Duke, Featured stories, UNC

Four Heels, two Devils make ACC preseason football team

Leave a comment

Duke's Ross Cockrell.
Duke’s Ross Cockrell.
Four North Carolina players and two Duke players made the ACC media’s All-ACC Preseason Football team while the NC State team was shutout.

On offense, UNC’s Eric Ebron was the clear choice at tight end while Tar Heel James Hurst was the top selection at tackle.

Defensively, UNC’s Kareem Martin was the second-highest vote getter at end while teammate Tre Boston was the top vote getter at safety. Duke’s cornerback Ross Cockrell was the overall top vote getter on defense.

Duke punter Will Monday was the overwhelming choice for the team.

No Wolfpack player made the top four voter getter at any position.

The top vote getter was Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd who got 59 of 65 votes. Miami running back Duke Johnson was the runaway choice at his position while Clemson’s Sammy Watkins was the top choice at wide receiver.

Offense

WR Sammy Watkins, Clemson (57) 6-1 205 Junior
WR Michael Campanaro, Wake Forest (20) 5-11 190 Senior
TE Eric Ebron, North Carolina (35) 6-4 245 Junior
T James Hurst, North Carolina (37) 6-7 305 Senior
T Morgan Moses, Virginia (35) 6-6 325 Senior
G Tre’ Jackson, Florida State (36) 6-4 330 Junior
G Brandon Linder, Miami (28) 6-6 317 Senior
C Bryan Stork, Florida State (29) 6-4 298 Senior
QB Tajh Boyd, Clemson (59) 6-1 225 Senior
RB Duke Johnson, Miami (58) 5-9 194 Sophomore
RB James Wilder Jr., Florida State (23) 6-2 229 Junior

Defense

DE Jeremiah, Attaochu, Georgia Tech (39) 6-3 242 Senior
DE Kareem Martin, North Carolina (37) 6-6 265 Senior
DT Nikita Whitlock, Wake Forest (35) 5-11 250 Senior
DT Timmy Jernigan, Florida State (34) 6-2 294 Junior
LB Jack Tyler, Virginia Tech (42) 6-1 236 Senior
LB Christian Jones, Florida State (38) 6-4 232 Senior
LB Kevin Pierre-Louis, Boston College (21) 6-1 215 Senior
CB Ross Cockrell, Duke (48) 6-0 180 Senior
CB Lamarcus Joyner, Florida State (32) * 5-8 190 Senior
S Tre Boston, North Carolina (30) 6-1 205 Senior
S Jason Hendricks, Pitt (18) 6-0 180 Senior

Special teams

PK Chandler Catanzaro, Clemson (41) 6-2 195 Graduate
P Will Monday, Duke (41) 6-4 210 Sophomore
SP Stefon Diggs, Maryland (34) 6-1 185 Sophomore

* Florida State’s Joyner also received 11 votes at the safety position

The Capital Sports team as voted on at the ACC Football Kickoff event is as follows:
Tajh Boyd – Clemson
Duke Johnson – Miami
AJ Blue – NC
Phillip Dorsett – Miami
Stefon Diggs – Maryland
Eric Ebron – NC
James Hurst – NC
Morgan Moses – UVA
Brandon Linder – Miami
Tre’ Jackson – Florida State
Macky MacPherson – Syracuse

Chandler Catazaro – Clemson
Will Monday – Duke
Jamal Golden – Georgia Tech

Jeremiah Attaochu – Georgia Tech
Vic Beasley – Clemson
Aaron Donald – Pittsburgh
Derrick Hopkins – Virginia Tech
Christian Jones – Florida State
Jack Tyler – Virginia Tech
Dyshawn Davis – Syracuse
Ross Cockrell – Duke
Dexter McDougle – Maryland
Jason Hendricks – Pittsburgh
Tre Boston – NC

* Those bolded were also named to the All-ACC Preseason team

Featured stories, N.C. State, UNC

State’s Doeren not ready to talk about the Carolina game

Leave a comment

NCSU's Coach Doeren.
NCSU’s Coach Doeren.
NC State’s new football coach Dave Doeren doesn’t really want to talk about the North Carolina Tar Heels but don’t think he isn’t into college rivalries.

