University of North Carolina Athletics
UNC, FSU Vie For ACC Supremacy
March 30, 2012 | Softball
March 30, 2012
Follow UNC Softball Via Twitter | 2012 Softball Yearbook
CHAPEL HILL, N.C.-- No. 23 North Carolina (23-8) travels to Tallahassee, Fla, to do battle with No. 22 Florida State (31-5) in a three-game set at JoAnne Graf Field. The Tar Heels and Seminoles will faceoff in a doubleheader Sunday, April 1, beginning at 12 p.m., which will air live on ESPN3. The series' finale Monday, April 2, at 7 p.m. will air live on ESPNU.
AT A GLANCE
Records: Carolina 23-8, 2-1 ACC. Florida State 31-5, 6-0 ACC.
Rankings: Carolina moved up a spot in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches' poll this week to No. 23 and is receiving the most votes (28) of any team not ranked in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll. FSU is ranked No. 22 in both polls.
TV/Radio/Live Stats:
• Watch game one (Sun. 12 p.m.) live on GameTracker.
• Watch game two (Sun. 2:30 p.m.) live on GameTracker.
• Watch game three (Mon. 7:00 p.m.) live on ESPNU or follow the action live on GameTracker.
SCOUTING THE TEAMS: North Carolina is coming off a 9-0 midweek victory against Campbell March 28. Lori Spingola tossed a one-hut shutout, while Constance Orr and Logan Foulks each tallied a two-run home run in the win over the Camels. The Tar Heels currently sit in second-place in the ACC (2-1), are riding a three-game win streak and have won six of their last seven contests.
Florida State is coming off a doubleheader sweep of Florida Gulf Coast by scores of 5-0 and 7-1. The Seminoles' team batting average has risen by 21 points over it's last eight games and it's pitching staff ranks fourth nationally in team earned run average. FSU is leading the ACC with a 6-0 mark and is undefeated at home with a 16-0 record to date.
SERIES RECORDS: Carolina and Florida State have faced each other 67 times, with the Seminoles owning a 46-21 advantage in the all-time series. UNC has won five of the last seven matchups with the Seminoles and swept FSU for the first time ever last season in Chapel Hill, March 26-27, 2011. The Seminoles won the last meeting, 4-1, against the Tar Heels in the ACC Championship game in Atlanta, Ga., May 15, 2011.
CLIMBING THE POLLS: The NCAA released the 2012 season's first Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) and the Tar Heels hold the second-best rating of any school in the Atlantic Coast Conference at No. 27, trailing only Florida State (No. 22). UNC also moved up a spot in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches' poll to No. 23 and is receiving the most votes (28) of any team not ranked in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll.
SPREADING THE WEALTH: Five Tar Heels are batting over .300 on the season: Amy Nece (.433), Ally Blake (.342), Logan Foulks (.333), Constance Orr (.333) and Kelli Wheeler (.312). Four Tar Heels also rank in the top-10 of the ACC in batting average: Nece leads the league with a .433 average, followed by Blake (fifth/.342), Foulks (sixth/.333) and Wheeler (10th/.312).
POTENT TAR HEEL OFFENSE: Carolina boasts a potent offense, ranking 30th in the country in home runs per game at 0.93 clip and is 56th in runs per game with a 5.03 average. UNC also leads the ACC in doubles (39), home runs (30) and slugging percentage (.452) and the Tar Heels are second in batting average (.280) and third in RBI (144).
TAR HEELS DIG THE LONG BALL: Displaying power at the plate, seven Tar Heels have notched double-digit home runs in 2012: Foulks (7), Wheeler (6), Haleigh Dickey (4), Orr (4), Blake (3), Jenna Kelly (3) and Jordan Scarboro (2).
PLAYING THE FIELD: Carolina is also stout defensively, leading the conference and ranking 14th nationally in fielding percentage (0.977). Moreover, UNC owns the second-lowest ERA in the ACC (2.21).
IN THE ZONE: Lori Spingola was just named ACC Pitcher of the Week for the second time in 2012--sixth time her her career--following a 4-0 week. The sophomore from Atlanta, Ga., was brilliant in the circle against South Carolina Wednesday, March 21, tossing her fourth career no-hitter, as the Tar Heels blanked the Gamecocks, 8-0. Spingola is tied for fifth in the country in total victories (17), is eighth in the nation in strikeouts with 174, is tied for second nationally with nine shutouts and is 20th in strikeouts per seven innings (9.1).
DICKEY STEPPING UP: Haleigh Dickey recorded her first career grand slam in the win over South Carolina Wednesday, March 21, en route to garnering Player of the Week honors. The junior infielder from Woodstock, Ga., is second on the team in RBI (23), is third in home runs (4) and leads the team and the ACC in doubles (7).
CLOSING IN ON GREATNESS: Kelli Wheeler belted her sixth home run of 2012 in the win over South Carolina March 21, leaving her just two shy of tying the school record for career home runs (34), set by Natalie Anter between 1999-2002.
BREAKING OUT: Amy Nece is having a breakout sophomore campaign for Carolina. The centerfielder from Redlands, Calif., leads the ACC and the team in batting average (.433). Nece also leads the Tar Heels in multiple-hit games (9) and is currently riding a five-game hitting streak.
