Wake Forest Athletics
Baseball Heads to UNC Wilmington for Three-Game Series
2/16/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 16, 2006
| Games No. 3-5: Wake Forest vs. UNC Wilmington | |
| Records: | Demon Deacons (1-1) vs. Seahawks (3-0) |
| When: | Fri., Feb. 17 - 3 p.m. Sat., Feb. 18 - 2 p.m. Sun., Feb. 19 - 2 p.m. |
| Where: | Brooks Field - Wilmington, N.C. |
| Pitching Matchup: | WF: RHP Kyle Young (0-0, 4.50) UNCW: RHP Thomas Benton WF: RHP Charlie Mellies (1-0, 3.60) UNCW: RHP Allen Flood (1-0, 0.00) WF: RHP Justin Keadle (2-5, 6.22*) UNCW: RHP Zach Booker (1-0, 0.00) |
| Game Notes: | |
| Coverage: | Friday: Saturday: Sunday: |
IN THE BATTERS BOX -- Wake Forest travels to UNC Wilmington this weekend for a three-game series with the Seahawks... the Demon Deacons and UNCW will meet for the first time since the 1998 season... Friday's opener begins at 3 p.m., while Saturday and Sunday start at 2 p.m.
UNC WILMINGTON INSIDER -- The Seahawks were picked by the Colonial Athletic Association's baseball coaches as the odds-on favorite to capture the 2006 crown. After the first weekend, UNC Wilmington has done nothing to refute their praise. The Seahawks pasted Maryland-Eastern Shore in a three-game series sweep. UNC Wilmington scored 18 or more runs in each of the three games. The Seahawks received votes for the top 25 in Preseason Sports Weekly/ESPN D-I Coaches Poll. UNCW welcomes back 22 lettermen, including eight from a lineup that batted a school-record .323 in 2005. The Seahawks ranked among the nation's leaders in six offensive categories and is one of 16 schools to boast three consecutive 40-win seasons. Returning All-CAA standouts John Raynor and Matt Poulk will anchor the attack. Raynor batted a career-best .397 as a junior, with 59 runs scored and 56 driven in. The Benson, N.C., native was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the 12th round of the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft. He has already been honored by Collegiate Baseball as a preseason Second-Team All-America selection. Poulk set a school record with 73 runs batted, hitting a robust .364 and topping the club with 11 home runs. The Morehead City, N.C., native was named to the Wallace Award Watch list earlier this season. Poulk was picked by Collegiate Baseball as a preseason Third-Team All-America choice. On the mound, several veterans should ease the loss of three weekend starters off last season's club. The staff welcomes back 10 hurlers who combined for 155 appearances. Junior righty Zach Booker is the Seahawks' top returning starter. The Elon, N.C., product went 4-2 in 18 appearances, including five starts, and held opponents to a .266 batting average. Sophomore Allen Flood moves to the starting rotation after earning All-Rookie honors as a reliever. Flood compiled a 6-3 mark, with four saves and a 3.74 earned run average in 33 appearances.
RANKINGS -- Wake Forest is unranked, while UNC Wilmington is receiving votes in the ESPN/Sports Weekly poll.
ON DECK -- After the Demon Deacons' three-game series with UNC Wilmington, they will face Charlotte in their home opener on Feb. 21 at 2:30 pm. The Deacs lead the all-time series, 26-21, but the two split a doubleheader to open the 2006 season.
PROBABLE POSITION STARTERS --
Pos. # Player B-T Cl. GP-GS Avg. HR RBI NotesC 6 Dan Rosaia L-R R-Jr. 1-1 .333 0 0 Missed most of `05 after ankle injury1B 10 Allan Dykstra L-R Fr. 3-3 .286 0 1 Rated as No. 41 freshman in country2B 12 Andy Goff R-R So. 2-2 .125 0 0 4th on team with 14 two-out RBI in `053B 9 Matt Antonelli R-R Jr. 2-2 .250 1 1 Set school record with 57 BB in `05SS 1 Dustin Hood R-R Fr. 2-2 .875 0 2 Replaces four-year starter Ben IngoldLF 2 Brett Linnenkohl L-L So. -- -- -- -- 2nd most ab's in WFU freshman historyRF 4 Evan Ocheltree L-L Fr. 1-1 .000 0 0 Above average defensive outfielderor 22 Brian Shust R-R Jr. 2-2 .375 1 4 Owns strongest arm among outfieldersCF 37 Eric Williams B-L R-So. 2-2 .125 0 1 Transfer from Arizona State; leadoff hitterDH 26 Brendan Enick R-R R-Jr. 2-2 .222 0 1 2nd in multi-RBI games (16) in `05
INJURY UPDATE -- Sophomore Brett Linnenkohl missed the first weekend of the season with a strained hamstring, but is expected to return this weekend... redshirt sophomore pitcher Andrew Knox will not make the trip with the team as he still recovers from last season's surgery... freshman catcher Cory Hindel will redshirt the season following elbow surgery this past fall.
