WILMINGTON, N.C. -- The Seahawks, who are coming off an eight-game season-opening homestand, visit nationally-ranked North Carolina on Tuesday for a 3 p.m. start at Boshamer Stadium.
The Tar Heels are ranked fifth by D1Baseball and have run off seven wins to open the season. UNC swept visiting South Florida over the weekend, including a pair of one-run victories to open the three-game set.
The Seahawks, meanwhile, split their eight home games and closed out their homestand with a 1-0 loss to Marshall. It was the second 1-0 loss of the weekend after Indiana State topped the Seahawks in the Hughes Bros. Challenge on Friday.
The Seahawks knocked off the Tar Heels twice last season.
Freshman Brooks Baldwin paced the Seahawks at the plate last week, hitting .417 with a double and a home run while knocking in five runs. All five RBI's game in UNCW's 11-4 rout of Iona on Saturday. Sophomore Doug Angeli added a .357 batting average and scored a team-high five runs.
The UNCW pitching staff continued its strong early season, posting a 3.00 ERA while limiting opponents to a .214 batting average, .299 on base average and a meager .286 slugging percentage. Junior Luke Gesell took the loss against Indiana State despite striking out a career-high seven over a career-long 6.2 innings. Sophomore Gage Herring didn't figure in the decision on Sunday, but struck out a career-high nine against Marshall.
UNCW opens a nine-game homestand this Friday when they host Valparaiso in the first of a three-game series over the weekend. It will be first meeting between the two programs.
