University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels Host Hurricanes in Top-10 Battle
April 14, 2005 | Baseball
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April 14, 2005
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Winners of 13 of its last 14 games, seventh-ranked North Carolina (28-6, 11-2 ACC) hosts No. 9 Miami (27-9, 11-4 ACC) in a key three-game Atlantic Coast Conference series this weekend at Boshamer Stadium, where the Tar Heels are 23-1 on the season. Game times are 4 p.m. Friday, 7 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday. All three games will be broadcast by ESPN networks with Gary Thorne and Kyle Peterson calling the action. Friday's game will be on ESPNU, Saturday's on ESPN2 and Sunday's will be tape-delayed on ESPNU at 4 p.m. An audio broadcast of Friday's game can heard at TarHeelBlue.com, while Saturday and Sunday's games will be carried on AM-1360 WCHL and on TarHeelBlue.com. Jones Angell and Adam Lucas will have the call on the Tar Heel Sports Network.
A LOOK AT THE SERIES
Miami (27-9, 11-4 ACC) at North Carolina (28-6, 11-2 ACC)
Fri., April 15, 4 p.m. (ESPNU)
Sat., April 16, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
Sun., April 17, 1 p.m. (ESPNU)
All-Time Series: Miami leads, 15-10
Last Meeting: UNC won two of three at Miami in 2004.
Quick Hit: Carolina has won each of the last two series with the Hurricanes.
TAR HEELS AT A GLANCE
2005 Carolina Record: 28-6, 11-2 ACC
Carolina in the National Rankings:
aseball America: 7th
NCBWA: 7th
Sports Weekly/ESPN: 7th
Collegiate Baseball: 8th
CAROLINA-MIAMI SERIES HISTORY
Atlantic Coast Conference newcomer Miami leads the all-time series with Carolina 15-10, but the Tar Heels have won five of the last seven meetings, including two of three in Coral Gables a year ago. UNC also won two of three versus the Hurricanes in Chapel Hill in 2002 and defeated Miami, 9-0, in Mobile, Ala., on the opening weekend of the 2000 season. The Tar Heels are 5-2 under Mike Fox versus Miami.
A LOOK AT THE TAR HEELS
Carolina leads the nation in earned run average with a 1.96 mark after Tuesday's shutout of Davidson. Sophomores Andrew Miller (7-0, 1.10 ERA) and Daniel Bard (6-2, 2.70 ERA) will start Friday and Saturday, respectively. The Carolina bullpen is led by closer Matt Danford (3-1, 6 saves, 0.74 ERA) and set-up man Jonathan Hovis (3-0, 3 saves, 1.36 ERA). At the plate, freshman first baseman Chad Flack is on a tear with six straight multi-hit games. He leads the team with a .363 average and is second with six home runs. Senior catcher Justin Webb (.321, 25 RBI) and freshman outfielder Seth Williams (.289, 20 RBI) lead the team with seven homers. Designated hitter Matt Ellington leads the Tar Heels, who are batting .297 as a team, with 31 runs batted in. Carolina has shown improved defense over the last four games, committing just one error over this stretch.
SCOUTING THE HURRICANES
Fresh off a sweep of fellow league newcomer Virginia Tech, Miami brings a 27-9 record into the weekend series in Chapel Hill. The Hurricanes are batting .340 as a team and feature two of the ACC's top offensive players in outfielder Jon Jay, who is batting .474 with 36 RBI, and third baseman Ryan Braun, who is batting .439 with 10 home runs 47 RBI and 18 steals. As a team, Miami has 73 stolen bases. On the mound, Miami is led by junior righty Cesar Carrillo, who will start Friday. He is 8-0 with a 0.86 ERA and has 70 strikeouts in 63 innings. The Hurricanes will start lefty Brandon Camardese (4-0, 4.64 ERA) on Saturday and right-hander Ricky Orta (6-2, 3.88 ERA) on Sunday. Miami sports a 3.97 team ERA.