OPENING WEEKENDS -- Wake Forest has now dropped three consecutive season openers. The Deacons lost to Rice to open 2004, Winthrop in 2005 and now Charlotte... dating back to the 1958 season (the last 50 years), Wake Forest is 30-20 on opening day... the Demon Deacons are 0-2 all-time under Rick Rembielak on opening day and Rembielak is 6-7 all-time in his career.
AFTER FURTHER REVIEW -- Wake Forest freshman Dustin Hood had quite a debut for the Demon Deacons against Charlotte last weekend. The shortstop had seven hits in the twin bill, including five in the night cap. Hood, who went 5-for-5 with an RBI double and two runs scored, became the first Deacon rookie to record five hits in a single game since Bill Merrifield went 5-for-8 against Georgia Tech on April 4, 1981.
YOUTH SERVING THE DEACONS WELL -- Wake Forest started three true freshman in their season opener against Charlotte on Feb. 12 -- first basemen Allan Dykstra, left fielder Evan Ocheltree and shortstop Dustin Hood. The Deacons also used a pair of rookies out of the bullpen as well in southpaw Garrett Bullock and right-hander Brad Kledzik.
IN THE BOOKS -- Wake Forest had a number of players recorded firsts this past weekend at Charlotte. In addition to the Demon Deacon debuts of five true freshman and two transfers (So., Ben Hunter, So., Austin Jones and R-So., Eric Williams), Allan Dykstra, Dustin Hood, Jones and Williams each picked up their first career hits. Dykstra, Hood and Williams also had RBIs. Hunter, who made 13 starts last season for Furman, registered his first career save, while junior Brian Shust smacked his first career home run.
NATIONAL FLAVOR -- As is usually the case, the Demon Deacon baseball roster is made up from players across the United States. This year, however, it's even more apparent as 30 of the 32 players on the roster are from outside the state of North Carolina. In fact, 15 different states, including North Carolina, are represented. The only North Carolinians on the team are pitchers Kip Byrum (Sr., Greenville, N.C.) and Garrett Bullock (Fr., Greenville, N.C.) -- both of whom attended J.H. Rose HS.
ANTONELLI NAMED PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN -- Wake Forest junior third basemen Matt Antonelli was named second team Preseason All-American by Baseball America. Antonelli, who has already been named to the Wallace Award Watch List, is the first Demon Deacon to garner Preseason All-American status since 2003.
A native of Peabody, Mass., Antonelli led Wake Forest in batting average (.332), walks (57), on-base percentage (.475) and runs scored (68) in 2005. The 57 walks set a new single-season school record surpassing the previous mark of 55 held by Billy Masse (1988). Antonelli also tied Dave Lardieri for 10th all-time in single-season school history for runs scored. He was second on the squad in hits (77) and doubles (22).
DEMON DEACONS RETURN FIVE STARTERS -- Wake Forest returns five position starters from last year's team. Junior Matt Antonelli started all 58 games at third base, and led the team in four offensive categories. The Deacons return the sophomore starting tandem of second basemen Andy Goff and left-fielder Brett Linnenkohl. Goff (.197 BA, 2 HRs, 32 RBI) started 57 games last season, while Linnenkohl (.253 BA, 4 HRs, 44 RBI) was one of only four players to start all 58 games last year. Senior outfielder Casey Sterk is another returning position starter for the Deacons in 2006. Sterk, who played in 56 games and started 53, batted .250 with a home run and 24 RBI. The final returning starter is redshirt junior designated hitter Brendan Enick. Enick (.311 BA, 5 HRs, 45 RBI) had a breakthrough season in 2005 after just three career at-bats over his first two seasons.
ARM(ED) SERVICES -- Wake Forest returns seven pitchers that recorded 40 or more IP last season, including five hurlers with 50 or more IP. That does not include redshirt senior Justin Keadle. Keadle, who missed all of 2005 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, led the Deacons with 88.1 innings pitched in 2004.
