University of North Carolina Athletics
No. 1 Tar Heels Travel To Duke
April 27, 2006 | Baseball
April 27, 2006
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -
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CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Winners of 13 of its last 15 games, No. 1 North Carolina makes the short trip to Durham for a three-game series with rival Duke beginning Friday at Jack Coombs Field. Game times are 7 p.m. Friday and 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
The Tar Heels (36-8, 15-6 ACC) are coming off midweek wins over VCU and High Point, while the Blue Devils (14-30, 6-15 ACC) took two of three at Virginia Tech in their last series. Carolina is looking for its fifth straight series win over Duke and owns a 12-1 mark in the series over the last four seasons.
Jones Angell and Adam Lucas have the call of all three games for the Tar Heels Sports Network. An audio broadcast will be available on AM-1360 WCHL in Chapel Hill and online at TarHeelBlue.com.
SERIES BREAKDOWN
Game Time UNC Starter/Duke Starter Fri., 7 p.m. Andrew Miller (9-0, 1.56)/Jim Perry (0-3, 14.11) Sat., 1 p.m. Robert Woodard (4-1, 3.32)/TBA Sun., 1 p.m. Daniel Bard (5-2, 3.82)/TBA
All-Time Series Record: North Carolina leads, 162-90-2
Last Meeting: North Carolina 7, Duke 0, April 24, 2005 in Chapel Hill
Series Streak: The Tar Heels own a 12-1 record against the Blue Devils over the last four seasons.
Fast Fact: Duke is one of just four teams that Carolina has played more than 250 times in baseball (NC State, Virginia and Wake Forest are the other three).
TAR HEELS AT A GLANCE
• The Tar Heels' 36-8 record through 44 games ranks as the top start in program history. Carolina was 35-9 at this point in the season in both 1984 and 1990. UNC's 36 victories are the most in the nation.
• Carolina's No. 1 national ranking in the Collegiate Baseball poll marks the highest ranking in program history. The Tar Heels have been rated No. 1 in this poll in each of the last two weeks.
• Entering this weekend, the Carolina pitching staff owns a 1.44 earned run average over its last 10 games. The Tar Heels have allowed three earned runs or less in nine straight outings and own a 3.21 staff ERA on the season.
• With three home runs Wednesday, Carolina reached the 50-homer level on the season. The Tar Heels have allowed just 18 home runs in 44 games and have not given up a round-tripper over the last 10 games.
• UNC has already surpassed its 2005 stolen base total with 68 through 44 games. With a pair of outstanding catchers, Carolina has allowed just 22 steals on the year - an average of just one every two games.
• Eight potential starters are batting over .290 for the Tar Heels, including Josh Horton at .401 and Jay Cox at .396. Both Cox and Horton rank among the top hitters in the ACC.
• Carolina's starting rotation of Daniel Bard, Andrew Miller and Robert Woodard is 18-3 (.857) this season and 63-21 (.750) over the last three years. The Tar Heels have three 20-game winners on their roster for the first time in program history.
• Thanks in large part to reliable middle reliever Jonathan Hovis and emerging closer Andrew Carignan, Carolina is 27-1 this season when leading after six innings and 31-0 when leading after seven.
CAROLINA-DUKE SERIES
North Carolina leads its all-time series with Duke, 162-90-2, and holds a 109-33-1 edge in games played since the formation of the ACC in 1954. The Tar Heels have won 12 of their last 13 meetings with the Blue Devils over the last four seasons. Carolina last dropped a series to Duke in 2001 (2-1 in Chapel Hill). Head coach Mike Fox is 20-3 versus the Blue Devils since 1999 and is 8-1 in three trips to Jack Coombs Field. UNC swept a three-game series in Chapel Hill a year ago.
CARLYLE CUP ON THE LINE
Carolina can wrap up the Carlyle Cup with a series win over the Blue Devils this weekend. The Tar Heels hold a 13-12 lead in the all-sports competition between the two rivals and have already clinched at least a tie in the annual event. A win in the baseball series will give UNC the cup by a 14-12 margin.
