North Carolina
Virginia Tech
Tar Heels Face First Road Tests At Virginia Tech
March 4, 2021 | Baseball
The Rundown
Opponent:Â No. 16/24 Virginia Tech
Dates: March 5-7
Site:Â Blacksburg, Va. (English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park)Â
First Pitch:Â Friday, 4 p.m. / Saturday, 1 p.m. / Sunday, 1 p.m. (ET)
TV: Friday (Click Here) / Saturday (Click Here) / Sunday (Click Here)
Listen:Â Click Here
Live Stats:Â Click Here
Game Notes: North Carolina | Virginia Tech
Pitching Matchups
Friday: RHP Austin Love (2-0) vs. LHP Peyton AlfordÂ
Saturday: RHP Max Carlson (2-0) vs. RHP Chris Gerard
Sunday: RHP Max Alba (1-1) vs. RHP Anthony Simonelli
Top Storylines
• North Carolina enters the weekend after winning its opening ACC series against No. 2/12 Virginia. It was the first time since the 2017 season the Tar Heels had won its ACC-opening series, when UNC took two of three from UVA.
• The Tar Heels' pitching staff has been immaculate to start the season. As a staff, Carolina boasts a 1.57 ERA, which ranks first out of 61 Power 5 programs.Â
• Carolina's bullpen has allowed one earned run over 22 2/3 innings. That's good for a 0.40 ERA through seven games.
• College baseball teams scoring three or fewer runs this year have won 16 percent of the time. UNC is the only team to win three of these games and are three of four when scoring three or fewer. Nine teams have done it twice.
• Outfielder Justice Thompson has made an immediate impact on the Tar Heel roster. Starting in every game, he boasts a team-high .520 average and has collected 13 hits, almost double anyone else on the roster (Angel Zarate- 7). In game two against Virginia, he showed off his defense by robbing a game-tying home run in the ninth inning.Â
• Redshirt sophomore Austin Love was named ACC Pitcher of the Week after his season debut against James Madison on Feb. 19.
• The Salisbury, N.C., native made his first career start against the Dukes and impressed, as he threw 6.0 hitless innings which yielded nine punchouts, zero runs and two walks. His nine strikeouts tied his career high, a mark that he established against Dallas Baptist on Feb. 23, 2020.
• Scott Forbes took the reigns from Mike Fox on Aug. 7, 2020, who wrapped up a legendary 22-year career at Carolina. He becomes just the fifth head coach of the Tar Heel baseball program since 1931.
• Angel Zarate has reached base in 26-straight games, dating back to UNC's 16-1 win over Liberty in the 2019 Chapel Hill regional.
• Justice Thompson, Caleb Roberts, Tyler Causey, and Brett Centracchio each have hit home runs over 400 feet this season. Causey's 442-foot home run vs. JMU is the furthest of 2021. Â
Scouting the Hokies
• For the first time since 2013, Virginia Tech baseball has been ranked in four polls around the NCAA. The Hokies ranked highest in the Baseball America poll, sitting at No. 16. The D1 Baseball rankings hold Tech at 24.
• Tech finished its first ACC series with a 2-1 record against Miami (Fla.) (3-3, 1-2), marking its first series win in the sunshine state. The Hokies had four home runs and 22 hits in the series.
For up-to-date information on Carolina baseball, visit GoHeels.com/Baseball and follow us on Twitter (@DiamondHeels) and Instagram (@carolinabaseball).
