Baseball Ready For Clash Of The Carolinas - University of North Carolina Athletics (2025)

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -The Tar Heels will make the short trek down to Charlotte to face border rivals South Carolina in their annual scrap at Truist Field.

The programs have been facing off at the home of the Charlotte Knights since 2016.The all-time series dates back to 1903, with North Carolina holding a 66-39 advantage.

In the contests played in CLT, the two teams are all square at four a piece. Although UNC does hold a +17 run differential. Four of the eight games have been decided by eight or more runs, with two being one-run splits. The last time Carolina faced off against the Gamecocks not in Charlotte was in the 2013 Chapel Hill Super Regional, where UNC advanced to Omaha winning two of three by one run each.

HAD TO BE HAUGH
➤ On Monday, the conference named Aidan Haugh their ACC Pitcher of the Week following his one-hit, complete game shutout of Boston College in Sunday's 10-0 run-rule win. It is the first such award of his career.
➤ The righty from Zebulon, N.C., held a no-hitter until the final batter, throwing 7.0 innings while racking up 11 strikeouts on just one hit and one walk.
➤ The absolute gem set a number of career benchmarks for Haugh. It was both his first complete game and first shutout while also being a new career-high in innings pitched and strikeouts.
➤ The senior has been absolutely dealing in conference play. His ridiculous .051 opposing batting average and three hits allowed lead the ACC. He has the third best ACC-only ERA (0.98) and the fourth most strikeouts (22).
➤ In BC's final at-bat on Sunday, 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. That close to Carolina's first non-combined no-no since 1978.

SCOUTING THE SOUTHERN NEIGHBORS
➤ South Carolina is led by Paul Mainieri, the NCAA active leader in head coaching wins with 1,522, who is in his first season in Columbia.
➤ His most recent stop was at LSU, where he was head coach for 15 season and led the Tigers to national title in 2009 along with five CWS appearances.
➤ This season the Gamecocks are 17-8 overall and are 1-5 in SEC play so far. They opened their conference action with a home series loss to No. 12 Oklahoma 1-2, ultimately decided by a 5-6 Sunday defeat in extra innings.
➤ Last weekend, they traveled to Fayetteville to take on No. 3 Arkansas. They were swept fairly easily by the Hogs who have been on a tear of late.
➤ Junior outfielder Ethan Petry leads the Gamecocks in homers on the year and stands alone with the second most in the program's history at 49.
➤ USC projected starter Brendan Sweeney comes into the contest having only appeared in 8.0 innings of relief so far on the year. He has a 9.00 ERA in his 9 outings along with 12 strikeouts and seven walks.

SHIPPED UP TO BOSTON
➤ The Tar Heels traveled north for their third ACC weekend series, facing Boston College.
➤ Jake Knapp, moved to the Friday starter role by Forbes this weekend, ensured a Carolina victory to get things started by only allowing two hits and one run in the 5-1 win.
➤ Saturday's contest went to the Eagles, setting up a Sunday rubber match. UNC got big performances on the mound and at the plate.
➤ Haugh's gem was supported by 13 hits that produced enough runs to secure a 10-0 run-rule in the seventh innning.
➤ Hunter Stokely and Tyson Bass led the way with three RBIs a piece, including Stokely's ninth homer.

RETURN OF THE KNAPP
➤ The impact of the return of Jake Knapp to the Carolina starting rotation cannot be overstated.
➤ The Greensboro, N.C., native was slated to be the Friday starter for the Tar Heels 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 4-0 in 31.2 innings thrown with 33 Ks, only 6 walks, and is holding a 1.99 ERA (5th ACC). His K-to-BB ratio (5.50) is the 7th best in the ACC.

STOKING THE FLAMES
➤ First baseman Hunter Stokely has come out of the gates absolutely on fire to start the year for Carolina.
➤ He has nine home runs this season, already surpassing his previous high of six from 2023.
➤ Four of those long balls have been to the opposite field. He only had one oppo homer in his three previous seasons combined.
➤ On the season, he leads the team in batting average (.374), hits (34), and total bases (64).
➤ The veteran had easily the best week of his collegiate baseball career from 2/24-3/2, earning him his first career ACC Player of the Week award.
➤ In six games played, the Wilson, N.C. native slashed .524/.621/1.143 while racking up 11 hits, 11 RBIs, 10 runs, and 24 total bases. It was the best BA and OBP of any six game stretch in his career.

RAISING KANE
➤ Carolina's leadoff man has been everything you could want from the position, leading the team in OBP (.492) and making the most of it.
➤ He has started Carolina off with a base runner in 11 of their games so far this year. 4 HBP, 3 1B, 2 3B, 1 HR, and 2 BB. He's scored on 10 of the 12 occasions.
➤ He leads the team in runs scored (27, 9th ACC) and free passes (32) while slugging .506 with only the one home run so far, third highest on the team.
➤ With 17 stolen bases (most in the ACC, 16th NCAA) through 24 games, he is on pace to have the most SBs in a season since Brian Roberts broke the record in 1998 with 63.
➤ It's the most bases stolen by a Tar Heel through 24 games since Vance Honeycutt in 2022.
He started the year a perfect 17-17, the most attempts without being caught in a row since Russ Adams had the same to close out 2001.
➤ With five triples, he is over half way to the Carolina single-season record (8: Brian Goodwin, 2010) and he is tied for the second most in the country.

Baseball Ready For Clash Of The Carolinas - University of North Carolina Athletics (2025)

References