University of North Carolina Athletics
No. 3 Tar Heels Host Deacs At Boshamer
March 29, 2007 | Baseball
March 29, 2007
Carolina-Wake Forest Notes in PDF Format
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CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Coming off its largest offensive output in since 1981, No. 3 North Carolina hosts ACC rival Wake Forest for a three-game series beginning Friday at Boshamer Stadium. The Tar Heels (23-4, 6-3 ACC) and Demon Deacons (14-13, 3-6 ACC) will play at 7 p.m. Friday, 1 p.m. Saturday and 1:30 p.m. Sunday. A webcast of Friday's game will be available through ACC Select, and Jones Angell and Adam Lucas of the Tar Heel Sports Network will have the radio call of all three games on AM-1360 WCHL and on TarHeelBlue.com.
GAMES 28-30: WAKE FOREST, MARCH 30-APRIL 1
WAKE FOREST (14-13, 3-6 ACC) AT
#3 NORTH CAROLINA (23-4, 6-3 ACC)
• FRIDAY 7 P.M., SATURDAY 1 P.M., SUNDAY 1:30 P.M.
• ALL-TIME SERIES: Carolina leads, 145-117-4
• LAST MEETING: Carolina 5, Wake Forest 1, March 12, 2006
|
Date |
Time | UNC Starter | WFU Starter | TV/Radio |
| March 30 | 7 p.m. | Robert Woodard (Sr., RHP) 5-0, 2.35 |
Brad Kledzik (So., RHP) 2-1, 4.91 |
WCHL ACC Select |
| March 31 | 1 p.m. | Alex White (Fr., RHP) 3-1, 1.91 |
Garrett Bullock (So., LHP) 2-1, 4.96 |
WCHL/ THB.com |
| April 1 | 1:30 p.m. | Luke Putkonen (So., RHP) 5-0, 3.51 |
TBA | WCHL/ THB.com |
NATIONAL RANKINGS: North Carolina is ranked in the top six of all four major polls, with a high ranking of No. 3 by Collegiate Baseball. Wake Forest is unranked.
WAKE FOREST SERIES: Carolina leads its all-time series with Wake Forest, 145-117-4 and 81-67-1 in ACC play. The Tar Heels have played more games against Wake Forest (266) than any other opponent. UNC head coach Mike Fox is 13-15 in his career against the Demon Deacons but is 7-5 at Boshamer Stadium. The Tar Heels have won their last four series against the Deacs, including three-game sweeps in two of the last three years. UNC won two of three in Winston-Salem a year ago.
TAR HEELS AT A GLANCE: After opening 10-0 for the first time since 2000 and 21-4 to match the best 25-game mark in school history, Carolina is 23-4 ... UNC ranks in the ACC's top three in ERA, average and fielding ... Paced by a weekend rotation that sports a 42-4 combined career record, the Tar Heels own a 2.56 staff ERA ... Opponents are batting just .223 vs. UNC, while the Tar Heels are batting .325 ... Carolina has eight players with 14 or more RBI and four players with 30 or more hits through 27 games ... Dustin Ackley is riding a 19-game hitting streak and has 52 hits and 37 RBI on the year ... Three Tar Heels are on hitting streaks of seven or more games ... Carolina has drawn 124 walks and struck out just 95 times over 227 2/3 innings ... RHP Robert Woodard goes for career win No. 29 Friday vs. Wake Forest ... Closer Andrew Carignan has earned a save in five of his last seven appearances without allowing a base hit ... UNC relievers have allowed only 18 of 91 inherited base runners to score.
SCOUTING THE DEMON DEACONS: Wake Forest is 14-13 overall and 3-6 in the ACC entering this weekend. The Demon Deacons took two of three from Virginia to open ACC play but have dropped series to Florida State and NC State over the last two weekends. Sophomore first baseman Allan Dykstra (.378-12-34) and Arizona State transfer Willy Fox (.352-4-26) lead the offense. Wake sports a 5.28 staff ERA, and RHP Brad Kledzik (2-1, 4.91) and LHP Garrett Bullock (2-1, 4.96) will start the first two games of the series.
