Carolina was two outs away from elimination on its home field for the second consecutive year. With one out in the bottom of the ninth, UNC trailed USC 3-2 in Game 3 of the Chapel Hill Super Regional. Cooper Nicholson, who had struggled at the plate for much of the NCAA Tournament, stepped into the batter’s box.
On an 0-1 count, Nicholson launched a long fly ball to left field. It looked like a game-tying home run off the bat, but it eventually hooked foul. That was just UNC’s luck at the moment: from a potential tie game to an 0-2 count.
From his vantage point in the third base coach’s box, Scott Forbes could see the situation was dire. But he never stopped believing in that mysterious force known around the program by two words:
“We had that Bosh Magic with us,” Forbes said.
Undeterred by his loud strike and the unfavorable count, Nicholson fouled off two more pitches and eventually worked a hard-earned walk. That set the stage for Carter French, who had entered the game as a defensive replacement in the eighth inning. Eerily, French had struck out to end UNC’s season in the Super Regional round last year.
But it’s funny how baseball works. French took three consecutive balls, then watched as USC ordered a rare mid-count pitching change. With the Trojans’ Chase Herrell entering, French stuck to the gameplan.
“Coach Forbes came over and told me to take ‘til [strike] two, so I did,” French remembered. “And he told me that if you get to that point, you’re gonna get a heater.”
French slapped Herrell’s 3-2 pitch into right field for a single. Nicholson, not UNC’s fastest baserunner, aggressively took third base on the play, and Carolina was in business.
“He wasn’t a great baserunner in the fall,” Forbes said of Nicholson. “But he’s gotten faster, he’s gotten stronger, and he didn’t hesitate. He picked me up right away. And thankfully I made that decision, and thankfully he got there.”
That brought up Jake Schaffner with runners on the corners. UNC’s leadoff man lifted the first pitch he saw into deep center field, and the sacrifice fly scored Nicholson from third. The game was tied at 3-3.
KEEP. FIGHTING. KEEP. FIGHTING. t.co/S5unWc55Cs pic.twitter.com/mWxlqA6S2X
— Carolina Baseball (@DiamondHeels) June 7, 2026
Gavin Gallaher strode up to the plate next. So many times a hero in his postseason career, this time Gallaher did his work quietly: he drew a walk to move French over to second base. That brought up the red-hot Owen Hull, whose three doubles had accounted for most of UNC’s offense on the day.
But before Hull could work any more magic, hitting coach Jesse Wierzbicki and the rest of the staff wanted to have a chat. Here’s how Hull remembered the moment after the game:
“No offense to Coach Wierzbicki,” said Hull, “but I don’t remember what he said.”
Hull was in what his family calls “The O Zone.”
“I’ve had my moments this season, good and bad, in that zone,” Hull said. “But I’m out there giving everything I’ve got and having the most fun I can with this group of boys.”
That fun could’ve ended prematurely after Hull worked a 2-0 count. With the green light, Hull swung at the next pitch and popped a fly ball in foul territory down the third base line. Three USC defenders converged against Boshamer Stadium’s brick wall, but none could make the catch to send the game to extra innings.
Hull scolded himself for missing a pitch to hit. Then, he got back in “The O Zone.”
“Count was 2-1. If he made another mistake, I was gonna punish it,” he said. “And I did that.”
???? ???? ????? ?? ???? ?? ?????
Carolina walks it off!! ?? pic.twitter.com/021OXn7CKS
— Carolina Baseball (@DiamondHeels) June 7, 2026
“I’ve been part of a lot of great games,” Forbes said. “That’s one of the most special games I’ve been a part of at Boshamer Stadium.”
There wasn’t much more to say. Hull was mobbed by his teammates, and the sign on the right field wall paying tribute to UNC’s 12 College World Series appearances was quickly changed to 13. That number has a mystical power to many.
Or, you could say it has a little bit of magic.
Bosh Magic.
Featured image via UNC Athletics on Twitter
Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.
‘The O Zone’: Inside UNC Baseball’s Season-Saving Super Regional Comeback Chapelboro.com.
Hence then, the article about the o zone inside unc baseball s season saving super regional comeback was published today ( ) and is available on chapelboro ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( ‘The O Zone’: Inside UNC Baseball’s Season-Saving Super Regional Comeback )
Also on site :
- WATCH Elite Russian drone unit hunt Ukrainian UAVs
- Banks lay groundwork for mass workforce cuts as AI takes hold
- Hudson Williams Didn’t Know There Was A Swastika Drawn on His Face in Re-Surfaced Photo