Game Day: UNC vs. Charlotte Preview
Tar Heels begin final push with midweek matchup
Coming off a five-day break for final exams, North Carolina returns to action Tuesday, when it hosts Charlotte at 7 p.m. at Boshamer Stadium.
Here’s what you need to know ahead of the contest.
Matchups: UNC (24-17) vs. Charlotte (28-16)
UNC ranks: No. -/-/- (Baseball America, D1Baseball, USA Today Coaches Poll)
Liberty ranks: No. -/-/- (Baseball America, D1Baseball, USA Today Coaches Poll)
TV: ACC Network
Listen: TuneIn
Live Stats: Click here
Pitching matchup
LHP Brandon Schaeffer (4-1, 3.74 ERA) vs. RHP Matt Brooks (3-1, 2.19 ERA)
After starting Max Carlson against Liberty last Tuesday, head coach Scott Forbes will again send one of his weekend starters — Brandon Schaeffer — to the mound against a tough midweek opponent. Schaeffer is coming off arguably his best performance as a Tar Heel, having surrendered two hits in 4 1/3 scoreless innings of relief against the Flames. The WVU Potomac State transfer struck out four and walked one, bringing his strikeout-to-walk ratio to 12:4 over his last six games (three starts). In that span, he’s posted a 3.22 ERA in 22 1/3 innings. Tuesday’s start will likely lead to Schaeffer starting Sunday’s series finale at N.C. State on four days' rest.
Opposing Schaeffer will be Matt Brooks, who will be making his sixth midweek start of the season for the 49ers. Over his first five, the righty has logged a minuscule 0.95 ERA across 28 1/3 innings. That includes a stellar outing against UNC Asheville last Tuesday, when he surrendered four hits and two walks while striking out a career-high 10 batters over 7 1/3 scoreless innings. Tuesday will be his first appearance against an ACC opponent since his freshman year in 2017, when he tossed 5 2/3 scoreless innings in two games against N.C. State and one against Wake Forest.
Scouting the 49ers
When Robert Woodard left his post as UNC’s pitching coach to become Charlotte’s head coach in the summer of 2019, the 49ers were coming off a 21-31-1 campaign in which they finished next to last in the Conference USA standings. Woodard wasted little time turning the program around, though, leading Charlotte to 40 wins and its first regional in a decade last season. So far this year, the 49ers haven’t performed at quite the same level. But they still enter Tuesday on a nine-game winning streak and look like they’ll be in the mix come Selection Monday, especially if they can pull off a win Tuesday over Woodard’s old squad.
Charlotte’s offense has been mostly responsible for its success and enters Tuesday averaging 10.4 runs during its winning streak. On the year, the 49ers rank in the top 25 nationally in walks (289, first), on-base percentage (.417, 12th), home runs (70, 19th) and scoring (8.3 runs per game, 25th). They’re also in the top 100 nationally in slugging percentage (.482, 43rd), batting average (.290, 67th) and stolen bases (58, 73rd). The No. 297 prospect in the 2022 MLB Draft according to Baseball America, David McCabe (.389/.532/.800 with 10 homers and 33 RBIs) anchors the lineup. Walters State transfer Cam Fisher (.283/.408/.595 with 13 homers and 48 RBIs), Jack Dragum (.363/.461/.503 with 35 RBIs), Nate Furman (.360/.496/.451 with 18 stolen bases) and UNC Greensboro transfer Josh Madole (.294/.431/.500 and 44 RBIs) are other names of note. So, too, is reigning C-USA Player of the Year Austin Knight (.274/.401/.473).
On the mound, Charlotte has registered a 4.74 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP, which ranks 84th and 49th nationally. The 49ers are also in the top 100 nationally in hits allowed per nine innings (8.12, 24th), shutouts (three, 37th) and strikeouts per nine innings (9.2, 82nd). Lefty Spencer Giesting (4-4 with a 4.78 ERA and 75 strikeouts in 52 2/3 innings), BA’s No. 232 prospect for the 2022 MLB Draft, has split time between the bullpen and the rotation and could see some action Tuesday. Righty Tony Rossi (4-0, 4.13) and lefty AJ Wilson (3-0, 8.22) — who have both appeared in 20-plus games — could also pitch.
