North Carolina and Pitt have joined Georgia Tech and Miami in the 2026 ACC Baseball Championship semifinals after the tournament quarterfinals concluded Friday in Charlotte.
UNC, the reigning ACC tournament champion, started the day by overcoming an early quarterfinal deficit against Virginia Tech to secure a semifinal spot.
In the evening, Pitt third baseman Kai Wagner smacked two home runs, including the game-winning three-run shot with his team down to its last strike, to lead the No. 14 seed Panthers to a 8-6 win over No. 3 seed Florida State.
Here’s a look at Friday’s quarterfinal action as well as what to expect from the upcoming semifinals.
The full bracket can be found on the ACC’s official website.
Friday Quarterfinals Results
- No. 2 North Carolina 10, No. 7 Virginia Tech 4
- No. 14 Pitt 8, No. 3 Florida State 6
Saturday Semifinals Schedule
- No. 1 Georgia Tech versus No. 5 Miami, 1 p.m. ET
- No. 2 North Carolina versus No. 14 Pitt, 5 p.m. ET
Friday Highlights
No. 2 North Carolina 10, No. 7 Virginia Tech 4
The reigning ACC Tournament champions are back in the semifinals after a strong quarterfinal performance on both offense and defense.
Virginia Tech grabbed an early lead Friday thanks to back-to-back home runs from Ethan Gibson and Owen Petrich in the top of the third.
That lead lasted for just one inning. North Carolina put up three runs in the bottom of the fourth thanks to an RBI hit-by-pitch and a two-RBI single.
Virginia Tech’s Ethan Ball cut UNC’s lead to one with another home run in the fifth inning, but the Tar Heels put the game away with a four-run bottom of the eighth.
Caden Glauber recorded the win for UNC after striking out six batters while allowing one earned run in 5.2 innings in relief.
Jake Schaffner led the Tar Heels with four RBI. UNC overall went 5-for-14 at the plate with runners on base while forcing Virginia Tech to strand 10 runners of their own.
UNC will now continue the push to defend their 2025 title against Pitt.
No. 14 Pitt 8, No. 3 Florida State 6
Pitt’s Cinderella run in the ACC tournament will continue after the Panthers defeated No. 3 seed Florida State 8-6.
Wagner hit two home runs, including a three-run shot with two outs and two strikes in the top of the ninth inning.
Pitt jumped out to a 4-0 first inning lead after Caden Dulin’s RBI bunt single and Trey Fenderson’s three-run home run, giving him three homers and 11 RBI in three ACC tournament games.
Brody DeLamielleure got one back for FSU with an RBI single in the bottom of the frame. However, Wagner erased that with a fifth-inning solo shot.
FSU responded, though, when Ben Barrett hit his first homer since 2023, smacking a game-tying grand slam for the five-all tie in the fifth.
In the bottom of the eighth, FSU scored one after John Stuetzer crossed home following a fielding error.
However, Pitt got two on in the top of the ninth. AJ Nessler hit a single (sandwiched by two outs) before Lorenzo Carrier walked. Wagner then smacked the homer for the two-run edge.
Relief pitcher David Leslie then shut the door in the ninth with a 1-2-3 frame. He didn’t allow an earned run over three frames while striking out six.