Keadle and a pair of junior RHPs, Josh Ellis and Charlie Mellies, anchor the starting rotation. Ellis, last year's No. 1 starter, went 6-4 and led the squad in wins, starts (14) and innings pitched (86.1). He tossed at least 6.0 innings in nine of his 14 starts and worked into the seventh inning five times. Mellies went just 3-5, but posted a respectable 4.17 earned run average and closed his season at the top of his game. He hurled back-to-back complete games against Clemson (May 15) and Duke (May 24). He pitched in 18 games, made 10 starts, and led the staff with two complete games.
Wake Forest also returns senior Kyle Young (4-1, 3.06 ERA, 53.0 IP), sophomore Eric Niesen (5-2, 7.43 ERA, 49.3 IP), sophomore Matt Hammond (3-6, 10.69, 51.1 IP) and senior Kip Byrum (3-2, 7.52 ERA, 52.2 IP) -- all of whom will get most of their work out of the bullpen. Young served as the club's closer in 2005 and led the staff in ERA and saves (6).
DEACONS PICKED TO FINISH EIGHTH BY ACC COACHES -- Wake Forest was picked to finish eighth in the 2006 ACC preseason baseball poll, as determined by a vote of the league's 12 head coaches. The Demon Deacons received a total of 59 points.
School Points 2005 Record1. Clemson (8) 139 43-23, 21-92. Georgia Tech (2) 128 45-19, 22-83. North Carolina (2) 126 41-19-1, 17-10-14. Florida State 107 53-20, 19-115. Miami 95 41-19-1, 19-10-16. NC State 86 41-19, 17-137. Virginia 72 41-20, 14-148. Wake Forest 59 28-30, 12-189. Boston College 41 37-20, 17-8 Big East10. Maryland 38 25-31, 7-2311. Virginia Tech 30 23-28, 7-1912. Duke 15 14-39, 5-25
DEACONS TO HAVE 26 HOME DATES IN 2006 -- Wake Forest will play 26 games within the "friendly confines" of Hooks Stadium during the 2006 season, starting with Charlotte on Feb. 21. Other non-conference teams slated to visit Winston-Salem this season are: Xavier (Feb. 28), Wright State (March 3-5), Elon (March 8), Quinnipiac (March 14), High Point (March 21), Coastal Carolina (April 4), UNC Greensboro (April 12) and Davidson (April 18). The Demon Deacons are scheduled to open their ACC schedule at home, starting with a three-game series against North Carolina (March 10-12). Wake Forest will also host ACC foes Boston College (March 17-19), Virginia Tech (March 31-April 2), Maryland (April 21-23) and Florida State (May 5-7).
ANTONELLI, DYKSTRA NAMED TO FAB 50 -- Wake Forest junior Matt Antonelli was named to Baseball America's Fab 50: Juniors. Antonelli, a third basemen, was listed as the No. 27 junior prospect in the country. Allan Dykstra was named to the same list for freshman. Dykstra was rated as the No. 41 freshman in the country.
WAKE FOREST SCHEDULE LOADED -- The Demon Deacons will be up against another extremely difficult schedule as Wake Forest has four of Baseball America's Preseason Top 10 teams, including 2005 NCAA runner-up Florida. The Deacs will not only face two other opponents among the top 25, but challenge other NCAA Regional qualifiers' like Coastal Carolina, Miami (Fla.), Ohio State, Quinnipiac and Virginia. In all, 25 of Wake's 56 regular season games will come against teams either ranked in the top 25 or NCAA Tournament participants.
HITTING STREAKS -- Entering this weekend's series with UNC Wilmington, only one player has a hitting streak of at least three games.
Player Statistics During StreakMatt Antonelli (5) .381, (8-for-21), 4 R, 1 2B, 1HR, 3 RBI
TRI-CAPTAINS -- Seniors Justin Keadle and Grant Achilles, as well as junior Charlie Mellies, have been chosen as team tri-captains for the 2006 season.
DEACONS IN THE MAJORS -- During the history of Wake Forest baseball, a total of 32 former players have made it to the majors. The 2005 season proved to be a tremendous year for Wake Forest as four former Deacons played at least one game in the major leagues (Dave Bush, Kevin Jarvis, Mike MacDougal and Cory Sullivan).
