North Carolina

Duke baseball falls short of series victory in rubber match at North Carolina

Published

2 years ago

March 26, 2023

Duke baseball falls short of series victory in rubber match at North Carolina

Final season, when the Blue Devils performed North Carolina, they cut up the primary two video games of the sequence earlier than falling within the rubber match. Because the saying goes, historical past repeats itself. Simply over a 12 months later, this time in a street sequence at Chapel Hill, Duke confirmed resilience in its Friday victory however finally dropped the ultimate recreation and the sequence Saturday.

Behind two house runs and a 10-strikeout day for its pitching employees, No. 19 North Carolina defeated Duke 5-3. The Blue Devils — who’ve hit .288 as a workforce this season — mustered simply six hits, however the Tar Heels’ lineup was in a position to money in on the proper occasions to push themselves excessive. Whereas this weekend included Duke’s third top-25 win, a thriller Friday evening wherein sophomore Alex Mooney hit a go-ahead three-run house run within the high of the eighth, it has but to win a sequence in opposition to a ranked opponent.

“Very even, back-and-forth sequence the entire approach,” head coach Chris Pollard mentioned. “They have an incredible membership and I assumed we matched them toe to toe … We simply could not get sufficient going offensively over the again half of the sport.”

The Tar Heels’ lineup, 5 of whom got here into Saturday hitting above .300, wasted no time in attacking beginning pitcher Alex Gow. Preseason first-team All-American Vance Honeycutt led off the underside of the primary with a screamer to left subject that he become a double after freshman Tyler Albright didn’t present sufficient urgency monitoring it down. Three batters later, junior catcher Tomas Frick drove the ball to the underside of the wall in middle subject for his nation-leading thirteenth double that introduced Honeycutt house for the sport’s first run.

Nevertheless, the Blue Devils’ introduced some early extra-base hits of their very own. After two quiet innings, Albright led off the underside of the third with a double hammered down the left subject line. Mooney and freshman Andrew Fischer then hit back-to-back doubles to proper to tilt the scales again in favor of the Blue Devils at 2-1. Albright and Fischer have develop into regulars within the lineup because the season has gone on, with the latter getting extra comfy hitting behind Mooney within the No. 2 spot.

“We’re getting higher as a membership. [If] you take a look at us in comparison with the place we’re a month in the past, this can be a [much] higher membership,” Pollard mentioned of the workforce’s enchancment over the season. “That is the important thing, is simply [trying] to get 1% higher every single day.”

Gow settled in, even recording three outs on three pitches within the third inning, earlier than Johnny Castagnozzi acquired a maintain of 1 and took it 421 ft to left middle within the backside of the fourth. The Kenyon switch’s day ended within the fifth after junior Mac Horvath additionally drove a ball to deep left middle, this time with two runners on, to place North Carolina forward 5-2.

The one dent Duke might make within the lead got here within the high of the sixth inning on some small ball. Junior Jay Beshears led off with a double down the left subject line, and a sacrifice fly from junior Alex Stone moved him to 3rd. Then, junior Luke Storm put the ball in play by way of a gradual dribbler again to the pitcher, which served successfully as a bunt and gave Beshears loads of time to attain.

From there, the Tar Heels introduced in left-hander Will Sandy, whose changeup and unorthodox supply saved the Blue Devils’ hitters out of their rhythm. Sandy collected 5 strikeouts within the last three innings whereas solely permitting one hit, incomes the save and stifling any and all Duke comeback makes an attempt.

The Blue Devils struck out 10 occasions Saturday, seven of which had been wanting. Pollard had phrases with the house plate umpire within the first inning after an inside pitch was referred to as for strike three on Mooney, however hitters continued to take the identical pitch over the course of the sport and obtained the identical name.

For a workforce that has grown used to coming again into video games late — Friday’s win, Sunday’s win in opposition to Clemson and an extra-inning loss to St. Joseph’s in February are just some examples — the Blue Devils couldn’t harness that very same power on the finish of Saturday’s recreation. A big purpose for this was their wrestle to place the ball in play, which gave the protection and opposing pitcher an abundance of confidence.

Beginning Friday, Duke will play its first sequence on campus at Jack Coombs Discipline in opposition to Pittsburgh. Nevertheless, the workforce first has a midweek matchup Tuesday in opposition to Liberty, which acquired the perfect of the Blue Devils 8-6 Feb. 22.

“We have a protracted stretch the place we’re again at house and [can] get contemporary, and I feel that mixed with the best way we’re taking part in [will mean] issues will handle themselves,” Pollard mentioned.

Source link

North Carolina

Chance of snow this week more likely east and south in central NC

Published

4 hours ago

January 19, 2025

Press Room

Chance of snow this week more likely east and south in central NC

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — We’re not even one month into 2025, and there’s already a second chance to see snowfall in central North Carolina.

Most of the week will be rather cold with temperatures in the 30s to 40s.

Spotty showers are likely on Sunday, amounting to 0.10 to 0.20 inches. This is not all that impactful for the region, and it’s too little rainfall to make any big dent in the drought conditions across the Triangle. The chance for any backside mixed in snowflakes Sunday afternoon looks fleeting, but you’re more likely to see it in far eastern portions of the viewing area.

Another chance for precipitation will be on Tuesday night (more snowy) and Thursday into Thursday night (more icy).

Tuesday: There can be a path of 1 to 3 inches of snow in the southern/eastern parts of central NC.

