April 1, 1999
North Carolina (24-5, 2-4 ACC) at N.C. State (23-9, 3-6 ACC)
April 2-4, 1999
Raleigh, N.C.
NOTING THE TAR HEELS
Jarrett Shearin scored two runs in the March 21 win over Wake Forest to become Carolina's all-time leader in runs scored. Shearin now has 196 runs in his career, topping B.J. Surhoff's total of 187. Shearin tied a school record set by B.J. Surhoff in 1985 and Dan Moylan in 1998 when he scored five runs versus Towson on March 24.
Shearin drove in two runs and moved into first place on the UNC career RBI chart on March 30. He enters the N.C. State series with 194 RBI, topping the old record of 192 set by Devy Bell (1984-87).
Carolina got off to its best start ever this season, starting the season 22-2. UNC reached 20 wins this season faster than any season in its history, reaching the 20-win mark with a record of 20-2. The Tar Heels went 20-4 to start the 1990 season and eventually started the '90 season with a 26-4 mark, their best 30-game start ever.
The Tar Heels started the season 16-0, setting the school record for longest winning streak. The longest previous winning streak in school history was 14 games, accomplished during the 1960 season and twice during the 1990 season.
Carolina has won 33 consecutive non-conference home games, including a 14-0 mark this season after the win over Davidson on March 31. The last time Carolina lost to a non-conference team at Boshamer Stadium was Feb. 21, 1998 versus Seton Hall. After that loss, the Tar Heels closed the 1998 season with 19 non-conference home wins in a row.
Tar Heel pitchers have struck out 255 batters and issued just 112 walks in 258.1 innings, a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 2.3-to-1.
The Tar Heels have outscored their opponents, 271-124, this season, an average margin of victory of 5.1 runs per game.
Backup catcher Wes Reynolds is batting 7-for-15 (.467) with three home runs and eight RBI in his last five games entering the N.C. State series.
Catcher and leadoff hitter Dan Moylan has earned at least one walk in 21 of 29 games this season and leads the team with 36 bases on balls.
Carolina has limited its opponnents to just nine stolen bases in 27 attempts this season. Starting catcher Dan Moylan has thrown out 11 of 19 potential base-stealers this year. Meanwhile, the Tar Heels have stolen 75 bases in 94 attempts (79.8 percent).
RHP Michael Horney has compiled an ERA of 0.89 in 12 appearances (11 in relief) this season. He has allowed just two earned runs in 20.1 innings pitched while striking out 21.
PROBABLE PITCHING ROTATION
Friday -- LHP Mike Bynum (Jr., Middleburg, Fla., 5-0, 2.09 ERA)
(last start: March 27 at Florida State, ND, 6.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 9 K)
Saturday -- RHP Kyle Snyder (Jr., Sarasota, Fla., 6-2, 3.98 ERA)
(last start: March 26 at Florida State, L, 5.0 IP, 8 H, 11 R, 7 ER, 3 BB, 9 K)
Sunday -- LHP Ryan Snare (So., Palm Harbor, Fla., 2-1, 4.15 ERA)
(last start: March 28 at Florida State, L, 4.0 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 5 BB, 3 K)
TAR HEELS EARN HIGHEST BASEBALL AMERICA POLL RANKING EVER
Carolina a ranking of No. 3 in the nation in the Baseball America Top 25 polls dated March 15 and 22. That is UNC's highest ranking ever in the Baseball America poll. UNC's highest previous ranking was No. 4 in the first three polls of the 1984 season, when the Tar Heels were led by future Major Leaguers B.J. Surhoff, Walt Weiss and Scott Bankhead.
Carolina is ranked No. 8 in this week's Collegiate Baseball poll, No. 9 in this week's Baseball America poll and No. 11 in this week's USA Today Baseball Weekly Coaches poll.
The Tar Heels moved into the Top 10 on Feb. 15. Prior to this season, the last time Carolina had earned a top-10 ranking in any poll was 1989 and the last time it had earned a top-10 ranking in the Baseball America poll was 1985.
SHEARIN IS UNC'S ALL-TIME LEADER IN RBI, RUNS SCORED
Senior centerfielder Jarrett Shearin became Carolina's all-time leader in runs scored March 21 versus Wake Forest when he scored the 188th run of his career. The old record was B.J. Surhoff's total of 187 set from 1983-85. He now has 196 runs scored entering the N.C. State series. He tied the school record with five runs versus Towson March 24.
Shearin became Carolina's all-time RBI leadeder on March 30 versus Elon, driving in two versus the Fightin' Christians and setting the record with a triple in the eighth inning. Shearin has 194 RBI entering the N.C. State series.
