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No. 2 Tar Heels Continue Challenging Start At Coca-Cola Classic
Feb. 27, 2008
North Carolina Coca-Cola Classic Notes in PDF Format
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Coming off its first loss in a home opener since 1993, No. 2 North Carolina continues a challenging early schedule this weekend at the Coca-Cola Classic in Rock Hill, S.C. The Tar Heels (3-1) will face host Winthrop (2-2) at 4 p.m. Thursday, Kent State (1-2) at 12:30 p.m. Friday and St. John's (4-0) at 4:30 p.m. Saturday. Based on the round-robin results, the four teams will then meet in consolation and championship games Sunday at The Winthrop Ballpark. GAMES 4-8: WINTHROP COCA-COLA CLASSIC
NORTH CAROLINA COCA-COLA CLASSIC SCHEDULE:
NATIONAL RANKINGS: North Carolina is ranked in the top five of all four major polls, including the No. 2 spot in the coaches' and writer's polls. St. John's is ranked 24th by Rivals.com. Winthrop and Kent State are unranked. SERIES HISTORY: The Tar Heels are familiar with host Winthrop, as the teams have played six times over the last three seasons with UNC winning five times. Carolina holds a 9-3 lead in the all-time series. The Tar Heels are 6-0 all-time against Kent State and 3-5 all-time versus St. John's. UNC has not faced the Golden Flashes since sweeping a three-game series at Boshamer Stadium in 1997 and has not faced the Red Storm since a 6-5 loss at the Broadway at the Beach Tournament in 2003. LAST TIME OUT: No. 2 North Carolina held Old Dominion scoreless through seven innings but allowed seven unearned runs over the final three frames in an 8-6, 10-inning loss Tuesday in the home opener at Cary's USA Baseball National Training Complex. First baseman Bryan Cipolla went 3-for-6 with six RBI, as the Monarchs handed the Tar Heels their first loss in a home opener since 1993. Cipolla's third hit of the night, a three-run double in the 10th inning, proved to be the difference. He also hit a game-tying solo home run in the ninth and a two-run single in the Monarchs' four-run eighth, which also featured three of the Tar Heels four errors. MORE HONORS FOR ACKLEY: Sophomore OF/1B Dustin Ackley was named ACC Player of the Week and NCBWA National Hitter of the Week for his fast start to the season at Florida Atlantic. Ackley recorded at least three hits in each game as the Tar Heels picked up three road wins against FAU to start the season. The sophomore from Walnut Cove, N.C., compiled a .714 batting average for the week and posted three home runs, seven RBI and scored five runs. He belted a pair of solo shots in the Feb. 22 7-1 win and added a three-run blast in the Feb. 24 series finale for six home runs over a seven-game stretch, dating back to last year's College World Series. ROAD WARRIORS: This season is a break from the ordinary for the Tar Heels, who will play 10 of their first 12 games on the road. In 2007, Carolina played just one of its first 23 contests away from Boshamer Stadium. The last time UNC opened a season with a similar stretch was 1985 when it played 14 of its first 15 games outside of Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels are 3-0 on the road so far this season. HEELS LOOKING TO IMPROVE D: With 10 errors over their first four games, the Tar Heels are looking for an improved defensive effort this weekend at Winthrop. Carolina has posted back-to-back four-error games for the first time since combining for nine errors over a two-game stretch April 26-27, 2005. UNC did not commit a four-error game all last season en route to a school-record .974 fielding percentage. BREAKING OUT THE BATS: Carolina has clubbed 12 home runs over their first four games, including 11 in its series sweep at Florida Atlantic. Dustin Ackley and Seth Williams lead the way with three round-trippers apiece. In addition to these power numbers, the Tar Heels have also pounded out at least 10 hits in all four games so far this season. DOUBLE DIPPING: The Tar Heels posted three multi-homer games in the first two outings of the season. Seth Williams and Dustin Ackley both went deep twice on opening day and Kyle Seager followed the next