CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -The Tar Heels hit the road for the second straight weekend, this time for a faceoff with the Pitt Panthers.
It will be the 10th all-time series since the two programs became conference foes in 2014. Carolina is 6-3 thus far on the weekends and is 20-11 overall. They last spent the weekend in the Steel City in 2021.
UNC comes into the weekend on an eight game win streak against the Panthers, winning the most recent matchup 12-2 in last year's ACC tournament.
SCHEDULE
Game 1: Friday, April 25 - 6 PM
Game 2: Saturday, April 26 - 3 PM
Game 3: Sunday, April 27 - 1 PM
Watch: ACCNX
Listen: GoHeels.com/WCHL
#8 North Carolina Tar Heels (31-9, 13-8 ACC)
Head Coach: Scott Forbes
Record at North Carolina: 185-98 (5th Season)
Career Record: Same
Career vs. Pitt: 9-3
Pittsburgh Panthers (19-19, 5-13 ACC)
Head Coach: Mike Bell
Record at Pitt: 151-166 (7th Season)
Career Record: Same
Career vs. UNC: 5-10
SLOW ROASTED TURKEY FOR EASTER
➤ Carolina traveled north over the weekend to face off with Virginia Tech and came away with their fifth straight ACC series win thanks to victories on Friday and Sunday in Blacksburg.
➤ Captain Jake Knapp picked up his eighth win of the season in game one, going 5.1 IP with seven strikeouts and only two walks. Walker McDuffie followed in relief and added six Ks of his own in picking up his fourth save.
➤ The Heels were efficient in high-leverage situations on that Friday night, adding four of their runs with two outs and going 4-for-12 with runners in scoring position.
➤ A contentious affair on Saturday went to the Hokies, who hit five homers as UNC gave up double digit runs for just the third time this season, but the bounce back was big for the boys in Carolina blue on Easter Sunday. Virginia Tech took an early lead before seven unanswered runs for the Heels put them back in the driver's seat.
➤ UNC had 10 hits and nine walks in game three of the series, the sixth time this year the team has eclipsed both of those marks in the same game. The team is undefeated when doing so.
➤ Getting hot at the right time, UNC has reached double digit hits in eight of its last nine. It had only done so 14 times in the 31 games prior.
A-MAD DASH
➤ Carolina's shortstop has been on a tear as of late, coinciding with the team's resurgence at the plate.
➤ In his last nine games, he's hitting 17-for-33 (.515) with eight runs scored, six RBIs, and nine walks.
➤ He recently overtook Stokley for the team's best batting average (.336) and has been at the top of the list for multi-hit games (15) all year. He also has the longest active reached base streak at 12 games.
➤ The highlight of his current run came in the bottom of the 14th against Duke when he capped off a four-hit evening with a walk-off single to take the series.
CAPTAIN VANDY
➤ The other second-year captain for the Tar Heels has been a catalyst since moving up to the two-hole.
➤ In his nine games in his new spot in the batting order, he going .429 at the plate with a team-high 18 hits. Also adding 10 runs and 13 RBIs.
➤ Enjoying his third year at Carolina and fifth in collegiate baseball, the Yakima, Wash., native was granted this year of eligibility by the NCAA in December. Forbes and his staff were unsure if they'd have one of their most vocal leaders with less than two months before the starter of the season.
ARM TALENT
➤ The Tar Heels' staff leads the ACC in a number of categories including ERA (3.57, 7th NCAA), strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.67, 20th NCAA), WHIP (1.22, 9th NCAA), and walks allowed per nine (3.54, 25th NCAA).
➤ Carolina's starters are all over the ACC leader boards, leading the conference game only lists in at least five categories.
➤ Knapp has been particularly brilliant, pacing the conference in ERA (1.66), OBA (.173), IP (48.2), strikeouts (45), and wins (7).
➤ UNC's three starters sit at 1st, 3rd, and 9th on the innings pitched list. No other school has more than one in the top-10.
➤ The duo of Knapp and Haugh are 1st and 4th in opp. batting average.
➤ UNC put up games with 17 and 14 strikeouts back-to-back twice in week two alone. The last time the team had 14+ Ks in back-to-back games more than once in the same season was 2008.
RETURN OF THE KNAPP
➤ The impact of the return of Jake Knapp to the Carolina starting rotation cannot be overstated.
➤ The Greensboro native was slated to be the Friday starter 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 8-0 (tied for the most victories in the nation) in 56.2 innings thrown with 55 Ks, only 12 walks, and is holding a 1.91 ERA (10th NCAA, 1st ACC). His K-to-BB ratio (4.58) is the 5th best in the ACC.
