ACC Weekend Roundup: May 8
(Atlantic Coast Conference image)
#2 Wake Forest (39-7) wins series over #19 Boston College (30-16)
After handling the upstart Boston College Eagles with relative ease on Friday night behind 7 shutout innings by Rhett Lowder, the Saturday showdown was a game for the ages. Down 9-6 in the 9th, Boston College rallied against stud closer Camden Minacci to tie the game and send it into extra innings, where they won 11-9. Joe Vetrano homered twice in the game, including the go-ahead score in the 12th. Josh Hartle shut down the Eagles on Sunday, however, with 7 innings of one-run baseball. Vetrano's third homer of the weekend wasn't enough, as the Demon Deacons took the series with a 4-2 win.
Wake Forest hosts UNC-Greensboro midweek and then heads to Tallahassee next weekend to take on the ACC-worst Florida State Seminoles. Boston College is off until next weekend, when they host Villanova for a short two-game series. BC's only remaining ACC series is May 18-20 at home against Notre Dame.
Wake Forest is ranked #1 in College Baseball Central's latest poll, while Boston College is now ranked #23.
Clemson (31-17) sweeps #20 Louisville (29-18)
Louisville fails to score more than 3 runs in a game over the weekend and loses all three in somewhat close affairs, 6-3, 4-3, and 7-3. The Cardinals are now 2-10 over their last 12 ACC games and are now in danger of missing the NCAA tournament just weeks after seeming like a lock to host a Regional. In fact, if the season ended today, the Cardinals would even miss the ACC Tournament as well. Clemson's Tigers, on the other hand, are streaking towards hosting a regional after going 10-2 in their last 12 ACC games.
Clemson heads to #10 Coastal Carolina on Wednesday for a monster midweek showdown before traveling to Blacksburg to take on Virginia Tech. Miami is off until they travel to Chapel Hill next weekend to take on North Carolina. Louisville hosts #5 Vanderbilt on Tuesday midweek before heading to Charlottesville to take on #15 Virginia in a massive ACC showdown.
Clemson enters College Baseball Central's Top 25 at #16, while Louisville falls out of the latest rankings into the "Also Receiving Votes" group.
NC State (31-15) wins series at Notre Dame (26-19)
NC State won a critical series between two bubble hopefuls at Notre Dame this past weekend. The Thursday night game was a thriller, as both teams went back and forth, Notre Dame holding on for the 9-7 win following a Vinny Martinez home run. That was all the fireworks Notre Dame got to witness, however, as NC State's strong starting pitching took over the series. Matt Willadsen went 6.2 innings of one-run ball in Saturday's 5-1 Wolfpack win, while Sam Highfill and Dominic Fritton combined to go the distance in their 6-1 win on Sunday.
The Wolfpack host Richmond on Tuesday in the midweek before a massive rivalry series in Chapel Hill against North Carolina next weekend. Notre Dame takes the week off before hosting Akron in a break from ACC play. Their ACC schedule concludes in Massachusetts on May 18-20 against #23 Boston College.
Georgia Tech (28-19) wins series over Pittsburgh (21-24)
Georgia Tech got the bats going on Friday and Sunday against Pittsburgh, winning 11-1 and 15-3 in those two games respectively. But Pitt's Logan Evans was the star on Saturday in the Panthers' 5-0 win, as he went 7 innings on shutout baseball, giving up only four hits and one walk in the outing.
Georgia Tech goes on the road all week, first to Kennesaw State in the midweek and then to Durham next weekend to face #12 Duke. Pittsburgh hosts #8 West Virginia in another edition of the Backyard Brawl on Tuesday before hosting #11 Miami on the weekend.
#12 Duke (32-13) beats Longwood
Duke was supposed to play a doubleheader on Sunday against Longwood, but the second game was rained out. The Blue Devils took care of business in the only game they played, winning 13-9.
Duke hosts Rider on Tuesday and Wednesday for the midweek before welcoming Georgia Tech to town for a three game set on the weekend.
Duke remained ranked #12 in College Baseball Central's latest poll.
Florida State (18-28) sweeps Mercer
Florida State got a much needed break from ACC play with a home series against Mercer this past weekend. The Seminoles took care of business and won all three games in routine fashion. The scores were 4-2, 9-0, and 13-3.
The Seminoles host Jacksonville on Tuesday before welcoming in #1 Wake Forest on the weekend.
#13 Miami (31-16) sweeps Presbyterian
Like Florida State and several other ACC schools this weekend, Miami got a break from ACC play and handled business with a routine sweep of Presbyterian. Miami looks set to host a regional, if they can continue to handle business in the ACC over the next two weekends before the ACC Tournament in Durham.
The Hurricanes will take on FIU on Wednesday before heading north to Pittsburgh to take on the Pitt Panthers in ACC play.
Miami is now ranked #11 in College Baseball Central's latest poll.
Virginia Tech (28-16) sweeps Bowling Green
Virginia Tech scored 25 runs over two games, while allowing only 2, as they dismantled visiting Bowling Green in convincing fashion. The third game of the series was called due to weather.
Virginia Tech will travel to Liberty on Wednesday before hosting #16 Clemson in a huge ACC series over the weekend.
#16 Virginia (37-11) and North Carolina (29-17) were off.
Virginia took the weekend off. They will host Radford on Wednesday for the midweek and then welcome the reeling Louisville Cardinals to Charlottesville. The 'Hoos will be looking for a series win over the last two weekends of ACC play if they have aspirations to host a Regional. They are now ranked #15 in College Baseball Central's latest rankings.
North Carolina was also off over the weekend. They host Gardner-Webb Tuesday ahead of their rivalry matchup with NC State at home on the weekend.
ACC Atlantic Standings
Wake Forest 18-5
Clemson 14-10
Boston College 14-13
Notre Dame 14-13
NC State 10-13
Louisville 9-15
Florida State 6-18
ACC Coastal Standings
Duke 14-9
Miami 14-10
Virginia 13-11
North Carolina 11-11
Virginia Tech 11-12
Georgia Tech 10-14
Pittsburgh 9-13
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