Tar Heels Set For Season Opener

February 16, 2012 | Baseball

By: UNC Athletic Communications

Feb. 16, 2012

• No. 3 North Carolina will open its 2012 season Friday when the Tar Heels welcome in Atlantic 10 foe Xavier for a three-game series.

• Carolina is coming off its fifth College World Series appearance in the last six years and will look to begin the march towards another berth.

• The Tar Heels return 18 letterwinners from a year ago, including five position players that started and a pair of starting pitchers.

• Leading the way will be Baseball America National Freshman of the Year and preseason All-America pick Colin Moran along with senior backstop Jacob Stallings.

National Rankings

• The Tar Heels were pegged in the top 10 of every preseason poll after being excluded from several preseason rankings a year ago.

• Carolina tops out at No. 3 in the NCBWA poll.

• The Tar Heels are tabbed No. 4 by Perfect Game, the USA Today/ESPN Coaches and the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Poll.

• Baseball America named the Tar Heels its No. 9 team entering the season.

• Xavier is unranked.

North Carolina-Xavier Series

• The Tar Heels and Musketeers will meet for the first time on Friday.

Scouting The Musketeers

• Xavier returns a remarkable 26 letterwinners from a 2011 team that went 30-27 on the year with a 14-10 mark in the Atlantic 10 where it finished fourth.

• The Musketeers lost A-10 Player of the Year Ben Thomas and fellow first team all-conference selection John McCambridge but returns A-10 first team second baseman Seth Willoughby.

• Xavier also returns the services of a pair of A-10 All-Rookie Team picks in right-hander Vinny Nittoli and infielder Brian Bruening.

• Nittoli will take the ball Friday afternoon for the Musketeers.

• Xavier will have a pair of experienced pitchers behind Nittoli with juniors Jon Richard and Tyler Koors who made a combined 27 starts a year ago.

Season Openers Under Fox

• Carolina is 13-0 on opening day under head coach Mike Fox, including a 9-0 in season openers at home.

• The Tar Heels have won 14 straight openers and last lost their first game of the season at Coastal Carolina in 1997.

• For the 10th time in the last 12 seasons the Tar Heels will open the season in the friendly confines of Boshamer Stadium.

• In the home opening weekend series since Fox took over in 1999 the Tar Heels are 34-3.

Coaches Tap Tar Heels ACC Favorite

• North Carolina was selected as the 2012 Atlantic Coast Conference preseason favorite in a vote of the league's 12 head coaches the conference office announced.

• The Tar Heels have been named the preseason favorite four times in the last six years.

• The Tar Heels were named by seven coaches as this year's ACC team to beat, while Georgia Tech received four first place votes and Florida State one.

• North Carolina received 63 points to lead the Coastal Division with seven first place votes. Georgia Tech finished second followed by Miami and Virginia with both receiving 47 total points. Virginia Tech and Duke rounded out the Coastal Division.

• Clemson and Florida State were the runaway favorites in the Atlantic Division with 67 and 64 points, while NC State was tabbed third in the division. Wake Forest, Maryland and Boston College finished out the Atlantic Division.

Going Young On The Mound

• Carolina will trot out its youngest group to start the opening three games of the season since the 2001 season.

• The Tar Heels will rely on sophomore Kent Emanuel in Friday's season opener before turning the ball over to a pair of freshmen in left-hander Chris O'Brien on Saturday and right-hander Benton Moss on Sunday.

• The 2001 season saw Mike Fox give sophomore right-hander Scott Autrey the ball in the opener before freshmen Scott Senatore and Scott Manshack took the mound in the next two contests.

Moran Earns Preseason All-America Honors

• Sophomore third baseman Colin Moran will enter the 2012 season looking to improve on his stellar freshman campaign.

• Moran paced the Tar Heels a year ago en route to the College World Series, hitting .335 on the year with a league-high 71 RBI to go along with 20 doubles and nine home runs.

• Several publications have recognized Moran as a preseason All-America thanks to an All-America freshman year.

• Moran has been named a preseason All-America by the following publications:

• Louisville Slugger Preseason All-America

• Baseball America Preseason All-America

• Perfect Game Preseason All-America

• NCBWA Preseason All-America

Morin On Stopper Of The Year List

• Junior right-handed pitcher Michael Morin was named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Watch List.

• Morin is one of 45 named to the list after making 32 appearances a year ago for the Tar Heels and picking up 10 saves to lead the team.

• The NCBWA Stopper of the Year award is given annually to the top relief pitcher in NCAA Division I baseball.

• Morin was 4-2 in his sophomore campaign as he threw 64 innings and struck out 66 batters.

• The Leawood, Kan., native became the first Tar Heel since Andrew Carignan in 2007 to record at least 10 saves in a season. Carignan set the single season school mark with 18 saves in 2007.

• Morin was also tabbed a preason All-America by the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.

Emanuel Takes Over Friday Night Role

• Sophomore left-hander Kent Emanuel is coming off a stellar freshman season that saw him post a 9-1 record with a 2.33 ERA.

• Emanuel will make the move to Friday night after being the Saturday starter a year ago and becomes the latest in the long line of talented sophomores to take over the Friday night spot.