At the ACC Football Kickoff event earlier this week, when a journalist asked him a question about his time coaching Kansas State, he wasn’t happy.

“I didn’t work for K-State. Kansas. I was at Kansas,” he said. “Those are rivals. That’s like saying I worked at UNC. Now, what’s the question?”

Doeren, who as a head coach at Northern Illinois was 2-0 against rival Toledo, said he doesn’t like to make a big deal out of the rivalry until the week of the game.

“The kids already hate ‘em,” Doeren said. “The week of the game, they’re our mortal enemy. Right now we need to get better and worry about us.”

While he doesn’t talk about the Carolina game, which will be at home on Nov. 2, that’s not to say he doesn’t mention the Tar Heels. “I tell our guys, ‘your job should always be to be better than them because they’re our rival.’ We don’t need to talk about the game.”

When the Pack gets to that week, there will be a lot of things said about Carolina, Doeren said, but right now that’s not what State cares about. “We need to beat Louisiana Tech.”

State opens the season at home against Louisiana Tech at 12:30 on Aug. 31.

Featured stories, The skinny

Getting to know Syracuse at ACC Football Kickoff

Leave a comment

syracusehelmetClemson is no longer the only orange walking through the halls of the Grandover Hotel in Greensboro as part of the annual ACC Football Kickoff event. The Syracuse Orange are now part of ACC Country.

The old Orange of Clemson is more likely to make a big impact on the ACC and the country this season however. Syracuse has not only lost 11 starters from last year’s team, the Orange are breaking in a new head coach.

Scott Shafer, who spent the last four years as the Syracuse defensive coordinator, gets his first head coach job at the age of 46.

He’ll take over with a new quarterback taking over for the graduated Ryan Nassib, who started every game over the last three seasons. A senior, a junior and a sophomore are competing for the starting QB position.

Syracuse returns a 1,000-yard rusher in Jerome Smith but they’ve also got another competent runner back in Prince-Tyson Gulley, who rushed for more than 200 yards in the Orange’s bowl win last year.

Senior center Macky MacPherson has been named to the Rimington watch list. The Rimington award goes each year to the nation’s top center.

The defensive front was hit hard by graduation with three of the four gone. But the linebacker and secondary positions look strong. Linebacker Marquis Spruill has started 36 games for the Orange. Six returning starters on defense have at least 18 games as a starter under his belt.

Kicker Ross Krautman ranks fourth among all active placekickers in career field goals made with 48.

Syracuse, which hasn’t defeated NC State in six tries (the latest in 1998), comes to Raleigh to take on the Wolfpack on Oct. 12.

Check back for more on Syracuse.

Duke, Featured stories, N.C. State, UNC

UNC, NC State picked third in respective divisions at ACC Football Kickoff

Leave a comment

ACCFOOTBALLKO2Clemson and Miami are the favorites to win the Atlantic and Coastal divisions of the ACC this football season while NC State and North Carolina are picked to finish third in those divisions.

The poll of media members was released at 1 p.m. today with Clemson taking 95 of the 110 votes predicting the overall ACC champion.

It’s the first time since 1991 that Clemson has finished atop of the media preseason poll. Tiger senior QB Tajh Boyd was the choice to repeat as ACC Player of the Year. The senior was named on 105 of the 120 ballots. A Heisman candidate, Boyd enters the season with 8,053 career passing yards and 73 touchdown passes.

Clemson was predicted to defeat Miami in the ACC championship game on 55 ballots while 19 had Clemson beating Virginia Teach and 18 had Clemson defeating North Carolina.

The Tar Heels received 22 votes to win the Coastal Division but finished behind Miami and Virginia Tech in the balloting. UNC had 649 total vote points, compared to 654 for Virginia Tech and and 736 for Miami.

While Clemson was the runaway choice in the Atlantic Division with 815 total points, Florida State was predicted as champion on 18 ballots and received 732 points. The Wolfpack was a distant third with 490 points, ahead of Wake Forest’s 392.

