CHAPEL HILL – The UNC baseball team is back in action after just less than a week off for exams, and despite having the best record in the land, remains in the No. 2 spot in two of the four national polls for the second straight week.

The Tar Heels fell to No. 2 behind Vanderbilt in the National College Baseball Writers’ Association and the Collegiate Baseball polls last week and remain there after this week’s polls were released Monday. However Carolina remained in the top spot in the Baseball America and USA Today Coaches polls. UNC is 42-4 overall while Vanderbilt is 41-6.

Tuesday, the Tar Heels host the James Madison Dukes who are 20-23 on the season and hail from the Colonial Athletic Association. UNC is 2-1 against the CAA this season with a 9-8 loss to UNC Wilmington late last month and wins over UNCW and VCU.

Monday night on Mike Fox Live, the head coach explained how the exam break can really take the team out of its rhythm of competition, but allows for a refocus just before the final push to the postseason.

“We got a lot of work done, which is good because we’re not able to practice a whole lot during the regular season,” Coach Fox said, “We were able to spend as much time or as little time as we wanted all throughout the weekend, and it was a good four- or five-day period for our players and our program.”

A sweep this weekend against Georgia Tech could wrap up the ACC Coastal title for the Tar Heels. While the focus is on JMU Tuesday and Wednesday, Coach Fox says it’s hard not to look ahead to Atlanta.

“We’ve historically not been as successful in Atlanta as we would like to be,” Coach Fox said. “We’re going to go in there facing a team that I think is fighting for their lives.”

Georgia Tech is third in the Coastal, five games behind Virginia and two games ahead of Virginia Tech.

But, before the Heels can travel to Atlanta, they’ll host two mid-week contests against the Dukes of James Madison Tuesday and Wednesday. First pitch both nights is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. at Boshamer Stadium and can be heard live on WCHL and here immediately following the WCHL Evening News with Aaron Keck.

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