Fall Baseball Preview: Tar Heels Reload with New Talent Joining Big Arms

The wait has been long enough — three months — so it’s time for a Carolina Baseball check-in as the fall season begins this week. It sounds like a broken record to say year after year that Scott Forbes has his hands full trying to replace key players, but that rings true for this year’s squad after a large loss of veterans. 

The Tar Heels brought home a trophy last season after winning the ACC Tournament but fell short of a return trip to Omaha. However, the fall brings about a new season and, with a loaded pitching staff and some intriguing transfers, the Tar Heel title hopes now begin anew.

Here are the most pressing things to know heading into Carolina’s 2025 fall season: 

New Faces

There are a plethora of new faces on the Tar Heel roster. For the sake of brevity, transfers will be the particular focus of this section since they have proven experience at the college level. Luke Stevenson left big cleats behind the dish to fill after being drafted in compensation round A by the Seattle Mariners. In his stead, Duke transfer Macon Winslow will be don a new blue and presumably slide into the No. 1 catcher spot. 

Winslow spent two seasons down the road slashing .278/.391/.490 in his final year. He split time behind the plate in his first year in Durham but started to emerge for the Blue Devils down the stretch last year with 48 RBIs, 55 hits and nine homers. He will not have near the same strikeout to walk ratio or power as Stevenson, but has a different tool set and ACC experience.  

He is no stranger to the UNC family either, having roomed with fellow Tar Heel Gavin Gallaher in their last year of high school at Pro 5 Academy under the tutelage of Sean Gallaher.  

The infield will have fresh faces as well — with the exception of Gallaher — and headlining those gloves is Jake Schaffner from North Dakota State. The Tar Heels have had the luxury of stout defensive shortstops for the last few years and Schaffner fits that model perfectly. The lanky Wisconsin native has a fluid release and nabbed Summit Defensive Player of the Year honors last season. 

His bat is no joke either, hitting .353 in his career with 148 total hits to only 65 strikeouts as well as 34 swiped bags. He will be a key piece to the offense as well as on the defensive side. Last season Alex Madera had the grit factor and so does Schaffner, he was the only Bison to play in all 55 games last year and even played through a hand injury this summer on the Cape. 

Another slightly familiar face will return to Boshamer Stadium this year, George Mason’s Owen Hull, who knocked two hits against the Tar Heels when the Patriots visited in April. The 6-4 utility man from Alexandria, Va. will be paramount to UNC’s efforts at a defensive facelift. He hit .367 with an on base percentage just shy of .500 while recording 63 RBIs and 41 walks in his final year at George Mason.  

Other transfer newcomers include another Massapequa native Erik Paulson (Stony Brook), Colin Hynek (Georgia State) and Michael Maginnis (Georgia State). 

Back Again

There is a big discrepancy when formulating the list of returners. There are only two returning position players from last year’s everyday lineup: Gallaher and Carter French. The latter didn’t break into the starting lineup until later in the season, and the former, well, his regional accolades speak for themselves. But in terms of numbers, Gallaher is the only big returning bat for the Tar Heels and he will have to lead consistently, not just in a regional environment. 

The herd of arms is a different story. The loss of the National Pitcher of the Year Jake Knapp will be felt in the scorebook and the dugout, and Aidan Haugh also departs after being drafted in the sixth round by the Tampa Bay Rays. The plus side for UNC is how many young arms were integral to last year. UNC lost 35% of its innings from last season, a significant total until realizing that Knapp accounted for 19% of the team’s total innings. The Heels return almost all of their high leverage option arms, with even more experience under their belts. 

Two of the best relievers in the country will be back for UNC in Ryan Lynch and Walker McDuffie. The dynamic duo took the ACC by storm as freshmen and both flexed their starters muscles as well as their ability to deliver in high octane situations from the pen. Forbes has many options for where and how he can utilize the duo, and their breadth of experience cannot be understated. 

Jason DeCaro will also return for presumably his last go round in Chapel Hill and will take the spot as the arm with the most game experience on the team. After an up and down sophomore season, this will be DeCaro’s year to prove to scouts his potential and go out with a bang in Chapel Hill. 

Folger Boaz, Olin Johnson, Cam Seagraves and Tom Chmielewski are also back in blue pinstripes.

The Big Question

Who will lead this Tar Heel team?

The loudest vocal leaders of the team have exited, captains Knapp and Jackson Van De Brake are absent after two seasons with the “C”.  Stevenson has gone to join the professional ranks, and the age of the team has dramatically downshifted. The quiet but lead-by-example man in Kane Kepley is already getting hit and getting hits in the minors. Familiar faces are gone and the Tar Heels will need new leaders to steer the ship in the winning direction. As the weather cools in Chapel Hill, the time to rise and lead heats up at the Bosh.

The Tar Heels’ first team practice is Sept. 3. They will host Walters State for an exhibition game a month later and round out the fall with the Blue and Navy World Series from Oct. 7-9.