Tag: Diamond Heels

Diamond Heels’ 2024 top hitter, bullpen arm ink professional free agent deals

Two more North Carolina Tar Heels baseball standouts signed with MLB teams on Friday.

The 2024 college baseball season was one to remember for the North Carolina Tar Heels.

UNC brought in one of its best recruiting classes in program history. Returning stars took major jumps, players stepped up in wake of injury and – in a year where over half of the ACC made the NCAA Tournament – North Carolina came out on top with a regular-season championship.

The Diamond Heels didn’t win the ACC Baseball Tournament Championship, but advanced even further – to their first College World Series since 2018. UNC was nearly eliminated from its own regional, but roared back against 2023 CWS champs LSU and advanced to host West Virginia, in the Mountaineers’ first-ever Super Regional.

Going back to that recruiting class, which included transfers and incoming freshman, it was an SEC transfer who ended up being North Carolina’s top hitter.

Parks Harber, who came to Chapel Hill from UGA, led the Diamond Heels with a .343 batting average last year. He was also quite the power threat, hitting 20 home runs (one of two UNC players to do so) and driving in 63 runners.

North Carolina’s bullpen was also a major reason it advanced to the CWS, as you could pick literally anyone to come in and shut down the opposition. In this case, we’re talking about Ben Peterson, the 6’3″ started-turned-reliever senior who finished his year with a 3-2 win-loss record and 4.70 earned run average.

The 2024 MLB Draft also came and went, with six Diamond Heels hearing their names called. Peterson and – surprisingly – Harber didn’t hear their names called.

Peterson and Harber will be playing at the next level, though, as they signed free agent contracts on Friday, July 19.

Harber is the latest slugger to join the storied New York Yankees, who gained their nickname “Bronx Bombers” from their ability to hit home runs at a high clip. Peterson joins the San Francisco Giants.

How long will it take before both are in the major leagues?

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UNC baseball team adds two players from Liberty in transfer portal

North Carolina Tar Heels baseball fans should get excited about the newest outfield addition for next year’s roster.

The North Carolina Tar Heels added two more players to their 2025 roster, using the transfer portal on Wednesday to do so. With the team needing to add some players to the roster, they went to Liberty to get it done.

The Diamond Heels added two players from Liberty as outfielder Kane Kepley, and pitcher Cale Bolton both committed to the Tar Heels. Both followed former manager Scott Jackson to the Tar Heels, as he joined the staff as an assistant coach.

Going into this offseason, North Carolina needed to add some big pieces to the outfield with Vance Honeycutt, Casey Cook, and Anthony Donofrio all being drafted. The UNC star trio combined for 160 starts in 161 appearances last season – not due to the lack of outfield depth, but because each outfielder was simply that good.

In Kepley, they are getting an outfielder who hit .332 and was a second-team All-Conference USA selection this past season. Kepley, who is currently shining in the Cape Cod League this summer, led Liberty in hits, runs and stolen bases last year.

Reece Holbrook, Ryker Galaska, 2-sport athlete Kaleb Cost and Carter French are the only other outfielders listed on the roster, so the Diamond Heels will need to add more recruits and hit the transfer portal – hard.

While North Carolina’s pitching should be strong again next season, the addition of Cale Bolton gives them another option. Although he will need to be better than last season where he finished 2-2 with a 5.08 ERA in 16 appearances out of the bullpen for Liberty.

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UNC baseball team adds top-ranked outfielder to 2025 roster

A major reinforcement is coming to the UNC baseball program next year.

How good were the North Carolina Tar Heels during the 2024 college baseball season?

So good, each of their starting outfielders – Vance Honeycutt, Casey Cook and Anthony Donofrio – were picked in the MLB Draft.

UNC’s outfielder trio anchored a 2024 ACC Regular Season Championship and a trip to Omaha, Neb. for its first College World Series berth since 2018.

Honeycutt became the first player in ACC history to hit 50 career home runs and steal 70 career bases, Cook enjoyed a massive power surge and led North Carolina with 78 RBIs, while Donofrio finished third amongst Tar Heel hitters in batting average and second in stolen bases.

