North Carolina
Rutgers
No. 15 Baseball Host Rutgers For Midweek Series
March 11, 2024 | Baseball
Tuesday's game is set for a 6 p.m. first pitch, and Wednesday's contest is slated for a 4 p.m. start. ACCNX will stream both games.
This will be the first meeting between Carolina and Rutgers since the 2000 NCAA Upper Montclair (N.J.) Regional. The Tar Heels lead the all-time series 11-3 with a 9-2 record at Boshamer Stadium.
| Tuesday | 6 p.m. (ACCNX) | Wednesday | 4 p.m. (ACCNX) | |
| Rutgers | RHP Jordan Falco (0-0, 1.12) ERA) | TBA |
| Carolina | RHP Boston Flannery (0-0, 6.23 ERA) | RHP Olin Johnson (0-0, 7.36 ERA) |
| Links | WATCH | LISTEN | STATS | WATCH | LISTEN | STATS |
IN THE POLLS
Entering week five of the season, Carolina is ranked in the top 16 by Baseball America, D1 Baseball, Perfect Game, and the USA Today Sports Coaches Poll, peaking at No. 11 in the NCBWA.
LAST TIME OUT
The Tar Heels went 4-0 last week, earning a road win at No. 21 Campbell on Tuesday before sweeping Coastal Division foe Pittsburgh (2-1, 7-4, 6-5) to open ACC play over the weekend. UNC has won nine straight games entering the series against the Scarlet Knights.
SCOUTING RUTGERS
The Scarlet Knights have compiled a 10-4 record through their first 14 games but are coming off a series lost at High Point over the weekend. They have played just one home game this season, posting a 7-2 win over Wagner. Rutgers opened the season by winning its first five games, sweeping Winthrop and winning the first two of a three-game series at Old Dominion, before earning a road sweep at Charleston Southern.
NO BREAKING THE BOSH
Carolina is 13-0 at home this season and owns a 17-game winning streak at Boshamer Stadium. It's the most consecutive home victories since opening the 2022 campaign with 17 straight wins.
TURN TWO
The Tar Heels lead the ACC in double plays (15) and double plays per game (0.94). Parks Harber has been part of an ACC-best 12 double plays, while Colby Wilkerson has helped turn 11 and Alex Madera 10.
OFF AND RUNNING
The Tar Heels lead the ACC in stolen bases this season with 34, one more than Louisville and two more than Georgia Tech. Vance Honeycutt is tied for second in the conference with 10 steals, and Anthony Donofrio is fifth with eight. Honeycutt is two shy of 60 in his career.
ALL I DO IS WIN
Sophomore right-handed pitcher Matthew Matthijs has made nine appearances—all in relief—this season and owns a 6-0 record, the most wins among all NCAA Division I pitchers. He is the first Tar Heel to win his first six decisions since Caden O'Brien won his first seven and Brett Daniels his first six in 2018.
ERA DROP
The Tar Heels' team ERA has dropped more than a run during their current nine-game winning streak from 4.62 to 3.49. UNC pitchers have combined for a 2.63 ERA over the last nine games, allowing just 24 earned runs in the previous 82.0 innings. Relievers Dalton Pence (1.23), Aidan Haugh (1.80), and Matthijs (2.08) all have under a 2.10 ERA with five or more innings pitched during the streak.
