Tag: unc baseball

Diamond Heels reward head coach with a big contract extension

Scott Forbes continued the winning tradition of UNC baseball when he took over as head coach in 2021. He’ll be in Chapel Hill for at least five more seasons.

When legendary head coach Mike Fox retired in 2020 after leading the UNC baseball program for 22 seasons, I wondered two things: Who would be the next head coach? Would North Carolina’s next head coach be able to find the same success Fox did?

When Fox retired in August 2020, the Diamond Heels tabbed longtime Fox assistant Scott Forbes as their next coach.

Since hiring Forbes, the 2024 ACC Coach of the Year, UNC has made the NCAA Tournament every season. North Carolina won the 2022 ACC Tournament and this year’s ACC Regular Season Title, plus made it back to the College World Series this summer for the first time since 2018.

For all the success Forbes has led the Diamond Heels to in just his four seasons, he was rewarded on Monday afternoon with a 5-year contract extension.

Here’s something else you may not know about Forbes: in all the legendary coaches to come through Chapel Hill, he is the ONLY one to lead UNC to NCAA Tournament appearances – in each of a head coach’s first four seasons.

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That postseason streak started in 2021, when North Carolina barely squeaked into the NCAA Tournament and finished 28-27. The Diamond Heels won the ACC Tournament in 2022 and reached the 40-win plateau, but were swept in their Super Regional by Arkansas. UNC’s 2023 postseason, sans all-time program great Vance Honeycutt was ended in the Terre Haute Regional by Iowa.

As alluded to earlier, 2024 was undoubtedly Forbes’ best year leading the Diamond Heels. An extremely talented team led by MLB Draftees Honeycutt, Casey Cook and Dalton Pence, North Carolina set off multiple fireworks in the postseason.

First, it was the walkoff against Long Island University in the Chapel Hill Regional Opener. Then, it was staving off elimination against 2023 CWS champion LSU in the ninth inning. UNC kept the momentum rolling into the Super Regional, walking off West Virginia and sweeping the Mountaineers in two games. Honeycutt delivered again in the College World Series, walking off Virginia in Game One.

The Diamond Heels will look extremely different next year, particularly in the field, but I have no doubt Forbes will get the most out of his talent.

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Former 2-way UNC baseball standout starting Game 4 of the World Series

When the Los Angeles Dodgers take on the New York Yankees in World Series action tonight, there’ll be a former UNC baseball standout on the mound.

There’s been a ton of baseball talent to don a North Carolina Tar Heels uniform over the years.

Some notable names you might recognize are Brian Roberts, Andrew Miller and Vance Honeycutt. There’s All-Stars dating back much further, including former head coach Mike Fox.

One of those former standouts will be repping UNC on the biggest stage of professional baseball tonight.

Ben Casparius, a former 2-way player who spent his 2018 and 2019 college baseball seasons in Chapel Hill, will start Game 4 of the World Series tonight.

Casparius has a golden chance to help his Los Angeles Dodgers teammates clinch a 4-game sweep against the New York Yankees, who are MLB’s historically most-decorated team with 27 championships.

With Casparius only appearing in three regular season games for LA, why does he start Game 4 of the Fall Classic?

If I had to guess, it’s for one reason: Dodgers manager Dave Roberts wants tonight to be a bullpen game. That’s become a common practice in recent seasons, with the Tampa Bay Rays popularizing “openers” who typically pitch out of the bullpen.

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Casparius has showcased his viability as a reliable bullpen arm for the NL West Champs in limited action, recording a 2-0 record, 2.16 earned run average and 12 strikeouts across 8 1/3 innings. That success has carried over to the postseason, in which Casparius is 1-0 with four strikeouts, through 4 1/3 shutout innings.

On the mound at North Carolina, Casparius compiled a 1-0 record across 27 innings in 22 appearances, allowed just 10 runs on 21 hits, struck out 23 batters.

At the plate as a Diamond Heel, Casparius hit for a career .260 average with 35 hits, 24 RBIs and nine runs.

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Five UNC freshmen make the Perfect Game Top-500 list

With baseball just around the corner, five UNC players have been named to Perfect Game’s Top 500 freshmen.

With baseball season just around the corner, there are plenty of campuses nationwide that are excited about the incoming freshmen that their team will put to the test in the upcoming season in search of a championship.

North Carolina in particular, has five standout freshmen who have made their way to campus and will be looking to have an immediate impact on the Tar Heels baseball team in the spring, according to Perfect Game’s list of the top 500 freshmen.

Three of those five players are in the Top 100 and rank very high in their positional rankings.

Shortstop Lee Sowers is the top-ranked freshman for the Heels at No. 81. He is also the No. 2 ranked shortstop in the class. Following Sowers is shortstop Perry Hargett. Hargett is the No. 89 overall recruit and the top shortstop out of the state of North Carolina.

Just one spot down, right-handed pitcher and outfielder Sawyer Black is the No. 90 player on the list and the top-ranked outfield out of our state.