SCOUTING THE BLUE DEVILS
Duke enters the weekend with a 14-30 overall record and a 5-16 mark in the ACC. The Blue Devils are batting .276 as a team led by junior Jonathan Anderson, who checks in at .327. Sophomore Jimmy Gallagher is batting .320 with five homers and 32 RBI, while sophomore Brett Bartles tops the team with seven home runs and 32 RBI.
On the mound, Duke sports a 6.74 ERA and is allowing opponents to hit .320. Junior righty Danny Otero (5-4, 2.20 ERA) headlines the Blue Devil staff but the weekend rotation has not yet been announced.
NOTING THE CAROLINA STARTERS
FRIDAY: Andrew Miller (Jr., LHP): One of the most dominant starters in the nation, Miller has allowed just five earned runs over 36.1 innings since moving into the Friday slot in Carolina's rotation five weeks ago. Miller owns a 1.24 ERA over this stretch, which includes wins over nationally-ranked foes Georgia Tech, Florida State, Miami and NC State. Last time out, he struck out seven over a season-long 8.1 innings and allowed just five hits against NC State April 21. With nine wins, Miller has already established a career high and is tied for the national lead. One more victory and Miller will be the first 10-game winner for the Tar Heels since Ryan Snare in 2000.
Miller has recorded 10 or more strikeouts three times this season and has 73 on the year and 265 in his career, which is good for sixth on the Tar Heels' all-time list.
He has worked at least six innings in nine of his 10 starts and has gone at least seven in seven of his last nine outings. On the season, Miller has allowed just 12 earned runs and sports a 1.56 ERA, which leads the ACC and ranks 17th nationally. He has not allowed an earned run in six of his 10 starts and owns four shutout performances of at least six innings. Miller has given up just three extra-base hits and one home run all season.
In three career starts against Duke, Miller is 3-0 with a 1.17 ERA. He allowed just three runs and fanned 21 over 23 innings. He went 2-0 as a freshman in 2004, including his first career complete game at the ACC tournament, and followed with nine strikeouts in just seven innings in last year's sweep.
SATURDAY: Robert Woodard (Jr., RHP): A winner of 15 of his last 16 decisions, Woodard has been very sharp over his last two starts and has allowed just two earned runs over 14 innings. He has 10 strikeouts and just two walks over this stretch and carried a no-hitter into the fifth in a no-decision against NC State April 22.
Woodard is 4-1 this season with a 3.32 ERA over 65 innings. He has 34 strikeouts and has issued just 14 walks. Woodard had a run of 18.2 innings without a walk snapped against State.
One of the most consistent hurlers in the ACC, Woodard has lasted six innings or more in eight of his 10 starts, including his second career complete game in a win over then-No. 1 Florida State April 1. Woodard has also allowed three earned runs or less in eight of 10 outings. His win against Virginia Tech April 15 pushed his career record to 20-3.
Woodard picked up a win in his only career start against Duke a year ago. He went seven innings and allowed just two runs on five hits. Woodard's seven strikeouts against the Blue Devils matched a career high.
SUNDAY: Daniel Bard (Jr., RHP): Bard had what head coach Mike Fox described as his best career outing in his last start - a complete game, four-hit shutout of NC State April 23. He struck out eight and did not walk a batter over his fourth career complete game and third shutout.
Bard has won back-to-back starts for the first time since March 11 and has gone 16 innings without allowing an earned run to lower is ERA to 3.82. He allowed just five hits and no earned runs over seven innings against Virginia Tech April 16.
With five or more strikeouts in nine of his 10 starts, Bard is among the ACC's leaders in strikeouts per nine innings. He surpassed the 200-strikeout mark against the Hokies and fanned a career-high 13 in a complete game versus Purdue March 4.
On the year, Bard is 5-2 with 67 strikeouts in 61.1 innings. He is holding opponents to a .208 average.
Against Duke, Bard is 2-0 with a 1.69 ERA in two career starts. He tossed a two-hit shutout in Chapel Hill a year ago and allowed three runs in seven innings in Durham in 2004.
TAR HEELS BRING HEAT TO DEVILS
Seven possible starters for the Tar Heels are batting over .300 in their careers against Duke, led by second baseman Bryan Steed, who is 6-for-17 with eight RBI against the Blue Devils. He drove a career-high five runs against Duke in the 2004 ACC tournament.
