University of North Carolina Athletics
Diamond Heels Open Fall Practice Wednesday
September 20, 2005 | Baseball
Sept. 20, 2005
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - With high hopes for the 2006 season, the University of North Carolina baseball team is scheduled to begin fall workouts Wednesday at Boshamer Stadium. The Tar Heels have been working out in four-man groups and lifting weights since September 5, but this week marks first time Carolina will take the field as a team.
The Tar Heels will practice a total of 23 days before Fall Break and are expected to scrimmage eight times prior to the annual Fall World Series, a best-of-three series set for October 15-17. All scrimmages and Fall World Series games will be open to the public.
"The last two and a half weeks have gone really well," said eighth-year head coach Mike Fox. "The team has really been getting along well. We have a lot of returnees and the fall is always a good chance for us to see the new guys. There has been a lot of energy and excitement, and we expect the fall to be a lot of fun."
A year ago, the Tar Heels went 41-19-1 and made their fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance. Twenty letterwinners return this fall, including five players that have earned All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors over the last two seasons - pitchers Daniel Bard, Andrew Miller and Robert Woodard and infielders Chad Flack and Josh Horton.
Bard, Miller and Woodard are each coming off all-star seasons in the Cape Cod League, while Miller was named Baseball America's Summer College Player of the Year. This trio, which combined to win 23 of Carolina's 41 games a year ago, is expected to give new pitching coach Scott Forbes one of the nation's most talented weekend rotations. Relievers Matt Danford, Jonathan Hovis and Andrew Carignan also had strong summers on the Cape and figure to give Carolina several options to close out games.
After batting .347 at shortstop a year ago, Horton is the Tar Heels' leading returning hitter, while Flack and fellow sophomore Seth Williams return as Carolina's top power threats. Flack (15 homers) and Williams (13) posted the top two freshman home run marks in Tar Heel history a year ago. Junior outfielder Jay Cox, who drove in 34 runs, gives Carolina four returnees with at least 30 RBI in 2005.
Sophomores Reid Fronk and Matt Spencer both saw significant playing time as rookies, and enjoyed strong summer seasons. Spencer was named the No. 3 prospect in the Coastal Plain League, while Fronk was rated the No. 10 prospect in the Northwoods League by Baseball America.
In addition to Forbes, the other new face on the Carolina coaching staff is new assistant Jason Howell, who turns to coaching after four years in the Red Sox organization. He was an all-conference player for Fox in 2001.
The 2006 season-opener for the Tar Heels is Friday, February 17 against Seton Hall. Fans will get 39 chances to see Carolina at Boshamer Stadium, where it won a school-record 32 games a year ago.
