UNC forces Game 3 in MCWS finals against Oklahoma
North Carolina’s 6-2 victory over Oklahoma in Omaha has set up a winner-take-all Game 3 on Monday night, with the team drawing strength from a poignant tribute to the late father of first baseman Erik Paulsen Jr.
The North Carolina Tar Heels defeated the Oklahoma Sooners 6-2 in Game 2 of the 2026 Men’s College World Series finals at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, forcing a decisive third game. The victory sets up a winner-take-all national championship matchup on Monday night, scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. The game coincided with Father’s Day, with significant attention focused on UNC first baseman Erik Paulsen Jr., whose father, NYPD officer Erik Paulsen Sr., died of cancer on 4 July 2025.
UNC head coach Scott Forbes described the team as a “family” and stated he views the players as “sons.” Forbes also paid tribute to former UNC head coach Mike Fox, who coached him at North Carolina Wesleyan and later hired him at UNC; Fox referred to Forbes as a “second father.” Oklahoma head coach Skip Johnson’s son, Tyler Johnson, is an assistant coach at Dallas Baptist; Oklahoma catcher Deiten Lachance played for Tyler Johnson at McLennan Community College. Oklahoma shortstop Jaxon Willits is the son of former Sooners player and big leaguer Reggie Willits, who serves as Oklahoma’s associate head coach.
Erik Paulsen Jr. went 3-for-5 with a double and a run scored in Game 2, described as his best performance of the series. The emotional weight of the occasion was underscored by the presence of the UNC players’ fathers, who wore commemorative buttons reading “PAULSEN 44 OMAHA 2026” to honour Erik Paulsen Sr. This gesture provided a visible show of support for Paulsen, who was experiencing his first Father’s Day without his father.
Oklahoma dominated Saturday night’s Game 1, but UNC rebounded to win Game 2. The shift in momentum was met with intense anxiety from the families in the stands. Joel Johnson, father of UNC reserve righty Olin Johnson, described the experience as potentially the best or most stressful Father’s Day he had ever had, noting the collective pacing of the fathers in the concourse.
Forbes acknowledged the difficulty of the day for his players, particularly Paulsen, but noted that the knowledge of his father’s presence and the support of the team helped mitigate the emotional toll. The upcoming Game 3 will see both teams and their families reunite on the field with the national championship on the line, following a day that highlighted the deep familial bonds within college baseball.
