University of North Carolina Athletics
Carolina One Win Shy Of Championship Series
June 20, 2006 | Baseball
June 20, 2006
OMAHA, Neb. - Carolina is back in action Wednesday at the College World Series against Cal State Fullerton (5 p.m. Eastern, ESPN2) with a chance to move into the best-of-three championship series for the first time in program history. The Tar Heels (52-13) already own one win over the Titans, who eliminated Clemson with a 7-6 win Tuesday afternoon. Junior right-hander Daniel Bard (8-3) will take the mound for UNC.
CAROLINA COLLEGE WORLD SERIES UPDATE
VS. CLEMSON/CAL STATE FULLERTON • JUNE 21, 2006
• North Carolina has not allowed a run in its last 19 innings of CWS play. The Tar Heels kept Cal State Fullerton off the board after the third in their 13-inning win June 16 and followed with a Robert Woodard shutout of Clemson June 18. The record for consecutive scoreless innings in Omaha is 31 set by Arizona State in 1972.
• After winning just two of its previous 10 CWS games, the Tar Heels have doubled that win total with a pair of victories in 2006. The Tar Heels are now 4-8 all-time in Omaha, and head coach Mike Fox has been a part off all of UNC's CWS wins as a player or a coach.
• With wins over Cal State Fullerton and Clemson, the Tar Heels improved to 17-10 against nationally-ranked teams this season and 11-5 versus top-10 opponents. UNC has won four straight over top-five ranked opponents and will face a top-five team for the fifth game in a row Wednesday. The Tar Heels also have won four straight over the top five seeds in the NCAA tournament field (No. 1 Clemson, No. 4 Alabama, No. 5 Cal State Fullerton).
• After scoring 69 times over its first six NCAA tournament games, the Tar Heels managed just two runs against Clemson but won their seventh straight postseason contest. Carolina has outscored its opponents 71-30 in the NCAA tournament and 9-5 in the CWS but has not allowed a run in 19 straight innings.
• Despite getting just seven hits in the 2-0 win over Clemson, the Tar Heels are batting .362 in the NCAA tournament and have 19 doubles and 13 home runs in just seven games. UNC is slugging .584 as a team compared to a .351 mark for its opponents.
UPDATING THE TAR HEEL LINEUP
Mike Cavasinni, CF
• Batting .444 (4-9) with two runs scored (both game-winners) in the CWS.
• Had two hits in extra innings in the opening win over Cal State Fullerton.
• Has multi-hit games in eight of last 10 contests.
• Leads Carolina with a .471 average (16-34) over its NCAA tournament run.
Reid Fronk, 3B
• 3-for-10 with three runs scored and two RBI in the CWS.
• Has driven in a run in three straight NCAA tournament games, including the game-winner in the June 18 victory over Clemson.
• Went 2-for-6 with two runs scored and a first-inning homer off CSF's Wes Roemer in the June 16 win.
• Batting .304 (7-23) with 11 runs scored and five RBI in the postseason.
Josh Horton, SS
• Leads the Tar Heels with five hits and three RBI in the CWS.
• Shares the UNC single-season hit record with Chad Flack - both have 104 hits on the season.
• Went 2-for-3 and drove in the second run in the 2-0 win over Clemson June 18.
• Went 3-for-6 with two RBI and the game-winning single in the 13-inning win over CSF June 16.
• Batting .419 (13-31) in the postseason with two homers and nine 10 to give him career-bests of seven homers and 58 RBI on the year.
Chad Flack, 1B
• Went 0-for-4 in the June 18 Clemson win to snap a career-best 14-game hitting streak.
• Shares the UNC single-season hit record with Josh Horton - both have 104 hits on the season.
• Went 3-for-6 in the June 16 win over Fullerton, matching Mike Fox's UNC record for hits in a CWS game.
• Batting .417 (15-36) with 10 runs scored and 12 RBI in the NCAA tourney.
• Has five extra-base hits in the postseason - two doubles, one triple and two homers.
Jay Cox, LF
• Batting just 1-for-10 with one RBI in the CWS.
• Joined Chad Flack in the 60-RBI club with his first-inning RBI single in the win over CSF June 16.
• Hitting .406 (13-32) in the NCAA tournament with team-highs of four home runs and 16 RBI. Hit safely in six of seven NCAA games.
Tim Federowicz, C/DH
• Just 1-for-9 with an RBI in Omaha.
• Drove in a key insurance run with a 13th-inning single in the June 16 win over CSF.
• Hitting .400 (12-30) with two homers and eight RBI in NCAA play.
• Recently selected to the USA National Team trials.
Seth Williams, RF
• 2-for-9 with one run scored in the CWS.
• Batting .357 (10-28) in the NCAA tournament with two RBI and four extra-base hits.
• Hit safely in 13 of last 16 games, including six straight in the NCAA tournament.
Benji Johnson, C/DH
• 2-for-9 with a run scored and two RBI in the CWS.
• Hit a key two-run home run in the June 16 win over Cal State Fullerton.
• Hit safely in five of seven NCAA tournament games.
• Batting .259 (7-27) with two homers and eight RBI in the NCAA tourney.
Garrett Gore, 2B
• Batting 1-for-8 with a run scored in the CWS.
• Has four hits and four runs scored in the postseason.
• Made five starts at second in the NCAA tourney and has also played third.
STARTING PITCHER - Daniel Bard, JR., RHP
• Making third start of the postseason and is 1-0 with a 4.15 ERA in 8.2 innings.
• 1.91 ERA with 36 strikeouts over last eight appearances (42.1 innings).
• 1-2 with a 5.03 ERA in 19.2 career innings in the NCAA tourney.
• 0-3 with a 7.16 ERA in four career appearances (three starts) against Clemson and has never faced Cal State Fullerton.
