Going into Friday’s game, all of the talk was about how Carolina would handle arguably the toughest pitcher they’ve faced all year, Stetson’s Logan Gilbert. He was masterful last weekend to help send the Hatters to Chapel Hill, and the Seattle Mariners decided he was worth the 14th overall pick in Monday’s draft. The fear increased as Stetson made Carolina starter Cooper Criswell work to get out of the first, getting a run and making Criswell toss 30 pitches.
The Tar Heels answered questions about Gilbert immediately, and the Heels ended up pulling out a 7-4 win over Stetson, putting them one win away from a return to Omaha after a five year absence.