May 17, 1999
North Carolina (40-14, 13-11 ACC)
1999 ACC Tournament
May 18-23, 1999 Durham, N.C.
NOTING THE TAR HEELS
Carolina won its 40th game of the season in game 1 of a doubleheader with Georgia Tech on May 15 and enter the ACC Tournament with a record of 40-14. The Tar Heels now have won 40 games on four occasions in the 1990s (1990-93-98-99) and seven overall. Carolina has won 40 games in consecutive seasons for the third time in school history (1983-84-85, 1989-90, 1998-99).
A pair of football players leads Carolina in batting average and ERA entering the ACC Tournament. Defensive back Tyrell Godwin leads the Tar Heels in batting average (.380) and punter Derrick DePriest leads the Heels and the ACC in ERA (1.87).
Shortstop Clay Hooper is riding a 15-game hitting streak entering the ACC Tournament.
Righthander Derrick DePriest leads Carolina pitchers in ERA (1.87, first in the ACC, sixth in the nation), saves (seven, second in the ACC), appearances (33) and is tied for second on the team in wins (six).
Carolina's team ERA of 3.79 ranked 13th in the nation in the latest NCAA rankings (May 10). The Tar Heels' winning percentage of .776 was 12th-best in the country.
Derrick DePriest ranked sixth in the nation in ERA in the latest NCAA rankings (May 10).
In Jarrett Shearin and Tyrell Godwin, Carolina has the top two base stealers in the ACC. In the latest league leaders (as of May 17), Shearin and Godwin tied for the ACC lead with 26 steals each. As a team, Carolina led the ACC with 121 steals. Clemson ranked second with 101 steals.
Carolina is third in the ACC in team batting average at .324. The Tar Heels are second in the ACC in team ERA at 3.73 behind Florida State (3.05).
Carolina is on pace to have its best-hitting team in school history. The 1999 Tar Heels are batting .324 as a team and the school record is .322 (set in 1984). UNC's 121 stolen bases as a team are within striking distance of the school single-sesason record of 135 set in 1983.
Carolina has limited its opponnents to just 26 stolen bases in 58 attempts this season. Starting catcher Dan Moylan has thrown out 18 of 36 potential base-stealers this year (50.0 percent success rate). Meanwhile, the Tar Heels have stolen 121 bases in 159 attempts (76.1 percent).
PROBABLE PITCHING ROTATION
Wednesday -- LHP Ryan Snare (So., Palm Harbor, Fla., 6-3, 2.88 ERA)
(last start: May 15 vs. Georgia Tech, 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 5 K)
Thursday -- RHP Kyle Snyder (Jr., Sarasota, Fla., 7-4, 4.15 ERA)
(last start: May 15 vs. Georgia Tech, 7.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 7 K)
Friday (if necessary) -- LHP Mike Bynum (Jr., Middleburg, Fla., 7-1, 3.81 ERA)
(last start: May 16 vs. Georgia Tech, 6.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 7 K)
CAROLINA IN THE ACC TOURNAMENT
Carolina is 53-40 all-time at the ACC Tournament, including a record of 17-16 in the 1990s. The Tar Heels have reached the championship game of the ACC Tournament eight times in their history (1980-81-82-83-84-88-89-90) and won the championship on four occasions (1982-83-94-90).
The Tar Heels have a record of 9-6 in the three previous ACC Tournaments played in Durham. Carolina won the 1984 ACC title at the old Durham Athletic Park with a 5-0 record, went 0-2 at the new Durham Bulls Athletic Park in 1996 and went 2-2 at the DBAP in 1998.
LAST YEAR AT THE ACC TOURNAMENT
At the 1998 ACC Tournament, the Tar Heels won their first two games, defeating Clemson, 4-1, in the first round, and downing Duke, 3-0, in the second round. Florida State defeated Carolina, 13-11, in 10 innings in the quarterfinals. Eventual champion Wake Forest eliminated the Heels in the semifinals, 3-0.
THE SERIES VERSUS GEORGIA TECH
Fourth-seeded Carolina will face fifth-seeded Georgia Tech in the first round of the ACC Tournament Wednesday, May 19.
Georgia Tech leads the all-time series with Carolina, 41-38. The Yellow Jackets hold a 21-15 series advantage in the 1990s, including winning two of three games played in the final weekend of the 1999 regular season in Chapel Hill on May 15-16.
The Yellow Jackets have won six of 10 games played between the two schools in the ACC Tournament, including Tech victories in 1996 and 1997.
GODWIN BREAKING OUT
Sophomore Tyrell Godwin, a 1997 first-round draft choice of the New York Yankees, has come into his own as a college player this season. Godwin is among Carolina's leaders in batting average (first, .380), RBI (second, 56), hits (first, 76), runs scored (third, 54), triples (first, 5) and stolen bases (tied first, 26).
After striking out 21 times in 83 at bats and walking just six times as a freshman last year, Godwin has 22 walks (fifth on the team) and 29 strikeouts this season in 200 at-bats.
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. The hard-throwing 6-8 junior has been dominant at times this season, going 7-4 while striking out 91 and walking 25 with an ERA of 4.15. He is averaging 9.9 strikeouts per nine innings in 1999. 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.
Snyder missed a start at Maryland because of triceps tendonitis in his pitching arm but is back at full strength and has had strong outings in his last four starts He went 1-0 and allowed three earned runs in 12.0 innings (2.25 ERA) against Virginia and Duke, striking out 10 and walking one. Despite taking the loss on May 10 at Clemson, Snyder tied his career high with 11 strikeouts. He took the loss in game 2 of a doubleheader with Georgia Tech on May 15 despite tossing his first complete game of the season (7.0 innings) and giving up just six hits and three runs while striking out seven.