CAREER NUMBERS AGAINST DUKE: 1. Bryan Steed .353 (6-17) 0 HR 8 RBI 2. Jay Cox .333 (5-15) 0 HR 4 RBI Kyle Shelton .333 (1-3) 0 HR 0 RBI Matt Spencer .333 (1-3) 0 HR 1 RBI 5. Chad Flack .308 (4-13) 1 HR 5 RBI Seth Williams .308 (4-13) 1 HR 4 RBI 7. Josh Horton .300 (3-10) 0 HR 2 RBI
FLACK ATTACK IS BACK
First baseman Chad Flack might be off his home run pace of a year ago, but he been the Tar Heels' top run producer of late with 15 RBI in the last 10 games and six RBI over the last five games. Flack has improved his season average to .372 and is currently riding an 11-game hitting streak on which he is batting .429 (21-49). Flack has eight multi-hit games over the last 10 outings and can tie his career-best hitting streak with a base hit at Duke Friday.
On the season, Flack has five home runs and is fourth on the team with 35 RBI.
BARD TAKES SECOND ACC HONOR
After capping Carolina's sweep of rival NC State with a four-hit shutout, junior right-hander Daniel Bard was named Atlantic Coast Conference Pitcher of the Week Monday for the second time this season. The Charlotte product picked up his 20th career victory against the Wolfpack and is now 5-2 on the season with a 3.82 ERA.
Bard struck out eight and did not walk a batter en route to his third career complete game shutout and first this season. He allowed a single to the first batter he faced before setting down the next nine and followed a fifth inning single by retiring the next 10 Wolfpack batters. The Pack's Matt Camp led off the ninth with a double but was stranded at third to preserve the first shutout of NC State since April 8, 2005 at Virginia.
TAR HEELS OVERPOWER PACK BATS
Led by the starting rotation of Andrew Miller, Robert Woodard and Daniel Bard, Carolina notched a 1.12 ERA in the three-game series with NC State. Against the Wolfpack, the Tar Heels allowed just five runs, 19 hits and two extra-base hits over 32 innings. NC State entered the series as the top hitting team in the ACC and the second-best hitting team in the nation, but Carolina's staff held it to just a .173 average. The Tar Heels now own a 3.21 team ERA and have six shutouts on the season. One more will match a school record set in 1978, 2000, 2004 and 2005.
CAROLINA LOOKS FOR IMPROVED "D"
Carolina has committed 23 of its 64 errors over the last 10 games, including a five-error outing at UNC Greensboro April 18 and four miscues against VCU Tuesday. The Tar Heels own a .945 fielding percentage over this stretch, which has led to 15 unearned runs.
On the season, Carolina has made 64 errors and sports a .963 fielding percentage.
BIG THREE COMING UP BIG
Junior starters Daniel Bard, Andrew Miller and Robert Woodard are living up to their preseason hype in 2006. The trio of preseason All-Americas is a combined 18-3 with a 2.85 earned run average and has struck out a combined 174 batters in 171.1 innings, while walking just 58. The trio enter this weekend's series with 63 of the Tar Heels' 118 wins over the last three seasons.
Bard, Miller and Woodard have been especially dominant over the last two weekends having allowed just five earned runs over 46.1 innings for a 0.97 ERA in series sweeps of Virginia Tech and NC State.
TAR HEELS TOP-RANKED FOR FIRST TIME
With the top spot in this week's Collegiate Baseball poll, Carolina is ranked No. 1 in the country in one of the four major college baseball polls for the third straight week. The Tar Heels were ranked No. 1 by Collegiate Baseball last week and in the April 10 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Poll for the program's first-ever trip to the top of the rankings.
The Tar Heels are also ranked No. 2 by NCBWA this week, third by Baseball America and third in the USA Today coaches poll. UNC had reached its previous high ranking of No. 2 on three occasions this season and also twice in 2000.
MILLER BEST IN BIG GAMES
In five games against nationally-ranked opponents, lefty Andrew Miller has been at his best this season. Against Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, Florida State, Miami and NC State, the Tar Heels' ace is 5-0 with a miniscule 1.24 ERA in 36.1 innings. Three of the five earned runs Miller has allowed against ranked opponents came in 8.1 innings April 21 against NC State - the ACC's top hitting team. Miller is holding the opposition to a .176 average and has 34 strikeouts to just 12 walks in these games.
