Even with no Vance Honeycutt in postseason play last year, the UNC baseball team nearly ended up with its second-consecutive ACC Baseball Championship title.
North Carolina dominated Georgia Tech and longtime rival UVA to win its pool, but lost 10-4 to Clemson in the single-elimination semifinals. The Diamond Heels didn’t fare as well in the Terre Haute NCAA Regional, though, watching its season end with two losses to Iowa.
In 2022, UNC enjoyed a healthy Honeycutt and nearly made the College World Series, hosting an NCAA Regional and Super Regional. Two straight losses to a solid Arkansas squad, though, ended North Carolina’s CWS hopes.
Perhaps the highlight of UNC’s 2022 campaign was its ACC Baseball Championship title.
In this run, which came after a rocky April with four ACC series losses, the Diamond Heels beat NC State to take home the gold. North Carolina downed Clemson, Virginia Tech and Notre Dame en route to the title game, winning each of its first three matchups by a minimum five runs.
The Diamond Heels ended up beating the Wolfpack 9-5, but trailed after a first-inning single from NC State’s Josh Hood. That lead didn’t last long, as Honeycutt’s 2-run homer in the bottom half gave UNC the lead for good.
North Carolina started to creep away in the second inning, starting with Angel Zarate’s RBI single, then built a 7-run cushion (8-1) on Honeycutt’s second bomb.
The Wolfpack gave Tar Heel Nation a little scare in the ninth, closing its deficit to 9-5, but now-minor leaguer Davis Palermo trotted in from the bullpen and ended the comeback attempt.
Honeycutt is enjoying a historic season. He holds UNC’s all-time home run record, plus he’s the only player in ACC baseball history with 50 home runs and 70 stolen bases. Honeycutt is hitting .319, fourth-best on the Diamond Heels, with a team-high 22 home runs.
Can Honeycutt continue his torrid stretch and help North Carolina to its ninth ACC Baseball Championship title?
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