BY UNC ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
CHAPEL HILL --- No. 9 North Carolina hosts its first midweek game of the season Wednesday when the Tar Heels welcome in-state foe Gardner-Webb at 3 p.m. at Boshamer Stadium. Carolina is 3-0 on the year after a sweep of Kentucky last weekend in which redshirt freshman Josh Hiatt picked up three saves in three appearances. Gardner-Webb is 2-2 following a four-game split with Canisius last weekend in Boiling Springs. Sophomore right-hander Cole Aker will get the start for UNC opposite GWU's Landon Mitchell.
AT A GLANCE
Records: North Carolina 3-0, Gardner-Webb 2-2
Rankings: North Carolina is ranked in all of the national polls, with a high of No. 9 in the D1Baseball and NCBWA polls. Gardner-Webb is unranked.
Video: ACC Network Extra
On The Web: GoHeels.com • Twitter: @DiamondHeels
NORTH CAROLINA-GARDNER-WEBB SERIES HISTORY
• North Carolina is 13-1 all-time against Gardner-Webb, including an 11-5 win in Chapel Hill last season. GWU was 13-0 entering last season’s game, but the Tar Heels scored five times in the eighth to break open a close contest.
• In 2015, Jason Morgan picked up a rare 15-out save as the Tar Heels topped Gardner-Webb 6-1. Brett Daniels started that day but was knocked out of the game by a line drive in the top of the first. Morgan and Trevor Kelley worked the remaining 8.2 innings.
• In 2014, the Tar Heels were 7-1 winners in Chapel Hill in March before claiming a 7-2 victory in Shelby, North Carolina, in May. That was the only game in the series to be played outside of Boshamer Stadium.
• Carolina and GWU met for the first time in 2004 and have played once in every season since then. GWU’s lone win over Carolina came in 2012, a 7-4 decision.
NOTES FROM KENTUCKY SWEEP
• Carolina secured its 15th undefeated opening weekend under Mike Fox with a three-game sweep of Kentucky at Boshamer Stadium.
• The Tar Heels had a .400 team on-base percentage for the series, committed just one fielding error and allowed just nine earned runs over three games.
• Redshirt freshman Josh Hiatt, in his first work as a Tar Heel, tallied three saves. For the entire 2016 season, Carolina (34-21) registered just four total saves.
• Junior J.B. Bukauskas dazzled in his first Friday start, striking out 10 and allowing just five baserunners over 6.0 innings in a 3-1 win. He is the nation’s leading returning pitcher in terms of K/9 ratio (12.75 in 2016).
• Junior Logan Warmoth extended his streak of reaching base to 18 games dating back to his hot finish to 2016. He scored a team-best four runs against UK and posted an OPS of 1.189.
• A pair of Tar Heel position players made their collegiate debuts against the Wildcats. Freshman Michael Busch started all three games at first and reached base six times in 13 plate appearances. Freshman Brandon Martorano served as the team’s designated hitter on Friday and Saturday before catching high school teammate Luca Dalatri on Sunday.
Game Notes (.pdf)
CHAPEL HILL --- No. 9 North Carolina hosts its first midweek game of the season Wednesday when the Tar Heels welcome in-state foe Gardner-Webb at 3 p.m. at Boshamer Stadium. Carolina is 3-0 on the year after a sweep of Kentucky last weekend in which redshirt freshman Josh Hiatt picked up three saves in three appearances. Gardner-Webb is 2-2 following a four-game split with Canisius last weekend in Boiling Springs. Sophomore right-hander Cole Aker will get the start for UNC opposite GWU's Landon Mitchell.
AT A GLANCE
Records: North Carolina 3-0, Gardner-Webb 2-2
Rankings: North Carolina is ranked in all of the national polls, with a high of No. 9 in the D1Baseball and NCBWA polls. Gardner-Webb is unranked.
Video: ACC Network Extra
On The Web: GoHeels.com • Twitter: @DiamondHeels
NORTH CAROLINA-GARDNER-WEBB SERIES HISTORY
• North Carolina is 13-1 all-time against Gardner-Webb, including an 11-5 win in Chapel Hill last season. GWU was 13-0 entering last season’s game, but the Tar Heels scored five times in the eighth to break open a close contest.
• In 2015, Jason Morgan picked up a rare 15-out save as the Tar Heels topped Gardner-Webb 6-1. Brett Daniels started that day but was knocked out of the game by a line drive in the top of the first. Morgan and Trevor Kelley worked the remaining 8.2 innings.
• In 2014, the Tar Heels were 7-1 winners in Chapel Hill in March before claiming a 7-2 victory in Shelby, North Carolina, in May. That was the only game in the series to be played outside of Boshamer Stadium.
• Carolina and GWU met for the first time in 2004 and have played once in every season since then. GWU’s lone win over Carolina came in 2012, a 7-4 decision.
NOTES FROM KENTUCKY SWEEP
• Carolina secured its 15th undefeated opening weekend under Mike Fox with a three-game sweep of Kentucky at Boshamer Stadium.
• The Tar Heels had a .400 team on-base percentage for the series, committed just one fielding error and allowed just nine earned runs over three games.
• Redshirt freshman Josh Hiatt, in his first work as a Tar Heel, tallied three saves. For the entire 2016 season, Carolina (34-21) registered just four total saves.
• Junior J.B. Bukauskas dazzled in his first Friday start, striking out 10 and allowing just five baserunners over 6.0 innings in a 3-1 win. He is the nation’s leading returning pitcher in terms of K/9 ratio (12.75 in 2016).
• Junior Logan Warmoth extended his streak of reaching base to 18 games dating back to his hot finish to 2016. He scored a team-best four runs against UK and posted an OPS of 1.189.
• A pair of Tar Heel position players made their collegiate debuts against the Wildcats. Freshman Michael Busch started all three games at first and reached base six times in 13 plate appearances. Freshman Brandon Martorano served as the team’s designated hitter on Friday and Saturday before catching high school teammate Luca Dalatri on Sunday.
Game Notes (.pdf)