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Breaking outside of the top 100, Mitch Wilson is No. 181 and the No. 1 ranked catcher out of South Carolina. The last player on the list is Walker McDuffie who comes in at No. 485 and is the No. 9 ranked pitcher in the state. The future is bright for the Tar Heel baseball team.

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Legendary UNC baseball coach Mike Fox announced as 2025 college baseball HOF inductee

Longtime UNC baseball coach Mike Fox will be honored with a College Baseball Hall of Fame induction early in 2025.

Though Scott Forbes has exceeded expectations leading the North Carolina Tar Heels’ baseball program over the past four seasons, their program wouldn’t achieve the same level of success it does today without longtime head coach Mike Fox.

UNC made seven College World Series appearances under Fox, including runner-up finishes to Oregon State in 2006 and 2007. Fox won a whopping 948 games leading North Carolina – and 1,487 overall. That total is ninth-best all-time amongst college baseball coaches.

With all the success Fox experienced in his managerial career, particularly leading the Diamond Heels, it comes as no surprise that Fox will be inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame.

Fox’s induction ceremony will be on Feb. 13, 2025 in Overland Park, Kan, one day before the start of college baseball season.

Fox’s career accolades also include multiple coaching awards, highlighted by being named Baseball America’s 2008 National Coach of the Year and ACC’s 2018 Coach of the Year.

If you remember UNC standouts and future MLB Draft picks Andrew Miller, Dustin Ackley, Colin Moran and Aaron Sabato, who all won numerous Player of the Year awards, Fox coached all of them.

When Fox walks across that stage, he’ll be joined by MLB and college baseball legends Mike Schmidt and Roger Clemens, Mark Texeira, Bill Thom, Jeff King, Murray Wall, Randy Ross, coaches Woody Hunt and Wilbert Ellis, plus umpire Jim Paronto.

It was truly an honor watching Fox lead the Diamond Heels for over two decades. Now, he’ll be getting the greatest post-career honor in college baseball.

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Vance Honeycutt earns quick promotion in Baltimore Orioles organization

Vance Honeycutt is moving up in the Baltimore Orioles organization.

It didn’t take long for former North Carolina Tar Heels standout Vance Honeycutt to move up in the Baltimore Orioles organization. In fact, it took just eight games.

The franchise announced some roster moves within the organization on Sunday including moving their first-round pick in 2024 up. Honeycutt is going from the low-A Carolina League with the Delmarva Shorebirds to the Aberdeen Ironbirds in the high-A South Atlantic League.

He was one of 2024 Baltimore draft picks to get that promotion here early in September, moving up shortly in their careers. While it’s not a promotion to AA or AAA, it’s still a move up in the organization and has value with that.

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In his short time with the Shorebirds, Honeycutt hit .226 with three RBI’s, a double, and four steals. He also drew four walks and did not commit an error in the game she played in.

With a month left in the season, Honeycutt has the chance to make a good early impression with his new organization. It will be interesting to see where he starts next season with the Orioles.

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Former 2-way Diamond Heel Ben Casparius called up to Los Angeles Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers just made one former Diamond Heel’s childhood dreams come true on Sunday, Aug. 18.

The UNC baseball program is amongst the best in college baseball. Despite not winning a College World Series, North Carolina consistently competes atop the ACC and has players selected in the MLB Draft.

In the case of this article, we’re talking about pitcher/infielder Ben Casparius, who was a Diamond Heel in both 2018 and 2019. Casparius finished his collegiate career out at UConn, later being chosen by the Los Angeles Dodgers 162nd overall (fifth round) in the 2021 MLB Draft.

After nearly three full seasons in the minor leagues, Casparius’ dreams came true on Sunday, Aug. 18, with the Dodgers calling him up to the major leagues.

Casparius was best known at UNC for his 2018 College World Series performance, when he drove in three runs during North Carolina’s 8-6 victory over Oregon State. If you’ve followed Diamond Heels baseball in the 21st century, you know a UNC victory over the Beavers is rare like snow in the south.

Casparius finished his 2018 freshman season with a 1-0 win-loss record, 1.69 earned run average, a save, nine strikeouts and just two runs – on four hits allowed – in 16 1/3 innings pitched. Casparius also hit .316 at the plate in 2018, adding 18 hits (including three doubles and a triple) and 15 RBIs.

2019 wasn’t as kind to Casparius, as he recorded a 4.41 ERA and just a .179 batting average. Casparius then thrived upon transferring back to UConn, leading the Huskies and the Big East Conference with eight wins and 127 pitching strikeouts.

Here’s to hoping Casparius, despite his brief Diamond Heels career, shines for one of baseball’s most storied franchises.

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UNC baseball standout Vance Honeycutt debuts on Baltimore Orioles’ prospect rankings

The Baltimore Orioles chose UNC baseball standout Vance Honeycutt 22nd overall in the 2024 MLB Draft. Where does Honeycutt debut on Baltimore’s prospect rankings?

The North Carolina Tar Heels took advantage of their loaded baseball roster this spring, with a slew of star veterans and a top-ranked recruiting class leading them to their first College World Series appearance since 2018.

UNC’s greatest success story was star center fielder Vance Honeycutt, who exits Chapel Hill as arguably the greatest player in program history.