A LOOK AT THE TAR HEEL STARTERS
FRIDAY: Andrew Miller (So., LHP): Sophomore left-hander Andrew Miller will start Friday for Carolina in a highly-anticipated meeting with Miami righty Cesar Carrillo. Miller brings a 7-0 record in nine starts into the weekend. He sports a 1.10 earned run average and has a team-high 69 strikeouts in 57.1 innings. Miller is holding opponents to a .195 batting average. He ranks among the ACC leaders in wins, ERA, strikeouts and opponent batting average and ranks 12th nationally in ERA. Last time out, Miller rebounded from his poorest start of the year against Virginia with seven shutout innings and 10 strikeouts in a win over Maryland. The Tar Heels are 8-1 in Miller's nine starts this season and he owns a 13-2 career record. Miller is 1-0 against Miami and allowed just three hits over eight shutout innings in his start in Coral Gables last season. He struck out 11, which ranked as a season high for 2004.
SATURDAY: Daniel Bard (So., RHP): Sophomore right-hander Daniel Bard is 6-2 on the season and has won his last three decisions entering the weekend. He has made eight starts and owns a 2.70 ERA. Bard has 42 strikeouts against 20 walks in 50 innings and is holding batters to a .194 average, which ranks fourth in the conference. In his last start, Bard picked up a win at Maryland after allowing three runs on four hits over 6.2 innings. He walked a career-high five batters against the Terps, and Bard has given up eight earned runs over his last 13.2 innings. He is 1-0 in his career against Miami and allowed just one run on five hits over eight innings last season on the road. The Hurricanes will start senior left-hander Brandon Camardese versus Bard.
SUNDAY: To Be Announced: North Carolina's starter for Sunday has not been named. Miami will start sophomore righty Ricky Orta.
MILLER, CARRILLO ARE TWO OF THE NATION'S BEST
Friday's matchup between Carolina's Andrew Miller and Miami's Cesar Carrillo will feature a two of the nation's best starting pitchers. Miller is 7-0 with a 1.10 ERA, while Carrillo is 8-0 with a 0.84 ERA. Nationally, Carrillo is third in ERA and tied for first in victories. Miller is 12th in ERA, tied for fifth in wins and 38th in strikeouts per nine innings. Miller is 13-3 in his young career and Carolina is 8-1 in his nine starts this season. Carrillo is 20-0 in his career and Miami is 29-0 when he starts. The Tar Heels nearly defeated Miami in a start by Carrillo last season, but the Hurricanes eked out a 4-3 win in the Saturday game. Miami tied the game in the eighth on a Carolina throwing error and scored the winning run in the ninth with the help of a second throwing error and a hit batter.
TAR HEELS RAINED OUT IN GREENVILLE
Carolina's game Wednesday at East Carolina was postponed due to rain. The teams will try to make the up the game, but no date has been scheduled. The Tar Heels and Pirates are still scheduled to meet in Chapel Hill on May 17.
LAST TIME OUT: NORTH CAROLINA 4, DAVIDSON 0
Freshman right-hander Andy Gale tossed a complete game shutout and struck out a career-best 10 batters to lead seventh-ranked North Carolina to a 4-0 victory over Davidson Tuesday at Boshamer Stadium. Gale's shutout was the sixth of the season for the Tar Heels, who own the nation's best team earned run average. Gale (2-1) allowed just six hits and did not issue a walk in his first career complete game and the first this season for the Tar Heels. He lowered his ERA to 1.88 in five starts and lowered the staff mark to 1.96. The complete game shutout was the first for Carolina since Garry Bakker went the distance in a 14-0 win over Maryland in last year's ACC Tournament. At the plate, freshman first baseman Chad Flack went 2-for-4 with an RBI single for his sixth straight multi-hit game and a career-best nine-game hitting streak. He is now batting a team-best .363 on the season. Redshirt sophomore designated hitter Matt Ellington and freshman shortstop Josh Horton also added two hits each, while freshman right fielder Seth Williams drove in two runs with a first inning double.
