Game Day: UNC vs. Seton Hall Series Preview
Tar Heels Open 2022 Season Friday at Boshamer Stadium
Coming off a 2021 campaign in which it went 28-27 and rallied to make its 33rd NCAA Tournament appearance, North Carolina kicks off its second season under head coach Scott Forbes with a three-game series against Seton Hall at Boshamer Stadium this weekend.
Here’s what you need to know ahead of the series, which will begin at 4 p.m. Friday and continue at 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.
Matchup: UNC vs. Seton Hall
UNC ranks: No. -/-/- (Baseball America, D1Baseball, USA Today Coaches Poll)
Seton Hall ranks: No. -/-/- (Baseball America, D1Baseball, USA Today Coaches Poll)
TV: Friday / Saturday / Sunday
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Live Stats: Click here
Pitching matchups
Friday: LHP Brandon Schaeffer vs. RHP Nick Payero
Coming off an impressive preseason in which he surrendered one run while striking out 16 and walking four across 13 innings, Brandon Schaeffer gets the ball for the Tar Heels on Opening Day. At 6-foot-2, 195 pounds, the left-hander boasts a strong three-pitch mix that includes an 88-92 mph fastball, an above average slider and a plus changeup. His greatest strength, however, might be his ability to pound the strike zone – which he did at an exceptional rate last season at WVU Potomac State, striking out 79 and walking only four on his way to a 0.94 ERA in 47 2/3 innings.
Opposing Schaeffer will be Nick Payero. Entering his fourth season at Seton Hall, the righty has logged a 5.69 ERA across 28 games (eight starts). He’s coming off his worst season yet in 2021, when he recorded an 8.16 ERA over 28 2/3 innings in 11 games (three starts).
Saturday: RHP Max Carlson vs. RHP Hunter Waldis
When he was shut down last April due to an elbow injury, Max Carlson appeared to be in danger of missing this season. Fortunately for the right-hander, though, he avoided Tommy John surgery and instead underwent an internal bracing procedure in May. A full-go since returning from winter break, he’s still getting acclimated to being back on the mound, but the sophomore has shown flashes of the talent that made him a high-profile recruit coming out of Savage, Minnesota.
Seton Hall will counter with graduate student Hunter Waldis, who will be making his first career start. Over his first four seasons, the right-hander has posted a 5.68 ERA in 58 2/3 innings of relief. He’s coming off a year in which he logged an 8.04 ERA over 15 2/3 innings in 15 games.
Sunday: RHP Shaddon Peavyhouse vs. RHP Brennan O'Neill
In tossing 5 1/3 shutout innings in his final preseason start last Saturday, Shaddon Peavyhouse earned the starting nod for Sunday’s game. Working from a high three-quarters delivery, the righty pairs a fastball that tops out at 94 mph with a slider that’s capable of inducing lots of whiffs. The Coastal Carolina transfer sometimes struggles with his command, though, which will be something to monitor against the Pirates.
Taking the hill for Seton Hall in the series finale will be Brennan O’Neill. The righty served as the Pirates’ regular midweek starter as a true freshman in 2019, when he registered a 3.38 ERA over 40 innings in 11 games (nine starts). But over the last two seasons, he’s primarily worked out of the bullpen, tallying a 4.81 ERA over 39 1/3 innings in 17 games (two starts).
Scouting the Pirates
Despite dropping 10 of its last 13 games in 2021, Seton Hall managed to put together a solid season, finishing 16-11 in the Big East and reaching the Big East Championship for the 10th straight year, the longest active streak in the conference. That, however, seems like a distant memory after the Pirates’ roster underwent significant turnover this offseason.
Of the six Seton Hall players who made the All-Big East first and second teams last season, only one returns: outfielder Will Gale. The third-year sophomore is expected to set the tone atop the order after slashing .317/.381/.367 with 16 stolen bases, but it’s unclear what the rest of the lineup will look like. Other hitters to know are third-year outfielder Devin Hack (.299/.406/.364, 7 SB) and fourth-year outfielder Justin Scotto (.440/.517/.680, 2 HR).
On the mound, the Pirates lost their top three starters and their saves leader. Only one returner threw more than 29 1/3 innings in 2021: lefty Joe Cinnella, who posted a 3.89 ERA over 41 2/3 innings in 16 games (four starts). He’s expected to have a sizable role this season, along with righties Chris Shine (2-1, 3.28), Drew Conover (0-0, 5.79) and Dan Frontera – who D1Baseball ranks as the No. 3 impact freshman in the Big East.
Numbers to know
UNC leads the all-time series with Seton Hall, 58-11.
Excluding former ACC members Maryland (198) and South Carolina (103), Davidson (114), East Carolina (88) and UNCW (77) are the only nonconference teams that the Tar Heels have played more than the Pirates.
Under former head coach Mike Fox, UNC opened its season against Seton Hall seven times – five more than any other opponent. This weekend, however, will be the first time the Tar Heels have played the Pirates since opening the 2015 season with a three-game sweep.
UNC is 22-2 in its last 24 season openers. That includes a 15-0 home record.
Fifth-year outfielder Angel Zarate ended last season with a 23-game on-base streak. In that span, he slashed .378/.476/.598 with five doubles, two triples, three homers and 17 walks compared to just six strikeouts.
After playing sparingly in his first two seasons with the Tar Heels, Zarate has hit .348/.439/.496 in 67 games over the last two seasons. He’s drawn 42 walks compared to 28 strikeouts in that span.
Fourth-year shortstop Danny Serretti has played in 135 games during his UNC career, making 134 starts. No other Tar Heel has played in more than 107 games or made more than 78 starts at the Division I level.
Serretti hit .339/.400/.597 with with three homers, a triple, five doubles and 12 RBIs in his last 16 games of 2021.
Sophomore third baseman Mac Horvath slashed .292/.366/.556 with all nine of his extra-base hits (four doubles and five homers) and all 22 of his RBIs in his last 20 games of 2021.
UNC recorded a 10.4% walk rate last season, its lowest since 2008.
The Tar Heels’ most consistent pitcher outside of Austin Love last season, Gage Gillian logged a 2.34 ERA in 50 innings, striking out 49 and walking nine. The righty went two or more innings in 13 of his 23 relief appearances.
Fifth-year left-handed pitcher Caden O’Brien has posted a 3.93 ERA in 130 2/3 innings. He’s made 87 career appearances (six starts), 41 more than any other pitcher on the roster – fourth-year junior Connor Ollio has made 46.
Fourth-year righty Nik Pry averaged 11.8 strikeouts per nine innings in 2021 – the highest rate by a UNC pitcher in more than 21 innings since J.B. Bukauskas in 2016 (12.8).
Third-year lefty Shawn Rapp registered a 3.72 ERA in 20 relief appearances last season, allowing 12 earned runs in 29 innings. In five starts, he notched a 7.64 ERA, surrendering 15 earned runs over 17 2/3 innings.
Eight pitchers not named Love combined for 25 weekend starts in the 2021 regular season. They logged a 7.85 ERA over 78 innings and got through the fifth inning only seven times.
Tomas Frick threw out 15 base stealers last season, the most by a Tar Heel freshman catcher since Fox became UNC’s head coach in 1999. Chris Iannetta and Tim Federowicz each threw out 14 in 2002 and 2006, respectively.