GAME ONE STARTER -- #32 Sr., RHP Kyle Young (0-0, 4.50 ERA)
Young, the Deacons closer a year ago, returns to the starting rotation... took a no decision in the 2-1 victory over North Carolina in the ACC Tournament, but allowed six hits and no earned runs while punching out three batters... registered six saves in 2005.
YOUNG'S LAST...
Victory: 5.20.05 at Virginia Tech (7-5)... number of starts since then -- 1 Complete Game: Has never thrown a complete game Shutout: Has never thrown a shutout Fanning 3 Batters In Inning: last time 3.1.04 vs. High Point (6th) Fanning 2 Batters In Inning: last time 2.12.06 at Charlotte (6th)
CAREER BESTS...
Low-Hit Complete Game: Has never thrown a complete game Most Strikeouts: 8, vs. High Point on 3.1.04 Longest Winning Streak: 7 games, 4.12.03 to 3.13.04
VS. THE SEAHAWKS...
Career: Never appeared against UNC Wilmington 2005: --
DATE SITE RESULT IP H R ER BB SO-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --GAME TWO STARTER -- #28 Jr., RHP Charlie Mellies (1-0, 3.60 ERA)
Year ERA W-L G GS CG SHO IP H R ER BB SO2003 4.57 5-0 11 6 0 0 41.1 52 26 21 14 232004 7.29 4-6 14 12 0 0 63.0 88 63 51 25 392005 3.06 4-1 33 1 0 0 53.0 59 35 18 18 352006 4.50 0-0 1 0 0 0 2.0 2 1 1 1 3TOTAL 5.14 13-7 59 19 0 0 159.1 201 125 91 58 100
Mellies made his last start on Feb. 12, 2006 at Charlotte... picked up the victory in a 9-8 nailbiter... allowed six hits and six runs, but only two were earned... struck out five and walked two... has tossed complete games in two of his last three starts.
MELLIES' LAST...
Victory: 2.12.06 at Charlotte (9-8)... number of starts since then -- 0 Complete Game: 5.24.05 vs. Duke (ACC Tournament) (W, 10-1) Shutout: Has never thrown a shutout Fanning 3 Batters In Inning: last time 5.24.05 vs. Duke (3rd) Fanning 2 Batters In Inning: last time 2.12.06 at Charlotte (5th)
CAREER BESTS...
Low-Hit Complete Game: four-hitter, vs. Duke (ACC Tournament) on 5.24.05 Most Strikeouts: 5, on four different occasions Longest Winning Streak: 2 games, on two separate occasions
VS. THE SEAHAWKS...
Career: Never appeared against UNC Wilmington 2005: --
DATE SITE RESULT IP H R ER BB SO-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --GAME THREE STARTER -- #21 R-Sr., RHP Justin Keadle (2-5, 6.22 ERA in 2004)
Year ERA W-L G GS CG SHO IP H R ER BB SO2004 5.89 3-3 23 0 0 0 36.2 44 28 24 18 282005 4.17 3-5 18 10 2 0 82.0 101 53 38 21 432006 3.60 1-0 1 1 0 0 5.0 6 6 2 2 5TOTAL 4.65 7-8 42 11 2 0 123.2 151 87 64 41 76
Kedle made his last start on May 25, 2004 vs. Maryland at the ACC Tournament... charged with the loss after allowing 10 earned runs on 10 hits in 3.1 innings... after All-Star appearance on the Cape in the summer of 2004, missed all of 2005 after undergoing Tommy Josh surgery.
KEADLE'S LAST...
Victory: 4.23.04 vs. Maryland (21-16)... number of starts since then -- 4 Complete Game: 4.16.04 at NC State (W, 4-1) Shutout: Has never thrown a shutout Fanning 3 Batters In Inning: last time 4.28.04 vs. Elon (1st) Fanning 2 Batters In Inning: last time 5.20.04 vs. Florida State (6th)
CAREER BESTS...
Low-Hit Complete Game: five-hitter, at NC State on 4.16.04 Most Strikeouts: 10, at NC State on 4.16.04 Longest Winning Streak: 2 games, 4.16.04 to 5.20.04
VS. THE SEAHAWKS...
Career: Never appeared against UNC Wilmington 2005: --
DATE SITE RESULT IP H R ER BB SO-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Year ERA W-L G GS CG SHO IP H R ER BB SO2004 6.22 2-5 13 13 2 0 88.1 108 66 61 29 662005 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --2006 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --TOTAL 6.22 2-5 13 13 2 0 88.1 108 66 61 29 66
