Tag: North Carolina baseball

Where will Carolina baseball star Mac Horvath play professionally?

Mac Horvath, who lead the UNC baseball team in home runs and stoles bases this year, predicts what team will pick him in the 2023 MLB Draft.

If you were to ask a UNC baseball fan, “who is the team’s best player,” the first answer might be Vance Honeycutt.

The rising junior, a highlight reel catch-making, power-hitting center fielder has been a model of production through his first two seasons in baby blue, reaching the 100 RBI mark and recording an impressive .984 fielding percentage with just five errors.

Another popular answer you might hear for “best UNC baseball player” happens to man the hot corner – third base.

That man is no other than Rochester, Minnesota’s talented Mac Horvath, who boosted his MLB Draft stock tremendously with an impressive junior campaign.

Look at the numbers alone from Horvath’s 2022-2023 season – a .305 batting average (fifth on UNC), 73 hits (second), 21 doubles (second), 24 home runs (first, double Honeycutt and Tomas Frick’s second-place HR total), 66 RBI (first) and 25 stolen bases (first).

With the MLB Draft kicking off later today, let’s take a deeper dive into where Horvath thinks he’ll play in the big leagues.

Horvath, who played primarily third base at Carolina, sees himself as more of a center fielder in the pros.

“I feel comfortable at third base and every outfield spot, but when I think of myself in the big leagues, I see myself as center fielder,” Horvath said, according to TwinsDaily.

For a guy who played third base primarily in college, why would Horvath make this switch at the highest level of American baseball? It would make sense if Horvath wanted to switch to another infield position as a professional, as he played shortstop and pitched in high school.

The two greatest reasons for Horvath’s possible switch – his speed and strong arm. Having solid speed is paramount to tracking fly balls in the outfield and, possibly, preventing singles and doubles from turning into triples or inside-the-park home runs. A cannon for an arm, also needed at the hot corner, can help an outfielder beat a tagging baserunner to home plate.

What team is Horvath going to play for, though?

Twins Daily’s JD Cameron’s Consensus Big Board ranks him as the 74th-ranked draft-eligible player, meaning he’d land on the Cincinnati Reds in the third round. While Horvath would start somewhere in the Minor Leagues if drafted by Cincy, he’d likely join an already-talented Reds infield of Elly De La Cruz and Jonathan India in a few years.

If the draft were up to Horvath, however, he’d go to his favorite childhood team, the Chicago Cubs, or his hometown Twins. In the TwinsDaily article, Horvath highlighted that his favorite players growing up were former twins Brian Dozier and future Hall of Famer Joe Mauer.

“To think I could be playing at Target Field, where it’s just an hour’s drive for my family to be there, it would definitely be special,” Horvath said, according to TwinsDaily.

The Twins own the fifth overall, 34th, 49th, 82nd, 114th, 150th and later-round picks, while the Cubs select 13th overall, 68th, 81st, 113th, 149th and also in the later rounds.

Regardless of where Horvath lands up, that team is going to be getting a stud who can mash the ball, run with blazing speed and save scoring with his arm.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

UNC Baseball: Would Tar Heels have advanced further with Honeycutt?

The loss of star outfielder Vance Honeycutt was felt for the UNC baseball program in the postseason.

The University of North Carolina baseball program made its sixth-consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament during the 2023 season, marking its longest streak since a string of 13 straight between the 2002-2014 campaigns.

Making matters more impressive, the Diamond Heels continued this streak without 2023 ACC Defensive Player of the Year, leadoff hitter, starting center fielder and career 100-RBI producer Vance Honeycutt, who missed the season’s final 10 games due to a lower-back injury.

The Tar Heels faced elimination after losing their Terre Haute (Ind.) Regional opener, a 5-4 heartbreaker against the University of Iowa on Friday, June 2. UNC punched back the next day to eliminate Wright State with a 5-0 win, then got another crack at the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Carolina took an early, 2-0 lead on a Casey Cook home run, then saw it disappear. Carolina later sent the game to extras on third baseman Mac Horvath’s bomb, but Iowa scored in the top of the 13th and ended the Heels’ season by holding them scoreless in the home half.

