Tag: Diamond Heels

New projected NCAA Baseball Tourney field has UNC a Top-7 National seed

Who will UNC face in this week’s NCAA Tournament Regional projections?

Sitting at 30-10 with just a few weeks remaining in college baseball season, the UNC baseball team is in prime position to host an NCAA Tournament Regional.

That is, if North Carolina finds a way to continuing producing at the plate, while getting better outings from its pitchers.

The Diamond Heels sport one of the nation’s top offenses, ranking 30th overall by hitting .309 as a team. Gavin Gallagher is hitting a team-high .372, but he’s just one of seven batters mashing at least .300.

As a result of its strong play already this year, UNC has a 2-game lead over archrival Duke in the ACC Coastal Division.

In D1Baseball’s Week 11 Projected Field of 64, the Diamond Heels are the seventh National Seed and will host Alabama, Northeastern and Niagara.

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The Crimson Tide (26-15, 7-11) are fourth in the SEC West. Nine SEC teams will make the NCAA Tournament in the above projected field, so Alabama could possibly face some familiar foes.

Northeastern (28-11, 10-5), one of the CAA’s (Coastal Athletic Association) better teams, currently sits third behind UNC-Wilmington and conference leader College of Charleston. Niagara (24-11, 11-1) is tied atop the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference with Rider.

If this is the regional North Carolina ends up with, I like its chances to play in a Super Regional tremendously.

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WATCH: UNC outfielder Anthony Donofrio makes several stunning catches against Wolfpack

Anthony Donfrio is a highlight reel in right field for the UNC baseball team.

Graduate student Anthony Donofrio might just very well be the missing piece UNC’s baseball team needed in the outfield.

Donofrio, a Quinnipiac transfer who’s spending his last year of eligibility in Chapel Hill, starts in the outfield alongside fellow stars Vance Honeycutt and Casey Cook. Donofrio is a key member of the Diamond Heels’ powerful offense, being one of eight players to sport a .300 batting average (he’s hitting .309), while also adding four hone runs and 33 RBIs.

Donofrio has also proven his ability to be a lockdown defender like his outfield mates, recording a .968 fielding percentage.

Just look at some of Donofrio’s plays against NC State from over the weekend, including several highlight-reel catches and big throws.

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Like the above Instagram caption says, the ACC unfortunately does not give out Defensive POTW awards in baseball.

Donofrio went a solid 3-for-5 at the plate, later scoring two runs in last Thursday’s 9-8 series-opening loss. He failed to notch a hit on Friday or Saturday, but managed three walks and two runs.

UNC could very well host a regional in the NCAA Tournament, which starts the last weekend of May. North Carolina will need continued production from Donofrio, plus improved pitching, if it wants to make a deep run.

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Diamond Heels fall four spots in D1Baseball rankings

The UNC baseball team is running out of chances to win series against good teams. It has another golden chance this coming weekend against Virginia Tech.

Last weekend provided the UNC baseball team a golden opportunity to prove its worth as a Top 25 team.

The Diamond Heels made the short trip down to Raleigh, facing an NC State program that’s also amongst one of the ACC’s best. The Wolfpack are playing solid baseball this season, but with how good North Carolina’s been, it should’ve won the series handily.

Even though UNC remains two games ahead of archrival Duke for first place in the ACC Coastal Division, UNC proved there’s still questions surrounding its ability to beat tough competition, as it dropped two of three at NC State.

As a result, the Diamond Heels fell four spots – to 15th – in Monday’s D1Baseball rankings.

North Carolina (30-10, 15-6) left no doubt of its talent in Saturday’s series finale, dominating in a 14-3 victory behind reliable bats and a surprisingly good pitching performance. Star UNC center fielder Vance Honeycutt, a projected first-round pick in July’s MLB Draft, became the only player in ACC history to join the 50 home run-70 stolen base club during the finale.

The Diamond Heels have a super-winnable game against Gardner-Webb on Tuesday, April 23, then host a tough Virginia Tech squad this coming weekend for a 3-game series. The Hokies (25-12, 12-9) dropped out of this week’s rankings after spending most of 2024 ranked.

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Saturday’s domination of Wolfpack clinches UNC baseball spot in ACC Tournament

The UNC baseball is heading back to the ACC Championship, looking for its second title since 2022.

After two, tough-luck losses to NC State on Thursday and Friday, the UNC baseball team was staring its first series sweep of the year in the face.

The Wolfpack always play the Diamond Heels close, but the pair of 1-run losses were concerning, particularly because NC State has struggled for its standards and North Carolina blew a late lead Friday.

UNC left no doubt on Saturday, winning 14-3 behind yet another career day from star center fielder Vance Honeycutt, who also became the ONLY player in ACC history to reach 50 career home runs and 70 stolen bases.

North Carolina did more than just win on Saturday, as it also clinched a spot in the ACC Baseball Championship.

