Diamond Heels Return Home For Midweek Contest Against UCONN

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The Tar Heels return to Boshamer Stadium for a midweek matchup with the UCONN Huskies.

It is the first time the two programs have faced off since 2002 and will be their 33rd all-time meeting. 30 of the 32 previous games have been played in Chapel Hill. The first and the last matchup were part of neutral site tournaments in Salem, N.C., in 1958 and Savannah, Ga., in that 2002 contest.

The game just so happens to be the first of two Bark at the Bosh nights this season. Had to bring our own pack of dawgs to combat the Huskies.

LAST WEEK FOR THE TAR HEELS
➤ On Tuesday, the Heels won in dramatic, comeback fashion at UNCW 7-3 with four runs in the 10th innning.
➤ Luke Stevenson had his fourth career multi-home run game to keep UNC in it early. Gavin Gallaher followed his second blast, giving the Heels their first back-to-back home run sequence of the season.
➤ The real dramatics came in the top of the tenth when captain Jackson Van De Brake stepped up with the bases loaded and two outs. He proceeded to crush a line drive to the wall in right-center to clear the bags and record the first triple of his Carolina career. He later scored on a wild pitch to give UNC all the runs it needed.
➤ Over the weekend, the Heels traveled to Louisville to face the Cardinals in their second ACC series of the season. Carolina went 1-2 on the trip, winning the second leg of Friday's double header.
➤ Jake Knapp's 7.0 innings of eight strikeout work led the way as he picked up his third win of the year.
➤ A leadoff triple from Kane Kepley, Hunter Stokely's second home run of the day, and Gavin Gallaher's third long ball of the year powered he offense in the 6-4 win.

RETURN OF THE KNAPP
➤ The impact of the return of Jake Knapp to the Carolina starting rotation cannot be overstated.
➤ The Greensboro, N.C., native was slated to be the Friday starter for the Tar Heels going into the 2024 season before sustaining a season-ending arm injury in the preseason.
➤ "Coach Knapp," as Forbes affectionately calls him, stayed locked in with the team despite his situation, attending every practice, game, and meeting. The coaching staff credits his leadership as a key factor in their run to Omaha in 2024.
➤ 623 days since his last appearance, the second-year captain retook the mound on opening day 2025. He threw three innings, allowing only two hits and racking up three strikeouts.
➤ In just his fourth appearance since the surgery, he threw his first career complete game in a career-long 7.0 inning win over Stanford.
➤ This year has thrown 25.0 innings with 28 Ks, only 5 walks, and is holding a 2.16 ERA (11th ACC). His K-to-BB ratio (5.60) is the 8th best in the ACC.

THE HAUGH HAMMER
➤ Sunday starter Aidan Haugh has been phenomenal to start the season for the Tar Heels, racking up a whopping 32 Ks on 25.2 IP with a 2.45 ERA.
➤ He leads the ACC in batters struck out looking (15) and is 5th in opp. batting avg. (.156) and hits (14).
➤ His 11.22 strikeouts-per-nine would be the best since Austin Love finished with 11.38 in 2021.

STOKING THE FLAMES
➤ First baseman Hunter Stokely has come out of the gates absolutely on fire to start the year for Carolina.
➤ He has seven home runs already this year, already surpassing his previous high of six from 2023.
➤ Four of those long balls have been to the opposite field. He only had one oppo homer in his three previous seasons combined.
➤ On the season, he leads the team in batting average (.365), hits (27), and total bases (51).
➤ The veteran had easily the best week of his collegiate baseball career from 2/24-3/2, earning him ACC Player of the Week.
➤ In six games played, the Wilson, N.C. native slashed .524/.621/1.143 while racking up 11 hits, 11 RBIs, 10 runs, and 24 total bases. It was the best BA and OBP of any six game stretch in his career.