MEDIA POLL
Atlantic Division
Clemson
Florida State
NC State
Wake Forest
Maryland
Syracuse
Boston College

Coastal Division
Miami
Virginia Tech
North Carolina
Georgia Tech
Pitt
Virginia
Duke

CAPITALSPORTS predictions
Atlantic Division
Clemson
Florida State
NC State
Wake Forest
Maryland
Syracuse
Boston College

Coastal Division
Miami
North Carolina
Georgia Tech
Virginia Tech
Virginia
Pitt
Duke

Featured stories, The skinny

Getting to know Pittsburgh at ACC Football Kickoff

Leave a comment

pittfootballPittsburgh is one of two and a half teams added to the Atlantic Coast Conference in football, with Syracuse and sometimes Notre Dame being the others.

It’s strange to see Pittsburgh players, coaches and media walking the halls at the Grandover Hotel in Greensboro during the 2013 ACC Football Kickoff event.

But it’s a new era in ACC football. And here’s a bit about the Panthers.

Pittsburgh finished fifth in the Big East last year with a 3-4 conference mark and a 6-7 overall mark. The Panthers lose 23 lettermen including nine starters from that squad. The offense is hardest hit with a star QB, tailback, wide receiver, center and tackle gone.

There are eight starters back from a defense that was 17th nationally in total defense. Defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who was a first team All-Big East pick a year ago, returns for his senior season. Donald, a preseason third-team All-America player, recorded 18.5 tackles for losses in 2012. Free safety Jason Hendricks, who was a second team All-Big East pick last year, returns for his senior season.

On offense, Devin Street, a second team All-Big East pick last year, returns for his senior season. He has more career starts (30) than any Panther. Junior QB Tom Savage takes over for graduated Tino Sunseri, who played the last 39 games as the Panthers’ signal caller. Savage isn’t inexperienced either though as he started for Rutgers in 2009.

Pitt plays at Duke on Sept. 21 in a game that may ultimately determine who stays out of the division basement. The Panthers, who beat the Tar Heels at home in 2001, host North Carolina on Nov. 16.

Check back for more on Pittsburgh.

Featured stories, UNC

No excuses for No. 1 Heels as things don’t go their way in the CWS

Leave a comment

cwsVery little went right for North Carolina Friday night but that didn’t stop the Tar Heels from fighting until the end of the game, a game that ended UNC’s season.

UCLA got good pitching and a few breaks to defeat Carolina 4-1 in the NCAA College World Series.

It was a frustrating game for the Heels as they actually outhit the Bruins 7-6 while Carolina pitchers struck out more batters 8-6.

“You’ve gotta be a little lucky and opportunistic, UNC coach Mike Fox said. “We weren’t able to do that.”

While UCLA got timely hitting and excellent pitching, it also took some luck.

What looked like routine ground balls turned into UCLA hits strung together.

Then there were three incorrect umpire calls that went against the Tar Heels.

First, Bolt was safe on a play at first but the umpire called him out. That double play essentially killed Carolina’s chances of scoring in that inning. Then, Emanuel picked off a base runner at first on a bang-bang play but the runner was called safe. He eventually scored.

Finally, there was a force play on a grounder in the ninth where the shortstop was nowhere close to the bag with the ball that severely hurt Carolina’s chances. Usually breaks even out in games but not this time.

Had the play at second been called correctly, a walk would have forced in a run and the final fly out would probably have scored another run. The score would have been 4-3 with Carolina’s All-America Colin Moran coming to the plate with two outs and a man in scoring position.

But, that’s baseball.

To their credit, not one Tar Heel mentioned any of those plays as excuses after the game.

“You have to have talent but you have to have some character,” Coach Fox said. “I feel like that’s a big part of our program.”

Coach Fox said that the Tar Heels played hard every game and represented college athletics and college baseball the right way. He added, “The winning is part of it certainly but there are so many other special things that went on throughout the season.”

Featured stories, N.C. State, UNC

Johnson, not Rodon, was the story of UNC’s 7-0 win over State in the CWS

Leave a comment

Hobbs Johnson.
Hobbs Johnson.
Hobbs Johnson. Those were the first words out of UNC coach Mike Fox’s mouth at the post-game press conference. And this left-hander, not NC State’s left-hander Carlos Rodon, was the story of North Carolina’s 7-0 victory over the Wolfpack in the NCAA College World Series.