TV TIME
The three-game set with Miami marks the first national television appearance for the Tar Heels since the 2003 NCAA Columbia Super Regional. ESPN will also televise the three-game series with Georgia Tech in May, giving Carolina 11 televised regular season games, including six on ESPN networks and two on ESPN2. ESPN last visited Boshamer Stadium in 1989 and televised two games, Miami vs. Arizona and Clemson vs. Carolina.
EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND
Junior point guard Raymond Felton, co-MVP of Carolina's national championship men's basketball team, is scheduled to throw out the first pitch of Friday's 4 p.m. game with the Hurricanes.
CAROLINA AGAINST THE CANES
Sophomore hurlers Daniel Bard and Andrew Miller both earned wins at Miami a year ago and allowed a combined one run on 11 hits over 16 innings. Miller struck out 11, and Bard fanned five. At the plate, senior first baseman Wes Moyer went 4-for-11 with four RBI in Miami last season.
Tar Heel Aces Versus Miami Last Season Andrew Miller Date Opponent S/R Dec. IP H R ER BB K 5/16 Miami S W 8.0 3 0 0 3 11Daniel Bard Date Opponent S/R Dec. IP H R ER BB K 5/14 Miami S W 8.0 8 1 1 2 5
TAR HEELS LEAD THE NATION IN ERA
The Carolina pitching staff has been nothing short of brilliant this season and leads the nation with a 1.96 ERA, which is over a run and a half below its staff ERA of 2004 (3.62). The NCAA released its national leaders Tuesday, and the Tar Heels topped the charts with their 2.02 mark prior to Tuesday's shutout of Davidson. Carolina finished 14th in ERA a year ago at 3.62. Individually, three Tar Heels ranked among the nation's top 100 in ERA: Andrew Miller (12th - 1.10), Jonathan Hovis (17th - 1.36) and Robert Woodard (100th - 2.30)
NCAA Division I Team ERA Leaders 1. North Carolina 1.96 2. Long Beach State 2.07* 3. Missouri 2.33* 4. Nebraska 2.43* 5. San Francisco 2.64* * Through games of April 10
WEBB ON FIRE IN CONFERENCE ACTION
Senior Justin Webb has been outstanding in ACC action this season owning a .352 batting average, five home runs and 19 RBI in just 13 games. Webb has had monster games of seven RBI versus Virginia Tech and five against Virginia. In conference games, he ranks among the league's top 10 in home runs per game, RBI per game, total bases per game and slugging percentage. He has set a career high twice this season with four hits in ACC play. On the season, Webb is hitting .321 with seven home runs and 25 RBI.
CAROLINA ON A ROLL IN ACC PLAY
With three wins over Maryland last weekend, the Tar Heels have now swept three consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference series for the first time since the league went to three-game weekend series in 1990. The current nine-game conference winning streak is the longest for Carolina since it won nine straight over the 2001 and `02 seasons. The Tar Heels last won more than nine straight in ACC play when they won 12 in a row over the 1983 and `84 seasons. The Tar Heels' longest winning streak in conference play is 22 straight from 1963-65.
FLACK ATTACK
Freshman first baseman Chad Flack led the Tar Heels to a 3-1 record last week and a three-game sweep of Maryland with a 10-hit week and a .588 average. He hit .583 against Maryland and tallied a team-best seven hits over the three-game series. Flack tied a career-best with three hits on Sunday, including what proved to be the game-winning solo home run in the sixth. He singled twice and scored two runs in the 10-0 win Friday and followed with two hits and a big RBI single in Saturday's win. Flack, who also had two hits in Tuesday's win over Davidson, is on a career-best nine-game hitting streak and has recorded six straight multi-hit games. The Forest City, N.C., native is batting .526 with eight RBI, eight runs scored and four home runs over this stretch. On the season, Flack is batting .363, which leads the team. He is second with six home runs and has 18 RBI.
CAROLINA SHOWS DEFENSIVE IMPROVEMENTS
After struggling with the glove for much of the season, Carolina has shown marked signs of improvement over the last four games, committing just one error for a .993 fielding percentage. The Tar Heels defensive shortcomings contributed to their 10-3 loss to Elon on April 6, as three errors led to a six-run inning for the Phoenix. Since that game, UNC committed one error in the first game at Maryland and has gone error-free for the last three games for the first time this season. On the year, the Tar Heels are fielding .963.
