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Asheville Citizen Times has new update
9 hours ago Buncombe, Asheville property transfers for May 18-20
9 hours ago Buncombe, Asheville property transfers for May 18-20
How much did that home sell for? Check out recent property transfers in Buncombe County and Asheville, North Carolina.
Asheville Citizen Times has new update
9 hours ago Conscious Aging: A new paradigm to enhance senior living. Embrace aging as a gift.
9 hours ago Conscious Aging: A new paradigm to enhance senior living. Embrace aging as a gift.
Conscious Aging: Experiencing aging as a gift. It's now about connections, harmony and wholeness rather than individual accomplishments and success.
Tar Heel Blog has new update
1 day ago UNC Baseball falls to Iowa-How to watch as Tar Heels face elimination against Wright State
1 day ago UNC Baseball falls to Iowa-How to watch as Tar Heels face elimination against Wright State
Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images
A familiar script doomed the Diamond Heels who must now win four straight to advance The Tar Heels started in a hole and never completely climbed out of it.
In the first matchup of the 2023 NCAA Baseball Championship, the regional 3-seeded Tar Heels matched up against the Iowa Hawkeyes in Terre Haute, Indiana. The Hawkeyes started the game with some timely two-out hitting, as Sam Hojnar was able to belt a single on the first pitch from Jake Knapp and do something Carolina just failed to do all game-and to some extent a bunch of the season-take advantage of early baserunners.
Carolina started the second with a baserunner as Patrick Alvarez belted a singled and ended up at second thanks to a throwing error. He advanced to third on a fielder’s choice and then...stayed there as Carolina weakly failed to convert. Iowa made them pay with another run in the bottom of the frame.
Knapp would only get one out in the bottom of the third before being lifted, and the much-maligned bullpen managed to hold Iowa to no more runs all the way until the eighth inning, when, again, Carolina failed to convert with an early hit. A single by Hunter Stokely was immediately wasted as Alvarez lined a pitch directly into the glove of the second baseman, who was able to catch Stokely at first in time. In the bottom of the inning Iowa stretched the lead to 5-1.
The Tar Heels did mount a furious rally in the ninth. Alberto Osuna rocketed a two run homer to nudge the Heels back to 5-3, and then Jackson Van De Brake would nail a double with two on that would only score one run. There was only one out at the time and the Tar Heels had second and third. Unfortunately, Tomas Frick would let strike three sail by without a swing for the second out, and Hunter Stokely swung at the third strike to end the game.
Carolina would ultimately leave ten men on base, and while Iowa stranded nine themselves their ability to cash in on opportunities early and late made all the difference in the game.
The loss puts Carolina in immediate elimination mode, which in the NCAA Regionals means they will have to win four straight in order to advance to the Super Regionals next weekend. The most daunting of that is that they would have to win two games tomorrow against two different teams, and then beat the second team again on Monday. It is possible, as Carolina was on the brink of elimination last season after a Saturday loss to VCU, and thus had to win three straight. The big difference was UNC having the home field, and at some point it’s likely they'd have to beat the home field Indiana State Sycamores to do so this season.
You can’t win four in a row without winning the first, and that starts today at Noon against Wright State. The game is available on the ACC Network.
Time: Noon ET
Location: Bob Warn Field at Sycamore Stadium, Terre Haute, IN
TV: ACC Network
Radio: The game will as part of the Tar Heel Sports Network on the flagship, WCHL 97.9 Chapel Hill, and also on WBAG 1150 AM Burlington and WOHS 1390 AM Shelby. Dave Nathan will provide the call.
Streaming: The ACC Network broadcast can be streamed on Watch ESPN.
Tar Heel Blog has new update
2 days ago UNC Baseball: Terre Haute Regional Preview
2 days ago UNC Baseball: Terre Haute Regional Preview
Photo by David Jensen/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Tar Heels will head out to the midwest as they try to begin a journey to Omaha. While North Carolina baseball came up short in their quest for an ACC Tournament title, the expected was confirmed on Monday when the Tar Heels were among the 64 teams put in the bracket for this year’s NCAA Tournament.
While there was some consternation at Carolina getting a #3 seed instead of a #2, which most people projected, there’s nothing that can be done about it now. Besides, last year Ole Miss went from a #3 seed and one of the last teams in all the way to Omaha and a College World Series championship. UNC will hope to replicate that feat this year, as they open their NCAA Tournament run tonight.
Before you can even start to think about Omaha, the Tar Heels have to get through regionals, for which they’re headed to Terre Haute, Indiana. With the action set to get underway today, let’s check out the teams UNC will be facing off against this weekend.
Tonight in their opener, Carolina will be facing off against the regional’s #2 seed: Iowa. The Hawkeyes will come into the tournament on a bit of a roll, having gone 12-4 over the last month and a bit. They made it to the final of the Big Ten Baseball Tournament before falling to Maryland.
Iowa had six players named in the All-Big Ten honors with pitcher Brody Brecht and hitters Keaton Anthony and Sam Peterson making the first team. Brecht and second team All-Big Ten pitcher Marcus Morgan form a solid 1-2 punch at the top of Iowa’s rotation, and they also feature some relievers with impressive numbers.
Beyond Anthony and Peterson, the Hawkeyes also feature Brennan Dorighi in their lineup, all three of whom have OPSes over 1.000. For the season, Iowa’s lineup averaged over eight runs per game, which could be dangerous for a UNC pitching staff that isn’t always lights out.
Headlining the regional is the host and #14 overall national seed: Indiana State. The Sycamores have had arguably the most impressive season in program history, going 42-15, winning the Missouri Valley regular season and conference tournament titles.
ISU’s pitching has impressively allowed less than four runs per game on the season, led by MVC Pitcher of the Year Connor Fenlong. In 100 innings across 15 appearances, Fenlong has a 3.24 ERA and is allowing opposing hitters to just a .223 batting average. Fellow pitcher Lane Miller has put up similarly impressive numbers, albeit not in as many innings and games.
The Sycamores’ lineup is maybe not as dynamic as some others in the regional, but they do have some guys who can get you. Mike Sears has 19 home runs on the year, while Adam Pottinger has a .970 OPS.
The #4 seed in the regional will be Wright State, who are no strangers to the NCAA Tournament. This will be the Raiders’ 11th tournament appearance, and their sixth in the last decade. WSU battled their way through the loser’s bracket of the Horizon League Tournament, rallying to win their last three games to punch their ticket. They actually went under .500 on the road for the season, but they’re still potentially dangerous.
Wright State’s offense averaged over seven runs per game and were led Patrick Andrew, Gehrig Anglin, Jay Luikart, and Sammy Sass, who were all first team All-Horizon players. At the top of their rotation is the Horizon’s Pitcher of the Year Sebastian Gongora, who had a 2.87 ERA and struck out 77 batters in 78 innings this season. WSU are definitely the underdogs in this regional, but they certainly can’t be counted out.
On a Tar Heel front, UNC got some bad news with the revelation that Vance Honeycutt will be out for regionals. While the Heels still have plenty of talent as far as offense goes, the ACC Defensive Player of the Year will obviously be a big miss.
Carolina is set to open their run on Friday night at 7 PM ET, with the game airing on the ACC Network.