ELMORE, EAREY COMBINE TO NO-HIT TOWSON
Junior LHP Chris Elmore and sophomore RHP/3B Ryan Earey combined to no-hit Towson on March 23, allowing just three baserunners in a 5-0 Tar Heel victory. According to school records, it was the first no-hitter by Carolina since Greg Norris no-hit East Tennessee State on Apr. 28, 1978. Elmore, making just his second start of the season, was perfect through 6.0 innings before hitting Towson leadoff hitter Nick Agoglia with a pitch and being removed from the game because he had reached his pitch count. Elmore struck out three and didn't allow a baserunner until hitting Agoglia. Earey pitched the final 3.0 innings to pick up his second save of the year, walking two and striking out three. Earey also went 2-for-3 at the plate with a two-run home run.
BYNUM DOMINATES
Junior LHP Mike Bynum has dominated opposing hitters thus far this season, posting a record of 5-0 and a 2.09 ERA. He has allowed 10 earned runs in 43.0 innings while striking out 47 and walking 17. Bynum is projected as a possible early-round pick in the 1999 Major League Amateur Draft in June. Baseball America cited Bynum as the one lefthander [in college baseball] who has stepped forward as a draft prospect this season.
TAR HEELS WIN TWO OF THREE FROM WAKE FOREST TO OPEN ACC PLAY
Carolina won two of three games versus Wake Forest March 19-21 to open its 1999 Atlantic Coast Conference action. The Demon Deacons scored eight runs off Tar Heel starter Kyle Snyder in the March 19 game and held on to down Carolina, 9-7, and hand the Heels their first home loss of the 1999 season. UNC rebounded to defeat the Deacons, 11-1 and 9-3, in the second two games of the series, out-hitting Wake, 30-12 in the final two games. Mike Bynum allowed one run in 7.1 innings while striking out six to pick up the win March 20 while Ryan Snare tied his career-high with 8.0 innings pitched March 21, allowing three runs (one earned) and striking out seven.
THE SERIES VERSUS N.C. STATE
Carolina leads the all-time series with N.C. State, 130-105-1. The Wolfpack has won 12 of the last 16 games between the two schools and the last six played in Raleigh. Carolina won two of three games at N.C. State during the 1993 season but was swept in Raleigh in 1995 and 1997.
Last season, N.C. State won a non-ACC game played at Durham Bulls Athletic Park on Apr. 13 and Carolina won two of three games played in Chapel Hill on Apr. 24-26.
TAR HEELS WIN PEPSI/JOHNNY QUIK CLASSIC IN FRESNO
Led by tournament MVP Kyle Snyder, Carolina posted a 5-1 record and captured the championship of the Pepsi/Johnny Quik Classic in Fresno, Calif., March 8-13. Snyder picked up two wins at the tournament, striking out 18 batters, walking just three and giving up three earned runs in 14.1 innings of work (1.91 ERA).
The Tar Heels won their first four games at the tournament over New Mexico, Navy, Portland and Penn before losing their first game of the season versus host Fresno State on March 12. Carolina played Fresno State again the next night, however, and downed the Bulldogs, 8-5, as Snyder struck out 11 and gave up zero earned runs in 8.0 innings.
PITCHING STAFF DOMINATES IN THE EARLY GOING
Carolina's pitching staff is a veteran group that has dominated opposing hitters thus far in 1999. The Tar Heels' team ERA is 3.24. Carolina pitchers have compiled 255 strikeouts in 258.1 innings pitched while allowing just 112 walks and 224 hits.
SNYDER A TOP PROSPECT
RHP Kyle Snyder was named the top pitching prospect in all of college baseball by Baseball America before the 1999 season. Thus far, the hard-throwing 6-8 junior has lived up to the hype, striking out 59 and walking just 14 with an ERA of 3.98. He won his first six starts but has lost his last two, dropping decisions to Wake Forest and Florida State. Snyder was named a preseason first-team All-America by Baseball America.
In his March 7 column in the Boston Globe, ESPN baseball analyst Peter Gammons projected Snyder as the second overall pick in the 1999 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft to the Florida Marlins behind USC catcher Eric Munson. Gammons described Snyder as a monster on the mound who scouts like better than recent overall No. 1s Paul Wilson and Kris Benson.
GODWIN ON A TEAR
Sophomore Tyrell Godwin is among Carolina's leaders in batting average (third, .378), RBI (first, 40), hits (tied first, 42), runs scored (tied fourth, 30), triples (tied first, 3) and stolen bases (tied first, 14).
After striking out 21 times in 83 at bats and walking just six times as a freshman last year, Godwin has 11 walks and 13 strikeouts this season in 111 at-bats.