Though the Diamond Heels received plenty of offensive contributions from their starters in this game and continued their postseason streak, one has to wonder: how far would they have made it with Honeycutt?

Before head coach Scott Forbes announced he would miss the regional, Honeycutt had 49 hits in 50 games started. That’s almost a hit per game. He added 12 home runs, 43 RBIs and showcased his speed with 19 stoles bases.  Honeycutt also continued thriving in the field, recording a .986 fielding percentage and continuing to make SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays with his highlight-reel catches.

Patrick Alvarez recorded two hits in the opener against Iowa, then went 0-8 the rest of the regional. Power bat Alberto Osuna notched a team-high three RBIs in the opener, but didn’t drive in another run (or get a hit) in the remainder of the regional. Horvath went 4-for-9 with four RBIs in the final two games of the regional, but started 0-for-4. Tomas Frick and Hunter Stokely were the only two Tar Heels to record hits in each game.

UNC had the offensive talent to advance to win a Regional for the second straight year, but came up just a couple games short.

It’s hard not to wonder if Honeycutt’s bat would’ve aided the Diamond Heels in reaching the next round.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

UNC Baseball vs. Virginia Cavaliers: How to watch ACC Tournament battle

Here’s how to watch Thursday’s ACC Tournament matchup between UNC and UVA.

The North Carolina Tar Heels’ road to being crowned the 2023 Atlantic Coast Conference Champions continues Thursday afternoon in Durham as they take on the Virginia Cavaliers.

UNC, in pool B, cranked off their first game of the ACC tournament with a monstrous hitting performance, beating the Yellow Jackets 11-5. The Cavaliers took on Georgia Tech the following day, highlighting the Yellow Jacket’s struggles from the mound with an explosive 15-1 win.

When UNC played the Cavaliers earlier this season, they won the final game of the three-game series, giving the Cavaliers a goose egg in the process. Both teams will rely on their hitting to lead the way, so North Carolina’s bullpen will be crucial in this game.

UNC-VIRGINIA TV, RADIO, AND STREAMING INFORMATION

WHEN: Thursday, May 25 at 3:00 p.m., ET

LOCATION: Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham, North Carolina

TV: ACCN (Watch and stream the game live on ESPN+)

SATELLITE RADIO: SiriusXM

WEBSITE: fuboTV (try it free)

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

Diamond Heels snag series win against Duke Blue Devils

The Diamond Heels improve to 18-6 on the season after winning the series 2-1 against the Duke Blue Devils.

The Diamond Heels took care of business Saturday afternoon, winning the final outing of the three-game series against the Duke Blue Devils.

UNC brought the Devils to the Bosh, and it was a hitting clinic for the Tar Heels. UNC finished with 16 runs on 23 hits in the three games played. In the series, Mac Horvath and Johnny Castagnozzi added to their home run count, with Horvath now tied for first place in the nation for home runs (13).

However, the struggles remained on the mound, resulting in Duke stealing game two. Despite the Tar Heels being in complete control, UNC had a disastrous eighth inning, where Duke got four runs in that inning, resulting in them winning 8-5.

UNC did a much better job in the final game preventing any last-minute comeback. The mound did its job, only giving up three runs, earning pitcher Jake Knapp his third win of the season, and giving pitcher Will Sandy his first save this year.

North Carolina moves to 18-6 on the season, four games behind Virginia for first place in the Coastal division. UNC will be back in action Tuesday to host Coastal Carolina.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fvdcv0v20j1dne5g player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=]

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

Diamond Heels host Bark At The Bosh

The Diamond Heels held #BarkAtTheBosh, where fans brought their furry friends to enjoy an evening of baseball.

What is better than watching the Diamond Heels in 60-degree, sunny weather with Carolina blue skies? Adding furry friends to join in on the action.

The North Carolina baseball team created this perfect combination by hosting #BarkAtTheBosh. They welcomed fans and their dogs to the stadium, giving away a free UNC bandanna to the first 100 dogs. To make the deal even sweeter, it took place on two for Tuesday, giving fans a significant discount for tickets, serving as a one-for-two deal.

