University of North Carolina Athletics
No. 17 North Carolina Hosts No. 3 Georgia Tech In Key ACC Series
March 25, 2010 | Baseball
March 25, 2010
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - No. 17 North Carolina will host its second straight top-five league opponent and first Coastal Division foe this weekend when No. 3 Georgia Tech visits Boshamer Stadium beginning Friday. The Tar Heels (16-6, 2-4 ACC) and Yellow Jackets (18-2, 5-1 ACC) are slated to play at 7 p.m. Friday, 6 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday. All three games will be aired live on the Tar Heel Sports Network (AM-1360 WCHL, 850 The Buzz) and broadcasted on Carolina All-Access via TarHeelBlue.com.
Georgia Tech is a three-way tie with Virginia and Miami atop the Coastal Division all with identical 5-1 records. North Carolina, Duke and Virginia Tech remain in a three-way tie at the bottom of the division - all post a 2-4 league record.
The Tar Heels post a 7-6 record against the Yellow Jackets in the last four seasons. Carolina has won two of three games against the Ramblin' Wreck in the last three series meetings. Carolina posts a 15-22 record and 10-8 record at Boshamer Stadium against Georgia Tech under head coach Mike Fox. The Yellow Jackets lead the all-time series 61-53, which dates to 1901.
Carolina features a balanced attack with a .317 team batting average, 3.65 staff ERA and a .975 fielding percentage.
UNC is led by two preseason All-America pitchers - right-handers Colin Bates (3-0) and Matt Harvey (3-0). Offensively junior Dillon Hazlett leads the team with a .346 batting average and 25 RBI. Six Tar Heel regulars are batting .300 or better. Brian Goodwin posts a .623 slugging percentage and Levi Michael posts a .500 on-base percentage. Freshman Tommy Coyle carries a season-best six-game hit streak into this weekend.
The Tar Heels will stick to their normal rotation of Matt Harvey, Colin Bates and Patrick Johnson. The trio has combined to win 38 games at Carolina and anchors a staff that averages 8.31 strikeouts per nine innings in ACC play, second only to No. 1 Virginia's 9.34 clip.
Ben Bunting posted six hits in 15 at-bats a year ago against the Yellow Jackets. Bunting scored three runs and registered three RBI in three games against Georgia Tech. Fifth-year senior Mike Cavasinni offers the most experience against the Yellow Jackets and posted five hits and a triple a year ago against the Ramblin' Wreck.
Five Tar Heels pitchers have logged time on the mound against Georgia Tech, but only Harvey has a career start. Both Colin Bates and Bryant Gaines have recorded one save and a loss in their career. Nate Striz and Patrick Johnson have combined to throw one inning of relief in their careers against the Yellow Jackets.
Carolina is fresh off a 4-3 win over UNC Greensboro this past Wednesday. Georgia Tech has won four straight, including two midweek tilts against Mercer, and 11 of their last 12 entering this weekend.
Georgia Tech is atop the league in batting, the lone team to post 10 or more home runs. The Yellow Jackets have hit 16 home runs in ACC play, led by senior Tony Plagman's eight and sophomore Matt Skole's six this season. Five different Tech regulars post a slugging percentage of .700 or better.
The Yellow Jackets own a 3.07 staff ERA led by front-line starters Deck McGuire (3-1, 1.15 ERA) and Jed Bradley (3-1, 2.79 ERA). McGuire, the 2009 ACC Pitcher of the Year and 2010 National Pitcher of the Year candidate, is a powerful right-hander, who posts 39 strikeouts in 39 innings this season. McGuire will be pitted by against Harvey Friday night, in a match-up that will feature two of the top right-handers in the league and country.
