University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels Travel to NCAA Columbia Regional
June 2, 2004 | Baseball
June 2, 2004
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - No. 2 seed North Carolina (41-19) will take on No. 3 seed Coastal Carolina (40-21) at 2 p.m. Friday in Game One of the 2004 NCAA Columbia Regional. Making their fifth postseason appearance in the last six years, the Tar Heels will also play at Columbia's Sarge Frye Field for the third consecutive postseason. UNC played at USC for the 2002 Regional and 2003 Super Regional. No. 1 seed South Carolina and No. 4 seed The Citadel will play at 7 p.m. Friday to round out the Regional field. Jones Angell of the Tar Heel Sports Network will provide audio for of UNC's NCAA Tournament games on AM-1360 WCHL and at TarHeelBlue.com.
2004 NCAA COLUMBIA REGIONAL Friday, June 4: Game 1: No. 3 Coastal Carolina vs. No. 2 N. Carolina, 2 p.m. Game 2: No. 4 The Citadel vs. No. 1 South Carolina, 7 p.m. Saturday, June 5: Game 3: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 11 a.m. Game 4: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 3 p.m. Game 5: Winner Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4, 7 p.m. Sunday, June 6: Game 6: Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5, 1:00 p.m. Game 7: Same teams (if neccessary), 6:00 p.m.NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY Appearances: 19 All-time Record: 41-39 College World Series Appearances: 1960, 1966, 1978, 1989
SERIES HISTORY vs. Coastal Carolina: North Carolina leads, 31-11 NCAA Tournament Series: First meeting Last meeting: W 11-7 in Chapel Hill, April 3, 2003 vs. The Citadel: North Carolina leads, 23-8 Last meeting: W 5-2 in Chapel Hill, April 15, 1998 NCAA Tournament Series: The Citadel leads, 2-1 vs. South Carolina: North Carolina leads, 58-31-1 Last meeting: L 9-4 in Fort Mill, S.C., May 11, 2004 NCAA Tournament Series: South Carolina leads, 5-2
TOURNAMENT HISTORY
Since 1948, North Carolina owns a 41-39 record in its 18 previous NCAA Tournament appearances. The Tar Heels have made four trips to the College World Series (1960, 1966, 1978 and 1989) and have a 2-8 record in Omaha. Head coach Mike Fox was a part of the 1978 CWS club. Including this season, Carolina has made nine NCAA appearances since 1990 and five trips in the six seasons under Fox, who is 9-8 in postseason play. Since its last trip to the College World Series in '89, Carolina is 19-16 in NCAA play. Last year's team won the Starkville Regional for the program's first regional title since the '89 team also won a regional at Mississippi State.
HEADING BACK TO COLUMBIA
North Carolina will make its third consecutive postseason trip to Columbia for this weekend's regional. The Tar Heels, who played the 2002 Regional and '03 Super Regional at Sarge Frye Field, are 3-4 at South Carolina over the last two seasons. UNC went 3-2 in '02 and forced a second Regional title game before falling to the Gamecocks, 3-1. Last season, USC won both games of the Super Regional (5-4 and 14-4). The Tar Heels are 1-4 versus South Carolina in the last two NCAA Tournaments.
A LOOK AT THE TOP TAR HEEL STARTERS
Garry Bakker (Jr., RHP): Bakker is coming off the second complete-game shutout of his career against Maryland in the ACC Tournament. For his efforts, Bakker was named to the all-tournament team. On the year, he is 5-5 and ranks seventh in the ACC with a 3.39 ERA. Over his last six starts, dating back to April 17, Bakker has a 1.58 ERA and has allowed just seven earned runs in his last 40 innings. Over this stretch, he has 28 strikeouts compared to just 11 walks. He will start against Coastal Carolina Friday.
Daniel Bard (Fr., RHP): Bard brings an 8-3 record and a 3.73 earned run average into his first NCAA Tournament appearance. Last week, he picked up ACC Freshman of the Year honors and became the Tar Heels first first-team All-ACC pitcher since Derrick DePriest in 2000. With just one more win, he will break the school record for victories by a freshman. Bard has 64 strikeouts compared to just 27 walks on the year.
