Despite losing both of their Atlantic Coast Conference tournament games a second straight year, the North Carolina Tar Heels are hosting an NCAA regional for the first time in 23 years.

Of course, a school-record 45 regular season wins and 35 home wins, a first-ever stint as the nation’s top-ranked NCAA Division I team, and a national ranking as high as No. 6 in the most recent rankings will do a lot to offset back-to-back postseason losses.

It’s a team anxious to redeem itself, validate its status as an NCAA regional host, and wash away the bitter taste of only its third pair of back-to-back losses this season.

That’s the team that the UMaine Black Bears will face at 6 p.m. Friday at Boshamer Stadium.

They will also face one of the Heels’ two ace starting pitchers in Major League Baseball draft prospect Robert Woodard, a junior right-hander who has won 17 of his last 18 decisions.

Woodard has allowed just 11 earned runs in his last 40 1/3 innings en route to a 6-1 record and 3.25 ERA.

In his last six starts, he has struck out 19 batters while walking just five.

Woodard is as eager as any Tar Heel to get back on the field after he gave up a career-high six runs in an ACC tournament loss to Florida State last Thursday.

The All-ACC second team selection has turned in quality starts in 10 of his last 14 appearances, going six inning or more, and has allowed three runs or less in 11 of those starts. He is 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA in 16 innings of NCAA Tournament experience over the last two seasons.

UNC’s other ace is junior lefty and ACC pitcher of the year Andrew Miller, who has gone 11-2 with a 2.07 ERA, 102 strikeouts and 32 walks in 95 2/3 innings over 14 starts. He is a possible first overall pick in the draft.

The Heels also have a solid bullpen led by lone senior and long relief specialist Jonathan Hovis, who has a 7-2 record, two saves, and a 1.37 ERA in 30 relief appearances this season. Closer Andrew Carignan is 1-3 with 13 saves and a 3.14 ERA with 34 strikeouts in 28 2/3 innings.

The Heels have a staff ERA of 3.22 and have limited opposing batters to a .232 average.

The Tar Heels won eight in a row and nine in a row this season en route to their 45-13 regular season record. The only common opponent for UNC and Maine this season was Seton Hall, which UNC swept in a three-game series and outscored 36-12. The Black Bears lost their only game against the Pirates 14-8 back in March.

The Tar Heels are hitting .317 as a team, thanks largely to offensive leaders like sophomore shortstop Josh Horton, sophomore first baseman Chad Flack, junior outfielder Jay Cox, freshman catcher Tim Federowicz, and sophomore catcher Benji Johnson.

Horton carries a .408 batting average into the regional with five home runs, 48 RBIs and 11 stolen bases. Flack is batting .376 with 11 homers, a team-high 55 RBIs, and 13 steals.

Cox is hitting .370 with nine homers and 44 RBIs. Federowicz is hitting .299 with eight homers and 48 RBIs while Johnson is hitting at a .286 clip with 12 homers and 36 RBIs.