day with two of his own. Williams and Ackley's effort Feb. 22 at FAU marked the first time a pair of Tar Heels homered twice in the same game since Jeremy Cleveland and Ryan Blake did so against Duke April 20, 2003. ROOKIES ON THE MOUND: The Tar Heels are going to have to rely on a youth movement in their bullpen for much of this season. Carolina has already used a freshman or redshirt freshman in eight of its 16 relief appearances this year with positive results. Right-handers Colin Bates and Ryan Leach have already earned victories, and righty Nate Striz has already made three appearances and picked up his first career save. BURNEY JOINS ELITE COMPANY: With his start at Florida Atlantic Feb. 24, sophomore Kendric Burney became the first Tar Heel male athlete to start a game for two different sports in the same year since 2000-01. Burney started all 12 games at cornerback this past football season. In 2000-01, Ronald Curry and Julius Peppers both started games for football and basketball, and Brandon Russell started games for both football and baseball. SHARP STARTS: Sophomore Rob Catapano and freshman Matt Harvey were both sharp in their first career starts, combining for 15 strikeouts and just three earned runs in 10 1/3 innings. Catapano fanned seven over 5 2/3 innings at Florida Atlantic Feb. 24, and Harvey followed Tuesday with eight Ks in 4 2/3 shutout frames against Old Dominion. VETERAN LINEUP RETURNS: The Tar Heels opening day starting lineup featured seven position starters back in the fold from 2007. All eight position starters have made at last 44 career starts and they have each been very productive players. The lowest career average among the eight players is .288. Career Stats For UNC's Probable Starters Player Starts Career Avg. Chad Flack 199 .319 Seth Williams 157 .295 Tim Federowicz 143 .326 Dustin Ackley 77 .413 Garrett Gore 69 .292 Tim Fedroff 56 .344 Kyle Seager 52 .303 Kyle Shelton 44 .288 PICKING UP WHERE THEY LEFT OFF: After back-to-back national runner-up finishes, the Tar Heels ended the 2007 season ranked No. 2 in the national polls for the second year in a row. This season, Carolina opened the year ranked No. 2 in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches' Poll and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Poll. HEELS PICKED TO REPEAT: Defending Atlantic Coast Conference champion North Carolina is favored to repeat as the league champion in 2008, as determined by a vote of the league's 12 head coaches. The back-to-back national runner-up Tar Heels were also picked to win the Coastal Division for the third-straight year, while Florida State was predicted to capture its second Atlantic title. FOX REACHES 400: Tenth-year head coach Mike Fox reached the 400-win mark at Carolina Feb. 24 with a 14-13 win over Florida Atlantic. Only two other UNC coaches have reached this plateau - Mike Roberts (780) and Walter Rabb (540). Fox owns a 941-318-5 record in 24 years at Carolina and North Carolina Wesleyan and is 401-177-1 at UNC. WHITE, WARREN LEAD ROTATION: Right-handers Alex White and Adam Warren give the Tar Heels a talented and experienced 1-2 punch at the top of their weekend rotation. The duo combined for 18 wins a year ago and has started a combined 35 games. White was UNC's Saturday starter a year ago and struggled in the postseason before getting back on track with the Chatham A's of the Cape Cod League last summer. Warren went 12-0 primarily as a midweek ace but he did add a pair of victories in the College World Series. ALL-AMERICA QUINTET: Five Tar Heels have earned preseason All-America honors from at least one media outlet heading into the 2008 campaign: OF/1B Dustin Ackley, C Tim Federowicz, RHP Adam Warren, RHP Alex White and RHP Rob Wooten. Ackley is a consensus preseason All-America pick, while Federowicz was honored by three outlets. ACKLEY ADDS HONORS: Sophomore Dustin Ackley, the national freshman of the year in 2007, has accumulated quite a list of preseason honors entering the 2008 campaign. The Walnut Cove, N.C., native is a consensus preseason All-America pick and is on the watch list for the Brooks Wallace Award and Golden Spikes Award, which