“Tonight was all about Hobbs,” Coach Fox said. “It was an incredible performance. We really needed it.”

Johnson gave up five hits and no runs over eight and a third innings while striking out six.

“He threw 130 pitches, all fast balls, not one breaking ball,” Coach Fox said. “I’ve never heard of that before.”

Johnson, from Rocky Mount, hadn’t pitched in 10 days but his last outing wasn’t a good one as he gave up five runs to South Carolina in a loss. “The key to his game is pounding the strike zone to get ahead in the count early,” Coach Fox said.

While he planned to throw a lot of fast balls, the fact that the stadium is a pitcher’s park and the wind was blowing in on hitters, it made it even more important to not give up walks and get the batters to put the ball in play.

Carolina hitters hoped to get the ball in play themselves as they were matched up against Rodon again, just four days after the All-America pitcher had stifled the Tar Heels’ bats.

Rodon, from Holly Springs, wasn’t the scheduled starter but he lobbied Wolfpack coach Elliott Avent and, with their backs against the wall in the elimination game, State decided to start their ace.

“I appreciate his effort and wanting the ball,” Coach Avent said. “Carlos told me yesterday he could go if we needed him, and I wanted to make sure he was thinking with his head and not his heart.”

Coach Avent said he even thought about using Rodon in relief but that he had only pitched in relief once in his entire life. Still, he thought Rodon, who had six strikeouts and only one walk in five innings, did well enough for the Wolfpack to win. “I thought we’d have chance to come back at the end.”

In the fourth inning, the Tar Heels were able to scratch off Rodon as UNC’s Michael Russell hit a sacrifice fly to right that scored Brian Holberton on a close play at the plate. Rodon, who had committed a throwing error earlier in the inning, argued the call as did Coach Avent, but Holberton got his hand on the plate prior to the tag.

The Heels pushed across a second run off Rodon in the fifth. With two outs, Colin Moran, who had three hits on the night, singled in Parks Jordan on Rodon’s 75th pitch.

Rodon was on an 80-pitch count and exited the game. Avent said he thought even with the Pack trailing 2-0, that they could come back late in the game.

But, with Johnson breezing on the mound, the Tar Heels fared better against Wolfpack relief pitchers, tacking on four runs in the eighth and one in the ninth.

North Carolina’s middle infielders, who were solid defensively, were the offensive stars of eighth inning. UNC’s shortstop Michael Russell singled up the middle to drive in two runs to give the Heels a 4-0 cushion.

UNC second baseman Mike Zolk doubled down the line in right to drive in two more to break it open at 6-0.

Moran drove in Jordan for Carolina’s seventh run in the ninth.

A lot of the talk coming into the game was the fact that Carlos Rodon was the “surprise” starter for the Wolfpack. But the real story was Hobbs Johnson. ”He’s a great pitcher,” Johnson said of Rodon. “We made him throw a lot of pitches early, got a couple of runs and were able to tack on some runs later.”

Coach Fox said Johnson’s command was key, walking only two batters. “That’s the best he’s thrown and he’s thrown well for us all year,” Fox said.

The Tar Heels face a UCLA team known for its pitching in yet another elimination game Friday at 8 p.m. EDT.

Heel Notes: During an in-game interview on ESPN, UNC coach Mike Fox joked that he knew Rodon, who was on just a three-day rest, was going to start. “I know Elliott better than all of you,” he said with a laugh.

Chaz Frank singled to lead off the game. It took five innings for the Heels to get a hit off Rodon Sunday.

UNC reliever Chris McCue, who got the final two outs on a line-drive 9-3 double play, threw one changeup and it was supposed to be a fastball. That was the only off-speed pitch State saw the entire game.

Of the 10 College World Series games this year, nine of them have been won by the team designated as the visiting team.

The official attendance for the game was 25,742 and the game lasted 3:32.

