Today, we got a look at the No. 17 North Carolina baseball team as the Tar Heels took down Seton Hall 7-1 in their first game of the season.
Here are a few notes from the game.
New college baseballs make a difference
This season, the Division I Baseball Committee voted to use a new baseball, in an attempt to increase offense around the league. The new balls have flatter seams that were intended to decrease the drag and let the ball travel farther.
The balls are rumored to travel 15-20 farther than the raised-seamed balls that were used last season.
In UNC's win, both sophomore outfielder Tyler Ramirez and sophomore infielder/designated hitter Joe Dudek hit home runs in their first at bats. While Ramirez's shot would have cleared the fence regardless of the ball that is being used, Dudek might have been an early beneficiary of the new baseballls.
"It traveled a little farther," Dudek said after the game. "If you catch it cleanly you can tell. But pitchers can do a little more with it too, so I think it might even out."
Junior starting pitcher Trent Thornton talked about the effects after his 4.1 inning outing that featured six strikeouts and three walks.
"I think the ball moves a little bit more, which can be good and bad depending on what pitch you're throwing," he said. "But there's definitely a lot more balls getting hit deeper."
When Thornton was locating his curveball in the second and third innings, he was at his best. He also talked about the effect the lower seams had on spinning off a breaking ball.
"I think you have the ability to throw it a little sharper, a little tighter," Thornton said. "I mean, the old seems kind of hurt your fingers a little bit they were so big, so I think going down to the smaller seams is good for us."
For Spencer Trayner, who was credited with the win after 2.2 innings of relief, there isn't a huge difference on his end.
"I don't notice a difference, but they are getting hit a lot farther in BP," he said with a laugh.
New-look infield solid in debut
Like last season, the infield defense was one of Coach Mike Fox's biggest concerns heading into the season, and with good reason. In the opener, there was a different player at every position with the exception of sophomore Adrian Chacon, who played a few games at first base last season.
Still, there were none of the mistakes that plagued the team at times in the 2014 campaign, and left Fox pleased after the game.
"They did fine. I mean any time there's a zero up there in the errors column I feel good," Fox said.. "Alex (Raburn) makes a big throw on that tandem relay, and Wood (Myers) made a tough play there at the end and I think you're going to see over time how good Logan Wormoth can be at third."
Wormath is a 6-foot, 184-pound freshman from Orlando, Fla. and got his first collegiate start at the hot corner in today's opener. He didn't see too many opportunities defensively, but went 1-for-2 at the plate with a double, an RBI and a walk.
"There's not too many times we start a freshman position player," Fox said. "You have to do something pretty special in the fall, in the preseason to earn, for us as coaches, to earn a first college start. I thought he was under control and good today."
sports@dailytarheel.com
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