LAST TIME OUT: No. 3 North Carolina scored 11 runs in the second inning and then bettered that total with 12 in the third in a 28-3 win over visiting Davidson Wednesday at Boshamer Stadium. The Tar Heels' 28 runs equaled the fifth most in school history and were the most since a 31-15 win at Jacksonville Feb. 20, 1981. Carolina clubbed a season-high six home runs, including two off the bench from Benji Johnson, and pounded out a season-best 26 hits, 12 of which came in the 12-run third. Twelve different Tar Heels hit safely in the game and 10 drove in a run. In addition to Johnson's two homers, Tim Fedroff, Tim Federowicz, Seth Williams and Garrett Gore each went deep. Sophomore right-hander Adam Warren (5-0) was the beneficiary of the offensive explosion and claimed his fifth straight midweek victory. He struck out a career-high nine batters over five innings and allowed three runs on six hits and three walks.
HISTORY VS. THE DEMON DEACONS: Closer Andrew Carignan has one save and has not allowed a run in 3 2/3 career innings against Wake Forest ... Set-up man Matt Danford has allowed five runs in 3 1/3 innings against the Deacs ... Friday starter Robert Woodard is 1-0 with a 3.55 ERA over 12 2/3 innings in his career against the Deacs ... The current Tar Heels have struggled at the plate against Wake Forest ... Reid Fronk leads the way with a .333 career average (7-21) with one homer and four RBI ... Josh Horton has two career home runs and a team-high five RBI vs. Wake Forest ... Chad Flack is just 3-for-19 in six career games with no RBI.
BIG NIGHT VS. DAVIDSON: Carolina enjoyed one of its biggest nights at the plate in recent memory in Wednesday's 28-3 win over Davidson: • The 28 runs were the most since a 31-14 win over Jacksonville in 1981 and the fifth most in school history. • The 26 hits were the most since posting 27 against Towson in a 25-0 win in 2000. • The six home runs were the most by UNC since it hit eight against NC State in 2002. • The 26 RBI and 49 total bases were the most at any point in the Mike Fox era at Carolina. • The Tar Heels have now scored a combined 51 runs in their last two games with Davidson.
ACKLEY STAYS HOT: Freshman Dustin Ackley brings a 19-game hitting streak into this weekend's series with Wake Forest, for the longest hitting streak by a Tar Heel since Chris Iannetta hit in 23 straight games in 2004. Ackley is two games shy of Adam Greenberg's 21-game streak in 2000, which is believed to be the longest by a freshman in UNC history. Ackley is batting .532 (41-77) over this streak, which includes 14 multi-hit games. He is batting .495 with 37 RBI and leads the ACC in both categories. Ron Mauer holds the UNC record with a 31-game hitting streak in 1990.
ACKLEY HONORED AGAIN: After leading No. 3 North Carolina to a 4-1 week and a series win at Virginia Tech, Tar Heel freshman first baseman Dustin Ackley has been selected Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Player of the Week for the second consecutive Monday. Ackley went 11-for-22 at the plate with team highs of seven runs scored and nine runs batted in over five games. He had four multi-hit games on the week, including a four-hit effort at Virginia Tech last Friday. He homered in the first and second innings and posted career highs of four RBI and four runs scored. Against the Hokies, the native of Walnut Cove, N.C., was 7-for-15 with five runs scored, two home runs and five RBI.
CARIGNAN DOMINATES, CLIMBS SAVES CHART: With six saves on the season, including five in his last seven outings, junior closer Andrew Carignan is moving up the career saves list at UNC and in the Atlantic Coast Conference. His 21 career saves, which have all come over the last two seasons, are tied for third at Carolina and ninth all-time in the ACC. Carolina's Thad Chrismon holds both records with 41 career saves. Carignan has been especially dominant over his last seven outings, as he as not allowed a hit and has struck out 11 over 7 1/3 innings.
SECOND BASEMEN STEPPING IT UP : With Kyle Seager battling a shoulder injury, sophomore Garrett Gore has moved into the starting spot at second base over the last couple of weeks with great results. He is batting .400 (12-30) over a career-best nine-game hitting streak and hit his first career home run Wednesday. Both Gore and Seager have been regulars in the lineup over the last six games, with Seager starting at DH five times. Seager is batting .556 (10-18) over this stretch, while Gore checks in at .391 (9-23). This tandem has combined to score 13 runs over this stretch and drive in 12.
