University of North Carolina Athletics
Monday Baseball Notebook
May 19, 2008 | Baseball
May 19, 2008
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - efore North Carolina opens the 2008 Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Wednesday against No. 6 seed Virginia, TarHeelBlue.com takes a look back at the final week of the regular season, which included a series victory at No. 1 Miami.
NORTH CAROLINA WEEKLY RESULTS:
Record: 45-10, 22-7 ACC
May 13: #2 North Carolina 4, Winthrop 1
May 15: #1 Miami 12, #2 North Carolina 2
May 16: #2 North Carolina 10, #1 Miami 6
May 17: #2 North Carolina 12, #1 Miami 11
NOTING THE WEEK OF MAY 12-18:
• With the series win at No. 1 Miami, Carolina matched school records with 45 regular season victories and 22 ACC wins. UNC has won 45 regular season games in each of the last three seasons and first won 22 league games in 2006. The Tar Heels went unbeaten in their ACC weekend series for the first time since the league went to its current three-game format in 1990.
• The Tar Heels continued their success against the nation's No. 1 team with their series win at Miami. Carolina is 14-11 under Mike Fox against the top-ranked team and has won four of its last six regular season series against No. 1. With the two wins last weekend, UNC improved to 5-4 in games featuring the nation's top two ranked teams.
• After being held to just two runs on seven hits in Thursday's 12-2 loss to Miami, the Tar Heels scored 22 runs and hit .367 (29-79) over the final two wins. Carolina built leads of nine runs and eight runs in Friday and Saturday's wins but held off late Miami rallies in each game to take its third straight series from the Hurricanes.
• Tim Fedroff sparked Carolina's offense in the series win at No. 1 Miami with a .429 average (6-14) with two home runs, seven RBI and three runs scored in the three-game set in Coral Gables. Fedroff, who slugged .929 against the Canes, went 3-for-5 with a two-run home run that lifted Carolina to a 9-0 lead Saturday. In Sunday's finale, Fedroff went 2-for-5 with five RBI on a two-run double in the fourth inning and a three-run home run in the fifth that proved to be the difference in the Tar Heels' 12-11 victory. Fedroff, who finished the week with a .353 average, is batting .383 with 11 home runs, 13 stolen bases and 56 RBI on the season.
• Tim Federowicz did double duty in the series final, driving in three runs and then pitching the ninth to earn his fourth career save. Federowicz hit .313 with six RBI last week to improve his season totals to .310 with three homers, 18 doubles and 35 RBI. On the mound, he owns a 1.23 ERA and 13 strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings.
• Kyle Seager's ACC-leading 26th double of the season Saturday gave him the UNC single-season record. Seager surpassed Jarrett Shearin's 25 doubles from 1998. Seager hit .375 (6-16) last week with two RBI to give him 67 on the year, which ranks second in the ACC.
• Dustin Ackley hit .455 (5-11) with four runs scored in the Miami series. He is now third in the ACC with a .395 average on the season.
• Kyle Shelton led the Tar Heels with a .400 average (6-15) in four games last week. After hitting a game-tying home run Tuesday against Winthrop, Shelton was held hitless in the Miami series until matching career highs with four hits and three runs scored Saturday. He is in the midst of a career year with a .349 average, four home runs and 34 RBI.
• Seth Williams hit .357 (5-14) last week to give the Tar Heels four individuals that hit better than .350 for the week. Williams is batting .310 with five home runs, 20 doubles and 34 RBI.
• With 32 strikeouts at Miami, the Carolina pitching staff broke the school single-season strikeout record in just 54 games. The Tar Heels have fanned 557 batters this season, bettering the previous mark of 543 in 69 games in 2006.
• The Tar Heels allowed 26 earned runs in 26 innings at Miami, but still own an ACC-best 2.63 ERA entering the postseason.
• Adam Warren carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning at Miami and retired 15 of the first 17 batters he faced en route to his eighth win of the season. He struck out six and allowed just four hits, one of which was a grand slam. Warren is now 21-1 in his career for an ACC record .955 winning percentage.
