| 32 Ryan Earey |
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Among Carolina's best power hitters...also a top setup man on the mound...the leading candidate to play first base this year after serving as Carolina's regular starter at third in 1998 and 1999...blossomed into one of the ACC's better players in 1999.
As a Sophomore (1999)
Ryan Earey
Carolina's most
versatile player.
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Started 52 games at third base and five at first...was among Carolina's leaders in most batting categories...ranked second on the team with .362 batting average, first with a .662 slugging percentage and third with a .442 on-base percentage...led the team and ranked eighth in the ACC with 15 home runs...led Carolina with 63 RBI and 137 total bases...ranked third on the team with 75 hits and fifth with 50 runs scored...also credited with a team-high seven sacrifice flies...batted 10-for-20 (.500) with three home runs and 10 RBI in five games at the Pepsi/Johnny Quik Classic March 8-13...hit three two-run home runs in the March 12 game at Fresno State in the tournament, going 3-for-4 with six RBI...the three home runs in a single game tied a school record that he would match later in the season...went 5-for-13 (.385) with seven RBI in the Wake Forest series...his 16-game hitting streak Feb. 26...March 24 tied Tyrell Godwin for the longest hitting streak of the season by a Tar Heel...went 3-for-5 with three runs and three RBI and pitched 2.1 shutout innings in a 17-5 win over Maryland on Apr. 10...batted 6-for-10 (.600) in the Duke series with two doubles, a triple, a home run and seven RBI...went 4-for-5 with two doubles and three RBI April 23 vs. Duke...tripled, homered and drove in four April 25 vs. the Blue Devils...hit a two-run homer in a May 15 win over Georgia Tech...matched the UNC-record-tying three home runs he hit against Fresno State on March 12 with three homers in Carolina's NCAA Tournament-opening win against Nevada on May 28...was 3-for-5 in that 8-5 win and drove in five runs while also walking once and stealing a base...was 2-for-4 in the season-ending loss to Nevada on May 29. Pitching Highlights - A solid setup man in Carolina's bullpen who pitched 22.2 innings in 14 appearances...second on the team and 10th in the conference with two saves...struck out four Appalachian State batters in two innings of scoreless relief to earn his only win of the season on March 17...in his next appearance, combined with Chris Elmore to no-hit Towson on March 23, the first no-hitter by Carolina since Greg Norris no-hit East Tennessee State on Apr. 28, 1978...Elmore and Earey allowed just three baserunners in the 5-0 UNC victory (Earey also went 2-for-3 at the plate with a two-run home run in the game).
Summer 1999:
Pitched and played first base for the Chatham Athletics of the Cape Cod Baseball League...hit .241 with a team-high 26 RBI in helping lead the A's to a first-place finish in the CCBL's Eastern Division with a 30-14 record...was also 1-1 on the mound with one save in four appearances.
As a Freshman (1998)
Named a 1998 Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America by Collegiate Baseball...enjoyed a stellar freshman season for the Tar Heels as a third baseman and relief pitcher ... started every game (64 games at third base and one game at first base) ... made some sparkling plays at the hot corner ... among UNC's best power hitters and RBI men ... his 252 at-bats were tied for the fourth-highest single-season total in school history...improved over the course of the season...tied for third on the team with 55 RBI and tied for fifth on the squad with 10 home runs...had an 11-game hitting streak March 24-Apr. 10, going 20-for-46 (.435) during the streak ... hit a game-winning, two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth against Seton Hall Feb. 22 ... went 3-for-5 with a home run and two RBI in front of a hometown crowd at UNC Wilmington Apr. 7 ... the next day, was 3-for-5 with a double, two runs scored and three RBI against Elon ... crushed a three-run homer to right to break open a close game with UNC Wilmington Apr. 28 ... drove in four in that game against the Seahawks ... went 2-for-4 with two doubles, two RBI and two runs Apr. 30 against Coastal Carolina ... Pitching Highlights - An effective righthanded setup man in Carolina's bullpen with the potential to be a future closer ... posted a record of 4-1 in 12 appearances...struck out 13 and walked 13 in 13.0 innings...picked up two wins on the same day Apr. 19 at Duke ... was the winner in the completion of the rain-suspended Apr. 18 game with the Blue Devils and picked up a victory in the regularly-scheduled Apr. 19 game despite allowing four earned runs in 1.1 innings ... faced one batter, retiring the last hitter in the top of the ninth inning, and picked up a win Apr. 29 against Coastal Carolina.
Summer 1998:
Earned co-MVP honors for the Cape Cod League championship series after having three clutch hits and two scoreless relief outings...Played DH, third base and pitched in relief for Chatham.
Prep
Played four years of baseball at third base and pitcher for Laney H.S. in Wilmington, N.C. ... Laney's team MVP in 1997 and offensive award winner in '96 ... two-time all-state selection ... honorable mention All-America in 1997 ... three-time N.C. State Games participant ... drafted out of high school in the 29th round by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1997.
Personal
The son of Carol and Mike Earey ... his father, Mike Earey, played varsity basketball at Carolina in 1970 ... his grandfather, Pat Earey, played professional baseball and was Carolina's head swimming coach from 1958-74 ... born 3/5/79 ... enrolled in the General College.
| Earey's Career Pitching Statistics |
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| YEAR | W-L | ERA | G-GS | CG | Sv | Sh | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | WP |
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| 1998 | 4-1 | 4.85 | 12-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13.0 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 13 | 13 | 1 |
| 1999 | 1-0 | 4.76 | 14-0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 22.2 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 22 | 22 | 4 |
| Totals | 5-1 | 4.79 | 26-0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 35.2 | 26 | 23 | 19 | 35 | 35 | 5 |
| Earey's Career Batting Statistics |
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| YEAR | G-GS | AB | R | H | RBI | 2B | 3B | HR | Slg | SB | BB | SO | Avg |
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| 1998 | 65-65 | 252 | 39 | 69 | 55 | 14 | 1 | 10 | .456 | 5-6 | 20 | 56 | .274 |
| 1999 | 57-57 | 207 | 50 | 75 | 63 | 13 | 2 | 15 | .662 | 9-13 | 24 | 49 | .362 |
| Totals | 122-122 | 459 | 89 | 144 | 118 | 27 | 3 | 25 | .549 | 14-19 | 44 | 105 | .314 |
Earey's Career Pitching Highs
Innings: 4.1 vs. UNC Wilmington (4/20/99); Strikeouts: 4 (three times); Hits: 3 vs. Campbell (4/22/98); Walks: 5 vs. UNC Wilmington (4/20/99); Runs: 4 vs. Duke (4/19/98); Earned Runs: 4 vs. Duke (4/19/98)
Earey's Career Batting Highs
Hits: 4 vs. Duke (4/23/99); Runs: 3 (four times); Home Runs: 3 vs. Fresno State (3/12/99) & vs. Nevada (5/28/99); RBI: 6 vs. Fresno State (3/12/99); Hit Streak: 16 games (2/26/99...3/24/99)