Featured stories, N.C. State

UCLA pitches its way past State, setting up another Heels-Pack matchup

Leave a comment

statebaseball
UCLA pitcher Nick Vander Tuig worked 7.0 innings and allowed just four hits and one run while striking out six batters and walking none as the Bruins beat NC State 2-1 Tuesday night in the NCAA College World Series.

NC State will play North Carolina in an elimination game at 8 p.m. ET Thursday. The Wolfpack beat the Tar Heels 8-1 in their first game played in the College World Series on Sunday. The loser will be the fourth team eliminated from the CWS.

UCLA will not play again until Friday when the Bruins take on the winner of Thursday’s NC State vs. North Carolina game at 8 p.m. ET.

Here’s the play-by-play from UCLA’s 2-1 win over NC State:

TOP 1st: UCLA’s Brian Carroll steps into the box for the first pitch from NC State right-hander Logan Jernigan: ball, inside at 7:09 p.m. CT. … Carroll grounds out to SS Trea Turner for the first out. … Kevin Kramer taps out to 2B Logan Ratledge; two outs. … Eric Filia lifts a lazy fly ball to LF Bryan Adametz, who has little trouble with the setting sun to record the third out.

BOTTOM 1st: UCLA’s Nick Vander Tuig delivers a called-strike one to NC State leadoff hitter Trea Turner. And on a 1-1 pitch, Turner flies out to LF Brenton Allen for the first out. … Vander Tuig fields a tapper back to the mound off the bat of Jake Fincer and throws to first for the second out. … Vander Tuig gets Brett Austin swinging on a 1-2 pitch for the third out. … This marks the first time in the 2013 CWS that both teams were retired in order in the first inning.

TOP 2nd: NC State’s Logan Jernigan begins the second by striking out Pat Valaika. … And follows up with a slow roller to second off the bat of Kevin Williams for the second out. … No chance for a no-hitter by Jernigan; Pat Gallagher laces a single down the right-field line. … Shane Zeile fans swinging for the third out.

BOTTOM 2nd: The Bruins’ Nick Vander Tuig coaxes a ground out off the bat of Tarran Senay then punches out Grant Clyde for the first two outs of the inning. … The third out is a fly ball to right off the bat of Brett Williams. Another 1-2-3 for Vander Tuig, who has retired six consecutive; 25 pitches, 16 for strikes.

TOP 3rd: UCLA’s Cody Regis grounds out to second to start the third inning. … Deja vu for No. 2: Brenton Allen rolls out to second. … Brian Carroll strokes the ball into the right-center field gap for a double. … Kevin Kramer earns a base on balls; runners on first and second with two out. … Eric Filia obviously thought he bounded that ball off his foot; he didn’t run out the grounder to first, which was fielded by NC State 1B Tarran Senway for the third out. (Replays show the ball did not hit Filia …)

BOTTOM 3rd: NC State’s Bryan Adametz is hit by a pitch to end the bid for perfection by UCLA’s Nick Vander Tuig. … Jake Armstrong is hit by a pitch — but the umpire waves off the HBP; he had just told Armstrong to keep his elbow out of the strike zone. … Base hit to left field by Jake Armstrong; runners on first and second with none out. … A sac bunt by Logan Ratledge moves the runners to second and third; one out. … RBI single by Trea Turner to plate Adametz. The throw from UCLA LF Brenton Allen is airmailed and Armstrong races for the plate. UCLA catcher Shane Zeile retreives the ball, fires to the plate and Vander Tuig applies the tag for the second out. Turner advanced to second. … Turner moves to third on a wild pitch by Vander Tuig. … Jake Fincher flies out to left to end the inning. … 1-0 NC State

TOP 4th: UCLA’s Pat Valaika lines out to left field for the first out. … Kevin Williams lofts a fly ball down the the left-field line for the second out. … Pat Gallagher is rung up, called-strike three, for the third out. … NC State’s Logan Jernigan has allowed two hits and issued one walk through four frames.

BOTTOM 4th: NC State’s Brett Austin goes down swinging for the first out. … Tarran Senay also strikes out swinging. … Grant Clyde skies a ball to left field that Bruins SS Pat Valaika settles under to retire the side.