I’m extremely happy for Honeycutt, Cook and Donofrio, but their departures mean one: UNC has to replace its entire starting outfield in 2025.

While I expect North Carolina to hit the transfer portal hard, plus promote a few reserves to starting roles, there’s a major reinforcement coming to Chapel Hill from high school.

On Tuesday, July 16, Sawyer Black announced his commitment to the Diamond Heels.

Black, who played his high school ball at Wesleyan Christian Academy in High Point, is the top-ranked outfielder in North Carolina. He’s the state’s third-best overall player and 133rd nationally.

According to Tar Heel Tribune, Black led Wesleyan Christian in hitting (.453), on-base percentage (.590), home runs (9), runs (46), hits (39), RBI (40), slugging percentage (.930) and triples (3) while stealing 10 bases in 30 games.

Black will be following former Liberty coach Scott Jackson to Chapel Hill, as Black previously committed to the Flames, before Jackson announced his resignation.

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Two key members of UNC pitching staff taken in MLB Draft on Tuesday

Two more Tar Heel baseball players are off the MLB Draft Board.

I’m convinced that if the North Carolina Tar Heels had better starting pitching, they would’ve made a deeper run in the College World Series.

UNC’s first bit of bad news came weeks before its 2024 season started, when it learned senior pitcher Jake Knapp would miss the year with a UCL (elbow) tear. North thought it initially had a freshman ace in Folger Boaz, then he started to struggle and – later – missed the season’s remainder with a left elbow injury.

With the loss of Knapp and Boaz, though, came opportunity. Two junior Diamond Heel pitchers, by the names of Shea Sprague and Aidan Haugh, took full advantage of their opportunities.

Sprague and Haugh became North Carolina’s number two and three starters. Sprague ended his season with a 3-2 record, 4.23 earned run average and 70 strikeouts, which was second most on the team. Haugh compiled a 4-3 record, with his four victories tied for fourth-most on UNC.

It would be great to have the pair back in Chapel Hill next season, but they’ll be elsewhere – for good reason.

On Tuesday, July 16, Sprague and Haugh were picked in the 2024 MLB Draft.

Sprague, originally from Massachusetts, will play professional baseball for his hometown Red Sox.

Haugh, picked three rounds later, heads up to the Twin Cities and joins a promising AL Central squad.

It’d be a full-circle moment if the pair of former Diamond Heels teammates faced off in the future. Are they the last two to go from North Carolina?

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Anthony Donofrio selected by Seattle Mariners

The Pacific Northwest called UNC’s starting right fielder in the 2024 MLB Draft.

Even though the UNC baseball team only had him for one season, Anthony Donofrio put together quite the special year.

Donofrio, who transferred in from Quinnipiac for his final year of college eligibility, immediately made an impact in Chapel Hill with his speed (two stolen bases in opening series). As the Diamond Heels’ season progressed, Donofrio became one of North Carolina’s top hitters, finishing third-best on the team with a .326 batting average.

Like his outfield counterparts in Vance Honeycutt and Casey Cook, Donofrio also had quite the glove. Even with all the tools Donofrio had in his bag, would he play himself into an MLB Draft selection?

Any team can use a speedy, contact-hitting outfielder with a solid glove, especially when that outfielder has a bit of pop (seven home runs, 53 RBIs).

Going back to that earlier question: yes, Donofrio played himself into an MLB Draft choice.

On Monday, July 15, the Seattle Mariners picked Donofrio in the 10th round of the MLB Draft.

Though he struggled in the College World Series, Donofrio mashed a combined, lights-out 9-for-17 in the Chapel Hill Regional and first game of the Chapel Hill Super Regional. His production will be missed, as UNC will need to replace its entire starting outfield.

I’m excited that Donofrio gets this opportunity to play at the next level. We wish him the best!

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Vance Honeycutt pick second straight year Baltimore Orioles choose from UNC

Mac Horvath and Vance Honeycutt share this unique MLB Draft Distinction.

UNC baseball fans had their eyes glued to the TV on Sunday, July 14, wondering where all-time program great Vance Honeycutt would go in the 2024 MLB Draft.

