Tag: Alberto Osuna

Longtime UNC baseball designated hitter enters transfer portal

The transfer portal snatched up another Tar Heel on Tuesday – this time from the baseball team.

With how active the transfer portal is across college sports nowadays, player loyalty to one program is becoming increasingly rare.

Players sometimes transfer due to the lack of playing time, which I am a huge advocate for. Sometimes players transfer to chase championships, which I can’t fault them for, or other reasons.

Alberto Osuna is one of these rare exceptions, as he’s been the UNC baseball team’s starting designated hitter since 2022. Osuna put together quite the career in Chapel Hill, mashing a career .259 with 45 home runs and 140 RBIs, including a career-best .281 this past season.

Osuna’s season didn’t end in a great way, though, as he struck out three times in North Carolina’s College World Series opener against ACC rival Virginia. He struggled in the postseason as a whole, hitting just 6-for-27.

Osuna is out of Division-I eligibility, but not college eligibility. As a result, he entered his name in the transfer portal on Tuesday, July 2.

I have to imagine if Osuna had D-I eligibility left, he’d return to the Diamond Heels. Osuna began his college baseball career at Walters State Community College in 2021, so he just missed being eligible for a COVID year.

It’ll be weird not seeing the powerful Osuna in UNC’s lineup next year. We wish him best of luck wherever he ends up.

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UNC baseball reserve Jackson Van De Brake delivers clutch pinch-hit double in CWS opener

Jackson Van De Brake defined what it means to be a pinch-hitter on Friday afternoon, mashing a ninth-inning, leadoff double in UNC’s 3-2 win over UVA to open the College World Series.

In the postseason, when base hits are tougher to come by, teams need their best bats to deliver.

Alberto Osuna, the UNC baseball team’s designated hitter, typically is one of the more reliable bats in the lineup. He was one of five Diamond Heels to finish the regular season with double-digit home run totals, plus one of six to reach the 50-RBI plateau.

With the exception of North Carolina’s Chapel Hill Regional opener vs. Long Island University, Osuna hasn’t found that same production at the plate. He’s an ice-cold 2-for-22, with both hits in that span coming during the 6-2 Regional loss against reigning CWS champion LSU.

Osuna’s struggles continued into UNC’s College World Series opener against ACC rival Virginia on Friday, June 14, with strikeouts in each of his three plate appearances.

That’s why, with the Diamond Heels entering the bottom of the ninth and tied at two with UVA, head coach Scott Forbes opted for a pinch-hitter ahead of Osuna’s fourth at-bat.

That pinch-hitter was Jackson Van De Brake, North Carolina’s 2023 starting second baseman.

Van De Brake proceeded to deliver his most important hit of the season, a lead-off double on a 2-2 count, that eventually led to UNC’s game-winning run.

Van De Brake is a reserve this season, primarily due to the emergence of Division-III transfer Alex Madera.

With big moments like Friday’s, coupled with Osuna’s continued struggles, Van De Brake may have just opened the door to more playing time in Omaha.

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MVP Gavin Gallaher leads four Diamond Heels on Regional All-Tournament Team

Which four Diamond Heels made the Chapel Hill Regional All-Tournament Team?

With the UNC baseball team facing a shocking upset early in the Chapel Hill Regional on Friday night, starting third baseman Gavin Gallaher stepped up to the plate.

Gallaher and his Diamond Heel teammates trailed the LIU Sharks 8-7, but the bases were loaded with one out. On an 0-1 pitch from Justin DeCastro, Gallager blasted a grand slam over the netting in left field, sending Boshamer Stadium into a frenzy not many home games have rivaled.

Thanks to his overall performance in the Chapel Hill Regional – 5-for-17, seven RBIS and two home runs, Gallaher was named the Regionals’s Most Outstanding Player.

Several North Carolina teammates joined Gallaher on the All-Tournament Team – starting right fielder Anthony Donofrio, designated hitter Alberto Osuna and, to no one’s surprise, star closer Dalton Pence, who dominated on the mound in North Carolina’s come-from-behind, 4-3 victory over reigning national champion LSU on Monday, June 3 that advanced it into the Super Regionals.

Donofrio mashed a red-hot 9-for-17 with four RBIs, plus he scored two runs and made a couple game-saving plays in right field.

Osuna hit 5-for-17 with two RBIs, with his best game coming in the Regional Opener against LIU.

Pence hurled 8 1/3 innings, striking out 10 batters and allowing just two runs on three hits. He saved his best game for Monday night, striking out four Tigers and allowing just one hit – through 3 2/3 innings – on a season-high 63 pitches.

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Diamond Heels announce rosters for Fall World Series

The UNC baseball squad, typically among the ACC’s best, just announced teams for its annual, Blue-Navy Fall World Series.

We’re still just under four months away from the start of college baseball season, but the excitement in Boshamer Stadium is already building.

The UNC baseball team, whose season ended at the hands of Iowa in the Terre Haute Regional earlier this year, is concluding its fall practice schedule later this week with an annual favorite – the Blue-Navy Fall World Series.

Team Blue, captained by starting infielder Johnny Castagnozzi and star pitcher Dalton Pence, will also include the likes of outfielder Casey Cook and power-hitting designated Alberto Osuna.

Team Navy, captained by starting first baseman Hunter Stokely, starting shortstop Colby Wilkerson and starting outfielder Patrick Alvarez, include the two Diamond Heels fans are likely itching to see the most – UGA transfer Parks Harber and projected 2024 MLB Draft first-round pick Vance Honeycutt.

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This best-of-three series should get Carolina baseball fans excited. Not only will they get a sneak peek at what should be one of the ACC’s top teams, but the weather is going to be gorgeous.

The temperature is projected to be 75 degrees at first pitch on Wednesday afternoon, 77 on Friday afternoon and a high of 82 on Saturday. Oh – it’s also going to be bright, sunny and FREE for all attendees.

While this is the only World Series that runs through Chapel Hill this fall, Carolina will have its sights set on the College World Series this coming Spring.

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Diamond Heels take care of business at home

No. 13 UNC blast by VCU in a 10-4 victory on Tuesday night in Chapel Hill.

The North Carolina baseball team was in action Tuesday, and the bats were swinging early.

UNC hosted VCU in perfect 74-degree weather. Junior right-hand pitcher Jake Knapp got the start and was dealing early, with VCU starting with three scoreless innings.

In that same span, North Carolina had their bats hot out the gate, with Tomas Frick getting the first points on the board with a home run blasted to left field. Alberto Osuna matched Frick with a homer of his own in the same inning.

Frick’s bat continued to stay hot, hitting another home run in the third inning, but this time bringing in two runners for a three-run RBI.

The home run party continued in the fourth inning, with Vance Honeycutt getting in on the action. Mac Horvath became the fourth Tar Heel to homer, blasting one to left center in the sixth inning.

North Carolina would homer again in the eighth inning by Honeycutt, capping off a day full of hits. UNC takes it 10-4, improving to 5-3 on the season.

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