Game Day: UNC vs. Campbell Preview
Tar Heels look to rebound against Camels
Hoping to pad its postseason resume with a third of the regular season left to play, North Carolina welcomes Campbell to Boshamer Stadium on Wednesday.
Here’s what you need to know ahead of the 8 p.m. tilt.
Matchup: UNC (22-14) vs. Campbell (22-12)
UNC ranks: No. -/-/- (Baseball America, D1Baseball, USA Today Coaches Poll)
Campbell ranks: No. -/-/- (Baseball America, D1Baseball, USA Today Coaches Poll)
TV: ACC Network
Listen: TuneIn
Live Stats: Click here
Pitching matchup
LHP Shawn Rapp (2-0, 3.20 ERA) vs. RHP Cade Kuehler (1-4, 3.40 ERA)
Following Sunday’s 11-8 loss to Georgia Tech, head coach Scott Forbes said he might shake up the pitching staff amid its struggles. Tuesday marks the first sign of that, as Shawn Rapp – the nation’s leader in appearances (27) – draws his first start of the year. As a redshirt freshman last year, Rapp registered a 7.64 ERA in five starts, but the lefty turned in a pair of great starts against Miami and Louisville. He was also effective in his lone midweek start, giving up two runs on three hits and one walk while striking out seven over 4 2/3 innings against UNCG on May 11, 2021. Rapp threw a season-high 36 pitches in a season-high-tying 2 1/3 innings on Friday. He also tossed 15 pitches in 1 1/3 innings Sunday. While both of those factors might suggest Rapp’s innings will be limited against the Camels, it’s not a certainty given that he threw 100 pitches in his first career start against Miami last season, 46 more than he’d tossed over his first 16 games. It’s hard to see him taking on that sort of workload Tuesday, but he could throw 50-60 pitches and still be available at Virginia this weekend.
Campbell will counter with Cade Kuehler, their usual Saturday starter and the No. 30 college prospect in the 2023 MLB Draft according to Baseball America. In eight starts this season, the righty has posted a 29.2% strikeout rate and a 10.1% walk rate over 42 1/3 innings. He’s held opposing hitters to a .178 average and allowed 5.95 hits per nine innings, the 33rd-best mark in the country. Tuesday will be his first appearance since April 9, when he gave up one run on three hits and two walks while striking out five over five innings against USC Upstate.
Scouting the Camels
Coming off back-to-back regional finals, including an impressive showing against eventual national champion Mississippi State last year, Campbell was perceived by many college baseball pundits as a sleeper to make the College World Series. A 1-6 start initially cast doubts on such predictions, but the Camels enter Tuesday having won 21 of their last 27 games, highlighted by wins over Duke, N.C. State and Liberty.
Campbell’s offense has been at the center of its success, ranking in the top 30 nationally in multiple offensive categories – including homers (61, 10th), slugging percentage (.509, 13th), scoring (8.0 runs per game, 26th) and stolen bases (61, 27th). The name to know in the Camels’ lineup is shortstop/right-handed pitcher Zach Neto (.361/.467/.691), the No. 42 overall player in the 2022 MLB Draft per Baseball America. Other standouts include outfielder Connor Denning (.285/.350/.528 with seven homers and 31 RBIs) and first baseman Drake Pierson (.347/.454/.669 with nine homers, 32 RBIs and 11 stolen bases).
On the mound, Campbell boasts several power arms, led by Friday starter Thomas Harrington (8-1, 1.37 ERA) – the No. 75 overall prospect in the 2022 MLB Draft per Baseball America – and Kuehler. The staff ranks in the top 80 in the country in hits allowed per nine innings (8.11, 33rd), strikeouts per nine innings (10.0, 44th), WHIP (1.42, 75th) and ERA (4.54, 76th). Free passes have been a bit of an issue, as the team ranks 186th nationally in walks allowed per nine innings (4.69).
Another weakness has been the team’s defense – Campbell ranks 217th nationally with a .961 fielding percentage.
Numbers to know
UNC leads the all-time series with Campbell, 37-10, and has won six straight games in the series – including a 9-3 win at Boshamer Stadium last season.
Entering Monday, the Tar Heels ranked in the top 100 nationally in hits (369, 28th), home runs (50, 32nd), home runs per game (1.39, 40th), hit-by-pitches (51, 58th), slugging percentage (.458, 72nd), walks (160, 88th), stolen bases (43, 97th), batting average (.282, 98th) and on-base percentage (.380, 100th).
From April 4, 2021, to April 2, fifth-year outfielder Angel Zarate reached base in 50 straight games. During the streak, he slashed .382/.474/.545 with 15 doubles, two triples, four home runs and 31 walks compared to just 19 strikeouts.
Zarate is slashing .374/.455/.503 this season. His 58 hits were tied for the 13th most in the country entering Monday, and his 14 doubles – seven more than his previous career high – were tied for the 32nd most nationally.
D1Baseball recently named Zarate the No. 43 outfielder in the country.