ALL THEY DO IS WIN: Carolina's weekend rotation of Robert Woodard, Alex White and Luke Putkonen is 13-1 this season, but that should be no surprise since this trio is a combined 42-4 in Carolina Blue. Woodard has done the bulk of the work with a 28-3 career mark, but Putkonen is 11-0 over the last two seasons, and White is off to a 3-1 start in his freshman season.
UNC MATCHES BEST 25-GAME MARK: Currently 23-4 on the year, UNC was 21-4 through 25 games to equal the best start in school history. The Tar Heels were also 21-4 through 25 outings in 1983, 1990 and 2000. Carolina opened 10-0 this year for the third time under Mike Fox. His 2000 Tar Heels opened 21-0 for the best start in school history, and Fox's first team started 16-0 in 1999.
DANFORD NEARING CENTURY MARK: Senior reliever Matt Danford has made 96 career appearances and needs just four more to become just the sixth pitcher in UNC history and the 17th in ACC history to pitch in 100 career games. He will move into a tie with Brad Woodall for sixth at Carolina with 97 appearances in his next game. Danford is 15-5 with 10 saves and a 3.28 ERA at Carolina.
BATS BREAKING OUT: Since losing two of three to Virginia, Carolina has picked it up offensively to the tune of a .392 average and 75 runs scored over the last six games. The Tar Heels have reached double digits in runs in four of the last six and have combined for 41 runs over the last two outings.
THE FRESHMAN .400: Carolina's talented rookie quartet of Dustin Ackley, Tim Fedroff, Kyle Seager and Drew Poulk is batting a combined .400 (118-295) on the season and all are batting .333 or better individually. With Ackley leading the way with 37 RBI, this group has combined to drive in 73 runs, good for 36 percent of Carolina's run production.
IMPROVED "D:" Carolina has struggled defensively at times over the last few years but this week the Tar Heels found themselves tied for first in the ACC with a .971 fielding percentage. They currently sit second behind Florida State and are also second in ACC play with an impressive .977 mark.
TAR HEELS THRIVE WITH TWO OUT: The Tar Heels have scored many of their runs with two out lately, continuing a trend of hot hitting in pressure situations. As a team, Carolina is batting .334 (104-311) with two out and it has combined for 75 two-out RBI. Over the last four games, the Tar Heels have tallied 20 two-out hits and 21 two-out RBI.
FAST START FOR FEDROFF: Ever since going 4-for-6 with a home run, a triple and two RBI in the Feb. 24 doubleheader sweep of Stony Brook, Tim Fedroff has been a boost to the Tar Heel line up. He has started eight straight games, including six straight in right field and in the leadoff spot and is batting .385 since becoming a consistent starter. Over the last two games, Fedroff is 6-for-10 with six runs, five RBI and two home runs.
PATIENCE PAYING OFF: With juniors Josh Horton and Reid Fronk leading the way, the Tar Heels have drawn a total of 125 walks and struck out just 95 times through 27 games. A year ago, Carolina punched out 385 times, while drawing just 271 walks. This season, Horton has walked 25 times and fanned just four, while Fronk has walked 21 times and struck out only eight. The Tar Heels have a .403 on-base percentage on the season, which is third in the ACC.
FOX REACHES 900: Head coach Mike Fox won his 900th career game with the March 20 victory over Towson. Fox is 904-305-5 in his 24-year career, which includes 15 seasons at North Carolina Wesleyan. In Chapel Hill, Fox is 364-164-1 over nine seasons, and his .744 career winning percentage entering this season is second nationally among active coaches.
DEPTH ON THE MOUND: After reaching the finals of the College World Series with just 13 pitchers a year ago, the Tar Heels have already used a total of 18 hurlers in 2007. Carolina displayed its bullpen depth in the March 11 win over Miami by using nine different hurlers. Six different relievers have made 10 or more appearances on the season, including Rob Wooten, who leads the way with 16 appearances, and Andrew Carignan, who has pitched in 13 games. The UNC bullpen has combined to make 111 appearances through 27 games this season after making just 170 appearances in 69 games a year ago.
FED-EX DOES IT ALL: Sophomore Tim Federowicz has pitched seven times this season and has figured into both sides of Carolina victories on three occasions. Most recently, Federowicz homered and drove in three runs and also pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings in the March 13 win over Miami. In the Feb. 17 win over Seton Hall, Federowicz drove in what proved to be the game-winning run and picked up his first career save. And in the Feb. 28 win over No. 22 Coastal Carolina, the Apex native retired the Chanticleers in order in the top of the 10th and then started the game-winning rally with a single. He is batting .359on the year with 28 RBI and is 1-1 with a save in seven appearances.
