University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels Play Host To Wake Forest
May 6, 2010 | Baseball
May 6, 2010
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- No. 24 North Carolina (28-17, 8-13 ACC) returns to league play after the conclusion of final exams to host Wake Forest (12-32, 4-17 ACC) this weekend Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. at Boshamer Stadium. The Tar Heels have not played an ACC game since April 25th when Carolina took two of three games at Clemson.
The Tar Heel Sports Network will broadcast every game this weekend. You can listen via TarHeelBlue.com, or on AM 1360-WCHL, Sports Radio 99.9 The Fan in the Triangle (99.9 FM) and WBAG in Burlington (1150 AM). Saturday's game will also be televised by Raycom-Sports. Games one and three will be broadcasted live via TarHeelBlue.com on Carolina All-Access.
Carolina posts a 6-2 record against Wake Forest over the last four seasons and most recently defeated the Demon Deacons 2-0 in the 2008 ACC Tournament. Each of the team's last two meetings has come in the 2008 and 2007 league tournaments, with Carolina posting two wins.
UNC owns a 148-118-3 lead in the all-time series against the Demon Deacons, which dates to 1891. The two teams did not meet in the regular season in 2008 or 2009 due to league expansion.
Carolina features a balanced attack with a .313 team batting average, 4.40 staff ERA and a .966 fielding percentage. UNC is led by two preseason All-America pitchers - right-handers Colin Bates (4-2) and Matt Harvey (5-2).
Harvey ranks fourth in the league in ERA with a 3.00 clip against ACC opponents. The junior's 9.75 strikeouts per nine innings also rank fifth in the league. Junior Ben Bunting posts a .337 average in league play, which is good for 13th in the ACC. Bunting posts six hits in his last 10 ACC at-bats.
Wake Forest has won two of their last three ACC games and has not played since April 28 due to final exams. The Demon Deacons earned a series win over Duke by winning two out of three games by a combined margin of 13 runs two weeks ago. Wake Forest features an attack with a .271 team batting average, 6.48 staff ERA and .950 fielding percentage.