Fourth-year shortstop Danny Serretti has played in 171 games during his UNC career, making 170 starts. No other Tar Heel player has played in more than 129 games or made more than 103 starts at the Division I level.
Serretti is slashing a career-best .345/.425/.552 this season. He’s currently riding a 10-game hitting streak, in which he’s batting .450/.558/.750 with 12 RBIs, seven multi-hit games and 10 walks compared to just four strikeouts.
With 47 career doubles, the third most among active ACC hitters, Serretti is close to moving into the top 10 in UNC history. Dan Moylan (1998-2000) ranks 10th with 49. Jarrett Shearin (1996-99) holds the school record of 73.
Sixth-year senior Mikey Madej has started the last 10 games for the Tar Heels in left field. In that span, he’s hitting .343/.489/.486.
In going 4-for-4 with two homers, a double and six RBIs on April 8 at Louisville, third-year slugger Alberto Osuna became the first UNC player to post four hits, two homers and six RBIs since Seth Baldwin accomplished the feat against Princeton on March 17, 2009.
With five homers and 15 RBIs over the last seven games, Osuna leads the team in both homers (12) and RBIs (32). His 12 homers were also tied for the 30th most in the country entering Monday.
Sophomore Johnny Castagnozzi’s 14 multi-hit games are 11 more than he had in 42 games last season.
Castagnozzi is slashing .315/.417/.538 with 16 extra-base hits (eight doubles and eight home runs). He recorded eight extra-base hits (four doubles and four homers) all last season.
After striking out in 38.7% of his plate appearances last season, Castagnozzi has struck out 26 times in 153 plate appearances (15.5%) this season. His 16 walks are also six more than he had all last season.
D1Baseball recently named Castagnozzi the No. 7 second baseman in the country.
Sophomore catcher Tomas Frick has 24 RBIs in 35 games. He recorded 16 RBIs in 53 games last season.
Sophomore third baseman Mac Horvath has tied the game, given the Tar Heels the lead or pushed their lead to two in the sixth inning or later six times this season.
Horvath’s team-high 25 walks are 10 more than he had in 46 games last season.
After not even attempting a steal last season, Horvath is 10-for-11 on stolen-base attempts this year.
Horvath has registered 13 batted balls of 100 mph or higher over the last 11 games, according to UNC’s analytics team. Before then, he had just 13 batted balls of 100 mph or higher in the 21 games in which data was available.
Horvath matched the Tar Heel super regional era (since 1999) record for most consecutive games with a home run by homering in four straight games from April 10–16. Clemente Inclan was the last player to accomplish the feat, doing so from March 9-14, 2021.
Sophomore first baseman Hunter Stokely is slashing .304/.395/.348 this season. Of his 34 hits, 31 have been singles. He’s also notched two doubles and a home run.
Entering Monday, freshman outfielder Vance Honeycutt’s 10 homers were tied for the fourth most by any freshman nationally.
Entering Thursday, Honeycutt’s 22 stolen bases were tied for the 11th most in the country and were the second most by any freshman – UMass Lowell’s Jacob Humphrey has 28. They’re also the most by a UNC freshman since Adam Greenberg had 28 in 2000.
D1Baseball recently named Honeycutt the No. 66 outfielder in the country.
Entering Thursday, the Tar Heels’ pitching staff ranked in the top 100 nationally in shutouts (three, 23rd), strikeouts per nine innings (10.1, 40th), hits allowed per nine innings (8.31, 44th), ERA (4.28, 51st), WHIP (1.39, 57th) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.39, 67th).
Entering March 25, UNC ranked third nationally with a 2.07 ERA. Over the last 15 games, the Tar Heels have recorded a 7.20 ERA (113 earned runs over 141 1/3 innings).
Entering March 25, UNC ranked 19th nationally with 3.03 walks allowed per nine innings. Over the last 15 games, the Tar Heels have issued 5.8 walks per nine innings.
UNC has given up 32 home runs over the last 15 games. The Tar Heels allowed 18 homers in their first 24 games.
UNC pitchers have totaled just nine starts of five or more innings this season.
After pitching two innings over four appearances last season, fourth-year righty Kyle Mott is tied for sixth nationally with 21 appearances. He has registered a 4.93 ERA while striking out 53 over 38 1/3 innings. He ranks 46th nationally in strikeouts per nine innings (12.44), and his six wins are also tied for the 12th most in the country.
Fifth-year senior Caden O’Brien’s 104 career appearances (six starts) are the fifth most among active Division I players and the ninth most by any pitcher in program history.
O’Brien’s four saves this season are a career high. He notched three saves last season.
After posting a 6.88 ERA in 17 innings over 17 appearances last season, fourth-year righty Davis Palermo has recorded a 2.86 ERA while striking out 39 in 28 1/3 innings over 19 appearances, tied for the 14th most in the country. Teams are hitting .175 (18-for-103) against him.
D1Baseball recently included O’Brien (No. 32), fourth-year righty Davis Palermo (No. 45) and Rapp (No. 61) on its list of the nation’s top 75 relievers. UNC’s three selections were the most by any team in the country.