Game Day: UNC vs. Clemson ACC Tournament Preview
The Tar Heels face the Tigers for the first time this season
Riding high after three straight ACC series wins, No. 8 seed North Carolina kicks off ACC Tournament pool play against No. 12 seed Clemson on Tuesday at Truist Field in Charlotte.
Here’s what you need to know ahead of the 7 p.m. contest, the Tar Heels’ first of two in pool play.
Matchup: UNC (34-19, 15-15 ACC) vs. Clemson (35-21, 13-16 ACC)
UNC ranks: No. -/-/- (Baseball America, D1Baseball, USA Today Coaches Poll)
Pittsburgh ranks: No. -/-/- (Baseball America, D1Baseball, USA Today Coaches Poll)
TV: RSN, ACC Network Extra
Listen: TuneIn
Live Stats: Click Here
Pitching matchup
RHP Max Carlson (1-2, 3.72 ERA) vs. RHP Mack Anglin (6-5, 4.11 ERA)
Max Carlson will get the start for UNC on Tuesday on four days’ rest after throwing 84 pitches against Florida State on Thursday. The sophomore went just 4 1/3 innings against the Seminoles, allowing two runs on six hits and three walks and striking out three. But even then, he’s managed post a respectable 3.13 ERA in 23 innings over his last five starts. Tuesday will mark his second career start against Clemson. The other came on March 13, 2021, when he surrendered four runs on three hits and five walks while striking out one in 4 1/3 innings.
The Tigers will also turn to their Friday starter, Mack Anglin, who earned All-ACC second-team honors Monday. The right-hander is coming off one of his best games of the season against Boston College last Thursday, when he allowed one run on five hits and three walks while striking out seven across as many innings. It marked the second straight home start that he went seven innings. Over his last two outings away from Doug Kingsmore Stadium, though, he’s surrendered 14 runs (11 earned) over 8 1/3 innings. Anglin will be making his second career appearance against UNC after tossing 3 2/3 perfect innings in relief with five strikeouts on March 14, 2021.
Scouting the Tigers
Similar to UNC, the 2022 campaign has been a tale of three seasons for Clemson. A year removed from their first losing season since 1957, the Tigers got off to a perfect 14-0 start and entered mid-March as one of college baseball’s last unbeaten teams. But upon dropping their first game on March 13 to Northeastern, things spiraled, as they lost 12 of their next 17 games. In recent weeks, though, Clemson has righted the ship and enters this week as winners of 16 of its last 25 games. Despite this resurgence, the Tigers come into Charlotte likely needing at least one win to make a regional.
Like seemingly every ACC team this year, Clemson boasts an explosive lineup that’s been at the center of its turnaround, entering this week with 52 home runs and a .552 slugging percentage over the last 22 games. On the year, the Tigers rank in the top 50 nationally in homers (97, 13th), walks (288, 19th), hits (557, 42nd), slugging percentage (.486, 42nd) and scoring (7.7 runs per game, 44th). Third baseman Max Wagner — who was named ACC Player of the Year on Monday — leads the way, hitting .379/.506/.867 with 26 homers and 74 RBIs. He’s not the only threat, though, as second baseman Blake Wright (.352/.398/.597 with 10 homers and 38 RBIs) and utility man Cooper Ingle (.353/.452/.534 with eight homers and 44 RBIs) each possess an OPS over .980.
As great as it has been at the plate, Clemson has been mostly average on the mound. The Tigers are 54th nationally in hits allowed per nine innings (8.7), 66th in ERA (4.61) and 67th in WHIP (1.42). They don’t overpower opposing hitters, though, ranking 96th nationally and 12th in the ACC in strikeouts per nine innings (9.0). Their starters have been fairly inconsistent, combining for a 5.21 ERA and a .262 opponent batting average in 229 2/3 innings.
Numbers to know
UNC is 85-71 all-time in the ACC Tournament.
The Tar Heels have won the ACC Tournament seven times, including three times since 2007. They own 11 ACC baseball titles overall, winning four times during years in which the regular-season winner earned the title (1960, 1964, 1966 and 1969).
UNC is 4-4 in two previous appearances (1997 and 2015) as the No. 8 seed in the ACC Tournament.
The Tar Heels are 95-102-1 all-time against Clemson. Tuesday will mark the first meeting between the two teams since UNC swept the Tigers in Chapel Hill from March 12-14, 2021.