TOP 5th: UCLA’s Shane Zeile, the nephew of former big-leaguer Todd Zeile, grounds out to short to begin the fifth. … Cody Regis works a walk from NC State’s Logan Jernigan. … Nine-hole hitter Brenton Allen, drafted in the 20th round of the MLB Draft by Washington, singles to right; runners on first and second with one out. … Brian Carroll walks to load the bases. … Pitching change: Grant Sasser replaces Logan Jernigan for NC State. … UCLA’s Kevin Kramer drops a 1-0 pitch into shallow center for an RBI single to score Regis; bases still loaded with one out. … Eric Filia pops out in foul territory to NC State 3B Grant Clyde for the second out. … With Pat Valaika at the plate, Grant Sasser uncorks a wild pitch to score Allen; Caroll and Kramer move up to third and second. … Valaika is intentionally walked to reload the bases. … Trent Chatterton is called on to pinch-hit for Kevin Williams. … On a 3-2 pitch, Chatterton lines out to center field to end the inning. … 2-1 UCLA

BOTTOM 5th: NC State’s Brett Williams grounds out to second for the first out of the fifth. … Bryan Adametz flies to center; two out. … Jake Armstrong flies to center to end the inning. … UCLA’s Nick Vander Tuig, who has yielded two hits through five innings, has thrown 69 pitches (46 for strikes).

TOP 6th: UCLA’s Pat Gallagher leads off the sixth with a ground out to second. … Shane Zeile is called out, looking at strike three. … Cody Regis grounds out to second for the third out.

BOTTOM 6th: NC State’s Logan Ratledge strokes a liner to third that is snared by Bruins 3B Kevin Kramer for the first out. … Trea Turner grounds out to third; two out. … And the four-pitch inning ends with Jake Fincher grounding out to short.

TOP 7th: Brett Urabe pinch hits for Brenton Allen and earns a base on balls. … Brian Carroll lays down a sac bunt to advance Urabe to second; one out. … Kevin Kramer flies out to center for the second out. … Eric Filia pops out in foul territory to the catcher to end the Bruins’ seventh.

BOTTOM 7th: NC State’s Brett Austin strikes out for the first out. … Tarran Senay also strikes out; two down. … Grant Clyde singles to right, becoming NC State’s first baserunner since the third inning. UCLA’s Nick Vander Tuig had retired 12 consecutive batters. … Brett Williams grounds into the 6-4 fielder’s choice that retired Clyde at second for the third out.

TOP 8th: UCLA’s Pat Valaika grounds out to short for the first out. … Chris Keck pinch-hits for Trent Chatterton, and pops out to NC State 3B Grant Clyde for the second out. … Pat Gallagher strikes out and the ball bounds away; Wolfpack C Brett Austin pounces and throws to 1B Tarran Senay for the third out.

BOTTOM 8th: NC State’s Bryan Adametz lines a single to left to begin the frame. … UCLA makes a call to the bullpen; David Berg trots in from the right-field bullpen to replace Nick Vander Tuig. … Jake Armstrong is hit by a pitch to put runners and first and second with none out. … Logan Ratledge bunts back to Berg, who throw to third to force out Adametz for the first out. … Trea Turner gives the ball a ride into the left-center field alley — and it’s caught on the warning track for the second out. … Jake Fincher strikes out for the third out of the inning.

TOP 9th: For UCLA, Shane Zeile strikes out to begin the ninth. … Cody Regis singles to left. … Christoph Bono hits the ball to deep short, no chance for a play at second, and Bono is out on the fielder’s choice at first for the second out; Regis at second. … Brian Carroll goes down hacking for the third out.

BOTTOM 9th: NC State’s Brett Austin grounds out to second for the first out. … Tarran Senay strokes a single to right — the first hit of the game for the Nos. 2-3-4 hitters for NC State; combined 1-for-12. … Brian Taylor enters as a pinch-runner for Senay. … Grant Clyde strikes out swinging for the second out. … Brett Williams strikes out swining to end the game. … UCLA advances to play Friday while NC State faces UNC in an elimination game Thursday. … UCLA wins 2-1

Featured stories, UNC

Heels jump on LSU early, hold on to avoid elimination

Leave a comment

uncbaseballNorth Carolina got what it needed Tuesday from starting pitcher Trent Thornton and clean-up hitter Brian Holberton as the Tar Heels stayed alive in the NCAA College World Series with a 4-2 victory over LSU.

