University of North Carolina Athletics
No. 1 Tar Heels Meet Virginia in Top-10 Clash
May 11, 2006 | Baseball
May 11, 2006
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CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The lead in the Atlantic Coast Conference's Coastal Division will be on the line this weekend when No. 1 North Carolina makes its final league road trip of the season to No. 9 Virginia. The Tar Heels (40-9, 18-6 ACC) and Cavaliers (39-10, 16-8 ACC) open a three-game series at Davenport Field at 7 p.m. Friday with games also set for 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Carolina holds a two-game lead in the division with just six conference games remaining.
Saturday's contest will be televised on Fox Sports Net South in North Carolina with Mike Hogewood and Dan Bonner calling the action at 1 p.m. 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/UVA Starter Fri., 7 p.m. Andrew Miller (10-0, 1.91)/Sean Doolittle (8-1, 1.99) Sat., 1 p.m. Robert Woodard (5-1, 3.21)/Jacob Thompson (9-1, 2.39) Sun., 1 p.m. Daniel Bard (6-2, 3.69)/Mike Ballard (6-2, 3.01)
All-Time Series Record: North Carolina leads, 164-89-4
Last Meeting: North Carolina 3, Virginia 2 (11 inn.), April 3, 2005 in Chapel Hill
Series Streak: The Tar Heels are 5-1 versus the Cavaliers over the last two seasons and have won four of the last five regular season series.
Fast Fact: Carolina has not trailed at the end of an inning in ACC play in 62 innings, dating to the April 16 win over Virginia Tech.
TAR HEELS AT A GLANCE
• The Tar Heels' 40-9 record through 49 games ranks as the top start in program history. Carolina was the first team in the nation to reach the 40-win mark with Tuesday's victory over Campbell. The Tar Heels have a school-record five straight 40-win seasons.
• 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 four weeks.
• Through games of May 7, the Tar Heels ranked sixth nationally a 3.16 ERA. Carolina pitching sports a 2.51 mark over the last 10 games and has allowed more than three earned runs just twice over the last 14 games.
• With three home runs Tuesday, Carolina reached the 60-homer level on the season and continues to lead the ACC. The Tar Heels have 13 homers over the last six games. Conversely, UNC's pitching staff has surrendered only 19 long balls all season, including just one over the last 15 games.
• UNC has already surpassed its 2005 stolen base total with 72 through 49 games. With a pair of outstanding catchers, Carolina has allowed just 26 steals on the year - an average of just over one every two games.
• Seven potential starters are batting over .300 for the Tar Heels, including Josh Horton at .395, Jay Cox at .380 and Chad Flack at .379. All three rank among the top 10 hitters in the ACC.
• Carolina's weekend starting rotation of Daniel Bard, Andrew Miller and Robert Woodard is 21-3 (.875) this season and 66-21 (.759) 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 relievers Jonathan Hovis and Matt Danford and closer Andrew Carignan, Carolina is 31-2 this season when leading after six innings and 35-0 when ahead after seven.
CAROLINA-VIRGINIA SERIES
North Carolina leads its all-time series with Virginia, 164-89-4, and it owns a 95-36 advantage since the formation of the Atlantic Coast Conference in 1954. The Cavaliers are one of four teams that the Tar Heels have faced more than 250 times on the diamond (Duke, NC State and Wake Forest are the other three). Carolina has won five of its six meetings with Virginia, including a sweep in Chapel Hill a year ago. The Tar Heels won a pair of extra inning games for their first sweep of the Wahoos since 1999. Head coach Mike Fox is 15-7 in his career against UVa.
SCOUTING THE CAVALIERS
Virginia enters the weekend with a 2.56 earned run average, which leads the ACC and the nation. The Cavaliers are led by two-way standout Sean Doolittle, who is 8-1 with a 1.99 ERA and 83 strikeouts in 68 innings on the mound. Right-hander Jacob Thompson (9-1, 2.39) and lefty Mike Ballard (6-2, 3.01) round out a talented weekend rotation. Casey Lambert has a team-high seven saves.
The Cavaliers are batting .328 as a team, led by junior outfielder Brandon Marsh (.383-1-25). Sophomore outfielder Brandon Guyer leads the team with 50 RBI with Doolittle and freshman David Adams second with 41 each. Virginia has hit just 20 home runs on the season but has stolen 92 bases in 115 attempts.
