Tag: Jason DeCaro

UNC baseball team makes history in latest round of All-American rankings

Standout UNC baseball freshmen Jason DeCaro and Luke Stevenson are brewing something special in Chapel Hill.

Even weeks after the North Carolina Tar Heels exited the College World Series against fellow ACC rival Florida State, I still think about what a special group of players Scott Forbes had the opportunity to coach.

The unquestioned superstar on the 2024 UNC baseball team was center fielder Vance Honeycutt. Not only did Honeycutt win his second-consecutive ACC Defensive Player of the Year award, or become the first 50-70 player in ACC history, but he delivered multiple clutch walkoffs during North Carolina’s postseason run.

Another major part of the Diamond Heels’ success was their freshman class, headlined by freshman ace Jason DeCaro and starting catcher Luke Stevenson.

DeCaro ended his first collegiate season with a 6-1 win-loss record, 3.81 earned run average and a team-high 78 strikeouts, while Stevenson hit .284 with 14 home runs, 58 runs batted in and recorded a team-best 511 putouts.

Not only are DeCaro and Stevenson playing with the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team right now, but they were also named D1Baseball Freshman All-Americans.

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Out of 300 Division I baseball teams, it’s pretty amazing to think UNC is the only one with two First Team Freshman All-Americans.

If you thought this season was special, wait until next year. North Carolina returns most of its roster, with the notable exceptions of Honeycutt, Alberto Osuna and Alex Madera.

If Stevenson and DeCaro play like their 2024 selves next season, they’ll form one of the country’s premier batteries.

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Several Diamond Heels earn All-America Honors ahead of College World Series

How many UNC baseball players were named All-Americans on Wednesday?

There is talent sprinkled across the UNC baseball roster.

All of that talent helped North Carolina advance to it first College World Series appearance since 2018, as it looks for national title number one this season.

The Diamond Heels’ most recognizable name is Vance Honeycutt, the only player in ACC baseball history to make the 50-70 club. There’s also Casey Cook, Parks Harber, Alberto Osuna and Luke Stevenson, but those are only a few of many stars at the plate.

On the mound, UNC carries the likes of freshman ace Jason DeCaro, 12-game winner Matthew Matthijs and star closer Dalton Pence. These three are easily North Carolina’s best pitchers, but you don’t have to look far for more stars.

Speaking of talent, several Diamond Heels earned All-America honors ahead of their CWS opener on Friday, June 14 at 2 p.m. ET.

Honeycutt (First Team), Pence (Second Team), DeCaro (Freshman First Team), starting catcher Luke Stevenson (Freshman First Team) and starting third baseman Gavin Gallaher (Freshman Second Team) all nabbed Perfect Game All-America Honors on Wednesday afternoon.

Honeycutt (Second Team), Matthijs (Third Team) and starting UNC first baseman Parks Harber (Second Team) all NCBWA All-America Honors.

Honeycutt leads the Diamond Heels with 26 home runs and 28 stolen bases, Stevenson has a North Carolina-high 484 putouts behind the plate, Gallaher broke into the starting lineup and is fourth on UNC with a .337 batting average, while Harber leads the Diamond Heels with a .341 average and is one of two players with 60 RBIs (Honeycutt).

Pence carries a team-high 71 strikeouts into the CWS and, among qualified pitchers, a team-best 2.04 earned run average. DeCaro’s six wins are most amongst starters (and second on North Carolina), while Matthijs’ 12 victories lead UNC and has him tied for second in Division I.

Will the Diamond Heels’ All-Americans continue their superstar-level play in Omaha?

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UNC baseball edges out LIU in thrilling Chapel Hill Regional

The University of North Carolina held off the Sharks to win 11-8 in a thrilling Chapel Hill Regional opener.

Who knew Sharks could be so dangerous? Well, the University of North Carolina baseball program found that out early during their first game of the Chapel Hill Regional. 

The Tar Heels needed a walk-off grand slam from freshman Gavin Gallaher to escape a big upset bd in the bottom of the ninth. After UNC gave up the lead in the top half of the inning, they found themselves down three with three outs to go.

And then one of their talented freshmen delivered the big swing for a 11-8 win.

The game had its ups and downs for the Diamond Heels, grabbing an early lead, losing it, re-grabbing the lead and then relinquishing it back up. In fact, it was not looking good for a lot of it.

Pitcher [autotag]Jason DeCaro[/autotag] got the start, becoming the third freshman since 1999 to start a Regional opener, and despite looking to be in control, things would soon explode. After taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning, it felt like easy sailing for UNC, however, the third inning showed otherwise. The Long Island Sharks attacked, put three runs on the board, and officially put UNC on their heels. 

The Tar Heels did start to answer back in the fourth inning with a sweet homer by [autotag]Gavin Gallaher[/autotag].

Panic would creep in with UNC struggling to put up runs, only scoring that one in the fourth, and finding themselves down 3-2 heading into the sixth. However, in Tar Heel fashion, UNC surged back, tying the game with a Gallaher double, before [autotag]Alex Madera[/autotag] stepped up to the plate adding two more runs. 

LIU did muster up another run in the eighth, but the damage appeared to be done until it wasn’t… Instead of finishing the job, UNC added more work to their plate after allowing four runs in the ninth inning to go down 8-5 before the Gallaher heroics.

Next up for the UNC is a date against the LSU Tigers as they look to get a one-game advantage. The two teams will face off Saturday at 5 p.m., with the winner taking on whoever wins between LIU and Wofford.

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UNC freshman pitcher Jason DeCaro to start Chapel Hill Regional opener vs. LIU

UNC pitcher Jason DeCaro becomes the third UNC freshman to start an NCAA Regional since 1999, joining Matt Harvey and Kent Emanuel.

University of North Carolina pitcher [autotag]Jason DeCaro[/autotag] will get the start against Long Island University Friday night, becoming the third Tar Heel since 1999 to start an NCAA Regional opener as a true freshman per Pat James.

DeCaro joins an elite company as a freshman Tar Heel to start in such high stakes, alongside big names like Matt Harvey and Kent Emanuel. DeCaro will have the benefit of the game taking place in his backyard, as Chapel Hill earned the right to host at the Bosh.

Thankfully for DeCaro, the start comes against the Sharks and not the LSU Tigers, who are their next opponent after a dramatic finish over Wofford.

DeCaro has started 14 games this season with a 5-1 W/L record. The 18-year-old has an ERA of 3.80, allowing 64 hits and 34 runs in 73.4 innings pitched. DeCaro has shown great pose on the mound with the ability to freeze up the batter with 64 strikeouts collected.

If UNC wants to be victorious against LIU tonight and advance out of this Regional round, they will need a good outing from their freshman tonight, keeping the bullpen fresh for this weekend’s road ahead.

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