No. 5 Tar Heels Host USF In Big Weekend Series

Saturday, February 23

Chapel Hill

4 p.m.

North Carolina

South Florida

Buy Tickets

UNC Baseball TeamUniversity of North Carolina Baseball v NC A&TBoshamer StadiumChapel Hill, NCTuesday, February 19, 2019

February 21, 2019 | Baseball

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By: T.J. Scholl

No. 5 North Carolina will host USF in a three-game series at Boshamer Stadium starting Friday, Feb. 22 at 3 p.m. with the following two games taking place on Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. All three games can be streamed on ACC Network Extra. If dates and times of games change due to inclement weather, that information will be updated on GoHeels.com as well as on our Twitter page, @DiamondHeels.

Parking For Saturday, Feb. 23

Public Parking for Baseball will be advertised and set up for Bell Tower Deck, Raleigh Road Visitors Lot, School of Government Deck, Varsity Tennis Lot (near the Outdoor Education Center off of Country Club Rd.

Disability parking and golf cart shuttle will continue to be offered in the Rams Head Deck

Quick Notes

• Carolina has the country's longest current home winning streak (22 games). The last loss came on March 25 against Florida State. In those 22 games UNC has outscored opponents 184-67.

• UNC is currently third in batting average (.290) and ERA (1.75) in the ACC.

• Carolina's two runs in a win is the least amount of runs scored in a win since last season's win against NC A&T (1, March 13).

• After his 3.2 scoreless innings on Tuesday, Caden O'Brien hasn't allowed a run in his last 10.1 regular-season innings.

• UNC's bullpen has allowed 1 earned run in 20 innings of work this season (0.45 ERA).

• Freshman Will Sandy picked up the win on opening night, the first freshman to win the season opener since Michael Morin did it against George Washington in 2010.

• Ike Freeman's four hits are the most by a Carolina player in a season opener since Dustin Ackley had four on Feb. 22, 2008 against FAU.

• UNC scored 8 or more runs in its first 3 games of the season for the first time since 2006.

• 34 runs are the most runs scored in an opening weekend three-game series since the 2006 team scored 38.

• UNC had five players hit home runs in its first three games. That's the most since 2008 when six players (Dustin Ackley, Kyle Seager, Tim Fedroff, Tim Federowicz, Seth Williams, Chad Flack) hit home runs.

• UNC won its first 3 game of the season by 5 or more runs for the first time since 2009.

• Brandon Martorano has a current six-game hitting streak, a career best.

• Head coach Mike Fox is just 6 wins away from 900 wins at Carolina

USF SERIES HISTORY

• The Tar Heels and Bulls have met 15 times in the series that dates back to 1972. Carolina holds a 9-5-1 advantage in the series.

• The teams last met during the opening series of the 2018 season in Tampa. USF took the opener before Carolina took the next two games and the series.

• In game three, Carolina held an 8-1 lead but allowed USF to tie the game with a seven run seventh inning. Ike Freeman played the hero with a 10th inning solo home run to give the Tar Heels the 9-8 win.

• Michael Busch and Brandon Martorano both had success at the plate against USF last season. Busch went 5-13 with 7 RBI, 3 runs scored and a home run. Martorano went 3-11, but two of those hits went for home runs as he drove in four on the weekend.

Dominance at the bosh

The Tar Heels currently hold the nation's longest home winning streak at 21 games. Their last loss at Boshamer Stadium came on March 25 vs Florida State. The Heels did not lose again at home before heading to Omaha, sweeping both the regional and Super Regional. Over the course of those 18 games, the Tar Heels outscored their opponents by a score of 182-66. The longest home winning streak in program history got to 34 games from 1980-1981 and the longest consecutive unbeaten streak is 42 games from 1979-1981.

OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION

• Carolina put up historic numbers in the opening weekend of the season against Xavier.

• Aaron Sabato's 5 RBI through the first three games of the season are the most by a freshman since Mike Zolk has 5 through three games in 2012.

• Freshman Will Sandy picked up the win on opening night, the first freshman to win the season opner since Michael Morin did it against George Washington in 2010.

• Ike Freeman's four hits are the most by a Carolina player in a season opener since Dustin Ackley had four on Feb. 22, 2008 against FAU.

• Freeman's four RBI are the most in a season opener since Seth Williams had 4 RBI on Feb. 22, 2008 against FAU.

• UNC scored 8 or more runs in its first 3 games of the season for the first time since 2006.

• 34 runs are the most runs scored in an opening weekend three-game series since the 2006 team scored 38.

• UNC won its first three game of the season each by 5+ runs for the first time since 2009.

NEWCOMERS COME UP BIG

• Some new names came up in big spots for the Tar Heels in the opening weekend.

• Aaron Sabato, Dylan Harris and Caleb Roberts started all three games and combined for 12 hits, 3 doubles, 2 home runs, and 9 RBI.

• All 3 have three-game hitting streaks.

• Freshman Will Sandy picked up the win on opening night, the first freshman to win the season opener since Michael Morin did it against George Washington in 2010.

• Freshman Connor Ollio, Austin Love, Nik Pry, Josh Dotson and Will Sandy all pitched in the opening weekend. They combined for 10.0 IP, 4 hits, 15 Ks and a 0.00 ERA.