Andrew Miller (Fr., LHP): Miller is 6-2 on the year and ranks third in the ACC with a 2.55 ERA, including a 1.48 mark in his last seven appearances. In his last start, Miller tossed the first complete game of his collegiate career in the 20-2 win over Duke in the ACC tourney. He struck out seven and did not walk a batter. A second-team all-conference pick, Miller ranks second in the ACC with a .198 opponent batting average and is sixth with 8.82 strikeouts per nine innings.
TAR HEELS WELL-TESTED ENTERING TOURNEY TIME
North Carolina is well-tested entering the 2004 NCAA Columbia Regional, having played 25 of its 60 games against nine teams that made the tourney field. The Tar Heels posted a 12-13 record against these squads. Carolina also played eight games against four of the top-eight national seeds in Rice, Georgia Tech, South Carolina and Miami and posted a 3-5 record. UNC's 2004 opponents that made the tourney field (record in parentheses): Clemson (2-3), Florida State (2-2), Georgia Tech (1-2), Miami (2-1), NC State (1-2), Princeton (2-0), Rice (0-1), South Carolina (0-1) and Virginia (2-1).
HUBBARD CLOSING IN ON RBI RECORD
With 10 runs batted in at last week's ACC Tournament, junior right fielder Marshall Hubbard is closing in on the Carolina single-season RBI mark. Playing his first year at Carolina after transferring from William & Mary, Hubbard has driven in 79 runs, which is tied for the second-best total in Tar Heel history with Chris Maples (2002). Scott Johnson holds the school record with 81 RBI in 1985. Hubbard leads the ACC and is 10th nationally with 1.32 RBI per game.
TAR HEEL VETS HAVE TOURNEY SUCCESS
With a 6-4 record in the postseason over the last two years, the Tar Heel veterans have enjoyed success in the NCAA Tournament. Junior Greg Mangum leads the way with a .361 average (13-for-36) with six runs batted in over the last two postseasons, while classmate Chris Iannetta is batting .304 (7-for-24) with three runs and five RBI. Wes Moyer went 4-for-9 with three RBI in two games in Columbia last season. On the mound, junior Garry Bakker has made a pair of NCAA tourney starts. He is 0-1 with a 6.54 earned run average. He went six innings and allowed four runs on seven hits at Mississippi State last season, and took a loss to the Gamecocks after allowing two runs over two innings as a freshman in 2002. Bakker also worked three innings of relief against James Madison in '02. Senior reliever Scott Senatore was solid in the postseason last year, working 9.1 innings and allowing just one run, while striking out nine.
FRESHMEN STARTERS PACE PITCHING STAFF
The combination of rookie starters and a veteran bullpen has been a success for the Tar Heels, as 21 of Carolina's 41 wins have come from freshmen. Daniel Bard leads the way with eight victories, Robert Woodard has seven wins and Andrew Miller has six. Bard and Miller have been outstanding all season and both captured All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors, while Bard was named the league's Freshman of the Year. The trio of Bard, Miller and Woodard are a combined 21-7 on the season with a 3.41 ERA in 216.2 innings pitched. The group has also accounted for 39.8 percent of the Tar Heels innings pitched this season.
HUBBARD NAMED FIRST-TEAM ALL-AMERICA BY SPORTS WEEKLY
Junior right fielder Marshall Hubbard was named first-team All-America by USA Today Sports Weekly. Hubbard leads the Tar Heels and ranks near the top of the conference with a .365 average, 16 home runs and 79 RBI. He is also slugging .682 on the year and has 20 doubles. Defensively, he has committed just two errors in 118 chances. Hubbard also has eight assists to lead all Carolina outfielders. Also a first-team All-ACC selection and a CoSIDA Academic All-District pick, Hubbard is the third first-team All-America coached by Mike Fox at Carolina and the first since Russ Adams and Chris Maples earned first-team honors in 2002.