• The Woodstock, Ga., native has been recognized for his talents entering 2012 and has been named a preseason All-America by the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.

Coyle Looks To Keep Consistency Going

• Junior Tommy Coyle makes the move to shortstop for the 2012 season after starting the first two years at second base.

• Coyle has been one of the most consistent players both offensively and defensively since stepping on the field as a freshman.

• The Chalfont, Pa., native was second on the team in hitting a year ago and was a big factor in the offense all season long.

• Coyle capped off the season by reaching base safely in 29 straight games to end the year and will look to keep the streak alive when the season opens Friday.

• Coyle's streak is only eight shy of Colin Moran's epic streak from 2011 where he reached safely in 37 straight games.

• Coyle looks to become the 13th Tar Heel since 2000 to register a 30-game steak of reaching safely.

Position-By-Position Breakdown

Starting Pitching

• The Tar Heels return a pair of starters from the weekend rotation but will need to replace Friday night starter Patrick Johnson who became just the fourth pitcher in school history to win 13 games.

• Freshman All-America Kent Emanuel will move into Johnson's Friday night role after a 9-1 debut season.

• Emanuel posted a team-low 2.33 ERA in his first year and capped it off with an impressive shutout of Texas in a College World Series elimination game.

• Entering the season Carolina has several different options for the other three spots in the rotation with freshmen Benton Moss (Enfield, N.C.), Chris O'Brien (Drexel Hill, Pa.) and Luis Paula (McLeansville, N.C.) battling an experienced trio of juniors Chris Munnelly, R.C. Orlan and sophomore Andrew Smith.

• Munnelly comes in with the most experience among the possible starters with 22 starts during his first two years in Chapel Hill.

• Orlan could make the move to the starting rotation after working out of the bullpen the last two seasons but showed off his potential by working 3.2 shutout innings against Vanderbilt at the College World Series.

• Smith made 24 appearances as a freshman posting a 3-1 record with a 2.77 ERA.

• Moss was a heralded recruit out of Rocky Mount High School who earned the prestigious Morehead-Cain Scholarship and proved deserving by making the Dean's List in his first semester on campus.

• O'Brien has added velocity to an already impressive fastball and will push for starts throughout the year.

• Paula is in the mold of several of Carolina's top pitchers as he is very athletic on the mound and possesses four pitches.

• Other Tar Heels who could see spot starts throughout the year are sophomores Shane Taylor and Hobbs Johnson and talented freshman Chris McCue.

Relief Pitching

• Carolina returns all but one pitcher who made more than 10 relief appearances a year ago from a bullpen that was one of the best in the country.

• The back end will be anchored by NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watch List member Michael Morin.

• Morin became the first Tar Heel since Andrew Carignan in 2007 to reach double-digits in saves when he closed out 10 ball games in 2011 for the Tar Heels.

• The eighth inning set up role looks to be filled by talented freshman Mason McCullough (Shelby, N.C.) who displayed a power arm during the fall and an ability to get timely outs.

• The Tar Heels have plenty of matchup options in the bullpen with a pair of left-handers that appeared a combined 64 times in 2011 with junior R.C. Orlan and sophomore Tate Parrish.

• Fellow southpaw Hobbs Johnson increased his velocity in the fall and should see plenty of opportunities this spring.

• Sophomore Shane Taylor can play a swing role for the Tar Heels from getting right-handers out to throwing several innings at a time thanks to his strike-throwing ability and.

• Freshman right-hander Chris McCue (Charlotte, N.C.) has a quick, loose arm and should push for innings early in the season.

• Other matchup options for the Tar Heels include senior right-hander Jimmy Messer and junior right-hander Cody Penny.

• Freshmen George Carter (LHP, Mayodan, N.C.), Peter Hendel (LHP, Waxhaw, N.C.) and Trevor Kelley (RHP, Wilmington, N.C.) should all battle for innings as well.

Catcher

• Senior Jacob Stallings returns for his third season as the Tar Heel backstop after starting 65 of 67 games behind the plate a year ago.

• Stallings was tabbed in the 42nd round of the 2011 MLB Draft by the Cincinnati Reds but turned down the opportunity to turn pro to come back for his final campaign.

• Stallings showed off his defensive prowess a year ago as he set UNC's single-season record for caught stealings as he cut down 32 runners on the year.

• The Brentwood, Tenn., native finished third on the team with a .292 average and led the Tar Heels in hitting throughout the fall season.

• Sophomore Matt Roberts suffered through an injury-plagued freshman season but will provide relief for Stallings when needed this year.

• Roberts worked on his hitting approach this summer and fall and should factor into the lineup somewhere in 2012.

• Brian Holberton saw a lot of time at designated hitter as a freshman and should see time there again this season but if necessary could provide backup at the catcher position.

First Base

• Junior college transfer Cody Stubbs displayed an impressive power stroke throughout the fall and looks to be the opening day starter at first base for the Tar Heels.

• Stubbs hit .403 at Walters State in 2011 with 16 doubles, 17 home runs and 75 RBI to lead to the team before getting drafted by the Washington Nationals in the 14th round of the 2011 MLB Draft.

