University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina vs. Rice Postgame Notes
June 21, 2007 | Baseball
June 21, 2007
Recap |
Box Score |
Quotes |
Photo Gallery 1 
|
Photo Gallery 2
TEAM NOTES:
• North Carolina will play for its first-ever national title in baseball in this weekend's best-of-three CWS Finals against Oregon State. The Tar Heels will also be playing for the ACC's first championship since Wake Forest claimed the crown in 1955.
• The Tar Heels and Beavers also met last year for the championship. This year's finals will mark just the second time that the same two teams have met for the national title in back-to-back-years. USC and Arizona State also met for the title in 1972 and 1973.
• After hitting just two home runs over the last 14 games (ACC and NCAA Tournaments), the Tar Heels homered four times in the first five innings Thursday against Rice. Carolina's last four-homer game came at NC State April 29. The Tar Heels also homered in four consecutive innings for just the second time this season and first since a six-home run game against Davidson March 28.
• After allowing 19 runs over its first two games in Omaha, Carolina's pitching staff has returned to form with just six runs and 16 hits surrendered over the last three games.
• North Carolina's 7-4 win over Rice Thursday was its school-record 57th of the season, surpassing the 54 victories of 2006. At 57-14 this year, the Tar Heels have won 111 games over the last two seasons, which is second only to Rice's 113 victories over this stretch.
• The Tar Heels are now 4-0 in elimination games this postseason. Carolina posted a 9-4 win over South Carolina June 10 and a 3-1 victory over Louisville Tuesday before defeating Rice twice in the last two days to reach the CWS Finals.
• The Tar Heels are now 8-3 in the College World Series in the last two seasons and 10-11 in six all-time appearances.
• Ninth-year head coach Mike Fox is now 29-16 in eight NCAA Tournament appearances. The Tar Heels are 65-48 in 113 all-time postseason games.
• Thursday marked the 71st game that North Carolina has played this season, extending a school record. Dustin Ackley, Tim Federowicz, Chad Flack, Reid Fronk and Josh Horton have played in all 71 games.
PLAYER NOTES:
• Freshman All-Americas Dustin Ackley and Tim Fedroff have come on strong over the last two games after getting off to a slow start in Omaha. Over Carolina's first three games, they were a combined 4-for-24 with three RBI. Over the last two outings, Ackley and Fedroff have gone 7-for-15 with three home runs and seven RBI. Rookie designated hitter Kyle Seager also drove in two runs to give UNC five of its seven RBI from freshmen Thursday.
• With a solo home run in the second inning, freshman first baseman Dustin Ackley homered for the second straight day for the first time this season. He did have a two-homer game at Virginia Tech March 23. Ackley now has nine home runs and 72 RBI on the season. He has driven in six runs in Omaha to move to sixth place on the Tar Heels' single-season list.
• Right fielder Tim Fedroff's two-run homer in the third was his fifth of the season and first since the March 28 win over Davidson. Center fielder Seth Williams' fourth-inning solo homer was his ninth and first since May 13 versus Georgia Tech, and shortstop Josh Horton's solo homer in the fifth was his ninth and first since May 19 at Maryland.
• In his first-ever NCAA Tournament start, sophomore right-hander Adam Warren allowed three runs on just three hits over six-plus innings. In the CWS, he has given up only three runs on six hits over 10 1/3 innings.
• At 12-0, Warren is just the third Tar Heel to win 12 consecutive decisions to open a season and first since 1990. No pitcher in school history has ever finished a season with 12 or more wins and no losses.
• All-America closer Andrew Carignan earned his 18th save of the season to match UNC's single-season record set by Thad Chrismon in 1993. He also shares the national lead with Luke Prihoda of Sam Houston State. Carignan made his 39th appearance of the season to move into third on the Tar Heels' single season list.
• Junior set-up man Rob Wooten pitched in his 11th straight game (all in the NCAA Tournament) and added to his UNC single-season record of 46 appearances. Wooten tied an NCAA record by pitching in his fifth game in a single CWS trip.
• Left fielder Reid Fronk scored his 71st run of the season to move to sixth on the Tar Heels' single-season list. He has scored 140 runs over the last two seasons.