are both national player of the year awards. Additionally, he was named the ACC's "best pure hitter" by Baseball America and the preseason hitter of the year in the league by SoutheasternBaseball.com. WOOTEN TO CLOSE: Senior Rob Wooten, who led the NCAA and set an ACC record with 47 appearances a year ago, will move to the closer role this season. He will replace All-America Andrew Carignan, who saved a school-record 18 games in 2007. Wooten pitched in only 19 games over his first two seasons but dropped his arm slot with great success a year ago. He went 6-1 with a 2.35 ERA in 2007 and went a career-long for innings to earn his first save at Florida Atlantic Feb. 23. FEDEX A TOP PROSPECT: Starting catcher Tim Federowicz, nicknamed FedEx, is rated as the No. 3 backstop and No. 42 overall prospect for the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft by Baseball America. The Apex native was also ranked as the No. 8 prospect in the ACC for June's draft. He is a career .327 hitter with 127 career RBI. SHIFT ON THE INFIELD: Junior Garrett Gore and sophomore Kyle Seager split time at second base last season, but in 2008 this duo will serve as the Tar Heels' starting middle infield. Gore shifts over to short to replace All-America Josh Horton, while Seager takes over the everyday job at second. Both players hit better than .308 a year ago and combined for 57 RBI. Gore has not started the last two games due to a hamstring injury. FLACK RECORD WATCH: Senior Chad Flack enters his final campaign with a shot at several UNC career records. The Forest City, N.C., is on pace to break Carolina records for career games played, hits and at-bats and has a chance at several other marks. His next start will mark the 200th of his collegiate career. Chad Flack On UNC's Career Lists Category Rank Total Needed for Record Hits 7th 257 35 HR 9th 36 22 RBI 8th 167 52 XB Hits 8th 84 40 At-Bats 8th 805 131 Tot. Bases 6th 418 97 ROOKIE HONORS: Freshman pitchers and 2007 MLB Draft Picks Matt Harvey and Nate Striz are expected to play big roles for the Tar Heels this season, and they are rated among the top rookies in college baseball. Harvey has been recognized by CSTV and Rivals.com as one of the nation's top freshmen, and both Harvey and Striz were listed among the ACC's top five newcomers by Baseball America. Harvey is expected to be one of UNC's starters, while Striz figures to be one of the top options out of the bullpen. BATES IS BACK: Redshirt freshman right-hander Colin Bates should be a fixture in the bullpen this season after missing all of last year. The Naperville, Ill., native had thoracic outlet decompression surgery due to a blood clot in his right shoulder in November 2006 and spent last season rehabbing. He earned the win in his first outing with 3 2/3 strong innings. APR HONOR: The Carolina baseball program received the NCAA's Public Recognition Award for having an Academic Progress Rate that ranks among the nation's top 10 percent for its respective sport. In addition to baseball, UNC was also recognized in men's basketball, women's basketball, women's golf, volleyball and men's and women's fencing. INJURY REPORT: The Tar Heels will be without the services of junior outfielder Mike Cavasinni and freshman first baseman Michael Knox for the season due to knee injuries. Cavasinni was slated to see significant time in left field but will have two years of eligibility remaining beginning in 2009. BUILDING A BETTER BOSH: Carolina will play its 32 home games in 2008 at Cary's USA Baseball National Training Complex while Boshamer Stadium undergoes an estimated $25.5 million renovation. The Tar Heels will be back on campus in time for the 2009 season. In the meantime, they will make the roughly 25-minute commute to the Cary facility for games and practice. TAR HEELS SIGN 10: Carolina has continued its success on the recruiting trail by signing a 10-man class last November that will join the program next fall in time for the 2009 season. This group features five of Baseball America's top 100 prospects for next June's draft:
• Seth Baldwin (OF, Forest City, N.C.)
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