March 1, 2010
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Nationally-ranked North Carolina is scheduled to play host to Gardner-Webb Tuesday before a three-game series with Michigan this weekend. The Tar Heels (6-1) are set to challenge the Bulldogs (2-5) at 3 p.m. Thursday at Boshamer Stadium.
The Tar Heels will start sophomore Garrett Davis (1-0, 3.60 ERA) Thursday. The Bulldogs starter is yet to be determined. Davis registered his first career victory this past Tuesday over UNC Greensboro, en route to rendering only two runs in a career-best five innings.
UNC is off to a balanced start, batting .307 as a team with a 2.67 staff ERA and the league's second best fielding percentage at .975. At the plate, the Tar Heels have five regulars hitting .300 or better with juniors Dillon Hazlett (.458) and Ben Bunting (.444) leading the way.
The Tar Heels and Bulldogs have met on the diamond six times, with Carolina holding a 6-0 advantage in the all-time series. The two squads have met each year since 2004. Carolina won the last meeting a year ago, 10-3.
Gardner-Webb has won two straight games after dropping their first five contests of the season. Ty Boyles and O.J. McFarland pace the Bulldogs with .417 and .393 batting averages, respectively. The Bulldogs sport a .300 team batting average, but post a 6.29 staff ERA on the mound.
Before closing the book's on last week's action, TarHeelBlue.com takes a look back at the week that was for the Diamond Heels:
NOTING THE WEEK OF FEB. 23 - 28:
• Carolina dropped its first game of the season this past Saturday, but also won three contests to improve their season record to 6-1.
• Junior outfielder Ben Bunting led the Tar Heels on the week with a .471 average (8-17) with four runs and three RBI. He posted six hits in the Maine series and posted two hits in all four games played this week. Bunting is batting .444 this season with a .559 on-base percentage and is the only Tar Heel regular to not strike out this season. Bunting also sports a five-game hit streak.
• Junior first baseman
Dillon Hazlett was Carolina's top run producer for the week with one home run and nine RBI. He hit .467 (7-15) and belted one home run en route to a .667 slugging percentage. On the year, Hazlett is batting a team best .458 with a team-best 10 RBI. The Topeka, Kan., native has at least one RBI in five straight games and sports a six-game hit streak.
• Sophomore third baseman Levi Michael posts a team best .576 on-base percentage, thanks a league-leading 11 walks drawn. The switch-hitting Michael has shown patience at the plate, posting a .316 average with six RBI. Sunday, the sophomore ripped a triple from the left side of the plate and a RBI double from the right side. Michael also stole three bases this week in three attempts.
• Senior outfielder Mike Cavasinni posted five hits this week and now sports a career-best 13 game hit streak, that dates back to last season. The Huntersville, N.C., product bunted for a base hit Sunday to extend the streak.
• Thanks to hot weeks from Ryan Grapel (.417) and freshman Brian Goodwin (.375) the Tar Heels raised their team batting average to .307. Goodwin posted a .750 slugging percentage this week en route to his first career home run, a double, a triple and six RBI.
• Sophomores Tarron Robinson belted his first home run Tuesday in just his third at-bat of the season. Freshmen Bryn Renner, Brett Knief and Chaz Frank all recorded their first hit and RBI of their collegiate careers this week.
• The Tar Heels pitching staff continued its strong start with a 2.50 ERA and 43 strikeouts in 36 innings last week. Carolina has 64 Ks in 64 innings this season and struck out a combined 15 batters Sunday in a win over Maine.
• Junior right-hander Matt Harvey earned his first victory of the season and 15th of his career Friday. Harvey was masterful in 6.1 innings pitched striking out nine and allowing one run on three hits.
• Junior Patrick Johnson leads all starters with a 1.38 ERA, but suffered a tough loss this Saturday. Johnson allowed only one earned run and scattered nine hits in the Tar Heels first loss of the season.
• Junior Colin Bates improved to a staff best 2-0 this Sunday. Bates struck out a career-best seven batters in just his second career start.
• Sophomore Garrett Davis won his first career game this Tuesday against UNC Greensboro. Davis pitched a career-best five innings while striking out five. Freshman Michael Morin posted his second save of the season Sunday, throwing 2.2 innings of brillant relief. Morin fanned five and allowed only one hit.
• Freshmen pitchers Zach Bernard, Cody Penny, Parker Thomas and R.C. Orlan all made their first collegiate appearances on the mound this week.