The Tar Heels are 13-16 against Clemson in the ACC Tournament. Tuesday will mark the first meeting between the two teams in the conference tournament since eighth-seeded UNC beat fifth-seeded Clemson, 6-3, on May 22, 2015 at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
The Tar Heels are 39-16 in games played in professional baseball stadiums since 2011. They have outscored their opponents 384-213 in those games.
UNC is 6-3 at Truist Field, formerly known as BB&T Ballpark. That includes a 1-1 showing at the 2021 ACC Tournament and a 15-2 loss to South Carolina on April 6.
Ranked No. 16 in the RPI, the Tar Heels have played the country's seventh-hardest schedule, according to WarrenNolan.com. The Tar Heels’ 32 games against Quadrant 1 teams are tied with Duke for the most nationally, and their 16 Quad 1 victories are tied for the second most nationally. UNC also ranks in the top six nationally in average RPI wins (88) and average RPI losses (36).
Entering Tuesday, the Tar Heels’ offense ranked in the top 100 nationally in home runs (79, 39th), slugging percentage (.469, 72nd), hit-by-pitches (74, 75th) and hits (528, 80th).
Fourth-year shortstop Danny Serretti (second team), fifth-year outfielder Angel Zarate (third team) and freshman outfielder Vance Honeycutt (third team and all-freshman team) earned All-ACC honors Monday. Honeycutt became the sixth Tar Heel to make the league’s all-freshman team and the third to earn both all-freshman and all-conference honors in the same season, joining Aaron Sabato and Gianluca Dalatri.
From April 4, 2021, to April 2, 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 .346/.431/.491 this season. His 79 hits were tied with Serretti for the 46th most in the country entering Tuesday, and his 16 doubles were nine more than his previous career high. With 31 RBIs, he’s just one shy of his career high.
Serretti has played in 188 games during his Tar Heel career, making 187 starts. No other UNC player has played in more than 146 games or made more than 120 starts at the Division I level.
Serretti is slashing a career-best .369/.448/.547 this season. He saw a career-best 26-game hitting streak come to an end Sunday.
With 52 career doubles, the third most among active ACC hitters, Serretti is tied with Seth Williams (2005-08) for the eighth most in program history. Jarrett Shearin (1996-99) holds the school record of 73.
Sixth-year senior Mikey Madej has started the last 27 games for the Tar Heels in left field. In that span, he’s hitting .319 (30-for-94).
With 12 homers and 36 RBIs over the last 24 games, Osuna leads the team in both homers (19) and RBIs (53). His 19 homers are the most by a newcomer in their first season at UNC and tied for the 23rd most in the country.
Over the last 28 games, sophomore Mac Horvath is hitting .319/.433/.770 with 10 doubles, 13 homers and 31 RBIs.
Horvath’s 16 homers this season are tied for the 62nd most in the country.
Horvath’s team-high 40 walks through 53 games are 25 more than he had in 46 games last season.
After not even attempting a steal last season, Horvath is 17-for-19 on stolen-base attempts this year.
Since moving into the cleanup spot on May 8 at N.C. State, Honeycutt is slashing .406/.512/1.094 with two doubles, a triple, six homers and 14 RBIs across nine games.
With seven homers over his last 11 games, Honeycutt is up to 17 on the season, one shy of Sabato’s UNC freshman record, set in 2019. That’s also tied for the 44th most in the country.
Honeycutt’s 28 stolen bases are tied for the 22nd most nationally and the third most by any freshman — UMass Lowell’s Jacob Humphrey has 45, and Western Illinois’ Nick Mitchell also has 30. They’re also the most by a UNC freshman since Adam Greenberg had 28 in 2000.
Entering Tuesday, the Tar Heels’ pitching staff ranked in the top 100 nationally in shutouts (four, 30th), ERA (4.33, 42nd), strikeouts per nine innings (9.3, 66th), hits allowed per nine innings (8.94, 72nd), strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.27, 75th) and WHIP (1.45, 82nd).
Fourth-year lefty Will Sandy has a 11 1/3 scoreless innings streak over his last five appearances, dating back to the N.C. State game on May 8.
Third-year lefty Shawn Rapp has registered a 4.14 ERA while striking out 55 in 41 1/3 innings over 38 appearances, the most in the country.
After posting a 6.88 ERA in 17 innings over 17 appearances last season, the right-handed Palermo has recorded a 2.49 ERA while striking out 58 in 47 innings over 30 games. Teams are hitting .176 (30-for-170) against him.