UNC Preseason Scrimmage Notes
The Tar Heels wrapped up their second week of preseason scrimmages Sunday
With its season opener against Seton Hall less than two weeks away, North Carolina held a pair of intrasquad scrimmages Saturday and Sunday at Boshamer Stadium.
Boshamer Bulletin was on hand for the 5 1/2-inning exhibitions. Below are a few notes from both games.
Play of the weekend
With the score tied at 3 in the bottom of the fifth inning Saturday, Navy turned to offseason standout Davis Palermo to get it out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam. The righty looked like he just might after striking out the first batter he faced and going up 0-2 on Alberto Osuna. But the Walters State transfer had other plans, sending the next pitch – an elevated fastball – over the wall in left-center to give Blue a 7-3 lead that it wouldn’t relinquish.
The home run – which left Osuna’s bat at 106 mph and flew out of the stadium on a line – offered as good a glimpse as any this offseason of what Osuna can bring to the Tar Heels this spring. For the coaching staff, though, it was just as important to see how well Palermo responded, inducing a fly out to end the inning.
As impressive as Palermo has been this offseason, the two-batter sequence provided the best illustration yet of how much he’s transformed – and of the mettle needed to thrive in the back of the bullpen.
“Last year, we had to take him out as soon as he gave up the home run,” pitching coach Bryant Gaines said. “And for him to come back, throw strikes, retire the next guy, that’s where he’s grown so much. Davis has faced Alberto Osuna four times as a first hitter (this week), and he struck him out every single time on fastballs. So, I told Davis, ‘You need to be able to know not only did you get the next guy out, but you need to go tell Alberto Osuna great swing and I’m glad you’re on my team.’ Because that’s what we need Alberto Osuna to do.”
Five who stood out
Casey Cook: The freshman infielder/outfielder is making a strong push to be in the Opening Day lineup. After going 1-for-3 with a two-run homer and a sacrifice bunt Saturday, Cook started in left field Sunday for Blue – which featured most of UNC’s starters from last season (see other observations). He again went 1-for-3 and made a nice defensive play, throwing behind the lead runner to get the first out in the top of the second at second base.
Kyle Mott: The right-hander continues to look like one of the Tar Heels’ most reliable relievers. Mott tossed the final frame both days, allowing one hit and striking out two over two shutout innings. He’s appeared in five of the six scrimmages, allowing one run on three hits and two walks and striking out four in five innings.
Tanner Quick: Plagued by injuries ever since he arrived on campus, the 6-foot-8, 210-pound sophomore is finally healthy and looking like an intriguing bullpen arm. With the score tied at 3 in the top of the fifth, the righty entered Saturday’s game with one out and runners on second and third and notched a pair of strikeouts with the cutter that he developed this offseason. He didn’t find quite as much success Sunday, coming in with the bases loaded and no outs in the fourth and inducing a pair of sacrifice flies before walking back-to-back batters. But Quick showed enough in pitching in all four scrimmages last week to offer hope of him making an impact this season.
Shawn Rapp: The lefty promptly gave up a single to load the bases after entering Sunday’s game with two outs and runners on first and second in the bottom of the fourth inning. He quickly buckled down, though, striking out the next batter to end the threat before pitching a 1-2-3 fifth. Rapp was super efficient, throwing 10 of his 13 pitches for strikes.
Angel Zarate: The fifth-year outfielder helped get the scoring started both days – recording a two-out RBI single with the bases loaded in the second Saturday, then singling and scoring on a Mac Horvath single in the bottom of the first Sunday. After going 3-for-6 with a walk over the weekend, Zarate is 7-for-14 with a home run, four RBIs and three walks in the five preseason scrimmages that I’ve attended.
Other observations
Blue’s Sunday lineup offered the best glimpse yet this preseason of what the Tar Heels’ Opening Day lineup might look like:
Vance Honeycutt, CF
Zarate, RF
Danny Serretti, SS
Horvath, 3B
Osuna, DH
Johnny Castagnozzi, 1B
Cook, LF
Tomas Frick, C
Patrick Alvarez, 2B
Connor Bovair and Shaddon Peavyhouse started Saturday’s scrimmage, while Connor Ollio and Will Sandy started Sunday.
Bovair allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits, three walks and a hit-by-pitch over 2 2/3 innings, striking out three.
Peavyhouse allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits and two walks over four innings, striking out three.
Ollio allowed five runs on six hits and two walks over three innings, striking out two.
Sandy allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits and one walk over four innings, striking out three.
Nik Pry allowed one hit in 1 2/3 scoreless innings Saturday and showed great effort in fielding two bunts.
Frick reached base in four of six plate appearances across both games. He also drove in a run on a sacrifice fly.
After laying down a sacrifice bunt to move runners to second and third in the bottom of the second Saturday, Eric Grintz hit again and drove in the runner from third with a single to left, giving Blue a 2-1 lead. The third-year catcher picked up another RBI on Sunday with a two-out single to right in the third.
Coming off an 0-for-4 effort Saturday, Hunter Stokely rebounded to go 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored Sunday.
Four of the nine runs scored Sunday came on sacrifice flies.