In the first week that contained a full slate of ACC matchups, the conference did not disappoint with many teams putting up double digit run totals. Although it is still early in the season, it appears this could be the deepest the ACC has been in recent years.
In the biggest surprise of the weekend, Louisville swept No. 12 Notre Dame to begin their 2022 ACC campaign. The Cardinals scored 31 runs against the Fighting Irish pitching staff that allowed just 29 runs in their first 13 games. After a slow start to begin the season, Louisville has quietly won 13 of their last 14, including a series win against Michigan and a midweek game against TCU.
Notre Dame took care of business last weekend against North Carolina State but will need to regroup quickly, as Virginia Tech heads to South Bend next weekend. The Hokies just put up 32 runs against Pittsburgh.
The most anticipated series of the weekend slate took place in Tallahassee, with No. 3 Florida State hosting No. 35 North Carolina State. After the first two games of the weekend, each team claimed a lopsided victory. The rubber match lived up to the hype, going late into the night hours, taking 17 innings to decide a winner.
In the bottom half of the inning, the Seminoles DH, Jaime Ferrer, launched his third home run of the season in dramatic fashion, taking the game and series against the Wolfpack. Mike Martin Jr. has to feel good about his club, sitting at 4-2 in ACC play after series with Wake Forest and North Carolina State.
In another shocker in the league this weekend, Wake Forest traveled to Atlanta and took care of business with Georgia Tech. The Demon Deacons are also flying under the radar with a 16-4 record and 3-3 record in conference play.
After scoring 37 runs against the Yellow Jackets, Wake Forest now ranks fifth in the country with 207 runs. Though many were sleeping on Wake Forest heading into the season, the Deacons have made their presence known. This team is going to be the reason many pitching coaches around the league lose a lot of sleep.
No. 15 Miami traveled to No. 24 Clemson in the only matchup of two top 25 ACC teams this weekend. Miami improved to 4-2 in the conference after winning both the Friday and Saturday contests, but the Tigers bats came alive on Sunday to avoid the sweep.
The Hurricanes have plenty of new faces in the lineup this year, but Coach Gino DiMare seems to have his group rolling after two ACC series. Clemson on the other hand, has lost four of their last five games as they hope to get on track as they host Pittsburgh next weekend.
No. 16 Virginia improved to 19-1 and 5-1 in the ACC after sweeping Boston College over the weekend. Talk about putting up runs in a hurry, the Cavaliers lead the country in runs scored with 236, which is nearly 12 runs a game. At this point of the season, Virginia looks primed to make yet another run to Omaha.
Get your popcorn ready next weekend as the Cavaliers travel to Wake Forest in a matchup between two of the highest scoring offenses in the country.
No. 27 North Carolina took care of business this weekend in the Tobacco Road rivalry, flexing their muscles in Durham against Duke. The Tar Heels are 5-1 in ACC play after series with Pittsburgh and Duke, but they will be tested this weekend, traveling to Coral Gables to take on a hot Miami team.
North Carolina boasts the third best ERA in the country at 2.07 and a team batting average of .288. The Tar Heels have everything clicking right now, and we will soon find out how these numbers translate as competition increases.
The theme of high octane offenses continued in Blacksburg this weekend as Virginia Tech took two games from Pittsburgh, scoring 32 runs. The Hokies rank 25th in the country with 164 runs and third nationally with 41 home runs, 10 of which came this weekend. Don’t look for their bats to slow down, but can the pitching keep pace to remain competitive in the ACC?
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