Benton Moss (North Carolina Athletics)

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Top 25 Breakdown: No. 6 North Carolina



2014 Record: 35-27. RPI: 43.

Coach (Record at school): Mike Fox (724-299) 16 years.

Postseason History: 29 regionals (active streak: 13 years), 10 CWS trips (last in 2013).

North Carolina's Projected Lineup

2015 Lineup Pos. Name, Yr. AVG/OBP/SLG HR RBI SB C Adrian Chacon, So. .233/.313/.337 1 9 0 1B Joe Dudek, So. .204/.316/.357 4 17 0 2B Alex Raburn, So. .263/.353/.326 1 12 3 3B Zach Gahagan, Fr. HS -- Fletcher, N.C. SS Wood Myers, So. .298/.358/.358 1 29 6 LF Tyler Ramirez, So. .286/.364/.382 2 30 11 CF Skye Bolt, Jr. .257/.373/.353 4 32 11 RF Adam Pate, So. .241/.379/.296 0 3 10 DH Landon Lassiter, Jr. .305/.424/.496 1 21 3

Pos. Name, Yr. W-L ERA IP SO BB SV RHP Trent Thornton, Jr. 7-4 2.73 95.2 83 29 1 RHP Zac Gallen, So. 5-4 4.64 85.1 62 23 0 RHP Benton Moss, Sr. 4-2 3.62 97 77 35 0 RP Chris McCue, Jr. 0-0 0.77 11.2 14 9 7

SEE ALSO: Five Questions With UNC’s Mike Fox

Hitting: 55. The Tar Heels are expected to have a more balanced and productive lineup this season. Sure, they’ll miss the departed Michael Russell (last year’s leading hitter), but this continues to be a young lineup that is eager to meet its potential. Chacon took a big step forward during the fall, and the Tar Heels are confident he’s ready to make a big statement, while Gahagan and Ryder Ryan are a pair of talented freshmen the Tar Heels feel could make an immediate impact. Lassiter will be Lassiter. He’ll hit for a good average, he’ll be a good leader, and he’ll be that rock the Tar Heels need in the lineup. Aside from Bolt, who must return to his freshman year form, the most important hitter to watch would be Ramirez. The athletic outfielder had a productive fall, showing good power. Ramirez still needs to show better plate discipline, but he’s definitely on the right track. There’s also Raburn, who’s versatile and scrappy, and could evolve as a potential table-setter.

UNC expects a big year from Landon Lassiter. (UNC Athletics)

Power: 55. It would be surprising if the Tar Heels don’t make quite a jump from a power standpoint. There are plenty of power options in this everyday lineup. Myers has some gap power, along with Ramirez, we’ve all seen what Bolt is capable of power-wise, and Dunbar and Dudek are power threats, the two combining for eight of the Heels’ 27 homers last year. Look for UNC to finish much higher than the 77th nationally it finished in homers in ’14.

Speed: 55. Perhaps the Tar Heels won’t be confused with a full throttle ACC team like Louisville, but this team will have some speed on the basepaths. Ramirez and Bolt each finished last season with double-digit stolen base totals, while Myers and Pate have the ability to make things go as well. Not an amazing team from a speed standpoint, but certainly serviceable.

Defense: 50. Clearly, the biggest question mark facing this UNC team is infield defense. Sure, the Tar Heels have a lot of options, many of them very talented. However, with the departures of some key players, including Russell at shortsop, some will be forced to step in and be stable infielders from the start. That’s not an easy chore to accomplish. With that, the Tar Heels do have some versatility in the infield. Raburn could play first, second or third, and is a good athlete. Myers makes the shift from second base to shortstop, and Dunbar is a good receiver/thrower who should see plenty of playing time behind the plate. On the flip side, the Tar Heels will have a very solid outfield. Ramirez has good speed and can cover ground in the outfield, Bolt has a big-time arm in center field, and the Tar Heels feel comfortable with either Pate or Josh Merrigan in right field.

Starting rotation: 60. Get into a discussion about the top 5-10 dominant starting pitchers in college baseball, and perhaps the Tar Heels don’t have someone in that discussion. However, this is a very talented and experienced trio with Thornton, Gallen and Moss leading the way, Gallen cementing himself into the weekend rotation last year as a freshman. Thornton is an aggressive righty who goes after hitters. He throws four quality pitches for strikes, has good velocity on his sometimes-devastating rising fastball, which can get up to 93 mph. Gallen defends his position well, keeps runners at bay on the basepaths, and does a very good job of commanding the zone, while Moss really made some strides with his slider and changeup during fall workouts. He could be a real X-factor when you talk about UNC’s chances to compete for the national title. In the midweek role, the Tar Heels are up in the air and have some young options, but LHP Hunter Williams and RHP Jason Morgan lead the way. Williams was up to 93 mph during the fall and can throw three pitches for strikes, while Morgan has a good fastball and changeup.

Bullpen: 70. Some might look at the starting rotation as the strength of this team, but the bullpen stands out most of all, especially with McCue back in the mix. McCue only threw 11 2/3 innings last year because of an injury, but he’s back, healthy, and ready to dominate again. McCue is an experienced veteran who possesses a quality changeup. The Tar Heels also welcome back Reilly Hovis, another righty, who possesses a fastball that reaches 94 and a power slider, along with has outstanding makeup that makes him a go-to option in the later innings. Sophomores Trayner and Rice will be consistent go-to arms as well. Trayner is a hard-nosed righty with a good fastball and plus splitter, while Rice performed at a high level last year and has a good fastball and breaking ball to give UNC a key option from the left side. The Tar Heels also have several talented freshmen to watch, including heralded Virginia righty Jacob Bukauskas, who’s healthy, recently threw a bullpen, and has a power arm that could heavily factor into the mix as the season progresses. RHP Hansen Butler and RHP Brett Daniels are other young, talented arms to watch. This bullpen will be an intriguing and entertaining unit to follow.

Experience/Intangibles: 60. The Tar Heels were forced to give some young players significant playing time last season, and that translated into some ups and downs, as you might suspect. Though that led to some headaches at times last year, that should pay dividends in 2015. Furthermore, the Tar Heels have a veteran pitching staff with Thornton and Moss spearheading the rotation, while getting a healthy McCue combined with Hovis in the bullpen gives UNC a terrific tandem at the end of games.