Godwin was named the ACC Co-Player of the Week (along with Florida State infielder Marshall McDougall) Feb. 22 after batting .643 (9-for-14) with three doubles, two home runs, six runs scored, 11 RBI and three stolen bases in the Tar Heels' three wins Feb. 19-21 over Seton Hall. He opened the series going 4-for-5 at the plate in an 11-3 win with two doubles, a home run, four RBI, three runs scored and a stolen base. In Saturday's 9-3 win, he batted 2-for-5 with an RBI and a stolen base. In Sunday's 15-1 victory, he went 3-for-4 at the plate with a double and a grand slam, three runs scored, six RBI and a stolen base. All six of his RBI came in a 10-run seventh inning on a two-run double and a grand slam.
HOT START FOR HOOPER
After two seasons as Carolina's starting third baseman, junior Clay Hooper is the Tar Heels' everyday shortstop in 1999. He got the new season off to a hot start by batting .400 (4-for-10) with a home run, two doubles and six RBI in UNC's three wins at the Winn-Dixie Shootout Feb. 12-14. Hooper hit a grand slam in the Feb. 12 win over East Carolina.
Overall this season, Hooper is fourth among Tar Heel regulars with a .356 batting average and is tied for second on the team with four home runs. Hooper started at third base for Carolina in both the 1996 and 1997 seasons before redshirting the 1998 campaign.
MOYLAN A HIT IN LEADOFF SPOT
Sophomore catcher Dan Moylan doesn't have the speed of the typical leadoff hitter, but he has gotten the job done with a flair for the Tar Heels since the middle of last season. Moylan became Carolina's leadoff hitter Apr. 15, 1998 and batted .398 (33-for-83) with eight home runs, 28 runs scored and 23 RBI in the final 21 games of last season.
This year, Moylan is batting .343, leads the team with 36 walks and is third with 12 stolen bases. Moylan has thrown out 11 of 19 runners attempting to steal against him this season. He has walked at least once in 21 of 29 games this season.
LAMARSH'S BATTING EYE
Senior designated hitter Chris LaMarsh leads the Tar Heels in batting average this season with a .402 mark. He is also second on the team with 33 walks and has struck out just 17 times. LaMarsh had more walks than strikeouts in both 1997 and 1998 and was named second-team All-ACC in '98 at DH. This year, he has started games at DH, second base and third base.
PITCHING SPARKLES IN SWEEP AT WINN-DIXIE SHOOTOUT
Carolina's pitching staff compiled a 2.33 ERA in three wins at the Winn-Dixie Shootout in Charleston, S.C., Feb. 12-14. Starters Kyle Snyder, Mike Bynum and Corey Richardson each pitched at least 6.0 strong innings and earned wins. The Tar Heel defense, which turned five double plays on the weekend, was also strong to begin the 1999 campaign. 3B/P Ryan Earey (HR, 3 RBI, 1 save), SS Clay Hooper (.400, grand slam, 6 RBI, 2 doubles) and C Dan Moylan (.500, 2 SB) were all named to the All-Shootout Team.
HEAD COACH MIKE FOx
Carolina head coach Mike Fox is in his first year as the head coach of his alma mater after 15 years as the head coach at N.C. Wesleyan College in Rocky Mount. He also served as Wesleyan's athletic director. Fox has a career record of 564-146-4. He led Wesleyan to 14 NCAA Tournament appearances, eight Division III College World Series appearances and the 1989 NCAA Division III national championship. His teams posted 15 consecutive top-20 finishes in the national polls and won 11 Dixie Conference championships.
PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA HONORS FOR SNYDER, GODWIN
Junior RHP Kyle Snyder and sophomore OF Tyrell Godwin each received preseason All-America honors from Baseball America for 1999. Snyder, who was named the top college pitching prospect in the nation and third-best prospect overall by the magazine, was named a preseason First-Team All-America. Godwin was named a preseason Third-Team All-America in the outfield despite being just a part-time starter last year.
BASEBALL AMERICA PRESEASON ACC ACCOLADES
In its College Preview issue, Baseball America bestowed several conference honors on Tar Heel players in its ACC preview:
Kyle Snyder (#1 prospect for 1999 draft, Pitcher of the Year, first-team All-ACC, best fastball)
Jarrett Shearin (first-team All-ACC, outfielder/best arm)
Mike Bynum (#9 prospect for 1999 draft)
Ryan Snare (#5 prospect for 2000 draft)
Dan Moylan (best defensive catcher)
Tyrell Godwin (#2 prospect for 2000 draft, fastest baserunner)
Derrick DePriest (first-team All-ACC)
1999 HONOR ROLL
The following Tar Heels have earned the following accolades this season:
Ryan Earey: All-Winn Dixie Shootout Team
Tyrell Godwin: ACC Co-Player of the Week, Feb. 22
Clay Hooper: All-Winn Dixie Shootout Team
Dan Moylan: All-Winn Dixie Shootout Team
Kyle Snyder: MVP of Pepsi/Johnny Quik Classic