FRESHMEN FIREPOWER
After struggling early in the season, Carolina's highly-regarded freshman class has quickly adjusted to the speed of the college game. The Tar Heels regularly start four rookies - first baseman Chad Flack, shortstop Josh Horton, third baseman Reid Fronk and outfielder Seth Williams. Flack leads the group with a .438 average over the last 22 games and is batting a team-high .363 for the season. He has six home runs and 18 RBI. Williams is tied for the team lead with seven home runs, all of which have come in the last 22 games and in just 60 at-bats. Fronk is batting .313 on the year, while Horton is hitting .337. Spencer has added three home runs in his last 17 trips to the plate. This crop of rookies has helped Carolina hit .320 and average 7.4 runs per game since scoring just four runs in three games at the Keith LeClair Classic. These five rookies have each been outstanding over this run:
FRESHMEN PRODUCTION OVER THE LAST 22 GAMES (19-3 RECORD) Name Avg. AB H HR RBI 2B 3B Chad Flack .438 64 28 4 12 3 0 Josh Horton .359 64 23 2 10 6 0 Reid Fronk .345 58 20 1 9 3 0 Seth Williams .300 60 18 7 20 3 0 Matt Spencer .294 17 5 3 6 1 0
WILLIAMS ON TORRID HOMER PACE
Freshman outfielder Seth Williams is tops among ACC rookies with seven home runs. More impressive is that he has hit the seven home runs in his last 60 at-bats or one every 8.6 trips to the plate. Williams' seven home runs are already the most by a Tar Heel freshman since Chris Iannetta hit nine in 2002. The school record for home runs by a freshman is 11 by Drex Roberts in 1981. Dan Moylan had 10 as a rookie in 1998. On the season, Williams is batting .289 (22-76) with the seven home runs and 20 RBI, which is tied for third on the team. He ranks third in the league with 0.26 home runs per game and stands sixth with a .625 slugging percentage.
DANFORD CONTINUES TO DOMINATE
After missing all of 2004, redshirt sophomore Matt Danford has been brilliant in the closer role for the Tar Heels this season, posting a 3-1 record and six saves, which ranks third in the ACC and 25th nationally. Danford also owns a microscopic 0.74 ERA, having allowed just two earned runs 24.1 innings. He has given up just one earned run over his last 15 inning and has 16 strikeouts over this stretch. Danford, who missed all of last season following surgery on his right shoulder, struck out the side in the ninth versus Appalachian State February 16 in his first appearance since the 2003 Columbia Super Regional. He has never looked back, and the Tar Heels are 14-2 in games in which Danford has pitched.
HOVIS HOLDS OPPONENTS AT BAY
Junior reliever Jonathan Hovis has been outstanding in middle relief and as a set-up man for closer Matt Danford. He sports a 1.36 ERA and is 3-0 with three saves in 15 appearances. Hovis is also holding opponents to a .198 batting average and has 34 strikeouts against just eight walks strikeouts in just 33 innings. He has allowed just one run over his last 12 innings (five appearances) and has 15 strikeouts over this stretch. The Tar Heels are 13-2 in games in which Hovis has pitched. Hovis is fourth in the ACC and 17th nationally in ERA, fifth in strikeouts per nine innings (9.27) and fifth in saves with three (Through games of April 10).
GREAT RUN FOR WOODARD
Sophomore right-hander Robert Woodard has resumed his role as the Tar Heels' jack-of-all-trades on the mound. Last time out, he earned his second win of the season in a Sunday start versus Maryland. He went 5.2 innings and scattered five hits and a walk, while striking out four. Over the April 1-3 weekend, the Charlotte native made two outstanding relief appearances in Carolina's pair of extra-inning victories over Virginia. In the April 1 14-inning affair, he went 5.2 innings and allowed just two hits and two unearned runs while striking out five. Woodard entered with runners on the corners and no outs in the sixth but worked out of that jam and also retired Virginia in order in the eight, ninth and 10th innings. On April 3, Woodard entered with runners on the corners in a tied game in the seventh, got out of that jam and then retired the side in the order in the eighth and ninth, helping to set up Carolina's 11th inning win. Woodard, who has made five starts, owns a 2.30 ERA on the year and is holding opponents to a .195 batting average. He has 39 strikeouts and just eight walks in 43 innings. Woodard ranks sixth in the ACC in ERA and opponent batting average (Through games of April 10).