MANGUM FINDS POWER AGAINST PACK
After going homerless in the first 52 games of the season, standout infielder Greg Mangum found his power stroke against NC State from May 20-22. He hit his first round-tripper of the season on the first pitch of the game from Michael Rogers on May 20 and aided the Carolina comeback with his second shot of the series off Joey Devine in the May 22 win. Mangum carried his hot streak into the ACC Tournament, where he batted .400 (8-for-20) with seven runs scored and six RBI. A second-team All-ACC pick, he is batting .318 on the year and leads the team with 15 stolen bases and is second with 55 runs scored. Mangum is riding a season-long 10-game hitting streak.
HEELS NAB SEVERAL ACC HONORS
Highlighted by Daniel Bard, who was named ACC Freshman of the Year and earned first-team all-conference honors, Carolina's five All-ACC players were the program's most since 2000 and the Tar Heels had three first-team honorees for the first time since 1990. Joining Bard on the first team were catcher Chris Iannetta and right fielder Marshall Hubbard. Infielder Greg Mangum earned an at-large spot on the second team and starting pitcher Andrew Miller also picked up second-team honors. Hubbard and Iannetta were joined on the all-tournament team by pitcher Garry Bakker and first baseman Sammy Hewitt.
BATS BREAK OUT AT ACC TOURNEY
Carolina found its offense at last week's ACC Tournament. The Tar Heels batted .357 as a team and scored 53 runs in five games, while pounding out 74 hits. Thirty-four of the runs came in wins over Maryland (14-0) and Duke (20-2). Chris Iannetta (.435, 3 HR, 7 RBI), Sammy Hewitt (.304, 4 RBI) and Marshall Hubbard (.429, 1 HR, 10 RBI) each earned spots on the All-Tournament team. Greg Mangum also batted .400, and Chase Younts batted .389, including a 5-for-6 day against Maryland on May 27.
BAKKER, MILLER GO THE DISTANCE AT CRUNCH TIME
After getting just one complete game throughout the regular season, the Tar Heels got back-to-back nine-inning outings from junior Garry Bakker and freshman Andrew Miller at last week's ACC Tournament. Bakker struck out eight and allowed just five hits against Maryland on May 27 in his second career complete-game shutout, while Miller allowed just two runs on seven hits against Duke on May 28. Most impressively, the duo did not walk anyone over the two-game stretch. Bakker and Miller combined to allow two runs on 12 hits and no walks over 18 innings. They struck out a combined 15 batters.
HONORS PILE UP FOR IANNETTA
Junior catcher Chris Iannetta is being recognized nationally for his fine season behind the plate. On May 20, he was named one of 15 semifinalists for the Johnny Bench Award presented annually to the nation's top collegiate catcher by the Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission. The original list featured 45 of the country's top catchers and three finalists will be announced June 3. On May 13, Iannetta was named one of 30 semifinalists for the 2004 Dick Howser Trophy, presented annually to the top player in college baseball. The list was released by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association in association with the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce. He was also named first-team All-ACC and was selected to the ACC All-Tournament team. Iannetta is having an outstanding season at the plate, batting .342 with 15 home runs and 68 RBI. Behind the plate, he has picked off nine runners and has thrown out 50 percent (24-of-48) would-be base stealers. Iannetta owns a .987 fielding percentage in a team-best 539 chances.
TAR HEELS BIG ON BIG INNINGS
With a nine-run seventh in the May 28 win over Duke, Carolina has now scored at least five runs in an inning 16 times this season. The Tar Heels have also scored at least eight runs in an inning on five occasions. The season-high for runs in a single inning is 11 against St. Francis on March 5, while the nine-run burst against the Blue Devils was the second-biggest inning of the season for Carolina.
CAROLINA BOSTS THREE OF ACC'S TOP SLUGGERS
Only 14 players in the ACC have reached double-digits in home runs this season, and three of them wear Carolina blue. With Marshall Hubbard (16 homers), Chris Iannetta (15), Sammy Hewitt (11) the Tar Heels one of only two league schools (Florida State) to have three players with 10 or more round-trippers.
GEHRIG, RIPKEN ... IANNETTA?
Carolina has its own iron man in junior catcher Chris Iannetta. The Johnny Bench Award nominee has been a constant behind the plate for the Tar Heels this season catching 496 of 543.2 innings played or 91.1 percent of all action. In Atlantic Coast Conference play, Iannetta caught 214 of 217 innings or 98.6 percent of play.