As a new dog owner, I took the Diamond Heels up on their hard-to-resist offer by leaving the press box and heading to section 116 to enjoy the atmosphere, characterized by cheers and barks amidst a sea of Carolina blue.

A game that usually can drag did anything but that with dogs meeting one another while fans captured it all through social. Not only did the dogs get a treat so did the owners, as the Diamond Heels won 6-4, improving to 16-5 on the season.

The next #BarkAtTheBosh will take place May 9th against Gardner-Webb.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fvdcv0v20j1dne5g player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=]

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

UNC baseball stays put in top 25 after season-opening series win

The UNC baseball program stayed put in top 25 after a season-opening series win.

The UNC baseball program won its opening series of the season going 2-1 on the weekend against Seton Hall.

After dropping the first game of the season, the Tar Heels went on to win on both Saturday and Sunday.

Despite the early slip up on Friday, the Tar Heels stayed put in the D1 Baseball top 25 rankings at No. 12 in the country.

The Tar Heels have a busy week upcoming. They have two mid-week games against Radford and then Longwood on Tuesday and Wednesday. Then, a top-15 matchup against No. 11 East Carolina to close out the week. The Pirates are coming off of a 3-0 series win over George Washington.

Other ACC programs in the top 25 include: Wake Forest (6), Virginia Tech (14), Louisville (16), Virginia (19), N.C. State (21) and Miami (22).

Here is the full D1 Baseball top 25.

2023 D1Baseball Top 25 Rankings

Rank Team Overall Record Record Last Week Previous Rank
1 LSU 3-0 3-0 1
2 Stanford 2-1 2-1 3
3 Tennessee 1-2 1-2 2
4 Ole Miss 3-0 3-0 4
5 Texas A&M 3-0 3-0 5
6 Wake Forest 4-0 4-0 6
7 Florida 3-0 3-0 7
8 TCU 2-1 2-1 15
9 Arkansas 2-1 2-1 8
10 Vanderbilt 2-1 2-1 10
11 East Carolina 3-0 3-0 11
12 North Carolina 2-1 2-1 12
13 Maryland 2-1 2-1 13
14 Virginia Tech 2-1 2-1 14
15 Oklahoma State 1-2 1-2 9
16 Louisville 3-0 3-0 16
17 UCLA 3-0 3-0 17
18 Southern Miss 3-0 3-0 18
19 Virginia 3-0 3-0 19
20 Alabama 3-0 3-0 20
21 NC State 3-0 3-0 21
22 Miami 2-1 2-1 22
23 South Carolina 3-0 3-0 23
24 Texas Tech 3-0 3-0 24
25 Oregon 4-0 4-0 25

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fvdcv0v20j1dne5g player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=]

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

Senior outfielder Walker Jenkins signs a letter of intent with UNC Baseball

South Brunswick High school senior outfielder Walker Jenkins signs a letter of intent with the North Carolina Tar Heels baseball program.

The North Carolina Tar Heels 2023 baseball class is shaping up nicely, with senior outfielder [autotag]Walker Jenkins[/autotag] signing a letter of intent with the program.

From South Brunswick High school, Jenkins has shown a consistent bat during his three-year varsity status. In 47 games played, Jenkins has 144 at-bats with a .493 batting average. He has 74 runs, 53 RBIs, and 14 home runs during that span.

As one of the best in the nation, Jenkins has racked up awards, winning 2021-22 North Carolina’s Gatorade baseball player of the year.

Bringing in such a talent like Jenkins would significantly boost the program. However, what talent brings is competition, and the highly regarded Jenkins could skip collegiate ball with expectations of hearing his name called in the Major League Baseball draft.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

North Carolina baseball team announces open to the public scrimmages

The UNC baseball team is gearing up for their 2023 season, allowing the public to watch them for free as they announce two scrimmages.

The North Carolina baseball team will have their bats swinging this week, with two scrimmages set this week in preparation for the 2022-2023 season.

