University of North Carolina Athletics
Baseball Opens Friday At Boshamer
February 14, 2002 | Baseball
Feb. 14, 2002
Chapel Hill, N.C. - The 19th-ranked University of North Carolina baseball team opens its 2002 season this weekend with a three-game series against Seton Hall at Boshamer Stadium. The Tar Heels and Pirates meet at 3 p.m. on Friday, 1 p.m. on Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is free for UNC home games in the month of February.
Carolina, which opens its season at home for just the second time since 1979, returns 22 letterwinners from the 2001 team which finished 31-26. Last year, the Tar Heels missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1997 but showed improvement down the stretch in winning five of their last six regular-season games.
The 2002 Tar Heels boast just one tested senior, Chris Maples (who has moved to right field from third base), but last year's co-home run leader is joined by a more experienced and explosive team than in 2001. Preseason All-America second baseman Russ Adams and shortstop Chad Prosser, who led the Tar Heels with a .357 batting average as a sophomore, headline one of the ACC's top infields.
Sean Farrell (LF) and Adam Greenberg (RF), the ACC's leading base stealer last year, join Maples (RF) in the outfield, while three catchers will battle for playing time behind the plate. Ryan Blake and Ron Braun bring talent and experience, while Chris Iannetta has tremendous ability and will see playing time as a freshman.
A year after relying on primarily freshmen and sophomores on the mound, Carolina also has improved depth in its pitching staff. Scott Autrey, Daniel Moore and Whitley Benson lead a staff that returns 69 percent of its innings pitched and 61 percent of its wins from 2001.
The Tar Heels have hosted the Pirates, who were 34-23-1 and an NCAA Tournament participant in 2001, each February since 1988 and have won 32 of the 40 all-time meetings. Last year, Carolina swept a close series with 7-6, 3-0 and 8-7 wins. Carolina is 30-2 in the month of February since 1999 under fourth-year head coach Mike Fox.
Carolina's weekend pitching rotation is as follows: Junior RHP Scott Autrey on Friday, sophomore LHP Daniel Moore on Saturday and freshman RHP Garry akker on Sunday. Seton Hall will pitch senior LHP Isaac Pavlik on Friday and junior RHP Brett Hoffman on Saturday. Sunday's pitcher for the Pirates is TBA.
For live online stats of this weekend's series as well as for all home games in 2002, visit TarHeelBlue.com