ACC baseball is a little different from basketball, in which all 15 teams make it. For the ACC Baseball Championship, only 12 teams are lucky enough to advance into postseason play.

The Diamond Heels are in a good spot as of Sunday, April 21, leading archrival Duke by 2.5 games for first place in the ACC Coastal Division.

UNC hosts Gardner-Webb on Tuesday, then welcomes ranked Virginia Tech for a crucial series next weekend. North Carolina will then welcome UNC-Charlotte, William&Mary and Campbell for midweek games, host Louisville for a 3-game set, then end its regular-season at UNC-Wilmington and Duke.

The Diamond Heels will look for their second ACC Championship, which begins on Tuesday, May 21 in Charlotte, since 2022.

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Diamond Heels projected to host NCAA Tournament Regional

Is a strong start enough for the UNC baseball team to host an NCAA Tournament Regional?

Despite watching its record home winning streak stopped Tuesday night against a tough Coastal Carolina squad, the UNC baseball team still ranks amongst the country’s best.

North Carolina (29-8, 14-4), one of the ACC’s seven ranked teams (11th), is leading the ACC Coastal Division. It plays NC State on the road this weekend, in a series which could truly determine how legitimate the Tar Heels are.

UNC’s proven its ability to beat good teams earlier this season, highlighted by a road sweep of Preseason Number One Wake Forest, plus a singular win against East Carolina.

Regardless of how North Carolina ends its season, it’s still projected to host a regional in D1Baseball’s Week 10 Projected Field of 64.

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Looking at the Chapel Hill Regional right now, the Diamond Heels would face arguably the NCAA Tournament’s toughest group.

Florida has made 13 College World Series appearances, including a 2017 title. Oregon, one of the Pac-12’s better teams of late, is coming off its first-ever conference tournament championship and second Super Regional appearance. Bryant would be looking for its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2016.

There is no question about UNC’s bats being able to produce, but it’s the starting pitching that could prevent a deep run. The bullpen has largely carried North Carolina on the mound, but a strong relief performances means nothing if starters continue to play inconsistently.

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Vance Honeycutt now second all-time in UNC home runs

If Vance Honeycutt steps to the plate, you can count on him hitting a home run.

It seems like every time UNC baseball is mentioned in the national media, that story somehow involves star center fielder Vance Honeycutt.

Rightfully so.

Honeycutt has done nothing but mash at the plate and make highlight-reel plays in the field, even making an appearance on the SportsCenter Top 10 last year. He’s the reigning ACC Defensive Player of the Year, plus a career .280 hitter with 49 home runs and 135 RBIs.

Focusing in on the power department, Honeycutt’s 12 home runs this season are tied for the team lead with Georgia transfer Parks Harber.

Honeycutt tied former teammate Mac Horvath on the Diamond Heels’ all-time home run list earlier this season, but surpassed that mark in Sunday’s 10-3 domination of Notre Dame.

With his second home run of the weekend, his 49th career bomb, Honeycutt moved into a tie with Chris Cox for second on the UNC home run leaderboard.

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Honeycutt will surely be an early first-round pick in July’s MLB Draft – unless he decides to come back for his senior campaign. That would be a huge win, but he should advance his career while his draft stock is high.

Honeycutt is just eight round-trippers away from tying Devy Bell (1984-1987) for the North Carolina record.

If Honeycutt manages to stay healthy, I’m confident he can end his Diamond Heel career atop that leaderboard.

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Sunday victory sets new program record for consecutive wins at The Bosh

Boshamer Stadium has been the home for UNC baseball since 1972. The Diamond Heels just set a new stadium record on Sunday afternoon.

As we get deeper into college baseball season, we’ll start to see the best teams separate themselves from the rest of their conference opponents.

There are some early-season surprises, such as Wake Forest already reaching double-digit loss totals and Kentucky being ranked third, while programs like Arkansas and East Carolina are ranked Top-10 as expected.

Another team living up to its expectations is North Carolina, which swept Notre Dame over the weekend and maintained its hold atop the ACC Coastal Division. UNC has largely dominated opponents over the season, but particularly at Boshamer Stadium, where it’s 23-0.

With Sunday’s 10-3 victory over the Fighting Irish, the Diamond Heels set a program record with their 27th consecutive home victory, a streak which extends back to last season.

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North Carolina is averaging nearly 10 runs per home game, with its 321 total runs ranking 15th nationally. The 30 runs scored against Notre Dame were UNC’s most since its March 1-3 series against Rutgers.

Vance Honeycutt, the Diamond Heels’ star center-fielder who is projected to be an early first-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, is tied for sixth nationally with 50 runs. He’s one of nine North Carolina players with at least 20 runs.

While UNC’s offense was the story this past weekend, its pitching enjoyed a much-needed rebound, allowing just five runs over three games. It was the Diamond Heels’ best pitching series of the year.

