Game Day: UNC vs. Virginia Tech Series Preview
Tar Heels welcome hot-hitting Hokies to Chapel Hill
Coming off back-to-back weekend series at Duke and Miami, North Carolina returns to Boshamer Stadium this weekend for a three-game series against Virginia Tech.
Here’s what you need to know ahead of the series, which will begin at 6 p.m. Friday and will continue at 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.
Matchup: UNC (19-6, 5-4 ACC) vs. Virginia Tech (15-6, 3-4 ACC)
UNC ranks: No. 15/18/18 (Baseball America, D1Baseball, USA Today Coaches Poll)
Virginia Tech ranks: No. -/-/- (Baseball America, D1Baseball, USA Today Coaches Poll)
TV: Friday / Saturday / Sunday
Listen: TuneIn
Live Stats: Click here
Pitching matchups
Friday: RHP Connor Bovair (2-1, 2.48 ERA) vs. RHP Griffin Green (2-1, 4.23 ERA)
Ever since Connor Bovair arrived on campus, Scott Forbes has talked about the Siena transfer having Friday starter stuff. That’s been clearer than ever over the last month as Bovair has started to come into his own after an offseason of adjustments, and on Friday, he’ll finally get his first look as the Tar Heels’ Friday starter. Since stepping into the weekend rotation during the Pittsburgh series, Bovair has registered a 2.40 ERA while giving up just nine hits and striking out 12 in 15 innings over three starts. The righty still has room for improvement, having walked 10 in that span.
Virginia Tech will counter with Griffin Green, who allowed four runs in four innings in his start at Notre Dame last Friday. Since tossing 11 scoreless innings over his first two starts of the season against UNC Asheville and Fordham, the righty has logged a 7.02 ERA in 16 2/3 innings over his last four starts.
Saturday: RHP Max Carlson (1-0, 1.46 ERA) vs. RHP Drue Hackenberg (4-0, 2.81 ERA)
Max Carlson is coming off his best start of the season, if not his career, on Sunday at Miami, where he allowed one run on two hits while striking out a career-high 11 and walking one over five innings. The righty will look to continue that momentum into his start against the Hokies, who he’ll be facing for the second time in his career. In his outing in Blacksburg, Virginia, on March 6, 2021, he allowed three runs on three hits while striking out four and walking a career-high six over five innings. It was around that time that he started experiencing soreness in his right elbow, which eventually resulted in him undergoing an internal bracing procedure last May.
Taking the mound for Virginia Tech will be freshman Drue Hackenberg, who will be making his third ACC start. In his previous two against Georgia Tech and Pittsburgh, the righty allowed nine total runs (seven earned) on 21 hits while striking out 11 and walking two over 12 innings. His most recent outing came out of the bullpen at Notre Dame last Friday, when he surrendered one run on three hits while striking our four and walking one over three innings.
Sunday: TBA vs. TBA
After Brandon Schaeffer (2-1, 4.11 ERA) – UNC’s Friday starter for its first six weekend series – gave up four runs (one earned) in 2 2/3 innings in his start against UNCW on Tuesday, Forbes said he wasn’t sure if the lefty would start the series finale against the Hokies. If Schaeffer doesn’t start, other options for the Tar Heels could include righties Kyle Mott (5-1, 2.81 ERA) and Shaddon Peavyhouse (3-2, 3.57 ERA).
The Hokies’ Saturday starter for much of the season, Ryan Okuda (2-1, 3.91 ERA) seems like the most likely option to start Sunday’s game. The lefty started Tuesday’s game against VMI, allowing one run over two innings, but he only threw 41 pitches. If he doesn’t get the start, Sunday will likely be a bullpen day for Virginia Tech.
Scouting the Hokies
Virginia Tech seemed well on its way to making – perhaps even hosting – a regional last season after sweeping Wake Forest in early April to improve to 19-9 overall and 14-7 in the ACC. The Hokies, however, fell apart down the stretch, losing their last five ACC series and missing the NCAA Tournament. A year later, Virginia Tech is hoping to channel its frustrations into its first regional appearance since 2013, and early on, it looks like it could.
Despite being picked to finish sixth in the Coastal Division in the ACC preseason coaches poll, the Hokies entered the season with what was expected to be one of the league’s best lineups. Even then, it’s exceeded the hype so far, ranking in the top 20 nationally in slugging percentage (.612, second), home runs (47, fifth), batting average (.327, seventh), on-base percentage (.426, 10th), scoring (9.4 runs per game, 11th), doubles (60, 12th) and sacrifice flies (15, 19th). Anchoring the lineup is Jack Hurley (.470/.521/.928 with nine homers and 28 RBIs) – who D1Baseball ranked as the country’s No. 3 outfielder on Thursday. He’s one of five hitters with an OPS over 1.000, along with catcher Cade Hunter (.405/.477/.770), second baseman Eduardo Malinowski (.333/.449/.756), third baseman Carson DeMartini (.360/.462/.693) and shortstop Tanner Schobel (.354/.461/.595). That group doesn’t even include outfielder Gavin Cross (.301/.383/.542) – the No. 9 prospect in the 2022 MLB Draft, according to Baseball America.
