University of North Carolina Athletics
Baseball Hosts Penn State This Weekend
February 11, 2000 | Baseball
Feb. 11, 2000
No. 20 North Carolina (4-0) vs. Penn State (0-0)
TAR HEELS HOST PENN STATE
HEELS LOOK TO CONTINUE HOME WINNING WAYS
DEPRIEST CLIMBS IN UNC RECORD BOOK
CAROLINA OFF TO ANOTHER HOT START
TAR HEELS START SEASON WITH A BLAST
FRESHMEN MAKE IMPRESSIVE DEBUT IN ORLANDO
BLAKE STELLAR AT DISNEY
ELMORE CONTINUES WINNING WAYS IN FLORIDA
2000 PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAS
Baseball America Preseason ACC Accolades
HEAD COACH MIKE FOX
Sat., Feb. 12, 1 p.m.
Sun., Feb. 13, 1:30 p.m.
oshamer Stadium, Chapel Hill, N.C.
Carolina will look to build on its 4-0 start when it hosts Penn State this weekend at Boshamer Stadium. The Tar Heels are coming off a 14-0 win over Elon in their home opener. Dan Moylan, Clay Hooper and Tyrell Godwin each blasted home runs in the game as the three combined to go 7-for-11 at the plate and knock in 10 of UNC's 14 runs in the lopsided win. The UNC series with Penn State dates back to 1913 when the Tar Heels defeated the Nittany Lions 5-1. Penn State won three of four meetings over the next 16 years and leads the series 3-2.
Carolina has won 38 consecutive non-conference home games, including 1-0 this year and an 18-0 mark in 1999. The last time the Tar Heels lost to a non-ACC opponent at Boshamer Stadium was Feb. 21, 1998, versus Seton Hall. Carolina posted one of its most productive seasons ever at home in 1999, winning 27 of 30 games for a .900 winning percentage. UNC lost just once to Wake Forest and twice to Georgia Tech last year.
Derrick DePriest moved into a third-place tie for all-time appearances with 92 when he pitched a scoreless ninth inning in relief against Elon on Wednesday. The senior right-hander, who last year led the nation with a 1.71 ERA, has appeared in three of Carolina's four games this year. He has allowed just one hit and struck out three batters in 5.0 scoreless innings. DePriest needs just five more appearances to tie Brad Woodall for second place all-time at UNC with 97.
After sweeping the season-opening ACC/Disney Blast in Orlando and defeating Elon Wednesday in their home opener, the Tar Heels are off to another fast start in 2000 at 4-0. Last year, Carolina started the season 16-0, setting the school record for longest winning streak.
Carolina got off to a tremendous start to the 2000 season when it traveled to the ACC/Disney Baseball Blast in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., and came away with three straight wins over a strong field of non-conference opponents. The Tar Heels opened the three-day, season-opening tournament at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex with a come-from-behind 9-6 win over No. 23 Central Florida. On Saturday, UNC scored eight runs in the final two innings to erase a 2-0 deficit and defeat No. 14 Rice 8-2. Carolina capped the weekend with a 9-0 win over defending national champion Miami. The 9-0 shutout of the fifth-ranked Hurricanes was just the second time Miami had been held scoreless since 1975. Ryan Blake, Chris Elmore, Adam Greenberg and Dan Moylan were each named to the All-Tournament team.
Three true freshmen, Adam Greenberg, Russ Adams and Chad Prosser all saw considerable playing time in Carolina's season-opening tournament in Orlando, Fla. All three, as well as starting pitcher Eric Henderson, got off to tremendous starts to their respective Carolina careers. Greenberg started all three games in centerfield and was 6-for-12 at the plate with four RBI, four runs scored, a triple and three stolen bases in making the all-tournament team. Adams was Carolina's starting third baseman against Central Florida and Rice and he was 1-for-2, scoring twice in the 9-6 win over the Golden Knights. Prosser started two games at second and one at short and batted 3-for-9, including a 2-for-3 performance with one RBI and two runs scored against Central Florida. Meanwhile, Henderson earned the start against Rice and gave up just two runs on three hits in 6.1 innings in his debut.
Ryan Blake was one of several Tar Heels to have a standout performance in the ACC/Disney Blast. The versatile sophomore saw action at both DH and first base and was named to the all-tournament team after having an outstanding showing at the plate. He batted 5-for-10 over three games, including a two-run home run and a two-run triple. He also notched four RBI, four runs scored and two stolen bases. Blake came off the bench against Rice and broke a 2-2 tie in the ninth with a two-out, two-run triple that propelled UNC to the 8-2 win. He capped a 3-for-4 day against Miami by driving a two-run homer over the left field wall in Carolina's four-run eighth inning.
Chris Elmore continued his winning ways in Florida in guiding the Tar Heels to a 9-0 win over Miami. The senior left-hander pitched seven scoreless innings and gave up just four hits to up his career record to 11-2 while earning his first win of the season. His .846 winning percentage ranks second all-time at Carolina, and he has not lost a decision since April 19, 1997.
The following Tar Heels were honored as preseason All-Americas:
The following Tar Heels were recently recognized by Baseball America in its College Preview issue:
Mike Fox is in his second year as head baseball coach at the University of North Carolina. The 1978 Carolina graduate returned to his alma mater in 1998 after spending 15 seasons as head coach at North Carolina Wesleyan College in Rocky Mount, N.C. In his first year on the job, Fox led the Tar Heels to a 41-18 record and school-best 22-2 start to the 1999 season. He is 45-18 overall as head coach at UNC.
