by Tucker Terranova
TWENTY NINE pic.twitter.com/EwtIlxX92T
— Carolina Baseball (@DiamondHeels) June 19, 2026
Two Junes ago, Jason DeCaro took the mound in Omaha as an 18-year-old for the University of North Carolina’s opening game against Virginia and led the Tar Heels to their first College World Series victory since 2018.
Fast forward two seasons, and DeCaro is no longer the freshman experiencing high-level college baseball for the first time. He is now the upperclassman ace of a team seeking its first national championship this weekend. North Carolina is also the only program to reach the College World Series twice in the past three seasons, and DeCaro has brought a renewed sense of perspective to Omaha this June.
“My biggest takeaway from that trip two years ago was to slow down more and be in the moment,” DeCaro said. “Whether it’s my next start or the team’s next game, I’ve been trying to take it day by day, and even more specifically, moment by moment.”
DeCaro, a native of Northport, has risen up MLB draft boards throughout his college career, posting a 3.27 ERA across 52 starts. As he takes center stage once again this weekend, he carries his Long Island roots proudly with him.
It has been 12 years since a Long Island native won the College World Series. TJ Pecoraro of Vanderbilt was the last to do so in 2014, and DeCaro hopes to change that. He said growing up watching Long Islanders reach the highest levels of college and professional baseball served as motivation.
“Growing up and seeing these players accomplish what I dreamed about definitely motivated me to work harder,” DeCaro said. “As I got older, I was able to train and play with some of those players, and it motivated me even more.”
DeCaro played travel ball with Team Francisco and spent his freshman year at Chaminade before transferring to St. Anthony’s following the pandemic. There, he believes, he developed into the player and person he is today.
“St. Anthony’s was an incredible time for me. I really enjoyed my time there and the success that we had, and it’s really cool to see the continued success they’ve had since then,” DeCaro said. “The biggest thing I learned was how to be a leader. My senior year at St. Anthony’s was my first as a captain, and it meant a lot to know my teammates and friends trusted me with that responsibility. As a person, playing at St. Anthony’s showed me how much relationships truly matter, and those relationships will last a long time.”
DeCaro is not the lone Long Islander on the Tar Heels roster. Erik Paulsen Jr., a junior first baseman, is in the midst of his first season at North Carolina after spending two decorated campaigns as a two-way player at Stony Brook.
Paulsen Jr., who carries a .298 batting average, 11 home runs and 56 RBIs into the weekend, has quickly become an integral part of North Carolina’s lineup. DeCaro has enjoyed watching his fellow Long Islander grow firsthand.
“Erik work with s so hard, and when he first got here that was very obvious. He is extremely coachable and also a leader, and it’s easy to pull for guys like that,” DeCaro said. “There have been so many times that Erik and I have sat on the bench and shared stories from high school or summer ball back home. It’s awesome to have a guy like that who I can laugh about those memories with.”
Transfer portal additions make up 24% of North Carolina’s roster, the lowest percentage among the eight College World Series participants. While it has become crucial for programs to utilize the transfer portal and add players such as Paulsen Jr., there is still value in building a strong culture and consistently developing roster depth.
DeCaro believes recruiting the right people, not just the right players, has helped North Carolina establish a winning culture and seamlessly integrate transfers into what the program has built.
“At our first team meeting every year, we always say the end goal is to win a national championship,” DeCaro said. “It is a requirement that everyone buys into that. If you have a bad day but the team wins, no one cares because, at the end of the day, we only care about winning the game. It is hard to win games when you don’t like the guy next to you.”
Now, as they prepare for the national championship series they envisioned months ago against Oklahoma, DeCaro is excited for the country to see what makes his team special.
“We aren’t the biggest, strongest or flashiest team, but we find ways to win games all the time, and we do it the right way,” DeCaro said. “You can tell from watching us play that we all have a blast every time we’re out there, and we all pull for each other to succeed.”
That belief in one another, DeCaro said, has been the foundation of North Carolina’s success throughout the season.
“We are such a tough group and have faced adversity throughout the season, and I truly believe that we are the best team in the country,” DeCaro said. “No moment is too big for any guy on this team, and we are excited to show that.”
DeCaro and the Tar Heels open the best-of-three championship series against Oklahoma on Saturday, June 20, at 3 p.m. on ESPN.