University of Minnesota Athletics
Scout Series: ACC/B1G Challenge
12/2/2019 2:49:00 PM | Baseball
With the start of the 2020 college baseball season inching closer, we continue previewing Minnesota's schedule by breaking down a trio of early season Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) opponents: UNC, Duke and NC State.
After beginning the season with the Angels College Classic in Tempe, Ariz., the Gophers return to the Twin Cities in late February to embark on a span of 14 consecutive home games at U.S. Bank Stadium. Following a three game series with TCU from Feb. 14-16, Minnesota welcomes a triumvirate of North Caroline-based schools for an ACC/Big Ten Conference challenge from Feb. 28 to March 1.
Scouting the UNC Tar Heels | Friday, Feb. 28 at 7pm | U.S. Bank Stadium
UNC completed their 2019 season after going 46-19 (17-13) and progressing as far as the NCAA Super Regional in Chapel Hill, N.C. While there, the Tar Heels lost their series against Auburn two games-to-one, ultimately bringing an end to their campaign.
Entering 2020, head coach Mike Fox will man the helm for his 22nd season with the Tar Heels. Since 2006, Fox and the Tar Heels boast seven trips to the College World Series. His 21 seasons in Chapel Hill has left the team with a record of 936-399-1 during his tenure.
When Minnesota and UNC go head-to-head this February, it will be the first time the two teams have competed since 2001 and the second-ever in the history of the two schools. With the limited history between these two teams, the all-time series currently sits at an even 1-1. As the Gophers look to break the tie, they will need to put the reigns on sophomore phenom Aaron Sabato, who batted .343/.453/.696 last season with 18 homers, 63 RBI and 47 runs.
Scouting the Duke Blue Devils | Saturday, Feb. 29 at 7:00pm | U.S. Bank Stadium
Duke enters the 2020 season coming off a 35-27 record overall and an even 15-15 mark in ACC play. Having breezed through their NCAA Regional in 2019, the Blue Devils' season came to a close when they were bested by Vanderbilt at the NCAA Super Regional in Nashville, Tenn. As the team looks to improve upon their successful 2019 campaign, they will be led by head coach Chris Pollard, who has been with the program since 2012.
Seeing as the Gophers have never previously faced off against the Blue Devils, this match-up signifies an immediate opportunity for one of these two teams to grab an early all-time series lead. For Minnesota to be that team, they will need to keep an eye on infielder Ethan Murray (.305/.391/.445), infielder Matt Mervis (.274/.357/.421) and catcher Michael Rothernberg (.269/.390/.481). These three Blue Devils combined to hit 22 home runs with 123 RBI a season ago.
Scouting the NC State Wolfpack | Sunday, March 1 at 6pm | U.S. Bank Stadium
Ending their 2019 season with a second place finish in the ACC, NC State laid claim to a 42-19 overall record last year. Their conference season (18-12) ended when they fell to Georgia Tech, 9-2, in the ACC Championship Semifinal. In their appearance in the NCAA Greenville Regional, NC State battled against Campbell University (L, 5-4) and East Carolina University (L, 9-2), before seeing their year draw to a close.
Head coach Elliott Avent has coached the last 23 seasons for the Wolfpack, leading them to the NCAA Tournament in 18 of those seasons, including bids in 13 out of the last 15 campaigns. Avent has over 1,000 career wins, placing him among the top-16 winningest active head coaches.
Last season, NC State managed to secure a home sweep of Minnesota while grabbing hold of a 5-2 all-time series lead. As the Gophers aim to claw their way back, there will be several key Wolfpack players the team will need to focus on limiting offensively. One of such players is junior outfielder Jonny Butler (.267/.378/.359), who topped the Wolfpack with 69 runs last season. Another impact player is catcher Patrick Bailey (.288/.390/.513), who ended the 2019 season with 10 homers and 50 runs scored.
After beginning the season with the Angels College Classic in Tempe, Ariz., the Gophers return to the Twin Cities in late February to embark on a span of 14 consecutive home games at U.S. Bank Stadium. Following a three game series with TCU from Feb. 14-16, Minnesota welcomes a triumvirate of North Caroline-based schools for an ACC/Big Ten Conference challenge from Feb. 28 to March 1.
Scouting the UNC Tar Heels | Friday, Feb. 28 at 7pm | U.S. Bank Stadium
UNC completed their 2019 season after going 46-19 (17-13) and progressing as far as the NCAA Super Regional in Chapel Hill, N.C. While there, the Tar Heels lost their series against Auburn two games-to-one, ultimately bringing an end to their campaign.
Entering 2020, head coach Mike Fox will man the helm for his 22nd season with the Tar Heels. Since 2006, Fox and the Tar Heels boast seven trips to the College World Series. His 21 seasons in Chapel Hill has left the team with a record of 936-399-1 during his tenure.
When Minnesota and UNC go head-to-head this February, it will be the first time the two teams have competed since 2001 and the second-ever in the history of the two schools. With the limited history between these two teams, the all-time series currently sits at an even 1-1. As the Gophers look to break the tie, they will need to put the reigns on sophomore phenom Aaron Sabato, who batted .343/.453/.696 last season with 18 homers, 63 RBI and 47 runs.
Scouting the Duke Blue Devils | Saturday, Feb. 29 at 7:00pm | U.S. Bank Stadium
Duke enters the 2020 season coming off a 35-27 record overall and an even 15-15 mark in ACC play. Having breezed through their NCAA Regional in 2019, the Blue Devils' season came to a close when they were bested by Vanderbilt at the NCAA Super Regional in Nashville, Tenn. As the team looks to improve upon their successful 2019 campaign, they will be led by head coach Chris Pollard, who has been with the program since 2012.
Seeing as the Gophers have never previously faced off against the Blue Devils, this match-up signifies an immediate opportunity for one of these two teams to grab an early all-time series lead. For Minnesota to be that team, they will need to keep an eye on infielder Ethan Murray (.305/.391/.445), infielder Matt Mervis (.274/.357/.421) and catcher Michael Rothernberg (.269/.390/.481). These three Blue Devils combined to hit 22 home runs with 123 RBI a season ago.
Scouting the NC State Wolfpack | Sunday, March 1 at 6pm | U.S. Bank Stadium
Ending their 2019 season with a second place finish in the ACC, NC State laid claim to a 42-19 overall record last year. Their conference season (18-12) ended when they fell to Georgia Tech, 9-2, in the ACC Championship Semifinal. In their appearance in the NCAA Greenville Regional, NC State battled against Campbell University (L, 5-4) and East Carolina University (L, 9-2), before seeing their year draw to a close.
Head coach Elliott Avent has coached the last 23 seasons for the Wolfpack, leading them to the NCAA Tournament in 18 of those seasons, including bids in 13 out of the last 15 campaigns. Avent has over 1,000 career wins, placing him among the top-16 winningest active head coaches.
Last season, NC State managed to secure a home sweep of Minnesota while grabbing hold of a 5-2 all-time series lead. As the Gophers aim to claw their way back, there will be several key Wolfpack players the team will need to focus on limiting offensively. One of such players is junior outfielder Jonny Butler (.267/.378/.359), who topped the Wolfpack with 69 runs last season. Another impact player is catcher Patrick Bailey (.288/.390/.513), who ended the 2019 season with 10 homers and 50 runs scored.
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