According to Mark Ethridge of SEBaseball.com, "If he is on, Miller is scary good. If he is not on, he is still the best pitcher in the ACC."
WINNINGEST STAFF IN PROGRAM HISTORY
Carolina has three 20-game winners on its pitching staff for the first time in program history this season in juniors Andrew Miller, Daniel Bard and Robert Woodard. And once Bard and Woodard reach the 21-win mark, the Tar Heels will have three of the 10 winningest pitchers in the history of Carolina baseball on the staff at one time. Miller can move into a tie for fourth on the all-time list with a win over Duke, while Bard and Woodard can secure a tie for ninth with victories this weekend.
CAREER WINS LEADERS 1. Michael Hoog (1987-90) 30 2. Jim Dougherty (1987-90) 28 3. Thad Chrismon (1992-95) 26 4. Roger Williams (1983-85) 24 Scott Bankhead (1982-84) 24 6. Andrew Miller (2004-pres.) 23 Greg Norris (1977-79) 23 8. Wayne Young (1958-60) 22 9. Mark Ochal (1980-81) 21 Ryan Snare (1998-2000) 21 Daniel Bard (2004-pres.) 20 Robert Woodard (2004-pres.) 20
CARIGNAN MOVING UP SAVES LIST
Sophomore Andrew Carignan has 11 saves in 20 appearances this season and already sits fourth on the Tar Heels' single-season saves list. The Norwich, Conn., product can move into a tie for second with just one more. Thad Crismon owns Carolina's single-season record with 18 saves in 1993.
On the year, Carignan has allowed just one earned run over 22.2 innings for a 0.40 ERA. He has 29 strikeouts and just eight walks and is holding opponents to a miniscule .108 average. Carignan has also proven to be durable with three two-inning saves in ACC play.
Over his last six appearances, Carignan has not allowed a run over 5.2 innings and has four saves and a win over this stretch.
SINGLE-SEASON SAVE LEADERS (SINCE `80) 1. Thad Crismon (1993) 18 2. Derrick DePriest (2000) 12 Thad Crismon (1995) 12 4. Andrew Carignan (2006) 11
TAR HEELS SIT FIRST IN COASTAL
Twenty-one games through the Atlantic Coast Conference regular season, Carolina sits first in the Coastal Division with a 15-6 record and a two-game lead over Virginia and Georgia Tech in the standings.
Following this weekend's trip to Durham, the Tar Heels go on the road to meet the Cavaliers and host Boston College to close out the regular season.
Carolina also owns the best overall record in ACC play and is chasing its first regular season league title since going 17-4 in 1990.
CAREER YEAR FOR COX
Junior outfielder Jay Cox is in the midst of a career year having already tallied career-bests of nine home runs and 40 RBI. Also hitting a career-high .396, Cox is also just one double short on his single-season high of 11 set in 2004 and `05. Cox is slugging a whopping .644 and is also reaching base at a career-best .497 clip.
Cox leads all current Tar Heels with 171 career hits and 98 career RBI. He is a career .348 hitter in 157 games.
MILLER TOP PITCHER AT MIDSEASON
Junior left-hander Andrew Miller was listed as the nation's top pitcher at the midseason point by Baseball America April 5. The publication cited Miller's dominating performances against Georgia Tech and Florida State as highlights of his outstanding start. Miller is 9-0 with a 1.56 ERA and 73 strikeouts in nine starts.
CARIGNAN NAMED TO STOPPER LIST
Sophomore closer Andrew Carignan was one of 30 players named to the midseason watch list for the second-annual National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Award, the association announced Wednesday. The award will be given to the top relief pitcher in Division I college baseball.
Carignan leads the Tar Heels and ranks 11th nationally with 11 saves. He has allowed just one earned run all season and sports a 0.40 ERA.
FRONK FINDS A WAY
Third baseman/leadoff hitter Reid Fronk recently saw an 11-game hitting streak snapped and was named national hitter of the week two weeks ago. But whether or not he is hitting, Fronk has found a way to help the Tar Heels this season. He leads the squad with 29 walks and has been hit by a pitch 12 times this season - seven more than any other Tar Heel. This translates to a .438 on-base percentage and a team-high 46 runs scored. Fronk has reached base in 42 of the 43 game he has started this season.
