Carolina Baseball Looks To Stay Hot With A Pair Of Midweek Contests

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The Tar Heels continue along their stretch of eight games in nine days with two midweek matchups against regular opponents VCU and NC A&T.

UNC and VCU are meeting in the regular season for the third straight year and fourth consecutive season after playing three times in the 2022 NCAA Chapel Hill Regional. The Tar Heels have won five straight over the Rams and own a 26-7 all-time series lead.

Wednesday's game marks the 12th meeting between the Diamond Heels and Aggies dating back to their first matchup in 1993. Carolina is 9-2 against N.C. A&T, with all but one of the games being held in Chapel Hill.

SCHEDULE
VCU: Tuesday, Feb. 25 - 4 PM
NC A&T: Wenesday, Feb. 26 - 4 PM
Both games hosted in Boshamer Stadium and streamed live on ACCNX.

SWEPT THE SEAS
➤ With their 6-3 victory Monday night in Greenville, the Tar Heels completed the sweep of in-state rivals East Carolina. It is the first weekend series sweep all-time between the two programs, in just the third-ever opportunity.
➤ The win also gave the program its first 7-0 start since winning their first eight in 2017.
➤ 17 strikeouts in the final game was UNC's most since punching out 18 against Virginia on March 10, 2023.
➤ UNC claimed its first series win over in-state rivals ECU since 2022 and moved the all-time tally to 63-39 in favor of the Tar Heels.
➤ The Heels last won three games in one season against the Pirates in 2007, claiming two midweek wins before taking another in the Chapel Hill Regional.

I AM THE CAPTAIN NOW
➤ The Tar Heels got a number of big time performances to help propel them to the sweep of the Pirates.
➤ First baseman Hunter Stokely has come out of the gates hot to start the year and nothing was stopping him against ECU. A solo homer on Monday night highlighted an eight hit, four RBI, and three run weekend for the veteran, who is now has a .429 BA.
➤ He was also the first Tar Heel this year to get four hits in a game in the home stand on Sunday, matching his career high.
➤ Jason DeCaro and Walker McDuffie dazzled on the mound on Saturday in Durham. DeCaro picked up his second win of the year and McDuffie added the first save of his young career.
➤ The duo have yet to allow a run in their 16.1 innings pitched this season. Batters are averaging just .096 against them and have struck out 18 times.
➤ McDuffie's save is the first by a Carolina true freshman since Shawn Rapp's against Elon on Feb. 18, 2020.
➤ Aidan Haugh put together one of his best outings in Carolina blue in the series finale, throwing a career-high 10 Ks in his 5.0 innings. It was the most strikeouts by a Tar Heel pitcher since Max Carlson had 11 on March 27, 2022.
➤ Greenville native Matthew Matthijs returned home on Monday and put the final nail in the coffin on the series, picking up his second save of the year with six strikeouts of his own.

SCOUTING THE RAMS
➤ VCU comes to Chapel Hill with a 2-5 record, losing an opening weekend series at Charleston 2-1 and picking up another win against Carolina's Wednesday opponent NC A&T 6-3.
➤ First year head coach Sean Thompson, a former player and assistant for the program, is the youngest coach in Division I baseball at 29 years old.
➤ The team has yet to give up a home run through seven games, it's longest stretch to open a season since 2013.
➤ In Chapel Hill, Carolina holds a 24-6 all-time record over their counterparts from Richmond, Va.
➤ The two teams have only played elsewhere three times. UNC is 2-1 in those contests.

SCOUTING THE AGGIES
➤ NC A&T will travel to Chapel Hill on Wednesday holding a 2-3 record, winning both of their games on opening day against Delaware State before dropping their next three to Clemson (7-12), VCU (3-6), and Clemson again (2-4).
➤ The game between the Rams and the Aggies was a close one. VCU needed three runs in the top of the ninth to put the game away.
➤ The Aggies scored in the double digits in both of their wins over Delaware State, combining for 14 extra base hits in both games.
➤ Freshman JT Taylor racked up three triples and five RBIs on the day.

Carolina Baseball Looks To Stay Hot With A Pair Of Midweek Contests

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Players Mentioned

Jason DeCaro

Aidan Haugh

Matthew Matthijs

Walker McDuffie

Hunter Stokely