UNC baseball College World Series run ends as Florida State powers past Tar Heels

In need of a spark from its most reliable source, North Carolina turned to junior Vance Honeycutt. He timed the pitcher’s stretch and took off from first ready to provide a spark.

Only, Florida State lefty Connor Hults caught him on the paths and the Tar Heels lead-off man was tagged out at second. Head coach Scott Forbes could only shake his head. Honeycutt swung and missed at redemption in the bottom of the ninth. And that was it.

A four-run fifth inning from the Tar Heels inspired hope but North Carolina lost to Florida State, 9-5, in an elimination game at Charles Schwab Field.

North Carolina’s season ended hitting .223 (29 for 130) in the 2024 Men’s College World Series, part of a depleted offensive output of fewer than five runs in six of their last seven games.

That pickoff was a rare mistake from the junior on Tuesday. With the Tar Heels trailing 7-1 in the fifth, Honeycutt stepped to the plate and delivered his 28th home run of the season. The 400-foot, three-run shot into the left-field stands spurred more offense with a hit and a walk before Jackson Van De Brake’s RBI single. That’s all the Tar Heels could manage and the tying run was left on first.

Honeycutt went 3 for 5 on Tuesday and 7 for 17 across the CWS. The rest of the team, however, went 22 for 111 across three games in Omaha.

Forbes reiterated after the loss to Tennessee on Sunday that the bats could suddenly re-surge. He even gave the team limited lifting workouts on the off day to ensure bat speed against Florida State. The Tar Heels responded with one run outside of that four-run fifth.

But the Tar Heels went quietly the rest of the way. Honeycutt got picked off in the seventh. Van De Brake doubled in the eighth but was left on third.

They couldn’t match swings with the potent Florida State lineup UNC pitcher Aidan Haugh was tasked with stopping.

Two weeks after his disastrous regional appearance against LSU and a month since his last appearance in a Carolina win, the righty battled with the potent Florida State lineup. The junior fell behind in counts and scattered runners until the Seminoles got to him with three runs in 2 1/3 innings.

Matthew Matthjis and Dalton Pence stopped the bleeding in the third but the Seminole bats didn’t go away. They chased Pence off the mound with four runs in the fifth—the most he allowed in one appearance this season—to end his 14 1/3-inning scoreless streak and take a commanding six-run lead. With North Carolina’s offensive response came three scoreless innings of relief from Cameron Padgett after he stepped in to relieve Matt Poston and strand the bases loaded. Padgett stayed in until the ninth when Florida State’s back-to-back homers brought Ben Peterson out of the bullpen. They kept the Tar Heels within striking distance until the final frame.

As a staff, North Carolina allowed 14 hits, handed out 10 free passes and stranded 13 Seminoles on base.

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