NOTING THE CAROLINA STARTERS
FRIDAY: Andrew Miller (Jr., LHP): One of the most dominant starters in the nation, Miller is 6-0 and has allowed just nine earned runs over 46.1 innings since moving into the Friday slot in Carolina's rotation six weeks ago. Miller owns a 1.91 ERA over this stretch, which includes wins over nationally-ranked foes Georgia Tech, Florida State, Miami and NC State. Duke had 12 singles in six innings against Miller in his last start but scored just four runs as the lefty improved to 10-0 on the season. Miller, who is currently fourth on the Tar Heels' career victory list with 24, is Carolina's first 10-game winner since Ryan Snare in 2000. No UNC pitcher has won more than 10 games since Sean Murphy won 11 in 1995.
Miller has recorded 10 or more strikeouts three times this season and has 79 on the year and 271 in his career, which is good for fifth on the Tar Heels' all-time list.
He has worked at least six innings in 10 of his 11 starts (including the last six) and has gone at least seven in seven of his last 10 outings. On the season, Miller has allowed just 16 earned runs and sports a 1.91 ERA, which ranks among the ACC's best. He has not allowed an earned run in six of his 11 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. He has not allowed an extra-base hit in over his last three starts a span of 22.1 innings.
In his career against Virginia, Miller is 0-1 with a 5.06 ERA in two starts. In Charlottesville in 2004, he took a tough-luck loss after allowing just two earned runs on five hits in 5.2 innings. A year ago, Miller allowed four earned runs in five innings on six hits, four walks and seven hit batters.
SATURDAY: Robert Woodard (Jr., RHP): A winner of 16 of his last 17 decisions, Woodard has allowed just four earned runs over his last three starts (22 innings) for a 1.64 ERA. He has struck out 12 and walked just three over this stretch, which includes victories over Virginia Tech and Duke. Woodard carried a no-hitter into the fifth in an April 22 no-decision against NC State. Last time out he allowed two runs in eight innings against the Blue Devils. Woodard is 5-1 this season with a 3.21 ERA over 73 innings. He has 36 strikeouts and has issued just 15 walks. Woodard had a run of 18.2 innings without a walk snapped against NC State. One of the most consistent hurlers in the ACC, Woodard has lasted six innings or more in nine of his 11 starts and has gone at least seven innings in four of his last five starts, including his second career complete game in a win over then-No. 1 Florida State April 1. He has also allowed three earned runs or less in nine of 11 starts and eight of his last nine appearances. Woodard's win at Duke pushed his career record to 21-3, which is good for a tie for ninth on the Tar Heels' career victory list. Woodard has not allowed an earned run on just three hits in eight career innings against Virginia. He walked one and struck out seven over a pair of relief appearances last season. Woodard was key in the Tar Heels' 14-inning win a year ago with 5.2 stellar innings of relief.
SUNDAY: Daniel Bard (Jr., RHP): Bard has been brilliant over his last three starts, allowing just one earned run over 22 innings for a 0.41 ERA. He has fanned 19 and walked just seven over this stretch, which includes wins over Virginia Tech, NC State and Duke. Bard did allow one earned run in his first relief appearance since 2004 against Winthrop Wednesday. 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-to-back starts for the first time this season and just the third time in his career. He has never earned a win in four consecutive starts. With five or more strikeouts in 10 of his 11 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. Bard now has 220 strikeouts in his career and can establish a new single-season high with just three Sunday. On the year, Bard is 6-2 with 75 strikeouts in 68.1 innings. He is holding opponents to a .212 average. His 3.69 ERA is a career-best mark. Against Virginia, Bard is 1-0 with a 4.61 ERA in two starts. He allowed just four hits in 6.2 innings in Charlottesville in 2004 and picked up a gutsy win with seven innings that included two hours and 27 minutes worth of rain delays last season.
TAR HEELS ON BEST ACC RUN SINCE 1984
Carolina carries a 10-game ACC winning streak into the weekend series at Virginia for its longest run in league play since 1984. The Tar Heels won 12 straight over the 1983-84 seasons and can match that streak with victories Friday and Saturday. The school record for consecutive league victories is 22 set over the 1964-66 seasons.
