University of North Carolina Athletics
Carolina Baseball Monday Notebook
April 26, 2010 | Baseball
April 26, 2010
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - North Carolina will play two midweek games before breaking for exams one at home and one on the road. Carolina will host High Point at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Boshamer Stadium. The Tar Heels will conclude their short week with a trip to Charlotte Wednesday.
High Point (22-21, 8-10 Big South) is fresh off a series sweep over UNC Asheville and 4-0 week entering Tuesday's contest. The Panthers also recorded a win over Elon last week.
High Point will start junior left-hander Brian Jones (0-3, 6.35 ERA) opposite Carolina's Garrett Davis (3-3, 4.70). Carolina is 15-3-1 all-time against High Point dating to 1972. The Panthers defeated Carolina 11-9 last season in Chapel Hill.
High Point features a strong attack with a .341 team batting average, 6.93 staff ERA and .957 fielding percentage. The Panthers are paced by Nate Roberts .416 batting average and 14 home runs.
The Panthers post a 1-2 record against the ACC splitting two meetings with Wake Forest and suffering a loss to Duke. High Point will challenge Duke and NC State in the next two weeks.
Charlotte (29-9, 12-3 Atlantic 10) is fresh off a series win over George Washington this weekend. Charlotte posts a 2-1 record against ACC competition, with a win over Clemson and split with Wake Forest. The 49ers currently are in the midst of 17-game home winning streak, which ties the school record.
The 49ers and Tar Heels have each yet to determine a starter for the Wednesday evening contest. Carolina leads the all-time series against Charlotte 29-6-1, which dates to 1979. The teams split two meetings last season, with the road team winning each game.
The 49ers posts a stout attack with a .340 team batting average, 4.67 staff ERA and .969 fielding percentage. Charlotte is led by Ryan Rivers .397 batting average with 11 home runs and 50 RBI.
Carolina is coming off one of their best weeks of the season with a 3-1 record and huge road series win at No. 20 Clemson. The Tar Heels post a .311 team batting average, 4.53 staff ERA and .965 fielding percentage. Carolina will break for exams after their game Wednesday and return to action May 3 hosting Elon.
Before closing the books on last week's action, TarHeelBlue.com takes a look back at the week that was for the Diamond Heels:
NOTING THE WEEK OF April 21 - APRIL 25:
• UNC posted a 3-1 record on the week, including a huge series win at No.20 Clemson this past weekend. The Tar Heels improved to 8-13 in the ACC winning two out of three in Clemson, S.C.
• The Carolina staff had one of their best weeks of the season en route to posting a 3.60 ERA on the week with 38 strikeouts in just 35 innings. Carolina's two weekend starters Matt Harvey and Patrick Johnson each were spectacular in wins at Clemson. Both set new career-highs for innings pitched as Harvey threw his first career complete game and Johnson nearly went the distance with 8.1 innings of work.
• Harvey set the tone for the weekend at Clemson with his complete-game six hitter with 15 strikeouts to propel Carolina to a 5-3 win over Clemson. The junior caught nine Tiger batters looking at a called third strike and struck out nine of the last 14 batters he faced. Harvey's 15 strikeouts are just four shy of the single-game school record 19 and eclipsed his previous career-high of 13 punch-outs. The Mystic, Conn., native also fanned the side three times and now has struck out the side nine different times this season.
• Johnson worked into the ninth inning Sunday, allowing just three runs, only one earned, on seven hits with six strikeouts. The junior picked up his fourth win of the season to clinch a series victory for the Tar Heels.
• Greg Holt earned his first win of the season in his first career start Wednesday against Davidson. Holt pitched a career-high four shutout innings allowing just two hits with four strikeouts. Not to be outdone, Holt earned his third save of the season Sunday as he wriggled out of a bases loaded jam to preserve a 4-3 win for Carolina.
• Six relief pitchers combined with Holt to throw Carolina's first shutout of the season with their 13-0 win over Davidson. Zach Bernard, Bryant Gaines, Jimmy Messer, R.C. Orlan, Garrett Davis and Teddy Mitrosilis combined to throw six shutout innings allowing just one hit and striking out seven.
• Carolina also enjoyed a strong week at the plate posting a .333 team batting average on the week. The Tar Heels belted three home runs and stole six of seven bases.
• Brett Knief posted two huge RBI doubles in the Clemson series to contribute to the series victory. Knief notched the game winning pinch-hit double to score Ryan Graepel Sunday in the Tar Heels 4-3 win over Clemson. The freshman was 0-for-9 in league play entering the weekend, but registered two clutch doubles for Carolina this weekend.
• Dillon Hazlett led the team with a .500 batting average on the week with nine hits and five RBI. Levi Michael was not far behind with a .462 weekly batting average. Michael went 3-for-4 with four RBI and his third home run of the season to lead Carolina to a 5-3 victory Friday. Both players are currently in the midst of career-best hitting streaks, nine games for Michael and eight for Hazlett.
• Seth Baldwin and Ben Bunting also posted above .400 batting averages on the week. Baldwin registered five hits in three starts at designated hitter. Bunting led Carolina in the Clemson series going 6-for-8 in games two and three. The junior now posts a .337 batting average in ACC play.