Honeycutt’s historic career paid off with an MLB Draft selection, as the Baltimore Orioles added him to their already-loaded farm system with the 22nd overall pick. Honeycutt later signed his first professional contract on Thursday, Aug. 1, making him an official member of Birdland.

Not even a month into being a pro baseball player, Honeycutt already finds himself on Baltimore’s top prospects list. He rings in at fourth overall, just behind Samuel Basallo, Coby Mayo and 2023 first overall pick Jackson Holliday.

Honeycutt became the first player in ACC history to hit 50 career home runs and steal 70 career bases, he won his second consecutive ACC Defensive Player of the Year award, ended his Diamond Heels career with a program-best 65 home runs and was the true definition of clutch, as evidenced by multiple walk-offs in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

Honeycutt’s North Carolina career numbers also included a .293 batting average, 205 runs, 203 hits, 170 RBIs and 76 stolen bases.

As of Monday, August 5, Honeycutt was playing on the FCL (Florida Complex League) Orioles. There are no recorded stats for Honeycutt.

How long will Honeycutt play in the minor leagues before his first trip to Camden Yards?

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UNC baseball gets committment from in-state recruit

UNC baseball adds Tuscola pitcher to Class of 2026 commitments.

The North Carolina Tar Heels add another pitcher and outfielder to their roster in the future with Class of 2026 standout Amos Rich announcing his verbal commitment to the program today.

The 6-foot-2, 185-pound North Carolina native, has been currently playing club ball in-state at the Charlotte Academy. He is playing high school ball at Tuscola High School in North Carolina as well.

The right-handed pitcher has a 92-mile-per-hour (mph) exit velocity on his fastball as well as a 76 mph exit velocity on his curveball. The 17-year-old will feel perfectly at home as he looks to continue college in his home state.

Rich becomes just the third pitcher in the Class of 2026 to commit to the Tar Heels joining Caden Glauber from Fort Mill, South Carolina, and Kerrick Shannon from Yardley, Pennsylvania.

Carson Michael, catcher, and Sawyer Smith, shortstop, round out the only five recruits that have committed to UNC in the class. He should be able to make an immediate impact as he enters the program in the coming years.

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Vance Honeycutt officially signs with Baltimore Orioles

Vance Honeycutt interviews like a seasoned MLB veteran. Can he play like one, too?

It’s difficult to imagine anyone having a better summer than Vance Honeycutt, the former UNC baseball star who is arguably the greatest player in program history.

Way back in May and June, Honeycutt hit a pair of walk-offs to advance the Diamond Heels further in the NCAA Tournament.

Last month – on Sunday, July 14 to be exact – Honeycutt was the Baltimore Orioles’ 22nd overall (first-round) selection in the 2024 MLB Draft. He gives Baltimore yet another young power-hitting, speedy, Gold Glove-caliber outfielder in an already deep farm system.

The Orioles had until 5 p.m. ET on Thursday, August 1 to sign Honeycutt – and did so moments before the deadline.

“The Orioles agreed to an over-slot deal of $4 million with Honeycutt,” MLB.com staff wrote. The college outfielder sports some of the strongest tools in the class, but needs to cut down his strikeout rate.”

Honeycutt’s summer got even better after his lucrative signing, as he spoke to media in his first interview as a professional player.

Though he’s a young, 22-year-old rookie, I like to think Honeycutt interviewed like a pro. He just signed, so he hasn’t been assigned to one of Baltimore’s minor league affiliates yet, but I’d imagine he starts with the High-A Aberdeen Ironbirds – like his former teammate Mac Horvath.

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Diamond Heels nab yet another Liberty baseball standout in transfer portal

UNC baseball starting catcher Luke Stevenson will have some help behind the plate in 2025.

If the 2024 college baseball offseason has told Tar Heel Nation anything, it’s that UNC appears to be a hot destination for former Liberty University coaches and players.

Back on July 11, North Carolina added former Liberty head coach Scott Jackson to its staff. Jackson, who previously was an assistant coach and the Diamond Heels’ recruiting coordinator from 2009-2016, will have those same duties again.

Shortly after Jackson announced he’d be returning to Chapel Hill, two of his former players – Kane Kepley and Cale Bolton – followed suit. Kepley, an outfielder and Bolton, a pitcher, give UNC some much-needed reinforcements after several players were chosen in the 2024 MLB Draft.

If you thought that Jackson, Kepley and Bolton were the only Flames to become Diamond Heels, think again.

North Carolina snagged some much-needed help for starting catcher Luke Stevenson on Saturday, July 27, as former Liberty starting catcher Macaddin Dye announced he’d be coming to Chapel Hill.

Dye, entering his sophomore season like Stevenson, was a member of the Conference USA All-Freshman team last year. Dye also hit .274 with seven home runs and 51 RBIs, plus he sported a strong .992 fielding percentage.

Stevenson started 63 of the Diamond Heels’ 64 games behind the plate last season. Though Stevenson continued to produce and will start a bunch in 2025, Dye gives him a nice complement and break when needed.

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