FED EX DELIVERS
Known around the Carolina clubhouse as Fed Ex, rookie catcher Tim Federowicz has simply delivered as a run producer this season and leads the Tar Heels with 43 RBI in 44 games. He is also second on the team with seven home runs, is slugging .509 and has been outstanding defensively with just two errors on the year.
Federowicz saw a career-best 10-game hitting streak snapped Wednesday but is batting .316 (12-38) with 12 RBI over the last 10 games. Over the last five games, Federowicz checks in at .333 with five RBI.
EIGHT IS MORE THAN ENOUGH
The Tar Heels have scored 345 runs this season for an average of 7.8 runs per game, and Carolina is 19-1 on the year when it scores eight or more times. UNC's 12 runs against Virginia Tech April 16 marked its 17th game this season with nine or more runs and the Tar Heels are 17-0 when nearing double-digit run production.
But with their outstanding pitching staff, Carolina can usually get by with less, evidenced by a 26-3 record when scoring at least six times. Five of the Tar Heels' eight losses have come when scoring five runs or less.
BALANCED ATTACK FOR CAROLINA
With eight potential starters batting .290 or better, Carolina has produced throughout its lineup this season to the tune of a .323 team average, which is 29 points higher than its team mark in 2005. Josh Horton (.401), Jay Cox (.396) and Chad Flack (.372) all rank among the top hitters in the ACC. The Tar Heels also have:
• Four players with at least 38 runs scored
• Seven players with at least nine doubles
• Five players with at least 31 RBI
• Five players with at least six home runs
SUPER SOPHS
Carolina's sophomore class has notched 62 percent of the team's RBI this season (191 of 310) and has already surpassed its run production as rookies a year ago. The 2005 freshmen class drove in 155 runs compared to the 191 through just 44 games this season. Five sophomores have already more than doubled their RBI total of a year ago and six have already surpassed their numbers from 2005.
PLAYER 2005 2006 Chad Flack 49 35 Seth Williams 34 17 Josh Horton 35 38 Reid Fronk 15 31 Matt Spencer 10 26 Benji Johnson 8 24 Kyle Shelton 4 11 Matt Iannetta 0 9 TOTALS 155 191
CAVASINNI COMING ON
Speedy freshman Mike Cavasinni is playing the best ball of his young college career recently, hitting .407 (11-27) over the last 10 games and .362 (17-47) over the last 20 outings.
He has raised his season average to .292 and has nine RBI and eight stolen bases on the season.
HOVIS ANCHORS HEELS' PEN
With a team-high 23 appearances through 44 games, senior reliever Jonathan Hovis has been the Tar Heels' most reliable reliever this season. He also has 91 career appearances and will move into eighth on Carolina's all-time list in his next outing.
He is 6-2 with two saves and has allowed just nine runs on 28 hits in 42.1 innings of work for a career-low 1.49 ERA. Hovis has five appearances of three or more innings, including a trio of four-inning outings, which produced two victories. He allowed just one hit over 3.1 scoreless innings to earn a win in the series clincher at Miami and tossed four shutout frames in the 14-inning win over NC State April 22.
Over his last five outings, Hovis has not allowed an earned run and has give up just seven hits in 12 innings.
CAROLINA'S CATCHING SUCCESS
The Tar Heels' catching tandem of Tim Federowicz and Benji Johnson has been simply outstanding defensively this season. Opponents have stolen only 22 bases in 44 games and have attempted to steal only 40 times. Federowicz has thrown out 47.4 percent (9-19) of base runners, while Johnson has gunned down 42.9 percent (9-21). The duo has also committed just five errors in 44 games this season.
PUTKONEN PICKING IT UP
Redshirt freshman right-hander Luke Putkonen is back at full strength in 2006 after sitting out last season following Tommy John surgery and he continues to improve as the Tar Heels' primary weekday starter. He is 5-0 on the year with a 3.21 ERA. He has struck out 30 batters and walked 18 in 47.2 innings. Tuesday against High Point, Putkonen did not allow an earned run over a career-long seven innings and struck out seven. He has not allowed an earned run over his last two starts.
