CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – After a strong opening weekend and the first midweek contests of the season, the 16 Atlantic Coast Conference baseball teams will hit the diamond for their second weekend of action, beginning on Friday, February 21.
The ACC is the only conference in the country with every team to post a .500 winning percentage this season. Five teams – Florida State, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Pitt and Stanford – enter the weekend with an undefeated record, combining for 19 wins. Ten more teams around the league only have one loss on the season.
Seven teams throughout the league remain ranked in the D1Baseball Top 25 poll, highlighted by No. 2 Virginia. The Cavaliers, who went 2-1 in the Puerto Rico Challenge, are followed by No. 6 North Carolina, No. 9 Florida State, No. 12 NC State, No. 13 Wake Forest, No. 14 Clemson, and No. 17 Duke.
A pair of ACC head coaches could secure monumental victories throughout the second weekend of the season. After winning a midweek contest against UNC Wilmington, Duke’s Chris Pollard is one win away from becoming the winningest coach in program history. Pollard is currently tied with Jack Coombs, logging 381 career victories with the Blue Devils. Notre Dame’s Shawn Stiffler is also one win away from his 400th career victory, including 59 to date with the Fighting Irish.
Wake Forest junior shortstop Marek Houston was named the ACC Player of the Week, while Miami right-handed pitcher Griffin Hugus was tabbed the ACC Pitcher of the Week for games played throughout opening weekend. Houston was also named the USBWA National Player of the Week and USA Baseball’s Golden Spikes Award Week 1 Player of the Week presented by Chinook Seedery and D1Baseball.
Around The Horn
- The ACC posted a 41-9 record in non-conference play on opening weekend, winning 82.0% of games. The ACC also notched eight wins over Power Four conference opponents, including a 7-3 record against the Big 12.
- Seven ACC baseball teams are ranked in the D1Baseball Top 25 Poll. Virginia remains the ACC leader at No. 2, followed by No. 6 North Carolina, No. 9 Florida State, No. 12 NC State, No. 13 Wake Forest, No. 14 Clemson and No. 17 Duke.
- The ACC boasts 17 Preseason All-Americans, according to D1Baseball, which is tied for the most of any conference. The ACC’s 10 First-Team Preseason All-American selections are more than every other conference combined (7).
- Wake Forest’s Marek Houston was named the ACC Player of the Week, while Miami’s Griffin Hugus was tabbed the ACC Pitcher of the Week. Houston was also named the USBWA National Player of the Week and USA Baseball’s Golden Spikes Award Week 1 Player of the Week presented by Chinook Seedery and D1Baseball.
- At least one ACC team has reached the Men’s College World Series each of the previous 18 years in which it has been held, and multiple ACC teams reached the MCWS 11 times during that span.
- ACC Baseball expands from 14 teams to 16 teams with the additions of California and Stanford. Previously, the Golden Bears and Cardinal have combined to win four Men’s College World Series championships, make 25 trips to the Men’s College World Series, and 51 appearances in the NCAA Tournament. The Cardinal and Golden Bears combined to go 7-1 over opening weekend.
- Wake Forest leads the country in hits (54), runs (63) and doubles (19) after the first weekend of play. The Demon Deacons’ Marek Houston ranks in the top five of several offensive categories, including hits (10), home runs (3) and runs (11).
- Florida State posted two shutouts in their opening weekend sweep of James Madison. The Seminoles held the Dukes, who appeared in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, to just 3.46 hits per nine innings and posted a 0.35 ERA.
- Duke’s Chris Pollard is one win away from becoming the winningest coach in Duke history. Pollard tied Jack Coombs with his 381st victory with the Blue Devils on Tuesday, February 18, against UNC Wilmington.
- After taking two of three games from North Florida last weekend, Notre Dame’s Shawn Stiffler is one win away from 400 for his career. With the Fighting Irish, Stiffler has posted a 59-50 record as he begins his third season.
Upcoming ACC Baseball Schedule
All Times Eastern Time
Friday, February 21
Notre Dame vs. Iowa (in Deland, Fla.), 2 p.m.
No. 12 NC State vs. Ohio State (in Jacksonville, Fla.), 2 p.m.. D1Baseball
Marshall at Georgia Tech, 2 p.m., ACCNX
Pitt vs. Monmouth (in Cary, N.C.), 3 p.m.
VCU at No. 14. Clemson, 4 p.m., ACCNX
St. John’s at No. 13 Wake Forest, 4 p.m., ACCNX
UNCG at Virginia Tech, 4 p.m., ACCNX
Cornell at No. 17 Duke, 4 p.m., ACCNX
No. 2 Virginia vs. No. 7 Oregon State (in Round Rock, Texas), 5 p.m., D1Baseball
No. 6 North Carolina at East Carolina, 5 p.m., ESPN+
Penn at No. 9 Florida State, 5 p.m., ACCNX
Washington at Stanford, 5:05 p.m., ACCNX
Boston College at New Orleans, 6:30 p.m., ESPN+
Princeton at Miami, 7 p.m., ACCNX
Houston at California, 9 p.m., ACCNX
Saturday, February 22
Pitt vs. Monmouth (in Cary, N.C.), 9:30 a.m.
North Carolina A&T at No. 14 Clemson, Noon, ACCNX
No. 6 North Carolina vs. East Carolina (in Durham, N.C.), 12:30 p.m.,
No. 2 Virginia vs. Minnesota (in Round Rock, Texas), 1 p.m. D1Baseball
Western Michigan at Louisville, 1 p.m., ACCNX
Boston College at New Orleans, 2 p.m., ESPN+
Penn at No. 9 Florida State, 2 p.m., ACCNX
Princeton at Miami, 2 p.m., ACCNX
Marshall at Georgia Tech, 2 p.m., ACCNX
Cornell at No. 17 Duke, 3 p.m., ACCNX
UNCG at Virginia Tech, 3 p.m., ACCNX
No. 12 NC State vs. Alabama (in Jacksonville, Fla.), 4 p.m., D1Baseball
VCU at No. 14 Clemson, 4 p.m., ACCNX
Houston at California, 5 p.m., ACCNX
Washington at Stanford, 5:05 p.m., ACCNX
Princeton at Miami, 5:30 p.m., ACCNX
Notre Dame vs. UMBC (in Deland, Fla.), 6 p.m.. ESPN+
Sunday, February 23
Cornell at No. 17 Duke, Noon, ACCNX
Pitt vs. Monmouth (in Cary, N.C.), Noon
Boston College at New Orleans, 1 p.m., ESPN+
Western Michigan at Louisville, 1 p.m., ACCNX
Princeton at Miami, 1 p.m., ACCNX
Notre Dame at Stetson, 1 p.m., ESPN+
St. John’s at No. 13 Wake Forest, 1 p.m., ACCNX
UNCG at Virginia Tech, 1 p.m., ACCNX
Penn at No. 9 Florida State, 1 p.m., ACCNX
East Carolina at No. 6 Florida State, 1 p.m., ACCNX
Marshall at Georgia Tech, 1 p.m., ACCNX
North Carolina A&T at No. 14 Clemson, 2 p.m., ACCNX
No. 12 NC State vs. Coastal Carolina (in Jacksonville, Fla.), 2:30 p.m., D1Baseball
Houston at California, 3 p.m., ACCNX
Washington at Stanford, 4:05 p.m., ACCNX
No. 2 Virginia vs. Oklahoma (in Round Rock, Texas), 5 p.m., D1Baseball
Schedules are subject to change