Omaha, NE (My Sportsbook) - North Carolina's freshmen dominated offensively and sophomore Adam Warren threw six-plus solid innings, boosting North Carolina past Rice, 7-4, and into the finals of the College World Series for a second straight year.

Freshmen Dustin Ackley and Tim Fedroff homered, while Seth Williams and Josh Horton also went deep for North Carolina. First-year infielder Kyle Seager had a two-run single for the Tar Heels, who will face Oregon State in a rematch for the title. Last year the Beavers beat the Tar Heels for their first baseball championship in school history.

This year's best-of-three series starts Saturday night at Rosenblatt Stadium.

It also creates only the second repeat national championship match-up in CWS history and the first since Southern California and Arizona State met in the 1972 and 1973 title games.

"I'm just glad we're playing," North Carolina head coach Mike Fox said. "I'm sure everyone else is thrilled that the matchup is the same as last year. We just want to take a deep breath. We're happy to still be playing."

It was the third game between the teams in this year's tournament. Rice won by a 14-4 count on Sunday, but UNC earned a 6-1 victory on Wednesday. The Tar Heels improved to 4-0 in elimination games this postseason and Warren, who allowed three hits and three runs, moved his record to 12-0 for the season.

Andrew Carignan threw the final 2 1/3 innings for his 18th save.

Tyler Henley doubled in a run and Diego Seastrunk had a two-run single for Rice, the 2003 national champions.

Matt Langwell was charged with two hits and three runs over 3 1/3 innings, while Bobby Bramhall was drilled for three hits and four runs over an inning, leading to Rice's loss.

Ahead 3-2, the Tar Heels, who have never won the College World Series, widened their lead with a run in the fourth and three more in the fifth. They then managed to hold on after Rice rallied in the seventh.

Williams homered to left field in the fourth, and Horton led off the fifth with a blast over the wall in right-center off Bramhall. Tim Federowicz and Ackley then walked, and both runners advanced on a sacrifice bunt. Seager then singled up the middle off Cole St.Clair.

Warren was lifted in favor of Rob Wooten after walking Jared Gayhart to start the seventh. Jess Buenger and Jordan Dodson followed with singles, drawing Rice within 7-3. Henley doubled to right-center field to drive in another run, but Carignan fanned Joe Savery on a called third strike on the outside corner to end the inning.

"It is disappointing to go out like that, but I'm not going to sum up my college career by that one at-bat," Savery said. "That's a crime to do that. I feel like we had one of the toughest roads to get here (Omaha). I'm not going to look at my career and just think about how my last plate appearance was a strikeout with runners on second and third."

Rice didn't get a hit over the final two innings.

Ackley homered to center field in the second inning and then both teams scored twice in the third. Seastrunk's hit gave Rice the lead, but UNC came right back to grab a 3-2 lead. Reid Fronk walked to open the frame and Fedroff followed with a homer to left.

Oregon State advanced to the championship series with a 7-1 victory over UC Irvine on Wednesday.