May 7, 2009

LIVE STATS

FARMVILLE, Va. -- Longwood University will play at top-ranked Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) member the University of North Carolina in baseball Thursday evening, May 7, at 6 p.m. in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.  The Lancers and Tar Heels are meeting for the first-time ever in the sport.  Longwood (25-17) is coached by 31st-year head coach Charles 'Buddy' Bolding, while North Carolina (36-11), ranked #1 in this week's USA TODAY/ESPN Top 25 Coaches' Poll, is led by 11th-year head coach Mike Fox.  It's also the first-time ever for Longwood Baseball to play against a top-ranked Division I program.

Longwood will be led into action by the senior battery of catcher Jonathan Quigley (.359, 8 HR, 10 2B, 43 RBI) and right-handed pitcher Paul Heidler II (3-1, 5.09 ERA, 35.1 IP, 36K).  Expected to join them in the lineup are junior captains Phil Cerreto (3B / .399, 8 HR, 12 2B, 49 RBI), Casey Havers (1B / .396, 5 HR, 13 2B, 38 RBI), and David Smiy Jr. (LF / .376, 1 HR, 15 2B, 23 RBI).  Also expected in the lineup are sophomore Brant Jones (SS / .404, 6 HR, 17 2B, 40 RBI), junior Scott Kimble (CF / .335, 3 HR, 10 2B, 22 RBI), along with freshmen Mike Stancik (2B / .385, 4 2B, 5 RBI), Robby Newman (DH / .319, 4 HR, 13 2B, 30 RBI), and Dustin Sollars (RF / .287, 2 HR, 3 2B, 22 RBI).  Junior captain and closer Lance Harting (5-6, 5 Saves, 7.36 ERA, 47.2 IP, 46K) could see time on the mound as well.

Longwood is hitting .342 as a team this season with 40 home runs, 105 doubles, and 294 RBI while averaging 8.02 runs per game.  The Lancers' batting average ranks 15th nationally, while the program also ranks 20th in doubles per game (2.5), 39th in both doubles and slugging percentage (.515), and 43rd in both scoring and sacrifice flies (25).  Individually, Jones is 24th nationally in runs per game (1.33), and 41st in runs (56).  Kimble is 20th in stolen bases per game (0.61), and 23rd in stolen bases (25).  Cerreto and Havers each rank 26th in sacrifice files (6), while senior right-handed pitcher John Walker II is fourth nationally in walks allowed per nine innings (0.82, six in 65.2 innings).  Longwood's team pitching ERA is 5.98 through 335.2 innings with 247 strikeouts (6.62).

North Carolina will be led into action by Kyle Seager (.392, 3 HR, 21 2B, 41 RBI) and Dustin Ackley (.392, 13 HR, 11 2B, 43 RBI).  They are followed by Mark Fleury (.345, 10 HR, 17 2B, 55 RBI), Ben Bunting (.318, 2 HR, 7 2B, 29 RBI), and Levi Michael (.311, 12 HR, 9 2B, 44 RBI).  The Tar Heels are expected to start right-hander Jimmy Messer (2-0, 8.00 ERA, 18.0 IP, 16K) on the mound against the Lancers.  UNC is hitting .308 as a team with 51 home runs, 91 doubles, and 328 RBI while averaging 7.64 runs per game.  The Carolina pitching staff has a combined ERA of 3.73 through 424.1 innings with 476 strikeouts (10.10, 3rd in Division I).

The game-time weather forecast for Chapel Hill is for temperatures in the low-80's with a 30% chance of precipitation throughout the evening.