Early-season mock drafts had Honeycutt going Top 10, while a recent one had him 13th overall to the San Francisco Giants.

After waiting for nearly two hours, Honeycutt went 22nd overall to the Baltimore Orioles. With an NCAA Tournament that included two walk-offs – a home run in Game 1 of the Chapel Hill Super Regional, then a ninth-inning single against Virginia in the College World Series, Honeycutt slipping was a bit surprising.

If you go back and look at Honeycutt’s career numbers, though, he struck out 224 times. More strikeouts are to be expected for power hitters, but that number is concerning.

Regardless, Honeycutt is a steal of the draft based on his selection. He also wasn’t the lone former Tar Heel heading to Baltimore via the MLB Draft.

In the second round of last year’s MLB Draft, the Orioles chose North Carolina third baseman Mac Horvath.

Honeycutt and Horvath played together in each of the 2022 and 2023 seasons, sharing an ACC Baseball Championship Title in 2022. The star duo led UNC to a Super Regional in 2022, only for Arkansas to win that and advance to the College World Series.

Judging from his post above, you can bet Diamond Heels head coach Scott Forbes is a happy camper.

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UNC highlights ACC dominance across the entire 2023-2024 college sports season

If you include all athletic programs, the ACC is the best conference in college sports.

It seems like whatever sport you talk about last year, the North Carolina Tar Heels enjoyed plenty of sustained success.

UNC’s lone national championship last season came from the field hockey team, which came back to beat Northwestern in a shootout, for its NCAA-leading 11th national title. Women’s tennis, men’s track and field, fencing and men’s golf also won ACC titles – in addition to field hockey.

North Carolina returned to men’s basketball glory during the 2023-2024 campaign, winning its first ACC Regular Season Title since 2018 and making the NCAA Tournament after a year’s absence. Most recently, the Diamond Heels won the ACC Regular Season Championship and made the College World Series.

UNC made its athletic presence felt in the ACC once again, but it wasn’t the conference’s only school to dominate in athletics last season.

To get an idea of the ACC’s dominance, just take a look at this graphic below:

https://www.instagram.com/p/C9U0XwZzvCq/

ACC is quietly one of the top conferences in women’s basketball, thanks in particular to NC State and Virginia Tech. For people saying the ACC had a “down” year in men’s basketball, five schools – North Carolina, Duke, Clemson, NC State and Virginia all made the NCAA Tournament, all but Virginia won a game and the Wolfpack enjoyed a run to the Final Four.

Every ACC football program but Virginia, Pitt and Wake Forest made a bowl game last year. Florida State was the most successful – despite entering bowl season a perfect 13-0, it didn’t make the College Football Playoff.

With the College Football Playoff being expanded to 12 teams this coming fall, will multiple ACC teams make it?

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Vance Honeycutt highlights four Diamond Heels ranked amongst top MLB Draft prospects

There will likely be multiple UNC baseball players chosen in the upcoming MLB Draft.

I truly thought the North Carolina Tar Heels could win the 2024 College World Series.

UNC had all the pieces of a championship team: a reliable star hitter to count on for clutch, consistent production in Vance Honeycutt, a batting order that could hit from 1-to-9, a shutdown closer who could cool even the hottest of lineups in Dalton Pence, a strong defensive unit and – most important of all – a great coach in Scott Forbes.

North Carolina won its opening game of the College World Series, thanks to ninth-inning heroics from Honeycutt and Jackson Van De Brake, but later exited after consecutive losses to Tennessee and Florida State.

The Diamond Heels put the college baseball world on notice, but also garnered some MLB Draft attention for Pence and its entire starting outfield.

On Saturday, July 12 – just two days ahead of the 2024 MLB Draft, Baseball America ranked Honeycutt (13th), Casey Cook (164th), Pence (340th) and Anthony Donofrio (449th) amongst its top draft prospects.

Honeycutt turned in a historic career at UNC, highlighted last year by becoming the first player in ACC history to hit 50 career home runs and steal 70 career bases, plus a second-consecutive ACC Defensive Player of the Year Award (also only player in ACC history to achieve this feat).