RAISING KANE
➤ Carolina's leadoff man has been everything you could want from the position, leading the team in OBP (.510, 10th ACC) and making the most of it.
➤ He has started Carolina off with a base runner in nine of their games so far this year. 4 HBP, 2 1B, 2 3B, and 1 BB. He's scored on all nine occasions.
➤ He leads the team in runs scored (25, 10th ACC) and free passes (28) while slugging .514 without a home run.
➤ With 16-16 stolen bases (most in the ACC, T-10 NCAA) through 20 games, he is on pace to have the most SBs in a season since Brian Roberts broke the record in 1998 with 63.
➤ It's the most bases stolen by a Tar Heel through 20 games since Russ Adams had 23 in 2002 and the most attempts without being caught in a row since Adams had 17 to close out 2001.
➤ Kepley ripped his fifth triple of the year against Louisville. He is now over half way to the Carolina single-season record (8, Brian Goodwin, 2010). He is tied with two others for the most in the country.

GOT BANANAS IN SAVANNAH
➤ The last time these two program's faced off was in the Memorial Health Diamond Classic, held in historic Grayson Stadium in Savannah, Ga.
➤ Grayson, of course, is most famous these days for being the home of the Savannah Bananas.
➤ On that day in 2002 however, it was the Tar Heels that put on a show in a 13-5 win over UConn. Hall of Famer Mike Fox's team tallied 11 hits, including four home runs, on the day.
➤ Future big leaguer Chris Ianetta led the way with two doubles and a homer.
➤ Freshman Garry Bakker threw 6.0 innings, allowing just one unearned run while striking out six.

YOUNG BUCKS BRING THE HEAT
➤ Carolina has called upon three true freshman arms to deliver in big spots this season.
➤ First to appear was the Lee County legend Walker McDuffie. He has thrown nine times. Striking out 24 batters, earning two wins, and logging one save.
➤ McDuffie's save is the first by a Carolina true freshman since Shawn Rapp's against Elon on Feb. 18, 2020.
➤ Ellerbe, N.C. native Camron Seagraves has seven appearances under his belt and has recorded a win, 12 strikeouts, and a .250 opponent bating average.
➤ Flamethrower Ryan Lynch turned heads in his first outing, picking up the win. 4.0 innings of seven K and zero walk work is quite the first impression.
➤ Lynch's seven strikeouts were the most by a Carolina pitcher in their collegiate debut since Max Carlson racked up eight on Feb. 20, 2021.
➤ The trio, alongside the young Jason Decaro, own seven of the Tar Heels' 15 wins so far this year. Lynch is the oldest of the group as the lone 19 year old.
➤ Seagraves and Lynch are responsible for the 11 fastest pitches thrown by a Tar Heel this year. Seagraves' outing against Stanford accounting for seven of the top-eight, topping out at 98.1.

ARM TALENT
➤ Forbes' team came into the season with a highly touted pitching staff that has lived up to the billing thus far.
➤ Carolina hurlers have recorded 204 strikeouts on the year, the most the program has put up 20 games into a season since 2022.
➤ UNC put up games with 17 and 14 strikeouts back-to-back twice in week two alone. The last time the team had 14+ Ks in back-to-back games more than once in the same season was 2008.
➤ The Tar Heels' staff is 11th in the country (1st ACC) in walks per nine (3.17) and 13th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.22).

POTENT (P)NOTABLES
➤ Matt Matthijs is second in the country and first in the ACC in appearances with 12.
➤ Luke Stevenson is 4th in the NCAA leads the ACC in walks with 26.
➤ Kane Kepley's 16 stolen bases is good for a tie for 10th in the nation, most in the ACC.
➤ Jake Knapp is one of only 49 pitchers to have thrown a complete game thus far this season.

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Players Mentioned

Gavin Gallaher

Aidan Haugh

Kane Kepley

Jake Knapp

Ryan Lynch

Walker McDuffie

Camron Seagraves

Luke Stevenson

Hunter Stokely

Jackson Van De Brake

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University of North Carolina Athletics