June 18, 2007
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TEAM NOTES:
The Tar Heels' 14-4 loss to Rice was just its third in College World
Series play over the last two seasons. Carolina is 5-3 in Omaha in 2006
and 2007 and is 7-11 in six trips to the CWS.
With the loss, head coach Mike Fox falls to 26-16 in the NCAA
Tournament. The Tar Heels are 62-48 in 110 all-time postseason games.
Carolina's starters have allowed 10 runs in just three innings in the
College World Series and they have posted an 11.22 ERA over the last
seven games (32 earned runs in 25 2/3 innings).
Carolina's 14 runs allowed were a season high and marked the most
given up by the Tar Heels since a 15-8 loss to Maryland March 17, 2006.
The 14 runs also matched the most UNC has ever allowed in the NCAA
Tournament, equaling losses to South Carolina (14-4) in 2003 and Texas
A&M (14-2) in 1993. Sunday was also just the eighth time in 110 NCAA
Tournament games that the Tar Heels have allowed 10-plus runs.
The 10-run loss was UNC's largest in NCAA play since a 14-4 defeat at
South Carolina in the 2003 Columbia Super Regional. It is the Tar Heels'
largest loss in the CWS since an 11-0 loss to Oral Roberts in 1978.
Thanks to Rice's six-run second inning, the Tar Heels fell behind by
two or more runs for the seventh consecutive game. Carolina had rallied
to win five of the six previous games.
Carolina set a CWS record by using eight pitchers in Sunday's loss.
The Tar Heels used a season-high nine pitchers in a March 11 win over
Miami.
PLAYER NOTES:
At just 1 1/3 innings, freshman right-hander Alex White's start was
the shortest of his career. He was charged with six runs on five hits
and one walk.
Shortstop Josh Horton's RBI triple in the fifth was his sixth
three-bagger of the season, which is tied for fifth on the Tar Heels'
single-season list. He also has 10 career triples to sit sixth on the
all-time list. Horton was 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI Sunday and is
batting .382 (13-34) in the NCAA Tournament.
Reliever Rob Wooten pitched in his eighth straight NCAA Tournament
game and his 43rd of the season, which is one shy Derrick DePriest's
school record of 44 outings in 1998. He has struck out 17 and allowed
just one run in 13 1/3 innings in the NCAA Tournament.
Right-hander Tyler Trice made his first appearance of the 2007
postseason and allowed two runs in two-thirds of an inning. He pitched 1
1/3 shutout innings in the 2006 CWS. Lefty Matt Cox also made his 2007
NCAA Tournament debut and worked two-thirds of an inning.
Sophomore Tim Federowicz both pitched and caught for the 10th time
this season. He was 1-for-4 at the plate and allowed a two-run home run
in the ninth to close the scoring for the Owls.
Third baseman Chad Flack was 1-for-4 with an RBI and has hit safely in
six straight College World Series games dating to 2006. He has 24 RBI in
22 career NCAA Tournament games and has hit safely in seven of his eight
CWS games.
Left fielder Reid Fronk was 2-for-3 for his fourth postseason
multi-hit game and is batting .361 (13-36) in the NCAA Tournament.
With a run-scoring double in the second, sophomore second baseman
Garrett Gore has recorded eight of his 27 RBI in the Tar Heels' eight
NCAA Tournament games.
Center fielder Seth Williams hit in the No. 2 spot in the order for
the 17th time this season, but the first since May 12 against Georgia
Tech.