Cook enjoyed a massive power surge during his 2024 redshirt-sophomore campaign, finishing third on North Carolina with 18 home runs. Cook’s .341 batting average was second-highest amongst Diamond Heel hitters, while his 78 RBIs were third in the ACC and 11th in Division-I.

Donofrio only played at North Carolina last year, but he made an immediate impact. He finished third on the Diamond Heels with a .326 batting average, tops on the Diamond Heels with 19 doubles and most in the ACC with six triples.

Pence made a good case for the top reliever in college baseball. He recorded a team-best eight saves, 2.45 earned run average, struck out 74 batters (second-most on UNC) and earned five wins out of the bullpen. Pence’s best performances came in the NCAA Tournament – earning a win against LSU in the Chapel Hill Regional, then a save against West Virginia in the Chapel Hill Super Regional.

If you want to see where some of your favorite Diamond Heels will be chosen, tune into the MLB Draft at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 14.

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Armando Bacot and Vance Honeycutt highlight recipients of UNC’s top athletic honor

UNC’s athletic accomplishments in the 2023-2024 sports calendar were highlighted by four of its student-athletes winning the same award.

The North Carolina Tar Heels, across all sports, enjoyed a successful 2023-2024 sports calendar.

UNC’s fencing, women’s tennis, men’s golf and men’s track and field teams all won ACC championships, but the most successful program was field hockey, which won a thrilling shootout against Northwestern to capture its 11th National Championship (most all-time).

North Carolina enjoyed a much-needed bounce-back season in men’s basketball, going from missing the NCAA Tournament last year to a Sweet 16 run this year. Armando Bacot became the program’s all-time leader in rebounds and double-doubles.

Most recently, Vance Honeycutt led the Diamond Heels to their first College World Series since 2018. He hit multiple walk-offs in the NCAA Tournament, including UNC’s CWS opener against ACC rival Virginia, while winning his second-straight ACC Defensive Player of the Year award.

Fiona Crawley, who spent most of tennis season as North Carolina’s top singles player, won 14 of the 19 matches she played in. Austin Greaser will go down as one of the best golfers to come through Chapel Hill, with his 71.04 stroke average third in program history.

Due to last year’s combined success between Bacot, Honeycutt, Crawley and Greaser, each student-athlete received the Patterson Medal – UNC’s top athletic honor.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C9QJ9s-PFCg/

Each of the above Tar Heels enjoyed amazing careers. Though Honeycutt is the only one who could return, his status as a projected first-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft means his time in Chapel Hill is likely over.

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Where does latest MLB.com mock draft have UNC baseball star Vance Honeycutt selected?

The latest MLB.com mock draft has UNC standout Vance Honeycutt heading to an NL Central team.

If you think that Vance Honeycutt is the best college baseball player to don a North Carolina Tar Heels jersey, you are correct.

Honeycutt’s career numbers are impressive – .293 batting average, 65 career home runs, 76 stolen bases and 170 RBIs. He made ACC history last season, becoming the first-ever player to join the 50 home run-70 stolen base club, but the stats aren’t even the most impressive part about Honeycutt.

No matter how out of a game UNC ever seems, Honeycutt always seems to produce. He has a knack for clutch hitting, which we all saw with multiple walk-offs in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

If you thought Honeycutt’s bat was dangerous, he’s an even better fielder. He won the past two ACC Defensive Player of the Year Awards and is no stranger to the SportsCenter Top 10.

With all that Honeycutt did in Chapel Hill, it’s no surprise that he’s a first-round prospect in the 2024 MLB Draft.

In MLB.com writer Jonathan Mayo’s latest mock draft, Honeycutt will go 17th overall to the Milwaukee Brewers.

“More college bats here, with Honeycutt and (Carson) Benge having an edge right now over (Tommy) White,” Mayo wrote of Honeycutt’s brief evaluation.

Mock drafts are just that – guesses – as another recent draft has Honeycutt going to the San Francisco Giants. Honeycutt’s ceiling is a Top-10 pick, with his floor a later first-round selection.

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