No. 1 UNC baseball to take hot streak to Blacksburg

There are no tweaks to be made, no desperate measures to take and no glaring holes to be filled.

As a coach, what can you tell a team that’s doing everything right already?

The No. 1 North Carolina baseball team (31-2, 12-2 ACC) will head to Virginia Tech this weekend as one of the nation’s leading teams in scoring, ERA and on-base percentage. By beating Liberty 7-5 on Wednesday, the Tar Heels won their sixth straight game.

Given that success, their objective this weekend is a fairly simple one.

“We just gotta keep playing,” coach Mike Fox said. “We’re playing at a high level.”

The only difference this weekend is that the Tar Heels will have to take that level of play to the road— something they haven’t experienced much this season.

Due in part to a Boston College series that was moved to Chapel Hill because of snow, 18 of UNC’s last 20 games have been played at Boshamer Stadium.

The last — and only — time the Tar Heels played an ACC team on the road was against Wake Forest in early March.

So this weekend’s matchup with Virginia Tech could provide an interesting and important test for the Tar Heels as the season’s home stretch draws closer.

Though currently fifth in the Coastal Division standings, the Hokies (22-12, 7-8 ACC) have flirted with a spot in the top 25 all season.

Virginia Tech’s power is its greatest asset — the Hokies are second in the league with 27 home runs, and boast big bats in the middle of the order with third baseman Chad Pinder and right fielder Tyler Horan.

Though they were swept by N.C. State last weekend, the Hokies took two out of three against then-No. 4 Florida State two weeks ago in Blacksburg, Va.

“It’ll be a battle up there,” Fox said.

“A different type turf and facility. They have a good team, and we need a challenge on the road, so I’ll be anxious to see how we play.”

Traveling will also likely provide another bonding experience for the Tar Heels. When they traveled to Houston earlier in the season, they visited the Houston Rodeo and saw a Brantley Gilbert concert.

“I think we have a good time on the road,” said energetic shortstop Michael Russell, who likes to get UNC going at home with a Ke$ha walk-up song.

“We have a nice bus, and we don’t mind traveling too much. As many games as we play at home, it’s nice sometimes to change scenery.”

That kind of loose team chemistry is often the byproduct of winning, and the Tar Heels have shown no signs of slowing in that regard.

Fox said the Tar Heels are excelling in all phases of the game, particularly on the defensive end as of late.

And they’ll surely be carrying some swagger when they head to Blacksburg.

“Our guys think they’re going to win, and that’s the most important thing when the game starts,” Fox said. “We have to keep that going.”

Contact the desk editor at sports@dailytarheel.com.