North Carolina first to earn CWS berth

North Carolina became the first team to advance to the College World Series, completing a sweep of its best-of-three NCAA Tournament super regional against Stetson on Saturday.

The No. 6 national seed Tar Heels scored four runs in the first inning and hung on to win 7-5 over the No. 11 Hatters. Carolina will make its first trip to the CWS in Omaha, Nebraska, since 2013.

Cal State Fullerton beat Washington 5-2 to even its series with Washington at a game apiece. No. 14 Minnesota played at

No. 3 Oregon State and Mississippi State met Vanderbilt in late Game 2s.

In super regional openers, defending national champion and No. 1 overall seed Florida beat Auburn and top draft pick Casey Mize 8-2; Tennessee Tech closer Ethan Roberts held No. 13 Texas to one run in four innings in a 5-4 win; and Big 12 freshman of the year

Gabe Holt drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning to lead No. 9 Texas Tech past Duke 8-4. South Carolina played a late game at Arkansas.

North Carolina, playing at home in Chapel Hill, survived ninthinning drama for the second straight day to secure its seventh CWS berth and 11th overall. With runners on first and third and two outs and the go-ahead run at the plate, Stetson’s Brooks Wilson sent a high fly to center field that Brandon Riley caught at the warning track for the final out. On Friday, with Stetson down three runs, the game ended when Wilson flew out to the wall in left with the bases loaded.

Tommy Wilson held Washington to one run and three hits over seven innings in Fullerton, California. The Titans took a 4-1 lead in the fifth when Daniel Cope doubled and scored on Jairus Richards’ triple and on Brett Borgogno’s RBI single. Joe Wainhouse homered twice for the Huskies.

Wil Dalton drove in two runs and Deacon Liput homered for the second time in three games in Gainesville, Florida, putting the Gators within a win of their fourth straight CWS. Brady Singer, matched against his fellow firstround draft pick in Mize, struck out nine and limited Auburn to two runs and four hits in 6 2⁄ in

3 nings.

In Austin, Chase Chambers and David Garza doubled to drive in Tennessee Tech’s three runs in the fifth inning for a 5-3 lead, and Roberts retired the last six Texas batters after a sacrifice fly made it a one-run game in the seventh. The Golden Eagles are one win away from their first

CWS after having never advanced past regionals previously.

Texas Tech, looking to go to the CWS for the third time since 2014, went to Ty Harpenau after it took the lead in the eighth in Lubbock, Texas. Duke had two runners on base in the ninth before Harpenau induced a game-ending double play.

Nothin’ finer, Carolina: North Carolina has won its last seven super regional appearances, six of them at home. This was the fifth time the Tar Heels went through a regional and super regional without a loss. Mize’s struggle: Mize, who entered the game against Florida with only 12 walks in 109 2⁄ innings,

3 walked four for the first time in his three years as a collegian. The last time he had walked three in a game was May 7, 2016, at Alabama.

Rallying Red Raiders: Texas Tech matched its largest comeback of the season in overcoming a 3-0 deficit in the fifth inning.

Photos by Brad Tollefson / Associated Press Texas Tech's Michael Davis (left) tags out Duke's Joey Loperfido as he slides into second base in Saturday’s Game 1 of their super regional. Tech prevailed 8-4.

Tech and Gabe Holt are one victory away from a College World Series berth.