2009 Chapel Hill Super Regional

Capsules compiled by Christina De Nicola, Duncan Phillips, Sean Ryan, Phil Stanton

4. North Carolina Tar Heels

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

At-large bid from ACC, 3-0 in Chapel Hill Regional

2009 record: 19-10, 45-16 (first in Coastal Division)

Head coach: Mike Fox (North Carolina, 1978)

Record at school: 497-206-1, 12 years

Overall record: 497-206-1, 12 years

Assistant coaches: Scott Forbes, Scott Jackson, Chad Flack, Matt McCay

Team offense: .307 BA, 445 R, 65 HR, .477 SLG%, .400 OB%, 54-78 SB

Team pitching: 3.66 ERA, 550.2 IP, 503 H, 241 BB, 613 K

Top hitters: Dustin Ackley (.417/21/66/13-17 SB), Kyle Seager (.379/4/55/13-14 SB), Ben Bunting (.336/2/35), Mark Fleury (.311/12/58), Garrett Gore (.298/5/40), Levi Michael (.293/13/54), Ryan Graepel (.280/2/39)

Top pitchers: Brian Moran (7-1, 4 SV, 2.00 ERA, 63 IP, 40 H, 8 BB, 87 K), Adam Warren (8-2, 3.19 ERA, 84.2 IP, 72 H, 33 BB, 89 K), Alex White (7-4, 4.42 ERA, 89.2 IP, 77 H, 38 BB, 97 K), Colin Bates (4-2, 6 SV, 2.84 ERA, 57 IP, 50 H, 16 BB, 59 K), Patrick Johnson (2-2, 1 SV, 2.91 ERA, 55.2 IP, 44 H, 34 BB, 76 K), Nate Striz (2-0, 1 SV, 3.52 ERA, 23 IP, 19 H, 13 BB, 25 K)   

Last NCAA appearance: 2008 (3-0 Cary Regional, 2-0 in Cary Super Regional, 2-2 College World Series)

Notes: North Carolina makes its 24th NCAA postseason appearance and its record eighth straight. In the Chapel Hill Regional, the Tar Heels won their fourth straight regional title, all of which they have hosted. The senior class finished its run with a perfect 12-0 in regional play over the past four seasons. North Carolina outscored its three opponents 31-7, and the closest game was by a three-run margin. UNC will host East Carolina in the Chapel Hill Super Regional. The two teams split two regular-season meetings this year with each team winning on its home field. Carolina owns a 4-1 record in the postseason against ECU, including an 11-10 victory in the 2007 NCAA Chapel Hill Regional. Besides receiving first-team Louisville Slugger All-American honors and becoming the first three-time All-American in program history, first baseman Dustin Ackley was named as one of the five finalists for the 2009 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award, which is given to the nation’s premier amateur baseball player. Head coach Mike Fox and company have made it to Omaha in each of the past three years, and have won at least 40 games for eight consecutive seasons. UNC is the only team to earn a top-four seed each of the past three years. The Tar Heels have won 207 games over the past four seasons, the top mark in the nation. Fox earned his 1,000th career victory on March 4 against Gardner-Webb. He is one of 10 active Division I coaches with 1,000 wins. The Tar Heels have two of the top players in the nation in Ackley and starting pitcher Alex White. Both are expected to be among the first players taken in the upcoming MLB draft. Ackley is the 2009 ACC Player of the Year. Senior right-hander Adam Warren is one of 10 finalists for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award, which recognizes student-athletes for Classroom, Character, Community and Competition. UNC moved into its new facility this spring, Bryson Field at Boshamer Stadium, with a seating capacity of 4,100. The Tar Heels averaged 1,735 fans in 38 home games with a record of 31-7. Matt Harvey’s father, John, played baseball and football at Connecticut and played in the 1972 College World Series. Left-hander Brian Moran is the nephew of former Tar Heel B.J. Surhoff. Freshman Jacob Stallings is the son of Vanderbilt head basketball coach Kevin Stallings.

East Carolina Pirates

Greenville, North Carolina

At-large bid from Conference USA, 4-1 at Greenville Regional

2009 record: 17-7, 46-18 (first in C-USA)

Head coach: Billy Godwin (Atlantic Christian, 1986)

Record at school: 161-87, 4 years

Overall record: 423-172, 10 years

Assistant coaches: Link Jarrett, Bill Jarman, Tommy Atkinson

Team offense: 341 BA, 561 R, 107 HR, .552 SLG%, .418 OB%, 76-96 SB

Team pitching: 4.36 ERA, 564 IP, 585 H, 208 BB, 505 K

Top hitters: Ryan Wood (.383/14/57/22 2B/14-16 SB), Trent Whitehead (.380/7/47/24 2B), Stephen Batts (.358/14/63/21 2B/19-21 SB), Devin Harris (.343/14/46/12-15 SB), Kyle Roller (.337/16/74/24 HBP), Jared Avchen (.331/2/29), Brandon Henderson (.327/12/54), Dustin Harrington (.320/14/49), Drew Schieber (.309/8/52)

Top pitchers: Brad Mincey (10-5, 2.84, 82.1 IP, 87 H, 21 BB, 71 K), Seth Simmons (3-1, 3.32, 9 SV, 38 IP, 32 H, 20 BB, 49 K), Kevin Brandt (9-1, 3.52, 76.2 IP, 67 H, 21 BB, 67 K), Chris Heston (7-0, 4.17, 90.2, 90 H, 32 BB, 88 K), Seth Maness (9-2, 4.41, 102 IP, 110 H, 18 BB, 83 K)

Last NCAA appearance: 2008 (2-2 at Conway Regional)

Notes: The Pirates won their third regional title and the first at Clark-LeClair Stadium. Sophomore Devin Harris had a game-tying three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth and a game-winning RBI single in the 10th to give ECU a 10-9 win over South Carolina in the championship game. It was the first extra-inning game of the season for the Pirates. ECU has made the NCAA Tournament 10 times in the past 11 years. The Pirates are looking for their first trip to the College World Series. ECU lost twice to Tennessee in the Kinston Super Regional in 2001 and fell twice at South Carolina in the 2004 Columbia Super Regional. Coach Billy Godwin was named C-USA Coach of the Year after leading the Pirates to their first regular season title since 2004. Chris Heston, a transfer from Seminole C.C., was named the newcomer of the year. ECU is deep on the mound. Sophomore Seth Maness has gone 18-4 in his short career and has 164 strikeouts and 38 walks in 200.1 career innings. Fellow starter Brad Mincey also is a sophomore, and Kevin Brandt is a freshman. And the Pirates can mash, ranking first in the country with 794 hits, fourth with 561 runs, sixth with 153 doubles, seventh with 107 home runs and 13th with a .341 batting average. Four-year starter Ryan Wood, nicknamed “Woodshow,” has 27 homers the past two years after hitting five his first two years. Wood is second in the country with 86 runs. Senior Stephen Batts, born on Valentine’s Day, has 24 homers the past two years and holds the school record with a 29-game hitting streak. Sophomore Trent Whitehead is fourth in the country with 103 hits, one away from the school record.