CAROLINA'S IRONMAN: Junior Reid Fronk has played in 98 straight games dating to the end of the 2005 season, and can play in his 100th consecutive game Saturday against Wake Forest. He has constantly done the little things to help the Tar Heels to 77 victories over this stretch. The Feb. 28 win over Coastal Carolina was a prime example when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to drive in the winning run. He has been hit by a pitch 29 times over the last two seasons and sports a .457 on-base percentage on the year. He leads the Tar Heels with 32 runs scored and 19 walks and is batting .309.
HOME SWEET HOME: Carolina hopes to send the current Boshamer Stadium out in style in its final season of existence in 2007, and the Tar Heels are off to a fine start. UNC has won 27 of its last 30 games at home and saw the nation's second longest home win streak snapped at 16 games with the March 10 loss to Penn State. The Tar Heels are 20-3 at home this season.
WOOTEN SOLID IN RELIEF: UNC knew it would have a large void to fill with the loss of NCAA ERA leader Jonathan Hovis, and junior righty Rob Wooten has stepped up in the early season. He has allowed just three earned runs over 16 1/3 innings over 16 appearances, which ranks second in the ACC. Wooten has struck out 15, including a career-high five Ks against UNC Greensboro March 14. He is holding opponents to a .228 average.
TAR HEELS WINNING OFF THE FIELD, TOO: North Carolina's baseball team is in its fourth week as the No. 1 team in the nation according Baseball America and also picked up another top billing Feb. 28 when it earned the No. 1 spot when USA Today re-ranked its preseason top 25 based on the NCAA's Academic Progress Rate (APR). The APR of the Tar Heel baseball team of 988 topped the charts, 14 points ahead of No. 2 Georgia Tech. To determine APR, "points are awarded player by player for whether an athlete remains in school and stays academically eligible and ultimately graduates," according to USA Today.
HEELS PICKED TO REPEAT: North Carolina was picked as the preseason favorite to defend its Atlantic Coast Conference Coastal Division baseball title, the league office announced Jan. 19. The Tar Heels, who were 54-15 and 22-8 in ACC action a year ago, received 60 points and four first-place votes in the Coastal Division. The preseason poll is determined by vote of the league's 12 head coaches. Clemson was picked to win the Atlantic Division for the second straight season and was picked as the overall league favorite. The Tar Heels and Tigers, who met at the College World Series, are not scheduled to play this season.
PROGRAM HONORED BY BA: The UNC baseball program was recently honored by Baseball America when the magazine ranked its top 64 teams of the 64-team field era (1999-2006). The Tar Heels were rated 14th overall and fifth among teams currently in the ACC. Winning percentage, postseason success, All-Americas, draft choices and number of alumni in the majors all played into the rankings.
WATCH OUT: Preseason All-Americas Andrew Carignan, Chad Flack and Josh Horton find themselves in exclusive company on the preseason watch lists for some of college baseball's top honors. Carignan, a junior closer, is a candidate for the Roger Clemens Award and the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award, while Flack and Horton, junior infielders, are up for the Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Award.
HEELS PROJECTED TO IMPACT DRAFT: One year after having a pair of pitchers selected in the first round of the Major League Baseball Draft, North Carolina is again projected to have an impact in June with four players on Baseball America's Top 100 College Prospects list for 2007. All-America shortstop Josh Horton (22), pitchers Luke Putkonen (69) and Andrew Carignan (86) and outfielder Reid Fronk (92) were each honored. The Tar Heels are one of just three teams with at least four players rated in the top 100 prospects. Top-ranked Rice leads the way with six, while Carolina and Clemson are tied for second with four each.
RATED ROOKIES: Collegiate Baseball newspaper rated North Carolina's 16-man freshman class sixth nationally in its annual recruiting rankings. The Tar Heels, who brought in five prep All-America selections, have now posted top-six classes twice in the last four years and top-20 groups in three of the last four seasons. The only class ranked in the top 18 comprised solely of high school talent, Carolina's newcomers rated as the No. 2 class in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Baseball America ranked the class eighth and projected RHP/1B Alex White as the league's top newcomer with second baseman Kyle Seager rated as the ACC's No. 4 newcomer.
