University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Pittsburgh
Baseball Opens ACC Play Against Pitt
March 7, 2024 | Baseball
The series opener on Friday is at 4 p.m., while Saturday and Sunday's games are at 2 p.m. and 1 p.m., respectively. ACC Network Extra will stream all three games.
The Tar Heels have won 10 of 12 games against Pittsburgh at Boshamer Stadium and all four series. UNC has won seven in a row over the Panthers in Chapel Hill, sweeping the last two series in 2018 and 2022.
Carolina and Pitt played just one game of their scheduled three-game series last season due to inclement weather in Pittsburgh. UNC won the game 17-7 in 5:21 over the course of two days. Johnny Castagnozzi, Alberto Osuna, and Colby Wilkerson homered in the game.
The Tar Heels lead the all-time series, 16-11.
Pitching Matchups
| Friday | 4 ET (ACCNX) | Saturday | 2 ET (ACCNX) | Sunday | 1 ET (ACCNX) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pitt | RHP Ryan Andrade (0-0, 8.44 ERA) | TBA | TBA |
| Carolina | LHP Folger Boaz (2-0, 2.16 ERA) | TBA | TBA |
| Links | WATCH | LISTEN | STATS | WATCH | LISTEN | STATS | WATCH | LISTEN | STATS |
In The Rankings
Entering the fourth weekend of the season, the Tar Heels are ranked inside the top 16 by Baseball America, D1 Baseball, and Perfect Game, peaking at No. 14 in the NCBWA and the USA Today Sports Coaches poll.
Scouting the Panthers
Pitt is off to an 8-1 start this season and enters ACC play on a four-game winning streak after capturing the Las Vegas College Baseball Classic title, scoring 38 runs in 16 innings, with wins over Oklahoma (19-9) and future ACC member California (19-8). First baseman Luke Cantwell leads the Panthers in hits (14) and RBIs (12) and is tied for the team lead in hitting (.400). Freshman Ryan Zuckerman has belted five home runs, tops on the team and tied for seventh-most in the conference. The Panthers are slashing .326/.445/.540 as a team with a 5.40 team ERA.
Last Time Out
Casey Cook ripped a 105-mph single off the glove of Campbell second baseman Chandler Riley to break a 3-3 ninth-inning tie and propel the Tar Heels to a 7-3 win over the Camels on Tuesday. One batter later, Anthony Donofrio broke open the game with a two-run double that bounced over the right field wall. Alberto Osuna followed with a base hit up the middle to score Donofrio, establishing the final score. The trio had two hits, while Vance Honeycutt collected three base knocks. The Tar Heels used six pitchers to limit the Camels to six hits. Matt Poston earned the win, tossing two innings of scoreless relief with a pair of strikeouts. Dalton Pence struck out five in 2 1/3 innings, and Matthew Matthijs fanned four in two innings, striking out the side in the sixth.
Six In A Row
Carolina enters ACC play on a six-game winning streak following its win at Campbell on Tuesday. Four UNC players have collected 10 hits during its current six-game winning streak (Cook, Alex Madera, Osuna, Luke Stevenson). Donofrio (12), Stevenson (12), and Osuna (10) have double-digit RBIs during the streak. The Tar Heels have been ahead or tied at the end of 50 of the last 54 innings during their current six-game winning streak. They have scored three or more runs in an inning 12 times during the streak.
Home Victory
The Tar Heels are 10-0 at home this season and have won 14 straight at Boshamer Stadium since last season. UNC has scored double-digit runs in seven of its 10 home games this season and has been held to under eight runs just once. It is winning its home games by an average margin of 7.4 runs per game.
Off And Running
The Tar Heels have stolen 32 bases through the first 13 games of the season and have been caught stealing only once. Carolina leads the ACC in stolen bases and ranks 11th nationally. Honeycutt leads the team with nine steals, which ranks second in the conference and 12th in Division I. Donofrio has swiped seven bags and ranks fifth in the ACC. A year ago, UNC had just 20 stolen bases through 13 games.
Top 20 Tar Heels
Matthijs is tied for the NCAA lead in victories with four. He has been the winning pitcher in four of Carolina's last seven triumphs. Donofrio has drawn a team-best 15 base on balls this season, ranking second in the ACC and 14th nationally. Cook's 22 hits rank fifth-most by an ACC player this season and 18th-most among Division I hitters. Honeycutt is ranked among the NCAA Division Top 20 in three categories heading into the start of ACC play. He is eighth in runs (21), 12th in stolen bases (9), and 16th in home runs (6). His 21 runs scored are the most by an ACC player.
