Tar Heel Defense Guides UNC to Win Over Cal in Season Opener

Jason DeCaro's strong start on the mound and timely hitting from new Tar Heels lead North Carolina to 8-1 victory in first-ever matchup with California.

Mar. 14, 2026 at 11:26am

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North Carolina traveled to Evans Diamond for the first time in program history and took game one against the California Bears 8-1. Pitcher Jason DeCaro turned in a strong start, allowing just one run on five hits over 6.1 innings, and the Tar Heel offense found life late to secure the upper hand in the series. Newcomers Owen Hull, Erik Paulsen, and Jake Schaffner led the way offensively for UNC, which also played solid defense with five double plays.

Why it matters

This early-season road win against a Pac-12 opponent is an encouraging start for the Tar Heels, who are looking to build on last season's success and make a deep postseason run. The performance of DeCaro and the contributions from new faces in the lineup bode well for North Carolina as it begins ACC play.

The details

DeCaro ran into some early trouble in the first inning, allowing back-to-back singles, but the Tar Heel defense turned a double play to escape the jam. He then settled in, tossing four scoreless frames before giving up a solo home run in the sixth. DeCaro finished with two walks and two strikeouts. Reliever Caden Glauber closed out the game, working around a ninth-inning single and walk. Offensively, North Carolina was held in check early but broke through with four runs in the sixth, then added single runs in the seventh and ninth innings. Newcomers Hull, Paulsen, and Schaffner combined for five hits and two RBIs.

  • The game was played on Friday, March 14, 2026.
  • North Carolina and California had never previously met on the baseball diamond.

The players

Jason DeCaro

The Tar Heels' starting pitcher, who turned in a strong outing, allowing just one run on five hits over 6.1 innings.

Caden Glauber

The North Carolina reliever who closed out the game, working around a ninth-inning single and walk.

Owen Hull

A new Tar Heel who went 3-for-5 with two RBIs and a double, leading the UNC offense.

Erik Paulsen

Another new Tar Heel who snapped a 0-for-17 slump with two hits in the game.

Jake Schaffner

A new Tar Heel who fell a triple shy of the cycle, contributing to the North Carolina offensive outburst.

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What they’re saying

“To head coach Scott Forbes, it all comes back to starting pitching. After a difficult outing against Virginia, where too many uncompetitive pitches and free passes marred DeCaro's first ACC outing of the season, Road Jason showed up.”

— Grace Nugent, Author

“While DeCaro did not have the strikeout magic on Friday, that is not the biggest concern. To be nitpicky, in three consecutive innings, a DeCaro free pass put the Cal leadoff man on. There was also a ton of hard contact, which the defense was able to deal with, but soft contact is preferred.”

— Grace Nugent, Author

What’s next

The Tar Heels will go for the series win on Saturday when they send Ryan Lynch to the mound for a 5 p.m. Eastern time matchup.

The takeaway

This early-season road victory against a Pac-12 opponent is an encouraging sign for North Carolina, as the Tar Heels look to build on last season's success and make a deep postseason run. The strong pitching performance from DeCaro and the contributions from new faces in the lineup bode well for UNC as it begins ACC play.