MORE ON ERA
Carolina appears headed for one of the top pitching seasons in program history. The Tar Heels, who have an NCAA-best 1.96 ERA, have not had a team ERA below 3.00 since a 2.89 mark in 1983. Carolina's lowest team mark since 1970 is a 2.23 ERA in 1972, the first year the Tar Heels played in Boshamer Stadium. This year, Carolina has allowed just 68 earned runs in 311.2 innings and is holding opponents to a .206 batting average. Carolina has surrendered just five earned runs over their last 36 innings pitched and recorded its sixth shutout of the season Tuesday. Detailed pitching stats are only available since the early 1950s, and the top Tar Heel ERA since that time was a 1.66 staff mark in 1967. Garry Hill went 8-0 and led the team with a school-record 0.70 mark in 89 innings.
BEST-EVER START AT THE BOSH
Carolina's sweep of Virginia on April 1-3 gave the Tar Heels a school-record home start at Boshamer Stadium. After Tuesday's win over Davidson, UNC is now 23-1 at home. Elon handed the Tar Heels their first loss at home on April 6. This year's team surpassed a 21-0 start by the 1990 squad, which won a school-record 51 games.
BEST STARTS AT BOSHAMER STADIUM YEAR START FINISH 2005 22-0 ??? 1990 21-0 29-3 1987 17-0 22-8 2000 15-0 30-5
SOPHOMORE STARTERS SHUTTING `EM DOWN
Sophomore lefty Andrew Miller rebounded from his worst start of the season against Virginia with yet another dominating performance versus Maryland last weekend. He fired seven shutout innings and tallied his third double-digit strikeout game of the season in Friday's 10-0 win over Maryland. Miller (7-0) lowered his ERA to 1.10 and now has 69 strikeouts in 57.1 innings. Miller is holding opposing batters to just a .195 average. He is now 13-2 in his career. Classmate Daniel Bard ran his record to 6-2 with a third straight win for the first time this season. He went 6.2 innings in Saturday's 5-3 win. He allowed three runs on four hits and struck out five. Bard did not allow a hit to the last 14 batters he faced but did walk a career-high five batters. Both Bard and Miller continue to rank among the ACC's top 10 in wins, ERA and opponent batting average. Miller is second in the league with 10.83 strikeouts per nine innings (Through games of April 10).
MANGUM'S IRONMAN STREAK
Senior second baseman Greg Mangum has quite an ironman streak in the works. The Charlotte native has played in 150 straight games for the Tar Heels, which is a team-best. Prior to starting all 64 games in the 2004 season, Mangum played in the final 52 games of the 2003 season. The last game he did not play in was against Ball State on March 10, 2003. Over the last four seasons, Mangum has started 179 games (126 at second, 53 at shortstop). He played 53 games at shortstop last season but has returned to second for 2005.
MILLER, HORTON HONORED BY BASEBALL AMERICA
North Carolina sophomore left-hander Andrew Miller was named second-team midseason All-America by Baseball America, and rookie shortstop Josh Horton was named to the publication's midseason freshman All-America team, which was announced April 8. Miller is 7-0 with a 1.10 ERA and 69 strikeouts, while Horton is hitting .337 with two home runs and 15 RBI.
GEORGIA TECH SCHEDULE TWEAKED
ESPN will televise its second series of the season at Boshamer Stadium when Georgia Tech comes to town, May 19-21. The schedule has been tweaked as follows:
Georgia Tech at North Carolina *Thurs., May 19, 7 p.m. - ESPN2 Fri., May 20, 7 p.m. - ESPNU *Sat., May 21, 5 p.m. - ESPNU *Denotes changed game time from original schedule
