May 13, 2009

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - No. 4 North Carolina looks to wrap up yet another successful regular season with a three-game series at Boston College beginning Thursday at Eddie Pellagrini Diamond. The Tar Heels (39-13, 17-9 ACC) and Eagles (30-21, 12-13 ACC) meet at 1:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 1 p.m. Saturday.

All three games will be carried by the Tar Heel Sports Network with Jones Angell and Adam Lucas on the call on AM-1360 WCHL in Chapel Hill, Raleigh's 850 The Buzz, Burlington's WBAG (1150 AM) and TarHeelBlue.com.

At 17-9 in league play, Carolina enters the final weekend of the regular season in second place in the ACC's Coastal Division, percentage points behind leader Georgia Tech (16-8-1). The Tar Heels' 17 league wins trail only Atlantic Division leader Florida State, who is done in league play with a 19-9 mark. Depending on how things shake out this weekend, Carolina will be seeded anywhere between No. 1 and No. 6 in next week's ACC Tournament in Durham.

The Tar Heels need just one more win to reach the 40-win mark for the eighth straight season, which would extend a school record. UNC was the third-quickest to 40 last year but can at least match LSU or Coastal Carolina for the fastest to 40 this season with a win Thursday.

Carolina has won all nine meetings with Boston College since the Eagles joined the ACC prior to the 2006 season. The Tar Heels have topped the Eagles by an average score of 8.1-2.0 and have allowed more than two runs just twice in the series. UNC posted wins by scores of 7-2, 7-2 and 16-5 in its only trip to Chestnut Hill in 2007.

National player of the year candidate Dustin Ackley, who picked up his 100th career multi-hit game at Charlotte Tuesday, is batting .565 (13-23) with five multi-hit games in six outings in May. The Tar Heels have scored 33 runs over his stretch, and Ackley has accounted for 19 of them with 12 RBI and seven runs scored. Ackley is a career .391 hitter (9-23) in six games against Boston College. At Chestnut Hill in 2007, he went 6-for-12 with six RBI.

In additional to Ackley's hot bat, the Tar Heel pitching staff has fueled the Tar Heels down the stretch. Since an April 14 setback to High Point gave Carolina three losses in a four-game stretch, the Tar Heels have bounced back with a 12-3 record over the last 15 outings. Pitching has led UNC over this run with a 2.91 ERA and 140 strikeouts over 136 innings. Opponents are hitting only .219 in the last 15 games.

Relievers Colin Bates and Brian Moran have allowed just three earned runs over a combined 35 1/3 innings for a 0.76 ERA over this stretch. Starters Alex White and Adam Warren, who along with Matt Harvey are a combined 4-0 in four career starts versus the Eagles, are 4-1 and have allowed 14 runs and fanned 44 in 41 innings.

Moran, who won the game at Charlotte Tuesday, has an unreal 73-to-4 strikeout-to-walk total in 53 2/3 innings for 18.3 Ks for each walk. Carolina's stalwart out of the bullpen currently leads the ACC in ERA (1.84), opponent batting average (.167) and appearances (29). Over his last 12 outings, Moran is 4-0 with three saves and has allowed jus two runs over 21 innings for a 0.86 ERA over this stretch.

Boston College carries a 30-21 overall record and a 12-13 mark in the ACC into the weekend series with Carolina. The Eagles suffered a 3-2 loss to Connecticut Tuesday and dropped two of three to Miami May 1-3 in their most recent conference series.

BC owns a .313 team average and has totaled 55 home runs and 35 stolen bases. Catcher Tony Sanchez anchors the Eagles' offense with a .362 average, 14 home runs and 43 RBI. Mickey Wiswall (56) and Michael Belfiore (58) are the team's top run producers.

On the mound, the Eagles sport a 4.71 staff ERA. The rotation for the series consists of RHP J.B. MacDonald (4-6, 4.08), RHP John Leonard (1-3, 7.84) and LHP Pat Dean (5-3, 3.11). Belfiore (5-1, 2.41) is the top option out the bullpen.