Keeping It Heel
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2017 ACC Tournament: UNC-Boston College Preview

By Bryson Gordon

May 8, 2017; Baltimore, MD, USA; A Rawlings baseball, the Official Ball of Major League Baseball, sits on the field before a game between Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Patrick McDermott-USA TODAY Sports
May 8, 2017; Baltimore, MD, USA; A Rawlings baseball, the Official Ball of Major League Baseball, sits on the field before a game between Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Patrick McDermott-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Diamond Heels kick off their postseason run on Wednesday when they play Boston College in the ACC Tournament.

Following a strong regular season, the Diamond Heels are ready to rock in the postseason.

They will open up pool play in the ACC Tournament against Boston College, the eleven seed in the tournament.

Carolina missed out on the one seed by one game, behind only Louisville for that top spot.

More from UNC Baseball

This Tar Heel team was one of the best regular season teams in college baseball, but they are looking for more.

They have been in the top three of the RPI for a few weeks now, and are feeling confident about a top eight national seed.

The Heels will be sending out Tyler Baum on Wednesday, who is 5-0, with a 2.75 ERA.

You know all about your Tar Heels, so let’s learn a little bit more about the opponent, Boston College.

Boston College

The Eagles come into this game having barely got into the tournament. In baseball, only the top twelve teams make it in, and BC was eleventh.

Overall, BC comes into this game with a 25-26 record on the season, something not too impressive. They also struggled in conference play, going 11-19.

But the Eagles have been a hot team as of late. They come into the ACC Tournament riding a six-game winning streak, including a sweep of Notre Dame to end the regular season.

BC will have a chance to extend that winning streak before they play the Diamond Heels. They will play NC State on Tuesday at 3 PM in Louisville.

The postseason is all about when you can get hot, and BC is certainly hot at the right time.

Pitching

The Eagles have already announced who they will send out to the mound on Wednesday.

LHP Dan Metzdorf will be taking to the hill against the Diamond Heels. Metzdorf, the Eagles number two, has had a decent season, finding himself at 4-5 for the year.

Metzdorf’s ERA is nothing to brag about though. He boasts a 4.64 ERA, which is almost two whole points more than the Diamond Heels starter.

Out of the bullpen, the Eagles have a few options to go to.

Closer Donovan Casey has had a rather solid season, appearing in 22 games, completing five saves, and going for a 5-2 record, with a 3.03 ERA.

Jack Nelson is also another guy who could come out of the pen for the Eagles. Nelson has been strong also, going 4-1 in 15 appearances, with a 2.41 ERA.

Hitting

The Eagles are not the offensive catalysts that the Diamond Heels are, but they are no slouch.

Gian Martellini is having a solid season for Boston College. He went through the regular season carrying a .308 batting average and leading the team in doubles, with fourteen.

Martellini also carries an OPS of .858.

Jake Alu is also another strong hitter for the Eagles. Alu leads the team in batting average, hitting .335, with nine doubles. His on-base percentage is also solid, coming in at .382.

The Eagles also have one of the rare two-way players in baseball. We already talked about how good of a pitcher Casey Donovan is, but he is also a strong hitter.

Donovan, who plays every day, is hitting .290 this season at the plate, along with being a good pitcher. Donovan is second on the team in hits, with 56.

The Eagles boast a trio of good hitters, all of which are capable of carrying the team on offense.

What to expect

The Diamond Heels are coming into the postseason with a huge chip on their shoulder.

They dominated just about everybody in their way in the regular season and even collected a few awards along the way.

J.B. Bukauskas won the ACC Pitcher of the Year award, and DH Ashton McGee won Freshman of the Year.

Carolina seems a lock for a national seed, but it would be amazing to add another ACC Championship to the decorated season this team has had.

The best way to go about that is to go ahead and beat BC in the first game, setting up what could be a huge game between UNC and NC State in the second half of pool play.

Related Story: Two Tar Heels win ACC Awards

This team needs to make a few more statements in the ACC Tournament.

They have few things left to prove, but they can leave no doubt that they are the best team in the ACC with a win in this tournament..

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