Boston College Baseball: First Top-25 Home Series On Deck

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CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. — No. 21 Boston College plays host to No. 15 North Carolina at the Harrington Athletics Village for its fourth consecutive weekend against a ranked opponent. The series gets underway Friday on ACC Network at 4 p.m.

Weekend Pitching Match-Ups (Brighton, Mass. • Harrington Athletics Village)
Friday, 4 p.m. (ACC Network): RHP-Mason Pelio (2-2, 5.21) vs. RHP-Austin Love (3-0, 2.88)
Saturday, 3 p.m. (ACCNX): RHP-Emmet Sheehan (2-2, 6.75) vs. RHP-Max Carlson (2-0, 4.22)
Sunday, 1 p.m. (ACCNX): LHP-Joe Vetrano (0-0, 6.75) vs. RHP-Max Alba (2-1, 4.74)

About the Eagles…
Boston College is 10-5 overall and 2-4 in the ACC, including a series win at No. 11/25 Duke. The Eagles are coming off an 18-12 midweek win over Holy Cross to improve to 3-0 at home. Junior center fielder Sal Frelick leads BC with a .400 average and 18 runs scored with a .67 slugging percentage, including four doubles and four home runs. Sophomore third baseman Luke Gold, who made the move to the hot corner prior to the Louisville series, has clubbed a team-high six home runs while slugging .758 with a .339 average. Graduate first baseman Jack Cunningham moved into the clean-up spot and is hitting .320 overall and a league-best .600 (12-for-20) in ACC games. Junior right-hander, Mason Pelio goes to the mound Friday night with a 2-2 record and 5.21 earned run average over four starts.

Scouting the Tar Heels…
No. 15 North Carolina is 10-5 overall and 6-3 in the ACC following a sweep of Clemson at home, but recently suffered its second straight midweek loss to Liberty. The Tar Heels started the season 6-0 under first-year head coach Scott Forbes. Center fielder Justice Thompson leads the UNC lineup with a .397 average and .672 slugging percentage. Right-hander Austin Love is 3-0 with a 2.88 ERA with 29 strikeouts in 25 innings and a .167 batting average against.

Last Time vs. UNC…
Boston College was eliminated from the 2019 ACC Championship in its first semifinal appearance by No. 17 North Carolina, 13-5. Gian Martellini and Joe Suozzi each picked up three hits for the Eagles and Jack Cunningham homered.

By the Numbers: The Eagles vs. The Heels…
Dante Baldelli: .278 (5-for-18), 7 R, 5 BB, .435 OBP… Jack Cunningham: .250 (5-for-20), 5 R, 8 RBI, 3 HR, 1.185 OPS… Sal Frelick: .643 (9-for-14), 4 R, 4 RBIB, 1.420 OPS… Cody Morissette: .333 (7-for-21), 2 2B… Mason Pelio: 3.0 IP, 3 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 3 BBB, 4 SO… Joey Walsh: 3 G, 5.06 ERA, 5.1 IP, 9 H, 2 BB, 4 SO.

Fastest to 10 Wins…
Boston College reached the 10-win mark in its 15th game; the fastest since claiming its 10th win in a program-record 12 games to start the 2016 season. The Eagles have won 10 times by the 15th game of the season on four occasions; 1991 (15 games), 2009 (13), 2016 (12), and 2021 (15).

Pure Power is Pure Gold…
In just 15 games, Luke Gold has hit six home runs; leading a BC lineup that has gone deep 19 times; already besting season totals from 2018 (14), 2017 (15), and one-off of 2016 (20). Gold is just the third BC hitter with six or more home runs in a season since 2015; Chris Shaw (11, 2015) and Jack Cunningham (9, 2019). Gold posted a three-home run weekend at No. 25 Auburn with two in a Friday night win and a two-run, game-winning homer in the 10th on Sunday.