The Tar Heels have swept back-to-back-to-back ACC series for the second straight season and just the second time since the league went to the three-game series format in 1990.
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 21-3 with a 2.91 earned run average and has struck out a combined 190 batters in 216.2 innings, while walking just 62. The trio enter this weekend's series with 66 of the Tar Heels' 124 wins over the last three seasons.
Since settling on a weekend rotation of Miller, Woodard and Bard against Florida State, the Tar Heels have posted a stellar 2.43 ERA in weekend series and have won all five series played, including three straight sweeps.
UNC SETS SCHOOL MARK FOR ACC WINS
The Tar Heels might be playing more ACC games than ever these days but they still managed to set a league record for wins with two full series remaining. The series sweep of Duke gives Carolina an 18-6 mark in league play, which surpasses 17-win seasons in 1990, 2002 and 2005.
UNC is in search of its first regular season ACC title since the 1990 squad went 17-4 and went on to win the Tar Heels' most recent tournament title.
TAR HEELS REACH 40 ONCE AGAIN
Tuesday's win over Campbell gave Carolina its fifth straight 40-win season - a program first. The Tar Heels have had 14 40-win seasons since 1983 with seven coming in the last eight years under head coach Mike Fox. UNC's school record for victories is 51 set in 1990, and it won 46 games in 2000 for its highest total under Fox.
NOTING THE WINTHROP LOSS
Carolina's loss to Winthrop Wednesday not only snapped its nine-game win streak but it also went against some season-long trends for the Tar Heels:
• The loss was just Carolina's second of the season when leading after six innings.
• The defeat was just the second for UNC when scoring at least eight runs.
• The 16 hits allowed matched a season high set against Maryland March 17.
• The 12 runs and 10 earned runs allowed were the second most of the season for the Tar Heels, who had allowed just nine combined earned runs over their last four outings.
JOHNSON PICKS UP FIRST ACC HONOR
During the week of April 24-30, sophomore catcher/DH Benji Johnson led the Tar Heels to a 5-0 mark with team highs of four home runs and eight RBI, as well as a .471 average (8-17). With 20 total bases on the week, Johnson slugged 1.176 and notched a .550 on-base percentage to lead Carolina. After capping the April 26 win over High Point with a pinch-hit three-run home run in the eighth inning, Johnson homered twice and matched a career high with three RBI for the second straight game in the series opener at Duke. Johnson had two more hits April 29 and followed with two hits and his fourth home run over a four-game span in the series finale April 30. Against the Blue Devils, Johnson went 6-for-12 with three homers and five RBI.
HORTON HUNTS .400
Sophomore shortstop Josh Horton entered the week with an ACC-best .403 average and is aiming to be the first Tar Heel regular to hit over .400 since Jeremy Cleveland batted .410 in 2003. Horton has gone just 2-for-9 so far this week and is now hitting .395. Only four Tar Heels have hit over .400 for an entire season, Cleveland, current Baltimore Oriole Brian Roberts (1997), Jim Mooring (1961) and B.J. Surhoff (1984). Roberts and Mooring share the Carolina single-season record at .427.
Horton is a .371 career hitter through 106 games, which would rank as the fourth-best career average by a Tar Heel.
TOUGH STRETCH FOR TAR HEELS
Carolina is in the midst of a run of four straight games against nationally-ranked opponents for the first time this season. Following Wednesday's loss to No. 21 Winthrop, the Tar Heels take on No. 9 Virginia in a three-game set this weekend. UNC is 10-6 versus ranked opponents this season.
POWER SURGE BY JOHNSON
Sophomore catcher/DH Benji Johnson has put up some big power numbers of late to take over the team lead with 11 home runs, which ranks among the top five in the ACC. The Pittsboro product has five home runs over the last six games, including his first career multi-homer game at Duke April 28.
Johnson went 3-for-6 with two RBI Wednesday to extend his current hitting streak to a career-best seven games. He leads the Tar Heels with a .476 average and has eight RBI over the last five games.
40-RBI CLUB
After having just three players drive in 40 or more runs a year ago, the Tar Heels already have had four players reach that mark this season - Tim Federowicz (46), Chad Flack (45), Jay Cox (42) and Josh Horton (42). Reid Fronk (34) and Benji Johnson (32) have already driven in 30-plus runs, while Matt Spencer is knocking on the door with 27.
