The Patriot League Tournament Champion Holy Cross baseball team will travel to the Chapel Hill Regional to square off against D1Baseball.com's No. 1-ranked North Carolina to open the 2025 NCAA Baseball Tournament on Friday, May 30 at noon. The game will be broadcast on the ACC Network with Wes Durham (play-by-play) and Danan Hughes (analyst) on the call.
 
The winner of the contest will face off against the winner of the Oklahoma/Nebraska game on Saturday, May 31 at 6 p.m. while the loser will play the loser of that tilt in an elimination game at noon.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT HOLY CROSS (31-25, 17-8 PL): 

• Holy Cross claimed the 2025 Patriot League Tournament Championship following an 8-7 victory in 10 innings on Monday, May 19. Sophomore center fielder Gianni Royer pulled a walk-off RBI double down the left field line. Senior shortstop Jimmy King was 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored in the contest while classmate, third baseman Connor Peek was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Freshman reliever Jake Lenahan tossed 4.1 innings in relief, scattering five hits, two earned runs and a walk while punching out two to earn the win.
• The Crusaders used only three pitchers in the Patriot League Championship Series as junior starting pitchers Danny Macchiarola and Jaden Wywoda covered 13.2 innings with Lenahan throwing the final 4.1 frames.
• Macchiarola was named the Patriot League Tournament MVP posting a 2-0 record with a 0.53 ERA, a 1.00 WHIP, and 18 strikeouts across 17.0 innings while holding opponents to a .222 BAA. He struck out a season-high 12 batters in eight frames against Lehigh in the semifinals before hurling a 114 pitch complete game in the championship series against Army. He was joined on the Patriot League All-Tournament Team by King, senior Chris Baillargeon and Royer.
• Holy Cross is 20-10 (.667) over their last 30 games and are hitting .292 as a team during that stretch with 21 home runs and 204 RBI posting a .418 OBP and a .446 SLG. Their pitchers have a 3.86 ERA and are holding opponents to a .241 batting average against. The offense is averaging eight runs a game and they have outscored their counterparts 235-to-135. Across those contests, Holy Cross has outscored opponents 29-to-3 in the first inning.
• Macchiarola has made eight starts during that stretch and is 5-1 with a 1.51 ERA, a 0.97 WHIP across 47.2 innings pitched with 50 strikeouts and 11 walks while holding opponents to a .201 BAA.
• Royer, who tallied the championship winning hit has reached base in 21 straight games for Holy Cross and is slashing .350/.430/.525 for a .955 OPS with a home run, nine doubles, 15 RBI, 16 runs scored and seven stolen bases during his streak. Baillargeon has reached base in 16 consecutive contests. He is slashing .466/.558/.724 for a 1.282 OPS with two home runs, nine doubles, 26 RBI, 10 walks to nine strikeouts and 15 runs scored during his streak.
• Peek was hitting .217 following the April 4 game versus Army. Since then, he has raised his average .124 points to .341 after a .413/.462/.600 and 1.062 OPS stretch. During his heater, Peek has two home runs, seven doubles, one triple, 20 RBI, 33 hits, and 24 runs scored.

HOLY CROSS IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT:

• This is the Crusaders' 12th overall appearance in the NCAA Tournament, their first since 2017 and second since 1978. They are a combined 23-18 (.561) overall in the NCAA Tournament.
• Holy Cross has won one College World Series back in 1952 when they defeated Missouri 8-4 on June 17. The Crusaders went 6-1 (.857) during the championship run. Jim O'Neill was named the College World Series Most Outstanding Player. The Crusaders are the only team in the Northeast ever to win a College World Series title. 
• The Crusaders' last win in the NCAA Tournament came on June 3, 2017 at the Corvallis Regional when they defeated No. 25 Nebraska 7-4 in an elimination game. Anthony Critelli was 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored in the game.

SCOUTING THE NO. 1 TAR HEELS (42-12, 18-11 ACC): 

• North Carolina has won three straight games en route to their ninth ACC Championship after defeating then-No. 14 Clemson 14-4 on Sunday, May 25. Jackson Van De Brake was 2-for-6 with a home run, five RBI and a run scored in the championship clincher. Catcher Luke Stevenson was named the tournament's MVP and was joined on the All-Tournament Team by Jake Knapp and Van De Brake.
• The Tar Heels, who earned the No. 5 National Seed in the Tournament were just named the No. 1 ranked team in the nation by D1Baseball.Com this week.
• Knapp was named the ACC Pitcher of the Year announced on May 19. The Tar Heels ace is 12-0 on the season with a 2.17 ERA and a 0.83 WHIP across 87.0 innings with 78 strikeouts to 13 walks holding opponents to a 1.88 BAA. Knapp is second in the NCAA in wins and WHIP while ranking ninth in ERA.
• As a team North Carolina ranks fourth in the nation in ERA (3.42) and fifth in WHIP (1.21).

SCOUTING THE SOONERS (35-20, 14-16 SEC):

• The Sooners earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament following a 6-1 setback to Vanderbilt in the SEC Quarterfinals. Oklahoma only recorded two hits in the game with Easton Carmichael and Jaxon Willits posting the base knocks.
• Starting pitcher Kyson Witherspoon was named to the All-SEC First Team and was joined by Carmichael (second team) and Kyle Branch (freshman team) on the all-league teams.
• Witherspoon is one of the best pitchers in the nation. During the 2025 campaign he has posted a 10-3 record with a 2.47 ERA and 0.91 WHIP across 91.0 innings with 120 strikeouts to 20 walks holding opponents to a .191 BAA. He ranks sixth in the NCAA in strikeouts, ninth in wins and 12th in WHIP.
• Dylan Crooks is a shutdown reliever for the Sooners as his 14 saves ranks third in the nation. He has a 1.86 ERA and 1.10 WHIP across 29 innings pitched with 31 strikeouts.

SCOUTING THE CORNHUSKERS (32-27, 15-15 BIG TEN):

• The Huskers have won five straight games including a 5-0 shutout of No. 13 UCLA to claim back-to-back Big Ten Championship and their sixth overall conference championship. Starting pitcher Ty Horn threw eight shutout frames scattering three hits and three walks with six strikeouts.
• Nebraska became the first eight seed in Big Ten history to claim the conference tournament title.
• Luke Broderick was named to the All-Big Ten second team and was joined by Devin Nunez on the All-Big Ten freshman team.
• Horn ranks second in the NCAA in games started (16) while Broderick is eighth in saves (12). Horn has 3-4 record with a 5.29 ERA across 78.1 innings while opponents are hitting .267 against him. Broderick is 4-2 with a 3.41 ERA and 43 strikeouts across 34.1 innings pitched holding opponents to a .232 average.

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