Numbers to know
UNC leads the all-time series with Charlotte, 34-8-1.
Now in his third season as Charlotte’s head coach, Robert Woodard spent nine years with the Tar Heels — four as a player (2004-07), two as an assistant coach (2011 and 2012) and three as pitching coach (2017-19). The all-time winningest pitcher in program history, Woodard posted a 34-5 record across four seasons, helping UNC to back-to-back College World Series finals in 2006 and 2007.
Entering Monday, the Tar Heels’ offense ranked in the top 100 nationally in hit-by-pitches (61, 69th), home runs (55, 56th) and slugging percentage (.450, 97th).
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 .358/.446/.472 this season. His 63 hits were tied for the 53rd most in the country entering Monday, and his 14 doubles were seven more than his previous career high.
Fourth-year shortstop Danny Serretti has played in 176 games during his UNC career, making 175 starts. No other Tar Heel player has played in more than 134 games or made more than 108 starts at the Division I level.
Serretti is slashing a career-best .335/.421/.530 this season. He’s currently riding a career-best 15-game hitting streak, in which he’s batting .390/.507/.627 with 14 RBIs, seven multi-hit games and 14 walks compared to eight strikeouts.
With 49 career doubles, the third most among active ACC hitters, Serretti is tied with Dan Moylan (1998-2000) for the 10th most in program history. Jarrett Shearin (1996-99) holds the school record of 73.
Sixth-year senior Mikey Madej has started the last 15 games for the Tar Heels in left field. In that span, he’s hitting .346 (18-for-52).
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 six homers and 17 RBIs over the last 12 games, Osuna leads the team in both homers (13) and RBIs (34). His 13 homers were also tied for the 52nd most in the country entering Monday.
Sophomore Johnny Castagnozzi is slashing .296/.397/.519 with 18 extra-base hits (nine doubles and nine home runs). He recorded eight extra-base hits (four doubles and four homers) all 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 seven times this season.
Horvath’s team-high 28 walks are 13 more than he had in 46 games last season.
After not even attempting a steal last season, Horvath is 14-for-16 on stolen-base attempts this year.
Over the last 16 games, Horvath is hitting .292 (21-for-72) with eight doubles, seven homers and 15 RBIs.
Sophomore first baseman Hunter Stokely is slashing .320/.420/.383 this season. Of his 41 hits, 35 have been singles. He’s also notched five doubles and a home run.
Over the last 12 games, Stokely is hitting .388 (19-for-49) with five of his six extra-base hits (four doubles and a homer).
Entering Monday, freshman outfielder Vance Honeycutt’s 23 stolen bases were tied for the 21st most in the country and were the second most by any freshman — UMass Lowell’s Jacob Humphrey has 38. They’re also the most by a UNC freshman since Adam Greenberg had 28 in 2000.
Entering Monday, the Tar Heels’ pitching staff ranked in the top 100 nationally in shutouts (three, 37th), strikeouts per nine innings (9.8, 44th), ERA (4.40, 52nd), hits allowed per nine innings (8.59, 56th), WHIP (1.43, 75th) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.28, 78th).
Entering March 25, UNC ranked third nationally with a 2.07 ERA. Over the last 20 games, UNC has recorded a 6.76 ERA (139 earned runs over 185 innings).
Entering March 25, the Tar Heels ranked 19th nationally with 3.03 walks allowed per nine innings. Over the last 20 games, they’ve issued 5.6 walks per nine innings (115 total).
UNC has given up 39 home runs over the last 20 games. The Tar Heels allowed 16 homers in their first 21 games.
After posting a 6.88 ERA in 17 innings over 17 appearances last season, fourth-year righty Davis Palermo has recorded a 2.31 ERA while striking out 46 in 35 innings over 23 appearances. Teams are hitting .167 (21-for-126) against him.