The Diamond Heels announced the schedule update, including that both scrimmages will be held for the public to watch for free. They will take place Wednesday and Thursday at Boshamer stadium with a start time of 2:30 P.M.

Last season UNC ignited a spark late in the season, winning 15 of their last 17 regular season games, resulting in the team snagging their eighth Atlantic Coast Conference championship.

They then went on to compete for a national title ranked 10th in the NCAA, hosting the regionals and super regionals. Their season would end in a 4-3 loss to Arkansas.

The team finished with a 42-22 record, with an impressive home record of 33-9.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Pete Nance to be ‘elite role player’ for UNC basketball this year

247Sports broke down the addition of Pete Nance and thinks he will be an ‘elite role player’ for the UNC basketball program next year.

The UNC Basketball program landed prized-transfer [autotag]Pete Nance[/autotag] over the weekend and put the finishing touches on its roster for the 2022-23 season.

But, with a lot of star power back for the Tar Heels, what role will Nance be expected to play? For starters, he needs to try to replace some of the production lost with the departure of Brady Manek.

247Sports went through the ACC and took a look at each transfer addition for every program. Their take on Nance? An ‘elite role player’.

Landing Nance was a huge win for North Carolina. He’s not Brady Manek. Nance is a good 3-point shooter; Manek was a great one. But Nance can give North Carolina a little bit more than Manek in every other area of the game. He’s a much better defender with legitimate length and better-than-you’d-expect speed. Nance also gives Hubert Davis so many more options offensively. He can spot up in the corner when Armando Bacot is in the game, but Nance could also shift to the 5 when Bacot is out and UNC could feature some very athletic lineups with Puff Johnson at the 4 and Nance at the 5. Nance will be an elite role player for a North Carolina team with national championship aspirations.

Nance averaged averaged 14.6 points and 6.5 rebounds a season ago for Northwester, but his skillset goes beyond just those numbers.

He is a tremendous playmaker, someone who averaged 2.7 assists per game a year ago, too. That’s a skill that Manek was able to showcase last year for UNC, averaging 1.8 assists per game, a full assist higher than his previous career-high at Oklahoma.

Shooting is also where Nance can impact the UNC offense. He also shot 49.2 percent on 3.1 three point attempts per game. For reference, Manek shot 40.3 percent on 6.2 three point attempts last year.

Nance will be a tremendous asset for the Tar Heels and has the versatility to play multiple different roles for Hubert Davis and UNC.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

WATCH: Phil Elson calls Arkansas’ Omaha-clinching walk-off single

Here’s how Brady Slavens’ walk-off single sounded from the voice of Arkansas Baseball

“And you can call them the Omahogs!”

Those words were exclaimed by Phil Elson, the radio voice of Arkansas Baseball, following [autotag]Brady Slavens[/autotag]’ walk-off single in the bottom of the 9th inning that lifted Arkansas over North Carolina on Sunday afternoon to clinch a spot in the College World Series for the 11th time in program history.

North Carolina broke the 2-2 tie in the top of the 9th inning on an RBI single to take the 3-2 lead, hoping that it would be enough to beat Arkansas and force a winner-take-all game three on Monday.

As they have proven all postseason, the Razorbacks were not going to go away that easily.

The inning started with back to back singles by [autotag]Jalen Battles[/autotag] and [autotag]Peyton Stovall[/autotag]. In the next at-bat, [autotag]Kendall Diggs[/autotag] would reach on a walk, loading the bases for [autotag]Braydon Webb[/autotag]. Webb hit a grounder that resulted in a fielder’s choice, allowing Battles to score from 3rd base to tie the game again at 3-3.

With two on and no outs, Slavens delivered the game winning hit that would send Arkansas to Omaha.

Here is how the walk-off sounded from the voice of Elson:

Arkansas will face the winner of Monday’s Stanford Super Regional between Stanford and UConn in the College World Series later this week at Charles Schawb Field in Omaha, Nebraska. Official dates and times will be released at a later time.

[listicle id=9249]