University of North Carolina Athletics
No. 7 Tar Heels Head South For ACC Showdown
April 7, 2011 | Baseball
April 7, 2011
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - After capturing three straight Atlantic Coast Conference series via sweep No. 7 North Carolina will look to make it 10 straight wins against ACC competition Friday night when the Tar Heels open a three-game set in Tallahassee, Fla. against No. 6 Florida State. The Tar Heels are coming off a 12-6 midweek win over Winthrop, while Florida State took down Valdosta State, 10-2, Wednesday. UNC is looking to avoid falling behind for the ninth straight game Friday. UNC is 7-1 during the stretch.
National Rankings
• There was not much movement for the Tar Heels in any of the major poll after a 3-1 week. Carolina checks in highest at No. 7 in the USA Today/Coaches Poll after being No. 6 in the same poll a week ago.
• Carolina moved into the top 10 in the Collegiate Baseball poll this week as the Tar Heels are ranked No. 9. UNC is No. 10 in the NCBWA poll.
• The Tar Heels moved to No. 13 in the Perfect Game Top 25 and are ranked No. 16 by Baseball America.
• Florida State checks in highest at No. 6 in the Perfect Game poll and also earned top 10 rankings from Baseball America (7), the NCBWA (9) and the USA Today/Coaches poll (10). Collegiate Baseball has the Seminoles at No. 12 this week.
North Carolina-Florida State Series
• The Tar Heels and Seminoles have met 89 previous times with Florida State holding a 62-27 advantage in those meetings.
• The Tar Heels have dropped back-to-back series to the Seminoles but not by much as the teams have battled through four 2-run games in the last six.
• Carolina has not fared too well in Dick Howser Stadium, however, as the `Noles have captured seven straight series and eight of the nine since joining the ACC in 1992.
Scouting The Seminoles
• Florida State comes into the weekend on a two-game winning streak after taking the final game of its weekend series at Maryland before claiming a 10-2 win over Valdosta State on Wednesday.
• The Seminoles are 8-4 in conference play with a pair of extra-inning losses at Virginia, a home loss to Wake Forest and a loss Saturday at Maryland that snapped FSU's 40-game winning streak over the Terrapins.
• Sean Gilmartin will get the call for Florida State on Friday and has been one of the top pitchers in the country this season posting a flawless 6-0 mark to go along with a 1.30 ERA.
• The Seminoles entered the week with the second most walks in the country as they have drawn 191 on the year.
• FSU is scoring 7.5 runs per game on the year and own a team ERA of 3.33.
Tar Heels One Selective Group
• Entering the week Carolina had drawn 176 walks on the year which ranks fourth in the country and has helped the Tar Heels to 8.2 runs per game on the year.
• The trio of Colin Moran, Jacob Stallings and Levi Michael have all drawn at least 24 walks on the year, with Moran leading the way with 26.
• The free passes have helped the Tar Heels to a .409 team on-base percentage so far this season.
Heels Equal Best Start
• Carolina has posted a 27-4 record through its first 31 games and became the second team in school history with a 27-4 mark. The 1983 squad went 27-4 in its opening 31 games.
• With three more wins this weekend the 2011 version of the Tar Heels would be the quickest team to 30 wins in school history.
Put It In The Book
• Entering the sixth inning with a lead this year the Tar Heels have yet to let a lead slip away posting a perfect 24-0 record through 31 games.
• The bullpen has been the key cog to the late inning success allowing just 24 runs over the final three frames this season.
• The offense has done its part scoring 74 runs over the final three innings, including the ninth that the Tar Heels have not had to bat in 19 times.
• The bullpen has posted a 3.25 ERA on the year over 116.1 innings.
• Michael Morin has been impressive in a relief role this season not allowing a run over six innings of work, striking out seven and securing a pair of wins.
• The mainstays in the bullpen have been Greg Holt (5-0, 2 saves, 2.42 ERA) and Cody Penny (1-0, 5 saves, 4.38 ERA) this year as the duo have notched seven of Carolina's eight saves.
unting On A Hot Streak
• Senior outfielder Ben Bunting got off to a slow start this season as he was sitting at .161 after Carolina's first homestand against Seton Hall.
• Bunting was able to get his average up as high as .268 before slipping down to .257 after the opening game of the Duke series.
• The Randleman, N.C., native has elevated his game over the last seven contests and raised his average 38 points and is one hit shy of .300 at .295.
• Over the last seven games Bunting is 13-for-30 (.433) with 11 runs scored, five walks and has stolen five bases over the stretch.
• Bunting ranks among the top 10 in the league with his 35 runs scored on the year and has provided a boost at the top of the lineup for the Tar Heels.
Top Of The Order
• The trio of Ben Bunting, Levi Michael and Tommy Coyle has helped Carolina to one of the most productive offensive seasons in school history as the top three hitters in the lineup have combined to cross the plate 97 times this season.
• Bunting and Coyle have scored 35 runs apiece, while Michael is not far behind with 27 on the season.
• But it's what the three do once they get on that is the most dangerous part having combined for 37 stolen bases in 41 attempts. Coyle leads the way with 14 steals, Michael has a dozen and Bunting 11 of his own.
• The trio have been responsible for the majority of Carolina's biggest offensive outputs as the Tar Heels have reached the 10-run plateau on 13 different occasions this year.
Something To Think About
• Jacob Stallings has put a fear into potential base stealers all year long but opponents continue to test the junior backstop.
• Stallings has thrown out 16 base runners in just half a season and currently ranks 6th in single season annals.
• The Brentwood, Tenn., native needs just nine more caught stealings to break Chris Iannetta's single season mark of 24 set in 2004.
Most Caught Stealings By In A Season
24 - Chris Iannetta (2004)
23 - Dan Moylan (1998)
21 - Dan Moylan (1999)
20 - Dan Moylan (2000)
19 - Justin Webb (2004)
16 - Jacob Stallings (2011)
Tim Federowicz (2008)
Mark Fleury (2009)
Ryan Blake (2003)
Turning The Page On 2010
• Entering the 2011 season Carolina had plenty of question marks but apparently have answered them through the first half of the season with a 27-4 mark.
• One of the main reasons for the turnaround has been the stellar pitching and defense the Tar Heels have been playing as of late.
• Carolina has turned in an ERA nearly three quarters of a run lower than a year ago (2010-4.07; 2011-3.31)and has lowered its opponent's batting average 33 points (2010-.258; 2011-.235) in the first half.
• The defense is on pace for a record-setting year posting a .981 fielding percentage 12 points higher than in 2010 (.869) at this time.
• The team batting average is down 10 points but the Tar Heels have scored seven more runs thanks to nine more walks and eight more RBI.
• A year after starting 4-8 in conference play and finishing sub-.500 for just the second time under head coach Mike Fox the Tar Heels are 10-2 in league play entering the weekend.
• The Tar Heels opened league play with a 1-2 series loss at Wake Forest before rattling off nine consecutive league wins for the first time since 2006.
• Carolina owns a 10-2 league mark turning in a carbon copy effort of the 2005 squad that dropped two of three to open conference play before rattling off three consecutive ACC sweeps.
• The 10-2 start is tied for the second best start since the ACC went to a three game series in 1990, as the 1990 team started the year 11-1 in league play.