HORTON'S HIT STREAKS
Sophomore shortstop Josh Horton recorded his third hitting streak of 10 or more games on the season Tuesday with a solo home run against Campbell and extended it to 11 games with an RBI single against Winthrop Wednesday. He also recorded a pair of 12-game streaks earlier in the season and has hit safely in 42 of 48 games played. Horton leads the Tar Heels with a .395 average and is batting .419 over the last 10 games.
BULLPEN BLANKS `EM
Prior to Wednesday's loss to Winthrop, the Tar Heels three main relievers - set-up men Matt Danford and Jonathan Hovis and closer Andrew Carignan - had been lights out over the last month. In a combined 24 appearances since the April 8 loss at Miami, Danford, Hovis and Carignan had not allowed an earned run. Carignan was touched up for a career-high four earned runs Wednesday, while Danford allowed one earned run.
Hovis, who worked two scoreless frames against the Eagles, has allowed just three unearned runs over his last 19 innings. Danford has allowed just six hits over his last 13.2 innings, while Carignan has allowed just three hits but four earned runs - all Wednesday - in his last 8.2 innings.
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 down the stretch with 10 RBI in the last five games, 16 in the last 10 and 27 in the last 20. With a .424 mark over the last 20 games, Flack has improved his season average to .379 and has hit safely in 15 of the last 16 games. Flack leads the Tar Heels with 24 multi-hit games and now has 45 for his career. On the season, Flack has 45 RBI and needs just six more for 100 in his UNC career.
HOVIS ANCHORS HEELS' PEN
With a team-high 27 appearances through 49 games, senior reliever Jonathan Hovis has been the Tar Heels' most reliable reliever this season. He also has 95 career appearances, which ranks sixth all-time at Carolina. Hovis should become just the fifth Tar Heel with 100 or more appearances by the end of the season.
He is 6-2 with two saves and has allowed just seven earned runs on 32 hits in 49.1 innings of work for a career-low 1.28 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 nine outings, Hovis has given up just three unearned runs in 19 innings.
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 fifth straight week. The Tar Heels have been ranked No. 1 by Collegiate Baseball in each of the last four weeks 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 this week bythe NCBWA, Baseball America and 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. Friday's game with Virginia will mark Miller's sixth start against a nationally-ranked opponent.
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. Bard and Woodard reached the 21-win mark against Duke, giving the Tar Heels three of the 10 winningest pitchers in the history of Carolina baseball on the staff at one time. Miller moved into a tie for fourth on the all-time list with a win over Duke, while Bard and Woodard can secured a tie for ninth with wins over the Blue Devils.
CAREER WINS LEADERS 1. Michael Hoog (1987-90) 30 2. Jim Dougherty (1987-90) 28 3. Thad Chrismon (1992-95) 26 4. Andrew Miller (2004-pres.) 24 Roger Williams (1983-85) 24 Scott Bankhead (1982-84) 24 7. Greg Norris (1977-79) 23 8. Wayne Young (1958-60) 22 9. Daniel Bard (2004-pres.) 21 Robert Woodard (2004-pres.) 21 Mark Ochal (1980-81) 21 Ryan Snare (1998-2000) 21
CARIGNAN MOVING UP SAVES LIST
Sophomore Andrew Carignan has 12 saves in 23 appearances this season and is already tied for second on the Tar Heels' single-season saves list. The Norwich, Conn., product can move into second on his own with just one more save. Thad Crismon owns Carolina's single-season record with 18 saves in 1993.
On the year, Carignan has allowed just five earned runs in 25.2 innings for a 1.50 ERA. He has 32 strikeouts and just 10 walks and is holding opponents to a miniscule .118 average. Carignan has also proven to be durable with three two-inning saves in ACC play.
SINGLE-SEASON SAVE LEADERS (SINCE `80) 1. Thad Crismon (1993) 18 2. Andrew Carignan (2006) 12 Derrick DePriest (2000) 12 Thad Crismon (1995) 12
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 42 RBI. Also hitting a career-high .380, Cox is also just one double short on his single-season high of 11 set in 2004 and `05. Cox is slugging a whopping .607 and is also reaching base at a .483 clip.