Thursday: There is a risk of some freezing rain at night, more likely in the eastern parts of central NC. Details beyond this are limited.

Click here for latest school closings

MORE COVERAGE

WATCH | First Alert to Winter Special 2024

In this week’s special First Alert to Winter show, the team looks at snow chances, the winter forecast and getting ready for wintry weather.

Source link

North Carolina

Key Ole Miss Transfer Target Thaddeus Dixon Chooses North Carolina Over Rebels

Published

12 hours ago

January 19, 2025

Press Room

Key Ole Miss Transfer Target Thaddeus Dixon Chooses North Carolina Over Rebels

The Ole Miss Rebels have made strong moves in the transfer portal this offseason, but the program missed out on a key contributor on Saturday when cornerback Thaddeus Dixon pledged to the North Carolina Tar Heels.

Ole Miss was in the race late for Dixon, but a deciding factor in his decision to join the Tar Heels may have boiled down to Carolina’s hiring of former Washington assistant Armond Hawkins as defensive backs coach. Dixon is a transfer from the Washington Huskies, so familiarity in his new home likely played a role.

BREAKING: Washinton transfer CB Thaddeus Dixon has committed to North Carolina, @Hayesfawcett3 reports🐏https://t.co/pcXs7hjbOS pic.twitter.com/6g5D02NC7V
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal_) January 18, 2025

READ MORE: Will Ole Miss QB Austin Simmons Continue Playing Baseball in 2025?

So, where do the Rebels go from here? Ole Miss has already gained some key pieces in its secondary out of the transfer portal (including CB Jaylon Braxton of Arkansas), but Lane Kiffin’s team will probably still be seeking some help in the defensive backfield as the transfer portal continues to move.

According to On3’s current transfer portal class rankings, Ole Miss has the third-best haul in the country, behind Texas Tech and Missouri. The Rebels have seen 23 players transfer into the program so far this offseason, and that number could continue to grow between now and kickoff of the 2025 season.

Ole Miss opens its 2025 campaign on Aug. 30 at home against Georgia State.

Ole Miss To Host Former Penn State WR Trey Wallace

Ole Miss Rebels DT Jamarious Brown Named Freshman All-American

Ole Miss Lands Former Louisville QB Pierce Clarkson Via Transfer Portal

Former Ole Miss Football Superstar AJ Brown Named AP All-Pro Second Team

The Pete Golding Effect: How Ole Miss Football Will Reload Defensively in 2025

Source link

North Carolina

Thaddeus Dixon Joins in Husky Exodus to North Carolina

Published

20 hours ago

January 18, 2025

Press Room

Thaddeus Dixon Joins in Husky Exodus to North Carolina

In a postseason recruitment that was raw and revealing at times, where decorated cornerback Thaddeus Dixon suggested in social media postings that University of Washington football fans wanted him to come back more than the coaches, apparently received all the assurances he needed at North Carolina.

On Saturday, the senior defensive back from Long Beach, California, told On3 he would join the Tar Heels for his final season of college football, adding to a growing list of one-time UW players and coaches headed to Chapel Hill.

So far, the departing group includes linebacker Khmori House, safety Peyton Waters, wide receiver Jason Robinson Jr., defensive coordinator Steve Belichick and defensive analyst Armond Hawkins, all moving from Montlake to the ACC.

The 6-foot-1, 187-pound Dixon would have given the Huskies three highly accredited corners, joining fellow UW starter Ephesians Prysock and Arizona transfer Tacario Davis, to fill out a secondary that could have had few equals this coming season, and still might.

BREAKING: Washington star transfer CB Thaddeus Dixon has Committed to North Carolina, he tells @on3sports
The 6’1 195 CB totaled 69 Tackles, 16 PD, 1 FF, & 2 INT in 2 seasons with the Huskies
Ranked as a Top 10 Player in the Portal (No. 2 CB) per On3https://t.co/RlUbB6EMhS pic.twitter.com/bePHJU7wP7
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) January 18, 2025

Dixon reportedly took recruiting visits to Mississippi and North Carolina, and fielded overtures from Michigan, before settling on the Tar Heels.

The disconnect for Dixon appeared to show up when the Huskies landed a portal commitment from the 6-foot-4, 190-pound Davis, a second-team All-Big 12 pick this past season, presumably to take his vacated spot.

The 6-foot-4, 193-pound Prysock and Davis teamed together at Arizona in 2023, with both earning All-Pac-12 honorable-mention accolades.

Dixon originally was supposed to run out of college eligibility when the season ended, hence the Huskies went looking for cornerback help, but the NCAA gave the veteran an extra year when it changed the rules governing players with junior-college backgrounds. He came to the UW from Long Beach Community College.

One of the Huskies’ top individual success stories this past season, Dixon went from a back-up player in 2023 to unseat returning starter Elijah Jackson, who opened all 15 games for the national runner-up team.

Thaddeus Dixon soaks up the moment after an Apple Cup interception. / Skylar Lin Visuals

Moving into the lineup, Dixon started 12 of 13 games and received All-Big Ten honorable-mention honors for Jedd Fisch’s coaching staff. He had a team-best 10 pass break-ups, an Apple Cup interception and several textbook tackles in the open field. He’s easily made himself into an NFL prospect.

With three accomplished cornerbacks, the Huskies could have picked two starters and put the odd man out at nickelback.

Dixon clearly wasn’t going to go that route at the UW, likely figuring his past performance should have provided him with more cornerback guarantees.

For the latest UW football and basketball news, go to si.com/college/washington

Source link