YOUNTS PROVIDES POP
Despite hitting just one career home run entering this season, junior outfielder Chase Younts has four home runs this season. Since joining the everyday line-up in mid-April, Younts is batting .354 with 18 runs batted in and all four of his home runs. He batted .389 at the ACC Tournament and recorded the Tar Heels' second five-hit day of the season against Maryland on May 27.
BAKKER BACK TO FORM
Junior Garry Bakker was in the midst of an up-and-down season but put it all together over the stretch run. Over his last six starts, he sports a 1.58 ERA. After tossing five solid outings, Bakker broke through with his second career complete-game shutout against Maryland in the ACC Tournament. He struck out eight and walked none against the Terps. In his last 40 innings, Bakker has allowed just seven earned runs and 11 walks, while striking out 28. He has given up only 34 hits over this stretch.
SCORING EQUALS SUCCESS FOR TAR HEELS
Carolina's 7-6 record in May entering the ACC Tournament could likely be attributed to a drop in offensive production. Over this stretch, the Tar Heels were scoring 5.1 runs per game, compared to a 7.2 average for the season. Carolina is was also batting just .261 as a team this month, compared to a .298 mark for the entire year. At the ACC Tourney, Carolina hit .357 as a team and averaged a whopping 10.6 runs per game. The Tar Heels have only lost five times when scoring at least five runs, and are 18-0 when scoring in double-digits.
BENSON, BROWER AMONG ACC'S ALL-TIME LEADERS IN APPEARANCES
Senior Whitley Benson has made 29 appearances this season and now has 114 in his career to rank ninth all-time in Atlantic Coast Conference history. With just one more appearance, he will tie Georgia Tech's Jeff Watchko for eighth on the list. Benson is also third in the Carolina record book. On the year, he is 4-1 with one save and a 2.82 ERA. He has made three starts this season and has pitched in a variety of roles out of the bullpen. Classmate Kevin Brower has appeared in 24 games this season and 105 for his career. He now stands fourth on the Tar Heels' career list and is 11th in ACC history. Brower is 1-1 with one save and a 3.57 ERA this season. Additionally, fellow senior reliever Michael Gross leads the team and ACC with 30 appearances, and Scott Senatore has pitched in 26 games this season. Gross, Benson and Senatore rank among the league's top 10 in appearances this year.
WEBB HAS WORKED HIS WAY BACK
Junior utility man Justin Webb, the Tar Heels' most versatile player, has started at third base the last 10 games. After suffering a fractured left arm after being hit by a pitch at Wake Forest April 4, Webb missed Carolina's next 17 games. Over this stretch, the Tar Heels went 11-6 overall and 6-6 in the ACC. With Webb in the lineup, Carolina is 30-13 overall and went 8-4 in league play. After struggling at the plate early in his return, Webb batted .389 at the ACC Tournament. With his return at third, Webb has also helped to strengthen the Carolina defense.
HEELS KNOW HITTING STREAKS
Junior right fielder Marshall Hubbard hit safely in 18 straight games until going hitless against No. 7 South Carolina on May 11, but the Tar Heels are no strangers to long hitting streaks this season. Carolina batters have combined for five hitting streaks of at least 10 games and 11 different Tar Heels have had hitting streaks of at least five games. Hubbard had streaks of 18 and 12 games, junior catcher Chris Iannetta had a 23-game hitting streak from March 9 to April 14 and Justin Webb had a 10-game streak from March 13-26. Shortstop Greg Mangum is currently on a season-best 10-game hitting streak, while outfielder Mike Daniel has hit safely in his last six games.
HUBBARD NAMED TO GOLDEN SPIKES WATCH LIST
Junior right fielder Marshall Hubbard was one of 30 players named to the first Golden Spikes Award Watch List, announced by USA Baseball in association with the Major League Baseball Players Association. The award is regarded as amateur baseball's most prestigious honor. USA Baseball announced the five finalists for the award in June. The top 30 players on the watch list are subject to change based on weekly performance.
