
Weather for the regional should remain mostly favorable. The opening day on Friday featured sunny conditions and a high near 84 degrees. Saturday carries a slight chance of showers before 2 p.m., with a 20% precipitation chance, but conditions are expected to improve by Sunday, when sunshine returns and temperatures are projected to reach around 77 degrees.
The Chapel Hill Regional is paired with the College Station Regional for the next round of the NCAA Tournament, with Texas A&M and Southern Cal positioned as the top two seeds there. The winner of the Chapel Hill Regional will advance to the super regional stage. If needed, a decisive Game 7 is scheduled for Monday, June 1.
