Game Day: UNC vs. Liberty Preview
Tar Heels host Flames in final game before exam break
Coming off its fifth consecutive series loss, North Carolina will look to enter the exam break on a high note when it hosts Liberty at 4 p.m. Wednesday at Boshamer Stadium.
Here’s what you need to know ahead of the midweek tilt, which was initially slated for Tuesday but was postponed due to inclement weather.
Matchups: UNC (23-17) vs. Liberty (26-12)
UNC ranks: No. -/-/- (Baseball America, D1Baseball, USA Today Coaches Poll)
Liberty ranks: No. -/-/- (Baseball America, D1Baseball, USA Today Coaches Poll)
TV: Wednesday
Listen: TuneIn
Live Stats: Click here
Pitching matchup
RHP Max Carlson (1-2, 4.12 ERA) vs. RHP Trey Gibson (3-3, 4.78 ERA)
A year after turning to Austin Love for four innings of relief in their final game before the exam break – a must-win game versus Campbell – the Tar Heels will take a similar approach Wednesday when they send Max Carlson to the hill. The sophomore is fresh off his third straight Friday start at Virginia, where he allowed three runs on six hits and four walks while striking out four in 6 2/3 innings – the longest start by a UNC pitcher this season. The Tar Heels will likely be conservative with Carlson’s pitch count, considering he’s coming off offseason elbow surgery and a career-high 112 pitches.
The Flames will give the ball to Trey Gibson. A member of D1Baseball’s freshman All-America first team last season, the righty spent the first two months of the year as the team’s Saturday starter, but Wednesday will mark his fourth straight midweek start – all of which have come against ACC competition. Over his last three games against Virginia, Virginia Tech and Duke, he’s posted a 5.54 ERA while striking out 13 and walking five over 13 innings.
Scouting the Flames
After improving to 11-1 – good for its best start since 2012 – with its 1-0 win over UNC on March 8, Liberty dropped nine of its next 15 games to fall out of the national polls. The Flames have regained their stride in recent weeks, though, and once again look the part of a team capable of making a deep postseason run.
As has been the case since former Tar Heel assistant coach Scott Jackson took over as Liberty’s head coach prior to the 2017 campaign, the Flames’ success is largely due to their pitching. Entering Tuesday, Liberty ranked in the top 35 nationally in strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.18, 14th), strikeouts per nine innings (10.7, 15th), ERA (3.75, 18th), walks allowed per nine innings (3.38, 26th) and WHIP (1.33, 34th). Righties Trey Carter (1-0, 2.08 ERA with a .156 batting average against in 21 2/3 innings) and Cade Hungate (2-0, 2.92, 6 SV in 12 1/3 innings) as well as lefty Mason Fluharty (3-1, 3.60 with a 41.9% strikeout rate in 30 innings) have been the team’s top relievers. Righty David Erickson (1-1, 4.50 in 20 innings) also boasts a lot of experience.
Offensively, the Flames have cooled off a bit since their last meeting with UNC, but they entered Tuesday ranked in the top 100 nationally in walks (197, 46th), on-base percentage (.387, 70th), scoring (7.1 runs per game, 77th) and home runs (43, 81st), among other categories. Outfielder/infielder Aaron Anderson (.331/.426/.497) and outfielder Derek Orndorff (.328/.494/.688 with 13 home runs, 36 RBIs and 16 stolen bases) anchor the lineup.
Numbers to know
The Tar Heels lead the all-time series with Liberty, 23-6, but have dropped three straight games to the Flames.
Now in his sixth season as Liberty’s head coach, Scott Jackson spent eight seasons (2009-16) as an assistant coach at UNC, helping the Tar Heels to a 345-156 record and three College World Series appearances (2009, 2011 and 2013).
UNC pitching coach Bryant Gaines served as the pitching coach at Liberty for three seasons (2017-19). He helped lead the Flames to the ASUN title and an NCAA regional berth in his final season on Jackson's staff in 2019.
Entering Tuesday, the Tar Heels’ offense ranked in the top 100 nationally in hit-by-pitches (61, 39th), home runs (53, 41st), hits (400, 44th), stolen bases (49, 96th), walks (177, 97th) and slugging percentage (.449, 98th).
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 .353/.437/.468 this season. His 61 hits were tied for the 27th most in the country entering Tuesday, and his 14 doubles – seven more than his previous career high – were tied for the 67th most nationally.
Fourth-year shortstop Danny Serretti has played in 175 games during his UNC career, making 174 starts. No other Tar Heel player has played in more than 133 games or made more than 107 starts at the Division I level.
Serretti is slashing a career-best .338/.425/.538 this season. He’s currently riding a 14-game hitting streak, in which he’s batting .373/.493/.610 with 12 RBIs, seven multi-hit games and 14 walks compared to seven 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 14 games for the Tar Heels in left field. In that span, he’s hitting .333.
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 11 games, Osuna leads the team in both homers (13) and RBIs (34). His 13 homers were also tied for the 32nd most in the country entering Tuesday.
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 15 games, Horvath is hitting .298 with eight doubles, six homers and 13 RBIs.
Sophomore first baseman Hunter Stokely is slashing .328/.425/.392 this season. Of his 41 hits, 35 have been singles. He’s also notched five doubles and a home run.
Over the last 11 games, Stokely is hitting .413 with five of his six extra-base hits (four doubles and a homer).
Entering Tuesday, freshman outfielder Vance Honeycutt’s 10 homers were tied for the sixth most by any freshman nationally.
Entering Tuesday, Honeycutt’s 23 stolen bases were tied for the 17th most in the country and were the second most by any freshman – UMass Lowell’s Jacob Humphrey 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 (three, 32nd), strikeouts per nine innings (9.8, 51st), hits allowed per nine innings (8.70, 67th), ERA (4.49, 68th), WHIP (1.45, 80th) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.27, 84th).
Entering March 25, UNC ranked third nationally with a 2.07 ERA. Over the last 19 games, the Tar Heels have recorded a 7.06 ERA (138 earned runs over 176 innings).
Entering March 25, UNC ranked 19th nationally with 3.03 walks allowed per nine innings. Over the last 19 games, the Tar Heels have issued 5.8 walks per nine innings.
UNC has given up 38 home runs over the last 19 games. The Tar Heels allowed 18 homers in their first 24 games.
After posting a 6.88 ERA in 17 innings over 17 appearances last season, fourth-year righty Davis Palermo has recorded a 2.43 ERA while striking out 44 in 33 1/3 innings over 22 appearances. Teams are hitting .167 (20-for-120) against him.