• Stubbs turned down the Nationals offer to come to Chapel Hill and should provide a power bat in the lineup for the Tar Heels.

• Sophomores Tom Zengel and Parks Jordan could also spell Stubbs at times during the year after seeing time during the 2011 season.

• Freshman Grayson Atwood (Mt. Pleasant, N.C.) will battle for time at first base as well.

Second Base

• Junior Tommy Coyle will make the move to shortstop this year, leaving the second base position open to competition.

• Freshman Mike Zolk (Philadelphia, Pa.) was the leader after the fall thanks to his display of defensive and offensive ability.

• Zolk should see plenty of competition from freshmen middle infiedlers Shell McCain (Fort Mill, S.C.) and Josh Ake (Flemington, N.J.).

• McCain can play all over the infield and showed off his versatility during the fall season.

• Ake was a 29th round selection by the New York Mets in the 2011 MLB Draft and provides a solid bat and reliable glove for the Tar Heels.

Third Base

• Entering the 2011 season the hot corner was a question mark for the Tar Heels as no one emerged out of the fall season.

• Sophomore Colin Moran had a quiet fall but immediately showed he was more than capable to hold down the starting spot as he hit .409 in the opening month of the season and did not slow down from there.

• The Rye, N.Y., native became the first freshman since Dustin Ackley in 2007 to earn All-America honors and also picked up Baseball America Freshman of the Year and ACC Freshman of the Year honors.

• Moran paced the Tar Heels with a .335 average and led the ACC with 71 RBI as a freshman.

• A preseason All-America entering 2012, Moran should combine with Coyle at shortstop to form one of the best left sides in the country.

• Freshmen Mike Zolk and Shell McCain could spell Moran at third base if necessary.

Shortstop

• Carolina will look to replace a first round draft pick in its infield once again in 2012 as junior Levi Michael was tabbed 30th overall by the Minnesota Twins in the 2011 MLB Draft.

• Junior Tommy Coyle will step into the spotlight after starting at second base the last two seasons.

• Coyle was second on the team with a .311 average and scored a team-high 57 runs a year ago and has been the model of consistency since his time in Carolina Blue.

• Coyle hit over .300 at the Cape Cod Summer League and continued showing off an impressive stroke during the fall as well.

• The Chalfont, Pa., native started five games at shortsop a year ago in place of an injured Michael and looked very comfortable in the position.

• Freshman Josh Ake could also provide depth behind Coyle at shortstop.

Outfield

• Junior Chaz Frank makes the move to centerfield for the 2012 season after starting in left field as a sophomore.

• Frank came on late in the year to spark the offense and finished with a .411 on-base perecentage for the season.

• The corner outfield competition will be one of the most watched ones this spring as several different Tar Heels could see time in the starting lineup.

• Left field could see sophomore Parks Jordan claim the starting spot after opening the 2011 season as the starter while making 33 appearances as a freshman.

• Freshman Michael Russell (Huntersville, N.C.) had a solid fall and could see time in left thanks to his defense and power stroke.

• If Stubbs is not starting at first base he could also find himself in the outfield.

• Sophomore Tom Zengel started several games in right field a year ago and could see time there again this season after driving in 23 runs as a freshman.

• Freshman two-way player Adam Griffin (Clemmons, N.C.) should factor into the right field discussion as he hit well during the fall and displayed one of the top arms in the outfield.

• Another freshman, Bradley Morton (Winston-Salem, N.C.), should also battle for playing time in the outfield.

Designated Hitter

• When not appearing at first base or in the outfield freshman Tom Zengel will get the call at designated hitter after proving a year ago that he can hit both left and right-handed pitchers.

• Holberton came on late in the year and earned the starts at designated hitter throughout the postseason and hit nearly .300 for the tournament.

• With a bevy of left-handed hitters in the lineup, Carolina is sure to see plenty of left-handed pitchers throughout the year which will have Matt Roberts in the lineup to counter.

• Roberts could also earn the position outright after battling injuries a year ago.

Tar Heels Announce Signing Class For 2013

• The University of North Carolina baseball program continued its strong showing on the recruiting trail by signing 18 of the nation's top prep baseball student-athletes to National Letters of Intent during the early signing period. Included in this class are four of the nation's top 100 prospects and 11 of the top 30 players in the state of North Carolina, according to various rankings:

• Skye Bolt (OF, Woodstock, Ga.)

• Matt Campbell (INF, Chesapeake, Va.)

• Taylore Cherry (RHP, Dayton, Ohio)

• Zach Daly (OF, Gastonia, N.C.)

• Korey Dunbar (C/INF, Charleston, W.Va.)

• Landon Fraley (LHP, Norwood, N.C.)

• Jack Geraghty (RHP, Atlanta, Ga.)

• Reilly Hovis (RHP, Gastonia, N.C.)

• Landon Lassiter (INF, High Point, N.C.)

• Matt Lowry (RHP/C, Leland, N.C.)

• Michael Massardo (INF/OF, Waxhaw, N.C.)

• Zack Mozingo (RHP, LaGrange, N.C.)