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Former Diamond Heel JB Bukauskas to IL with lat strain

Former Diamond Heel J.B. Bukauskas is heading to the Injured List after a strong start to his 2024 MLB season.

College baseball has been playing since mid-February, while MLB didn’t celebrate Opening Day until March 28.

It’s too early to pick out the World Series contenders, but there is plenty of excitement already.

The Milwaukee Brewers are one of those teams who’ve created plenty of excitement, thanks to its young offensive core and strong pitching. It’s particularly encouraging to see the Brew Crew succeeding on the mound, as they lost ace Corbin Burnes to the Baltimore Orioles in the offseason.

One of many Milwaukee pitchers enjoying a solid opening month is former UNC standout J.B. Bukauskas, who carries a 1.50 earned run average through six appearances. Bukauskas was 21-6 with a 3.18 ERA in three season at North Carolina, including a 9-1 campaign in 2017.

Unfortunately for JB, he’ll be out of baseball for a couple weeks, as he was recently placed on the 15-day Injured List with a lat strain.

Bukauskas, picked 15th overall in the 2017 MLB Draft, has bounced around a bit since making his MLB Debut in 2021.

He won his first two games with the Arizona Diamondbacks that year, making a career-high 21 appearances. Bukauskas played in the minor leagues throughout 2022, then spent five 2023 MLB games between the Brewers and Seattle Mariners.

Hopefully for JB, he doesn’t spend more than the minimum time on the IL.

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Weekend sweep boosts Diamond Heels just outside Top 10

Another weekend sweep, another jump in the rankings for the UNC baseball team.

Losing two of three at longtime rival UVA wasn’t ideal for the UNC baseball team.

The Cavaliers snapped the Diamond Heels’ 9-game winning streak on Thursday, April 4, then won the series on Friday

North Carolina was able to salvage the series finale on Saturday, extending its streak without a sweep into the second full month of college baseball. UNC lost last Tuesday against South Carolina, but rebounded over the weekend with a sweep of Notre Dame.

The Diamond Heels scored 30 runs while giving up just five in its three games against the Fighting Irish, including Friday’s 13-0 opener, which North Carolina’s first shutout win since March 19.

As a result of its strong weekend, UNC climbed up to 11th in the latest D1 Baseball Rankings.

Virtually every Diamond Heel contributed offensively throughout the series, starting with Friday’s massive victory, in which Casey Cook, Parks Harber and Luke Stevenson combined for six hits and 10 RBIs. Anthony Donofrio led the charge in Saturday’s 7-2 win, mashing a team-high three hits and driving in two runs, while star center fielder Vance Honeycutt shined with three hits and two RBIs Sunday.

Pitching, which struggled immensely in the UVA series, enjoyed its best series on the season.

Jason DeCaro earned his second win on Friday, pitching six shutout innings while striking out three batters and allowing just three hits. Shea Sprague also nabbed his second win – on Saturday – allowing just two runs on five hits in 5 2/3 innings. Aidan Haugh thrived in his first start on Sunday, hurling five shutout innings while striking out six.

North Carolina will try and build on its 3-game winning streak on Tuesday, April 16, as it welcomes 2016 CWS champion Coastal Carolina for a 6 p.m. ET first pitch.

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Former Diamond Heel Michael Busch taking advantage of starting opportunity in MLB

Michael Busch, who starred at UNC from 2017-2019, is one of the MLB’s best young hitters this year.

Getting chosen in the MLB Draft is every young baseball player’s dream.

Hundreds of players are selected across 20 rounds, but only a select few progress enough through the plentiful levels of minor league baseball.

One of those select few who rose through the minor leagues is former UNC baseball player Michael Busch, a 2019 first-round selection by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Busch led North Carolina to three NCAA Tournament Appearances, highlighted by a 2018 College World Series berth, by hitting for a .282 career batting average with 32 home runs and 142 RBIs.

Busch spent the 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023 season playing for four separate Dodger affiliates, compiling a .283 average and earning an MLB call-up in 2023. He was traded to the Chicago Cubs in January, as Freddie Freeman made Busch’s path to a starting first base gig significantly tougher.

After hitting under the Mendoza Line (.200 batting average) for the Dodgers last year, Busch is amongst the MLB’s best hitters in the Windy City this year.

Busch enjoyed a strong Sunday to further boost his season stats, going 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs in Chicago’s 3-2 win over the Seattle Mariners. He is now hitting .327 (25th-best in the MLB) with five home runs (sixth-most) and 11 RBIs.

Busch’s home run total and batting average also have him tops on the Cubs (9-6), who are tied for second in a stacked NL Central.

So far this year, Busch is proving he’s Chicago’s first baseman of the future. He’s just 26, so we could see the former Diamond Heel in the Windy City for a long time.

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