ACC Baseball News & Notes: A Look at Where Things Stand

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After one weekend of play in the ACC, we thought we’d look at the bigger picture for the conference. You may have heard by now that there is a new number-one team in the college baseball rankings. That’s because the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (12-4 overall) lost two of three last weekend to Duke (14-2). The Demon Deacons fell to #7 in the DI baseball poll. The Blue Devils are now the highest-ranked ACC team in that poll at #6. This week, we look at how the league stacks up with the rest of the country.

In the DI Baseball Top 25 poll, the ACC is well represented. After Duke and Wake Forest comes Clemson (13-1) at #10, North Carolina (14-2) at #15, and Virginia (13-3) at #17, In the RPI ranking for this week, the league has nine teams ranked inside the top-50. Clemson is the highest at #2 followed by UNC at #4, Florida State (15-0) at #6, Notre Dame (11-5) at #17, Virginia Tech (12-3) at #18, Wake Forest at #28, North Carolina State (12-3) at #33, Duke is at #34, and Virginia at #37.

Virginia OF, Bobby Whalen is seventh in the country in batting average at .488 (21-for-43). Florida State’s Cam Smith is tenth at .485 (33-for-68). Miami INF, Daniel Cuvet is 26th in the nation at .455 (30-of-66). Duke INF, Ben Miller is 35th in the race with a .449 average. (31-for-69). Jamie Torres of Miami at #39 with a .441 (30-of-68) as an infielder shows they can hit. Several hitters are showing a very good eye at the plate. Infielder, Jackson Ross of Clemson is second in the country in base on balls with 24. Boston College’s OF Cameron Leary is tied for 9th with 21. Junior catcher Jacob Cozart of Miami is 19th with 19.

Florida State’s Drew Faurot is tied for 2nd in doubles with 11. Miller of Duke is tied for 11th with 9. OF Drew Burress of Georgia Tech is tied for 3rd in home runs with 10. Daniel Cuvet is tied for 9th with nine home runs. Virginia’s Harrison Didawick and Florida State’s OF James Tibbs Jr, are tied for 16th with 8 HR. Virginia Tech INF. Clay Grady is tied for 4th in triples with three. INF Alex Makarewicz is second in RBI with 34, OF Casey Cook of UNC is tied for 5th with 30, Tibbs jr for 8th with 29, Burress for 16th with 27, and Cuvet for 19th with 26. Smith is second in hits with 33, Miller of Duke is 6th with 31, Miami as a pair at 10. Cuvet and Torres with 30. Cook of UNC is 12th with 29.

On the pitching side, Florida State’s Jamie Arnold is tied for the top spot with a 0.00 ERA in 22 innings pitched. Carson Ballard of Georgia Rech is 10th with a 0.90 ERA giving up four runs, two earned, in 20 IP. Louisville’s Evan Webster is also 10th with a 0.90 ERA with two earned runs in 20 IP. North Carolina’s Matthew Matthijs is tied for 3rd with 10 pitching appearances covering 16 innings. Nick Roberts of Miami also has 10 covering 13.2 IP. Another Tar heel pitcher, Connor Bovair, is tied for 13th with 9 appearances covering 10.2 IP. Wake Forest Dave Falco is tied for 13th with 9 over 8.2 IP. Miami’s Brandon Olivera is tied for 13th with 9 appearances with 10 IP. Duke’s closer Charlie Bellerson leads with seven saves in seven appearances (14 IP), Demon Deacons closer Falco has 4 saves in 9 appearances (8.2 IP), Aldan Teel of Virginia has 4 saves in 9 appearances (9.1 IP), Chase Burns of Wake Forest is second in strikeouts with 43 in 23.1 IP, Jonathan Santucci of Duke has 35 in 19.2 IP (tied for 15th). Herick Henandez of Miami is tied for 19th (33K’s in 21.2 IP).

Both Matthijs at 7-0 (1st) and Arnold (T-3) are at 4-0 as is Brent Renfrow with the 4-0 record. Chase Burns is tied for 17rh at 3-0. Georgia Tech’s Aeden Finateri at 3-0. Duke’s Kyle Johnson is also 3-0. In walks per nine innings, only Ballard of the Yellow Jackets is in the top 50 at #49 with an average of 1.34 in 20 innings pitched.

That gives you some idea of where ACC baseball players are ranked in the different categories in college baseball. Next week we’ll be back with more from the ACC.