UNC Baseball Notebook: March 18, 2002

March 18, 2002

Overall Record:10-8, 3-0 ACC
Last Week: 4-0 (0-0 vs. ranked teams)

Wednesday (3/13): High Point vs. UNC: W, 9-4
Friday (3/15): Maryland vs. UNC: W, 4-3
Saturday (3/16): Maryland vs. UNC: W, 8-2
Sunday (3/17): Maryland vs. UNC: W, 20-8

KEY PERFORMERS:
Ryan Blake batted .615 (8-for-13) during the week with four RBIs and five runs scored. Blake had a career-high five hits in Saturday's 8-2 victory over Maryland when he went 5-for-5 including three RBIs and three runs scored. That was the first time a Tar Heel had five hits in a game since April 8, 2001, when Chad Prosser went 5-for-5 against Maryland. Blake suffered a mild knee sprain on a defensive play late in Saturday's game and did not play in Sunday's series finale. He is day-to-day heading into this week.

Chris Maples hit .353 (6-for-17) with three home runs and five RBIs on the week. Maples hit home runs in consecutive at bats in Wednesday's victory over High Point and also came on to get the final out in Friday's 4-3 victory over Maryland, recording his second save of the season.

Sean Farrell batted .438 (7-for-16) with one home run and 8 RBIs during the week, raising his average to .353 and giving him a team-high five home runs and 23 RBIs for the season. In Sunday's 20-8 victory over Maryland, Farrell tied his career high for hits when he went 4-for-5 with a home run, four RBIs and two runs scored. Farrell also tied his career-high seven game hitting streak before having it snapped in Saturday's game.

Kevin Brower tied his career high by pitching 4.1 innings in relief of Garry Bakker on Saturday to earn his second victory of the season. On the week, Brower pitched 6.2 scoreless innings of relief while striking out five. Brower, who has a 1.12 ERA in nine appearances, has not allowed a run since the season-opener on Feb. 15.

NEWS AND NOTES

Center fielder Adam Greenberg went 6-for-18 last week, hitting safely in each game to give him a 10-game hitting streak. Greenberg's longest career hitting streak came as a freshman when he hit in 21 straight games. Greenberg leads the team in doubles with eight and triples with four. In Friday's 4-3 victory over Maryland, Greenberg hit his third leadoff home run of the season and sixth of his career.

Russ Adams was 4-for-6 in stolen base attempts this week, giving him an ACC-leading 20 steals on the season. The next closest player in steals in the league is Virginia's David Stone with 12. Adams also had a career-high 11-game hitting streak snapped when he went 0-for-5 Sunday against Maryland.

The Tar Heels have won four straight games, their longest winning streak of the season. With the sweep of Maryland, Carolina has started the ACC regular season 3-0 for the first time since 1998. The last time the Tar Heels swept an ACC series was in 2000 against Maryland.

In Friday's 4-3 victory over Maryland, Tar Heel pitchers Scott Autrey, Michael Gross, Scott Senatore and Chris Maples did not walk a single batter in the game. The last time Carolina went an entire game without walking a batter was a 10-0 victory over Pace on March 14, 2000. Autrey was also the starting pitcher in that game.

Since batting .192 in the season-opening series with Seton Hall, Carolina's team batting average has steadily climbed and is at a season-high .298. Carolina has at least 10 hits in seven of its last eight games.

Carolina scored its most runs (32) in an ACC series since last year at Maryland (35), but solid defense was also important in UNC's three-game sweep of Maryland. The Tar Heels committed just one error in the series and went back-to-back games without a miscue in the field for the first time since March 12 and 14, 2000.

COMING UP THIS WEEK (PROBABLE STARTER):
Tuesday (3/19) vs. Princeton at 3 p.m. (Scott Manshack)
Wednesday (3/20) vs. Princeton at 3 p.m. (Carter Harrell)
Friday (3/22) vs. Florida State at 3 p.m. (Scott Autrey)
Saturday (3/23) vs. Florida State at 1 p.m. (Garry Bakker)
Sunday (3/24) vs. Florida State at Noon (Daniel Moore)

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Russ Adams

Scott Autrey

Adam Greenberg

Carter Harrell

Chris Maples

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