SHEARIN IS UNC'S ALL-TIME LEADER IN HITS, RBI & RUNS SCORED
Senior OF Jarrett Shearin became UNC's all-time career hit leader on May 8 vs. Mount Olive, going 4-for-4 in the game. He has 281 career hits, surpassing current assistant coach Chad Holbrook's school record of 273 set from 1990-93.
Shearin already sits atop the Carolina record books in both career runs scored and career RBI, having become UNC's all-time leader in both categories this season. Entering the Georgia Tech series, Shearin has 217 career runs and 213 career RBI. Shearin is 15th in ACC history in career runs and 11th in career RBI.
Shearin is one of 10 players in ACC history to compile both 200 runs and 200 RBI in their career.
TAR HEELS WON 10 OF LAST 14 ACC GAMES
The Tar Heels enter the ACC Tournament having closed the regular season with wins in 10 of their last 14 games against ACC opponents. Carolina won the final two games of a three-game series at Maryland (Apr. 9-10), swept Virginia (Apr. 16-18), swept Duke (Apr. 23-25), won one of three games at Clemson (May 9-11) and won one of three versus Georgia Tech (May 15-16).
Carolina outscored Duke, 36-7, in its three-game sweep on Apr. 23-25, exploding for a season-high 21 runs and 24 hits in a 21-3 victory in the first game of the series. UNC starting pitchers Ryan Snare, Kyle Snyder and Mike Bynum combined to allow three earned runs in 22.0 innings against the Blue Devils (1.23 ERA).
Carolina swept a three-game series with Virginia Apr. 16-18 in Chapel Hill, winning all three games by one run. It marked the first time Carolina had ever swept a three-game series from an ACC opponent with three one-run wins. The last time UNC accomplished the feat against any time was in 1993 versus Princeton. Derrick DePriest picked up two wins in the series on the mound for Carolina, pitching 7.0 innings in relief on Apr. 16 and allowing just one earned run and not allowing an earned run in 2.1 innings on Apr. 18. Ryan Snare pitched his second straight complete game on Apr. 17, striking out 10 and allowing one earned run in a 3-2 victory.
DePRIEST PICKS UP WHERE HE LEFT OFF
RHP Derrick DePriest set a school record with 44 pitching appearances last season and finished fifth in the ACC in ERA. This season, DePriest has again been one of the best pitchers in the conference. He leads UNC pitchers and is first in the ACC in ERA at 1.87. He also leads Carolina pitchers in saves (seven, second in the ACC), appearances (33) and is tied for second with six wins.
Over the last two seasons, DePriest is 13-8 with 14 saves and an ERA of 2.68. He has struck out 142 while walking 54 in the last two seasons.
SNARE ON A ROLL
LHP Ryan Snare has been one of the best pitchers in the ACC in the second half of this season. In a six-appearance span March 31-Apr. 23, Snare allowed four earned run in 34.0 innings (1.06 ERA). He was 3-1 in the span, tossing the only two complete games of his career on back-to-back weekends at Maryland (Apr. 10) and vs. Virginia (Apr. 17). He struck out 36 and walked 16 during the streak. Snare defeated Georgia Tech in the first game of a doubleheader on May 15, allowing three hits in 6.0 shutout innings while striking out five. He ranks fourth in the ACC in ERA.
THREEE-YEAR STARTER BYNUM HAVING CAREER YEAR
Junior LHP Mike Bynum is in his third year as a member of Carolina's starting rotation and has been among the team's best pitchers all season, posting a record of 7-1 and a 3.81 ERA. The 3.81 ERA and seven wins are both career bests for Bynum. His ERA has ranked among the ACC leaders for much of the season. 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.
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 has led off in every game but one (May 11 at Clemson) and is batting .340. He leads the team with 63 walks and is third with 17 stolen bases, a figure that ranks eighth in the ACC. Moylan has thrown out 18 of 36 runners attempting to steal against him this season.
EAREY BLOSSOMS
Sophomore third baseman Ryan Earey has blossomed into one of the better players in the ACC this season. Earey leads Carolina in home runs and RBI in 1999. Entering the ACC Tournament, his 11 home runs equaled his output in all of the 1998 season and his 58 RBI were three more than his '98 total of 55. His .356 batting average is 82 points higher than last year's .274.
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 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. 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 in the game.
HOOPER FITS RIGHT IN AT SHORTSTOP
After two seasons as Carolina's starting third baseman, junior Clay Hooper is the Tar Heels' everyday shortstop in 1999. Hooper is fourth on the team with a .348 batting average and is second on the team with 10 home runs. He is riding a 15-game hitting streak entering the ACC Tournament and has batted .441 (26-for-59) during the streak. Hooper has started 52 games at shortstop and one game at third base this year. Hooper started at third base for Carolina in both the 1996 and 1997 seasons before redshirting the 1998 campaign.
LaMARSH'S BAT
Senior infielder Chris LaMarsh has been among Carolina's best hitters for the last several seasons, entering the 1999 campaign with a career batting average of .348. LaMarsh is second among Tar Heels in batting average this season with a .360 mark and is third on the team with 15 doubles. He is also second on the team with 47 walks and has struck out 31 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.
UNC GETS OFF TO BEST START EVER THIS SEASON
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.
HEELS HOT AT HOME IN '99
Carolina went 27-3 at home this season, losing only to Wake Forest once and Georgia Tech twice.
Carolina has won 37 consecutive non-conference home games, including an 18-0 mark this season after the win over Mount Olive on May 8. 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 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.
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.
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 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 580-155-4. 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.
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
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)
