Eagles at No. 12 UNC This Weekend

ABOUT THE EAGLES

The Eagles are 19-19 overall, 7-11 overall and winners of five of their last seven. Freshman outfielder Sal Frelick is BC’s top hitter at .341 with 25 RBI and 17 stolen bases. Senior third baseman Jake Alu is second on the team with a .340 average, 32 runs scored and 13 doubles. Three other BC hitters are above the .300 threshold, including junior shortstop Brian Dempsey at .313 with a team-leading 29 RBI. Senior left-handed pitcher Dan Metzdorf, who has seven starts of six or more innings this year, is 4-2 in BC’s Friday night role. He has struck out 39 batters in 43.1 innings and owns a 3.53 earned run average. Freshman right-hander Mason Pelio gets the ball in the Sunday finale for the Eagles. He is 4-2 with a 2.20 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 49 innings while holding opponents to a .174 average.

SCOUTING THE TAR HEELS

North Carolina is ranked in all five polls and peaks at No. 12 in the NCBWA Top-30. The Tar Heels are 27-11 overall after a midweek loss to South Carolina in Charlotte on Tuesday and are 10-8 in the ACC. UNC has hit 45 home runs with first baseman Michael Busch leading the way with 10 long balls and 40 RBI. Designated hitter Aaron Sabato has slugged nine homers and driven in 31 runs. Third baseman Ike Freeman is the Tar Heels’ top hitter at .328 with seven doubles, two triples, five home runs, and 34 RBI. RHP Tyler Baum takes the mound on Friday. He is 7-2 with a 3.33 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 51.1 innings.

ALL-TIME VS. UNC

Boston College and UNC met for the first time in the Eagles’ inaugural season in the ACC as the No. 5 Tar Heels earned a home sweep in 2006. BC is just 2-25 all-time against North Carolina and 0-14 at Boshamer Stadium. UNC has been ranked in all 27 match-ups, including a 2009 win for BC over the No. 4 Tar Heels and a 2014 win over the No. 30 Heels.

LAST TIME THEY MET

Following a series sweep at the hands of the Tar Heels, the Eagles rallied to go 10-5 in the back half of its 2017 ACC schedule and qualify for the conference tournament. BC was ultimately eliminated by UNC, 10-0, at Louisville Slugger Field in Louisville, Ky. Baum started for the Tar Heels and threw three innings of two-hit ball to earn the win.

BEANPOT RECAP

Boston College wrapped up the 30th annual Beanpot with a 5-3 win over Northeastern in the consolation game at Fenway Park on Wednesday. The Eagles overcame an early 1-0 deficit with a two-run fourth and led the rest of the way. Senior catcher Gian Martellini one-hopped the Green Monster for the go-ahead, RBI-double and finished with a 2-for-4 day. Freshman second baseman Cody Morissette had a productive 0-for-3 afternoon with three RBI, including the tying run on a groundout and two runs on a sacrifice fly deep to center.

AGAINST THE RANKED

The Eagles are 6-9 against ranked opponents this season having defeated No. 8 Louisville (3/10), No. 20 Clemson (3/24), No. 19 Florida State (3/29, 3/31), No. 1 NC State (4/7) and No. 17 Georgia Tech (4/12). The win over the Cardinals marked BC’s first win over a ranked team and first over a ranked team on the road since defeating No. 21 Virginia (3/16/18). The series win at FSU marked the first for the Eagles against a ranked opponent at home or on the road since taking two of three at No. 22 Georgia Tech (2016). Boston College picked up two wins vs. ranked teams in each of the last three seasons and went 10-9 vs. the ranked in 2016.