Baseball Back On The Road To Face Virginia Tech

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The Tar Heels hit the road to Blacksburg for their third road weekend of the season against Virginia Tech.

Carolina holds an 84-33-2 all-time record against the Hokies and is 30-16 on the road. UNC has won the last two series and six of the last eight games, highlighted by a 10-0 upset of the No. 2 ranked and top-seeded Hokies in 2022 ACC tourney. The Heels would go on to hoist the trophy two days later.

SCHEDULE
Game 1: Friday, April 17 - 6 PM | ACCNX
Game 2: Saturday, April 18 - 3 PM | ACCNX
Game 3: Sunday, April 19 - 1 PM | ACC Network

#12 North Carolina Tar Heels (29-8, 11-7 ACC)
Head Coach: Scott Forbes
Record at North Carolina: 183-97 (5th Season)
Career Record: Same
Career vs. Virginia Tech: 7-6

Virginia Tech Hokies (24-13, 9-9 ACC)
Head Coach:John Szefc
Record at Virginia Tech: 216-162 (8th Season)
Career Record: 608-421-4 (20th Season)
Career vs. UNC: 7-12

GALLAHER GOES WILD
➤ The sophomore standout Gavin Gallaher was named ACC Player of the Week on Monday.
➤ He was simply phenomenal in a four-game stretch that saw him slash .600/.647/1.400 with four home runs, nine hits, seven runs scored, and 11 RBIs.
➤ He led the team in each of those categories as the Tar Heels rolled to a 4-0 week with two run-rules and a sweep of Wake Forest.
➤ On Tuesday at Elon, he recorded his second career multi-home run game when his team absolutely needed the spark. Caught in an offensive slug fest, Gallaher's first long ball gave Carolina its first lead in the contest before his second broke a tie and would represent the game-winning runs.
➤ He followed that up with homers in each of the run-rules of the Demon Deacons. He had three-hits in three straight games to open the week, the first such streak of his career. In the middle of that run, he would go 10 straight plate appearances without registering an out.

THE HAUGH HAMMER
➤ The Sunday starter has been phenomenal all season for the Tar Heels, racking up a whopping 56 Ks on 48.1 IP with a 1.86 ERA.
➤ He leads the ACC in opposing batting average (.176) and batters struck out looking (24).
➤ In week six, he was named both the ACC and the NCBWA Pitcher of the Week following his one-hit, complete game shutout of Boston College.
➤ The righty from Zebulon, N.C., held a no-hitter until the final batter, throwing a complete game 7.0 innings while racking up 11 Ks on just one walk and one hit (the final two batters of the afternoon).
➤ In BC's final at-bat, the hitter struck his own teammate (Haugh's lone walk) with a grounder for the final out. By the technical NCAA rules, the batter is automatically awarded a hit even though it was the final out and the game was over.

RETURN OF THE KNAPP
➤ The impact of the return of Jake Knapp to the Carolina starting rotation cannot be overstated.
➤ The Greensboro native was slated to be the Friday starter 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 he is 7-0 (tied for the third most victories in the nation) in 51.1 innings thrown with 48 Ks, only 10 walks, and is holding a 1.58 ERA (6th NCAA, 1st ACC). His K-to-BB ratio (4.80) is the 4th best in the ACC.

ARM TALENT
➤ The Tar Heels' staff leads the ACC in a number of categories including ERA (3.33, 5th NCAA), strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.72, 16th NCAA), WHIP (1.20, 8th NCAA), and walks allowed per nine (3.50, 23rd NCAA).
➤ Carolina's starters are all over the ACC leader boards, leading the conference game only lists in at least six categories.
➤ UNC's three starters sit at 1st, 2nd, and 4th on the innings pitched list. No other school has more than one in the top-10.
➤ Knapp and Haugh both sit atop the ACC in conference game ERA at 1.25 and 1.32 respectively, the only qualified pitchers under 2.00.
➤ The duo are 1st and 3rd in opp. batting average, with Haugh's ridiculous .154 leading the way.
➤ 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.

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 16 times, striking out 41 batters, earning three wins, and logging three saves.
➤ His save was the first by a Carolina true freshman since Shawn Rapp's against Elon on Feb. 18, 2020.
➤ He is also the first true freshman Heel to record more than one save in a season since Trent Thornton had eight in 2013.
➤ Ellerbe, N.C. native Camron Seagraves has 12 appearances and the only one of the trio to get a start thus far. He has recorded a win and 21 Ks.
➤ Punching out two to finish off history, he is the first freshman on record to be involved in a UNC no-hitter.
➤ Flamethrower Ryan Lynch currently holds the lowest ERA of the regular relievers at 2.23.
➤ Lynch recently picked up his first career save. It is the first time UNC has had multiple freshmen with saves in a season since 2018.
➤ 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 11 of the Tar Heels' 29 wins so far this year. Lynch is the oldest of the group while DeCaro, the sophomore, is the youngest player on the team.

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Players Mentioned

Gavin Gallaher

Jake Knapp

Ryan Lynch

Walker McDuffie

Camron Seagraves