The biggest questions facing Virginia Tech entering the season were on the mound, as it lost its top four innings leaders from 2021. Led by Hackenburg, the Hokies have registered a 4.10 ERA, which ranks seventh in the ACC and 52nd nationally. They’ve been one of the best teams in the ACC in limiting walks, allowing just 3.53 per nine innings, but they rank 140th in the country and 11th in the conference in hits allowed per nine innings (9.33). Opponents are hitting .268 against them.
Numbers to know
UNC leads the all-time series with Virginia Tech, 78-29-2, but dropped two of three games to the Hokies in Blacksburg, Virginia, last season.
This weekend will mark Virginia Tech’s first trip to Chapel Hill since 2018. UNC is 20-1 against the Hokies at Boshamer Stadium since they joined the ACC in 2005.
Entering Thursday, the Tar Heels ranked in the top 100 nationally in hit-by-pitches (40, 29th), home runs (31, 44th), home runs per game (1.24, 51st), hits (243, 53rd), stolen bases (37, 55th), stolen bases per game (1.48, 69th) and slugging percentage (.440, 100th).
Fifth-year outfielder Angel Zarate has reached base in all 25 games this season, extending his on-base streak to 48 games, dating back to April 4, 2021. In that span, he’s slashing .382/.475/.546 with 14 doubles, two triples, four homers and 30 walks compared to just 17 strikeouts.
Having also recorded a 39-game on-base streak between the 2019 and 2021 seasons, Zarate has reached base in 91 of his last 93 games.
Zarate’s 39 hits are tied for the third most in the ACC and the 32nd most nationally.
D1Baseball named Zarate the No. 43 outfielder in the country on Thursday.
Fourth-year shortstop Danny Serretti has played in 160 games during his UNC career, making 159 starts. No other Tar Heel player has played in more than 118 games or made more than 92 starts at the Division I level.
Sophomore Johnny Castagnozzi’s 10 multi-hit games are seven more than he had in 42 games last season.
Castagnozzi is slashing .348/.469/.630 with 12 extra-base hits (five doubles and seven 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 just 16 times in 113 plate appearances (14.2%) this season. His 13 walks are also three more than he had all last season.
D1Baseball named Castagnozzi the No. 7 second baseman in the country on Tuesday.
Sophomore catcher Tomas Frick leads UNC with 20 RBIs through 25 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 17 walks are two more than he had in 46 games last season.
After not even attempting a steal last season, Horvath is 8-for-9 on stolen-base attempts this year.
Sophomore first baseman Hunter Stokely is slashing .323/.450/.338 this season. Of his 21 hits, 20 have been singles. He’s also recorded a double.
Entering Thursday, freshman outfielder Vance Honeycutt’s eight homers were tied for the 45th most nationally and tied for the second most by any freshman – N.C. State’s Tommy White has hit 12, while five other freshmen have hit eight.
Entering Thursday, Honeycutt’s 18 stolen bases were tied for the ninth most in the nation and were the most by any freshman. They’re also the most by a UNC freshman since Adam Greenberg and Russ Adams had 28 and 20, respectively, in 2000.
D1Baseball named Honeycutt the No. 66 outfielder in the country on Thursday.
Entering Thursday, the Tar Heels’ pitching staff ranked in the top 40 nationally in ERA (2.44, third), WHIP (1.15, eighth), hits allowed per nine innings (7.11, 10th), shutouts (three, 14th), strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.20, 19th), walks allowed per nine innings (3.24, 26th) and strikeouts per nine innings (10.3, 36th).
Third-year lefty Shawn Rapp has given up six runs (three earned) while striking out 28 in 17 1/3 innings over 18 appearances, the most in the country. Over the last two seasons, he’s registered a 2.91 ERA as a reliever (15 earned runs in 46 1/3 innings over 38 appearances).
After pitching two innings over four appearances last season, fourth-year righty Kyle Mott is tied for 12th nationally with 14 appearances. He has registered a 2.81 ERA while striking out 36 over 25 2/3 innings. His five wins are also tied for the third most nationally.
Fifth-year senior Caden O’Brien’s 99 career appearances (six starts) are the sixth most among active Division I players and the ninth most by any pitcher in program history.
O’Brien’s four saves this season are already a career high. He notched three saves last season.