Cox leads all current Tar Heels with 174 career hits and 100 career RBI. He is a career .345 hitter in 161 games.
FRONK FINDS A WAY
Third baseman/leadoff hitter Reid Fronk had four hits over the last two games and was named national hitter of the week earlier this season. But whether or not he is hitting, Fronk has found a way to help the Tar Heels this season. He leads the squad with 32 walks and has been hit by a pitch 14 times this season - eight more than any other Tar Heel. This translates to a .441 on-base percentage and a team-high 49 runs scored. Fronk has reached base in 45 of the 46 games 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 46 RBI in 48 games. He is also fourth on the team with seven home runs, is slugging .494 and has been outstanding defensively with just two errors on the year..
BALANCED ATTACK FOR CAROLINA
With seven potential starters batting .300 or better, Carolina has produced throughout its lineup this season to the tune of a .320 team average, which is 26 points higher than its team mark in 2005. Josh Horton (.395), Jay Cox (.380) and Chad Flack (.379) all rank among the top hitters in the ACC. The Tar Heels also have:
• Four players with at least 40 runs scored
• Seven players with at least nine doubles, including three with 13
• Six players with at least 32 RBI, including four with at least 42
• Five players with at least seven home runs
SUPER SOPHS
Carolina's sophomore class has notched 63 percent of the team's RBI this season (217 of 345) and has already surpassed its run production as rookies a year ago. The 2005 freshmen class drove in 155 runs compared to the 217 through just 49 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 45 Seth Williams 34 17 Josh Horton 35 42 Reid Fronk 15 34 Matt Spencer 10 27 Benji Johnson 8 32 Kyle Shelton 4 11 Matt Iannetta 0 9 TOTALS 155 217
CAVASINNI COMING ON
Speedy freshman Mike Cavasinni is playing the best ball of his young college career recently, and is second among Tar Heel regulars with a .352 average (19-54) over the last 20 games.
He had two hits versus Winthrop Wednesday and batting .283 on the year. Cavasinni is third on the team with 10 steals in 14 attempts.
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 26 bases in 49 games and have attempted to steal only 46 times. Federowicz has thrown out 47.4 percent (9-19) of base runners, while Johnson has gunned down 40.7 percent (11-27). The duo has also committed just five errors in 49 games this season.
CAREER STRIKEOUT WATCH
With 79 strikeouts over his first 11 starts of the season, junior lefty Andrew Miller has 271 for his career. With just 19 more strikeouts this season, Miller can surpass Michael Hoog's school record of 289 set between 1987-90. Mike Bynum, a 1999 first-round draft choice, owns the mark for strikeouts in a three-year career with 276 from 1997-99. Miller can move into fourth place on the Tar Heels' all-time list with just five more Ks.
CAREER STRIKEOUT LEADERS 1. Michael Hoog (1987-90) 289 2. Jim Dougherty (1987-90) 281 3. Thad Crismon (1992-95) 279 4. Mike Bynum (1997-99) 276 5. Andrew Miller (2004-pres.) 271 6. Ryan Snare (1998-2000) 269 7. Scott Bankhead (1982-84) 257 8. Roger Williams (1983-85) 254 9. Derrick Manning (1989-93) 239 10. Greg Norris (1977-79) 237
THE RUNNIN' HEELS
UNC head coach Mike Fox said he wanted to run more this season, and so far so good. The Tar Heels have swiped 72 bases in 97 attempts through 49 games, led by Matt Spencer and Chad Flack, who has 15 and 13 steals, respectively. Carolina has already swiped more bags than it did a year ago and needs 28 more for its first 100-steal season since 2002.
WOODARD'S A WINNER
After an 8-0 season in 2005, junior righty Robert Woodard had a 13-game winning streak snapped by a tough-luck loss at Georgia Tech March 26. The Charlotte native had not dropped a decision since a May 11, 2004, start against South Carolina at Knights Castle in Ft. Mill, S.C.
Woodard rebounded with a complete game victory over No. 1 Florida State April 1 and won two of his next three starts to move his career record to 21-3, good for an .875 winning percentage, which is second in program history behind Scott Bankhead (.889). Woodard is also a perfect 13-0 at Boshamer Stadium over the last three seasons.
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.
