CHAPEL HILL – The University of North Carolina announced contract extensions this afternoon for men's basketball coach Roy Williams, baseball coach Mike Fox and women’s basketball coach Sylvia Hatchell.
 
Chancellor Holden Thorp and the UNC Board of Trustees approved the new contracts, all three of which were extended through 2018, according to a release issued by the university athletic department.

North Carolina baseball coach Mike Fox is expected to be back in the dugout this weekend when the Tar Heels host Stanford in an NCAA super regional.

Fox has missed a week of games and practices to be with his mother, Barbara, who died Saturday at 76. Her funeral was Tuesday, and assistant coach Scott Jackson said he expected Fox to be back at practice Wednesday.

“I’m pretty sure coach plans on being here,” Jackson said. “I imagine he’ll be here tomorrow for practice, but I haven’t confirmed that with him.”

updated 9:48 p.m.

CHAPEL HILL -- Before North Carolina’s regional opener against Maine on Friday night, head coach Mike Fox -- who was not at Boshamer Stadium because of a personal matter dealing with a family member – sent associate head coach Scott Forbes an email that said, in part, “go with your gut.”

So Forbes – serving in a head coaching role for an entire game for the first time in college – stayed with starting left-hander Kent Emanuel for eight shutout innings, pulled him after 120 pitches, and helped his team to a 4-0 victory over Maine in the double-elimination regional.

DURHAM — North Carolina was thrilled to be back in the ACC tournament after failing to qualify last year. But after blowing a five-run lead to Miami today to lose 7-5 , head coach Mike Fox couldn’t quite decide whether the alternative might have been better.

N.C. State, runner-up in the ACC Baseball Tournament, earned a third seed in the NCAA tourney today.

So did North Carolina -- after failing to make the ACC tournament at all.

The Tar Heels, who have advanced to the College World Series for the past four seasons, were named to 64-team field ahead of Boston College -- the eighth seed in the league tourney.

UNC -- which tied BC in the regular-season standings -- got in on the strength of a high RPI [20 on last Tuesday's NCAA list] and a strong finish [winning 12 of the final 15 games].

The Eagles, which earned the tiebreaker over Carolina to earn the  final seed in the ACC tourney -- hurt their case by losing eight of their last 11 games, including two in the league tournament.

In all, the ACC placed a record eight teams in the NCAA tournament, although N.C. State coach Elliott Avent said the league deserved one more bid.

"I think we should have gotten nine,'' he said today. "I think Carolina deserved to go. My gosh, they were playing good. This is a great league. It's a great league, meaning all nine should have gone. Boston College should not have gotten left out.

"It's kind of, why do you play the ACC Tournament? The ACC Tournament can beat you up, now. Carolina got to sit at home and rest and get in the bigger [tournament].  That's like Virginia wins the league next year or we win the league next year [in the regular season race] and we just say, 'Hey, we won't come to the ACC Tournament, we've got a couple of guys banged up. We'll stay here and rest and get ready for the next round.'

"I don't think it's good. I think it's good if Carolina goes and all nine go."

Asked his thoughts on making the NCAA tournament, while a team that made the league tourney didn't, UNC coach Mike Fox said: "I feel bad for Mik [Aoki, the BC baseball coach]. ... I know the committee probably had a difficult time with it, as well. ...  I'm assuming the committee tries to put stock in your whole body of work. I wish the league would have gotten nine, I'm sure there's going to be people out there who are going to have opinions on whether we should or we shouldn't [get in], but I'm just happy for our players."

State is the third seed in the Myrtle Beach regional. Coastal Carolina is the top seed in that region, with Charleston No. 2 and Stony Brook No. 4.

UNC is the No. 3 seed in the Norman, Oklahoma Region. Oklahoma, California and Oral Roberts round out the seeds.

Also locally, Elon earned a No. 3 seed in the Atlanta region. Clemson is a No. 2 seed in the Auburn region.

Tuesday's 11-4 victory over Southern Miss was a big one for North Carolina coach Mike Fox. On two levels.

Twenty years ago, North Carolina baseball coach Mike Fox and East Carolina coach Billy Godwin worked together to win a NCAA Division III national championship at N.C. Wesleyan. This weekend, they will be squaring off with a trip to Omaha at stake.

Nick Adenhart, the 22-year-old Los Angeles Angels pitcher who was killed in a hit-and-run car accident Wednesday night, almost wound up pitching for North Carolina.

The tragedy struck hours after his first start of the season, in which he pitched six shutout innings.

Staff photo by Robert Willett

CHAPEL HILL — North Carolina's top-ranked baseball team begins its quest for a fourth straight trip to the College World Series when it opens the season next Friday against VMI.

And it will do it in the newly-expanded and re-opened Boshamer Stadium.

Crews on Friday were putting the finishing touches on the $22.6 million project that included luxury boxes, new offices and now a 4,100-fan capacity.