Thornton, a freshman, threw 114 pitches, allowing just two runs over seven innings, while Holberton provided the power with a two-run homer over the right-center field fence in the top of the first inning.

“I thought the home run by Brian was really crucial for us,” UNC coach Mike Fox said. “It just kind of let the air out a little bit and let us play with a lead, something we haven’t seemed to have done in a while.”

Fox changed the batting order around, with Holberton moving to the No. 4 slot. “It made the move look good but it wasn’t me,” Fox said. “Brian’s been in that position before, and we felt we needed to move some things around a little bit.”

Fox said Holberton does a lot more than just provide power. “He can hit and he can bunt and he can do a lot of things for us,” he said.

In fact, Holberton did bunt in the seventh inning, sacrificing Colin Moran to second. Skye Bolt singled in Moran to give the Heels an important 4-1 cushion.

Thornton did the rest, along with an assist from reliever Chris McCue.

For the rest of the article, please click here.

Featured stories, N.C. State, The skinny

Rodon, NC State roll over Tar Heels in College World Series

Leave a comment

Carlos Rodon.
Carlos Rodon.
NC State All-America pitcher Carlos Rodon struck out eight and kept the Tar Heels scoreless for eight innings as the Wolfpack rolled to an 8-1 victory over Carolina in the teams’ first game of the 2013 College World Series in Omaha, Neb.

“You know, this is the College World Series,” Rodon said. “It doesn’t get any better than this, so why not bring your A game?”

Tar Heel Chaz Frank said Rodon really didn’t do anything different than he usually does. “He picks up his game even more when he plays us,” he said.

“Complete dominance,” UNC coach Mike Fox said of Rodon. “He was too good for us today.”

It was the fifth time Rodon has pitched against the Heels in the past two seasons. While he’s always pitched well, it was only the second win he’s posted against Carolina. In the past, the Tar Heels have managed to get into the State bullpen and come back for the victory.

This time Rodon went the distance.

“He had everything working,” said UNC’s Brian Holberton, who had two of the Heels’ five hits.

On the other hand, Ken Emanuel lasted less than three innings for the Tar Heels.

With two outs, State’s Tarran Senay singled in lead-off batter Trea Turner, who had walked, to put the Wolfpack up 1-0 in the first inning.

“I had two strikes on him and I wanted to go outside,” Emanuel said. “I did but I needed a couple of inches more to get the out instead of him getting the cap on it for a hit.”

It might be a game of inches but the Wolfpack opened the game up by a mile in the third inning. State’s Grant Clyde singled in Brett Austin, who had doubled, to put the Wolfpack up 2-0. Then, Brett Williams doubled down the left field corner to drive in another run to make it 3-0.
State’s Bryan Adametz singled in a run and, after Emanuel was pulled, UNC reliever Chris McCue gave up an RBI-single to Logan Ratledge which made it 5-0.

With Rodon dealing on the mound, the 5-0 lead seemed insurmountable and it was.
“Anytime you’re facing Carlos Rodon, getting behind early is one of the worst things you can do,” Coach Fox said.

Carolina didn’t get a hit until the fifth inning and didn’t get a run until the ninth when Landon Lassiter doubled in the right-center gap to score Frank.

State coach Elliott Avent said Rodon is a better person than he is a ballplayer. “He’s one of the best teammates on this team, and we have a lot of great teammates,” he said. “He just happens to have a powerful left arm and he’s learned how to control the emotional side of the game and channel the emotional side of the game.”

UNC faces an elimination game Tuesday at 3 p.m. against the loser of UCLA-LSU, the Tar Heels remain confident.
“This team has played with a lot of fight all year,” Frank said. “We haven’t lost two in row all year and we don’t plan on losing Tuesday either.”

Box score