Baseball Ready To Host Rival NC State

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The Tar Heels stroll into Boshamer Stadium for their final regular season home series of the year, a rivalry matchup with NC State.

Carolina has faced the boys from down the road in Raleigh 314 different times. UNC leads the all-time series 171-142-1 and is 94-67-1 in games played in Chapel Hill. The two teams have split the four series played since Forbes took over the Heels' helm, but including two postseason matchups Carolina has won eight of the last 11.

Surprisingly, it is the first weekend series of the year for the Tar Heels against a ranked opponent. The Wolfpack currently sit one spot ahead of UNC in the ACC standings thanks to their one less game played.

SCHEDULE
Game 1: Thursday, May 8 - 6 PM | ACCNX | Trading Card Pack 4
Game 2: Friday, May 9 - 6 PM | ACCNX | Michael Busch Bobblehead & Fireworks Night
Game 3: Sunday, May 11 - 1 PM | ACCN | Senior Day

#4 North Carolina Tar Heels (36-10, 15-9 ACC)
Head Coach:Scott Forbes
Record at North Carolina: 190-99 (5th Season)
Career Record: Same
Career vs. NC State: 8-6

#16 NC State Wolfpack (31-15, 15-8 ACC)
Head Coach: Elliott Avent
Record at NC State: 1067-928-2 (29th Season)
Career Record: 1291-841-2 (37th Season)
Career vs. UNC: 42-48

MIDWEEK MADNESS
➤ Carolina's last three games have all been wins of the midweek variety: 13-4 over George Mason, 14-3 in eight against Queens, and a 10-1 victory over Campbell.
➤ An eight run seventh inning was the highlight against GMU, as UNC registered 15 hits and forced five errors out of the Patriots, the most mistakes from an opponent this year.
➤ True freshman Walker McDuffie was given the ball for his first career start and went a career-long 5.1 near-shutout innings, allowing just two hits and one run (his lone walk of the day).
➤ The Tar Heels had another big offensive outing against Queens, scoring nine in the fourth. The inning started with a pop out before 10 straight Carolina batters reached base safely from seven hits and three errors.
➤ Hunter Stokely issued the game's final blow with (technically) the team's first walk-off home run of the year, a 354 foot no-doubter to finish the game in the eighth.
➤ Finally, the Heels made it three straight in double figures with a steady offensive output against Campbell.
➤ The trio at the bottom of the order led the way, combining for six hits, six RBIs, and three runs scored. Rom Kellis V had his best day in Carolina blue, highlighted by his first homer of the season.

ARM TALENT
➤ The Tar Heels' staff leads the ACC in a number of categories including ERA (3.42, 5th NCAA), strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.64, 21st NCAA), WHIP (1.22, 9th NCAA), and walks allowed per nine (3.55, 28th NCAA).
➤ The gap between Carolina's conference leading ERA and 2nd place (WFU, 4.36, 0.94) is bigger than the gap between 2nd and 11th (ND, 5.27, 0.91).
➤ Carolina's starters are all over the ACC leader boards, pacing the conference game only lists in at least five categories.
➤ Knapp has been particularly brilliant, sitting atop the conference in ERA (1.96), OBA (.179), IP (55.0), and wins (8) while being 2nd in strikeouts (53).
➤ The duo of Knapp and Haugh are 1st and 7th in opp. batting average.
➤ UNC put up games with 17 and 14 strikeouts back-to-back twice in week two alone. The last time the team had 14+ Ks in back-to-back games more than once in the same season was 2008.

RAISING KANE
➤ Carolina's leadoff man has been everything you could want from the position, leading the team in OBP (.459) and making the most of it.
➤ He has started Carolina off with a base runner in 20 of their games so far this year. 7 HBP, 2 3B, 1 HR, 4 1B, 5 BB, and 1 PB. He's scored on 14 of those occasions.
➤ He leads the team in runs scored (54, 5th ACC) and free passes (59) thanks to an astonishing 22 HBPs, the second most by a Tar Heel this century (28: Ryan Earey, 2000).
➤ With 33 stolen bases (2nd ACC, 11th NCAA) through 46 games, he is on pace to have the most SBs in a season since Russ Adams had 45 in 2002.
➤ It's the most bases stolen by a Tar Heel through 46 games since Adams that same year.
➤ It is already good for the 7th most in program history, two behind putting him in a tie for 6th.
➤ He started the year a perfect 17-17. It is our most attempts without being caught in a row since, you guessed it, Adams had the same to close out the 2001 season.
➤ By himself, Kepley has more steals than 29 DI programs and three ACC teams: Cal (30), NC State (28), and Stanford (18).
➤ With six triples, he is just two shy of the Carolina single-season record (8: Brian Goodwin, 2010) and he is tied for the seventh most in the country.

RETURN OF THE KNAPP
➤ The impact the return of Jake Knapp had on the Carolina pitching staff cannot be overstated.
➤ The Greensboro native was slated to be the Friday starter going into the 2024 season before sustaining a season-ending elbow injury in the preseason.
➤ "Coach Knapp," as Forbes affectionately calls him, stayed locked in with the team despite his devastating situation, attending every practice, game, and meeting. The coaching staff credits his leadership as a key factor in their run to Omaha.
➤ 623 days since his last appearance, the second-year captain retook the mound on opening day 2025. He threw three innings, allowing only two hits and racking up three strikeouts.
➤ In just his fourth appearance since the surgery, he threw his first career complete game in a career-long 7.0 inning win over Stanford.
➤ This year he is 9-0 (the best record of any power conference pitcher), leading the Tar Heels to victory in all 11 of his appearances.
➤ In 63.0 innings thrown, he has logged 63 Ks, just 13 walks, and is holding a 2.14 ERA (11th NCAA, 1st ACC). His K-to-BB ratio (4.85) is the 2nd best in the ACC.

YOUNG BUCKS BRING THE HEAT
➤ Carolina has called upon three true freshman arms to deliver in big spots this season.
➤ First to appear was the Lee County legend Walker McDuffie. He has thrown 19 times with one start, striking out 57 batters, earning three wins, and logging four saves.
➤ His save was the first by a Carolina true freshman since Shawn Rapp's against Elon on Feb. 18, 2020.
➤ Flamethrower Ryan Lynch currently holds the second lowest ERA of the regular relievers at 2.81. He has two saves and holds a 4-0 record.
➤ It is the first time UNC has multiple freshmen with more than one save in a season since at least 1997.
➤ The last true freshman Heel to record more than one save in a season was Trent Thornton, who had eight in 2013.
➤ Lynch's seven strikeouts were the most by a Carolina pitcher in their collegiate debut since Max Carlson racked up eight on Feb. 20, 2021.
➤ Ellerbe, N.C. native Camron Seagraves has 15 appearances and was the first of the trio to get a start. He is 2-0 with 31 Ks in 20.0 IP.
➤ Punching out two to finish off history, he is the first freshman on record to be involved in a UNC no-hitter.
➤ The trio, alongside the young Jason Decaro, own 16 of the Tar Heels' 36 wins so far this year. Lynch is the oldest of the group while DeCaro, the sophomore, is the youngest player on the team.

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Players Mentioned

Rom Kellis V

Jake Knapp

Ryan Lynch

Walker McDuffie

Camron Seagraves

Hunter Stokely

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University of North Carolina Athletics