University of North Carolina Athletics
Carolina Faces UNCW, High Point in Midweek Meetings
April 25, 2005 | Baseball
April 25, 2005
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - In the midst of a stretch of 13 games in 17 days, 10th-ranked North Carolina travels to UNC Wilmington Tuesday before hosting High Point Wednesday at Boshamer Stadium. The Tar Heels (33-8-1, 14-4-1 ACC) are coming off a three-game sweep of Duke and carry a five-game winning streak into their final week before exams.
Tuesday's game with UNCW will feature a pair of conference leaders, as the Tar Heels sit atop the Atlantic Coast Conference standings by a percentage point ahead of Georgia Tech, and the Seahawks (27-14) lead the Colonial with an 11-1 mark.
Carolina will send freshman right-hander Andy Gale to the mound against the Seahawks Tuesday. He is 2-1 on the year and sports a 2.08 ERA in 34.2 innings pitched. Gale has 29 strikeouts against just nine walks and has been outstanding over his last two starts - a complete-game shutout of Davidson and a six-inning no-decision versus VCU. Over his last 15 innings of work, Gale has 17 strikeouts and just one walk and has allowed just two earned runs. Tuesday's start will be his first away from Boshamer Stadium.
The Tar Heels are batting .301 as a team and have 50 home runs on the season. Four players have at least eight round-trippers this season, including freshman outfielder Seth Williams, who has 11. Junior Mike Daniel has the team's top average at .378, while redshirt sophomore Matt Ellington tops the RBI chart with 41. Freshman infielder Chad Flack sits second on the team in all three categories with a .356 average, nine homers and 32 RBI.
Carolina's 5-3 win over UNCW in Chapel Hill on February 22 was its second straight in a series in which it holds a 42-12 lead. The teams did not meet in 2004, but each won on the opposition's home field in 2003 with the Tar Heels posting an 8-7 victory in their last trip to UNCW. Head coach Mike Fox is 5-3 overall and 2-1 in Wilmington since returning to his alma mater in 1999.
UNC Wilmington enters Tuesday's game well rested as it has not played since an April 20 loss at Elon. Matt Poulk leads the offense with eight homers and 49 RBI, as well as a .329 average. Tim Preston owns the team's top batting average at .382 and has also driven in 32 runs. Two other Seahawks have at least 30 RBI on the season. UNCW is batting .305 as a team and has swiped 77 bases on the year. The staff ERA is 4.08 with lefty Zach Kimball (4-3, 5.53 ERA) set to take the mound Tuesday. He has allowed 66 hits in 55.1 innings and opponents are hitting .297 against him.
Following the Tar Heels' trip to Wilmington, they host High Point back at Boshamer Stadium Wednesday. The Panthers (18-25, 6-12 Big South) are led by Randy Schwartz, who is batting .319 on the season, and Josh Cotton, who has team highs of seven home runs and 26 RBI. High Point is batting .255 as a team and 5.38 team ERA.
Following the pair of midweek games, the Tar Heels travel to Raleigh for a three-game set with NC State beginning Friday.
