Tag: Vance Honeycutt

College World Series a family affair for UNC baseball star Vance Honeycutt

UNC baseball star Vance Honeycutt will get to enjoy the College World Series with his dad, Robert, a former Diamond Heel himself.

For the first time since 2018, the UNC baseball team is heading back to Omaha for the College World Series.

North Carolina’s journey to reach college baseball’s ultimate tournament was anything but easy.

The Diamond Heels came back from three runs down – in the ninth inning – of the Chapel Hill Regional opener, faced elimination heading into the ninth inning of the regional final against reigning CWS champion LSU, then trailed West Virginia late in Game 1 of the Chapel Hill Super Regional.

There was one constant for UNC through all the adversity it faced in the first two rounds of NCAA Tournament action, though – star center fielder Vance Honeycutt.

On Saturday, June 1, Honeycutt homered twice in North Carolina’s first win over LSU. Honeycutt blasted a walk-off home run on Friday in an 8-6 victory over West Virginia, then a lead-off bomb Saturday in the Diamond Heels CWS berth-clinching, 2-1 win.

Before Vance, there was another Honeycutt in Chapel Hill – Bobby, a member of the 1989 UNC team that also made it to Omaha.

“Quietly, I have thought about it,” Bobby told Adam Lucas in a recent interview. “My former teammates and I have talked about it amongst ourselves of how cool it would be for all of us to go back to Omaha. I haven’t been back on any of Carolina’s other trips.”

Vance understood his dad’s place in North Carolina baseball history from a young age – and appreciates the influence it had on him.

“It’s not like he talked about it all the time,” Vance told Lucas. “But I always knew he had a different way of going about the game of baseball, as opposed to some of the other parents of guys I played with. Starting in Little League and as I got older, his advice was always different. The difference was that he always understood that the game is hard. He knows hitting is hard and if you fail seven out of ten times, you’re in the Hall of Fame. He instilled that into me at a young age.”

What better Father’s Day gift for Bobby than to see his All-Star son play in the College World Series?

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Vance Honeycutt breaks his own record early in game 2 against West Virginia

Vance Honeycutt continued his hot streak in game two, setting a new UNC baseball program record.

Vance Honeycutt is having himself a postseason for the UNC baseball program.

A night after Honeycutt hit a walk-off home run to beat West Virginia and grab a 1-0 lead in the Chapel Hill Super Regional, he hit a home run on the very first pitch he saw in game two. Honeycutt’s solo blast put the Tar Heels up 1-0 in the game as they are the road team and got them off to a hot start.

But it also set a new program record for most home runs in a season, with it being his own record.

Honeycutt’s home run was the 26th of his season, setting that new record and beating his previous mark of 25:

Honeycutt has been on fire as of late and is currently two for three in this game with an RBI. He also has a defensive putout, throwing a rope to first base to nail a runner for a double play.

The Tar Heels are one win away from reaching Omaha and the College World Series for the first time since 2018. If they get there, Honeycutt will be a big reason why as the top 20 draft prospect has elevated his game.

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Luke Stevenson delivers more freshman heroics for UNC baseball in Friday night victory

Luke Stevenson is a stud behind the plate for UNC. He’s also quite the hitter – check out what he did in the Super Regionals Friday night.

Gavin Gallaher unofficially earned the nickname “Galla-HIM” after the UNC baseball team walked off Long Island University, 11-8, on Friday, May 31 to end Day 1 of the Chapel Hill Regional.

Gallaher, North Carolina’s freshman starting third baseman, blasted a walk-off grand slam in that 11-8 victory. The Diamond Heels trailed 8-5 coming into the ninth, but never quit at the plate.

Enter Luke Stevenson, another star freshman for UNC. Stevenson, a former Top-10 high school prospect who now starts behind the dish for North Carolina, could’ve easily chosen to enter his name in the 2023 MLB Draft.

As a result of Stevenson opting for college ball in Chapel Hill, the Diamond Heels are one victory away from their first College World Series trip in six years, beating West Virginia 8-6 on Friday night.

On the first pitch during the home half of the ninth inning, during Game 1 of the Chapel Hill Super Regional between UNC and West Virginia, Stevenson tied the game at six with a clutch home run – just over the center field fence.

Friday’s blast also snapped a cold streak for Stevenson, who entered the game 2-for-13 in the NCAA Tournament.

Four batters after Stevenson tied the game, Vance Honeycutt won it with a moonshot, walk-off home run over the left field netting.

How will Stevenson follow up his clutch antics in a potential series-clincher Saturday night?

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Vance Honeycutt’s walk-off home run puts UNC one win away from College World Series

Vance Honeycutt is UNC’s best hitter. He delivered on Friday night to help North Carolina win Game 1 of the Chapel Hill Super Regional.

Vance Honeycutt said it best in his postgame interview – there was some major Bosh Magic during the Chapel Hill Super Regional opener on Friday night against West Virginia.

Just like Monday night against LSU, the Diamond Heels trailed by a run entering the ninth inning. Mountaineers ace Derek Clark, despite allowing a 4-spot to UNC in the third inning, was mowing down the North Carolina lineup.

Up stepped star Diamond Heels catcher Luke Stevenson, hoping to finally solve Clark.

Stevenson did exactly that, launching Clark’s first pitch in the bottom of the ninth over the center field fence – barely over the outstretched glove of Skylar King.

Three batters later, Honeycutt ended the night with a bomb of his own.

Facing a 3-1 count from Aidan Major, Honeycutt launched the baseball well over the left field wall for an 8-6, walk-off victory that put North Carolina one victory away from the College World Series.

 

Honeycutt’s blast was one of three on the night for UNC. Stevenson blasted the game-tying shot to start the ninth, but before that, Colby Wilkerson mashed his third home run of the season in the seventh inning.

Parks Harber gave the Diamond Heels a 3-1 lead in the third, grounding a 3-run single up the middle. Gallagher extended the UNC lead to 4-1 with a single shortly after.

Kyle West, who struggled big-time entering the Super Regional, tortured the North Carolina pitching with two home runs and a single.

It was the Diamond Heel pitching, specifically Matt Poston, that won out in the end. Poston, who struggled during the Regional Round, hurled three perfect innings with four strikeouts to end the game.

With a combination of clutch hitting and shutdown pitching, UNC is one win away from its first College World Series appearance since 2018.

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WATCH: Vance Honeycutt hits walk-off home run to beat West Virginia

Vance Honeycutt is the hero as North Carolina beats Virginia in Game 1 of the Chapel Hill Super Regional.

Vance Honeycutt is clutch.

The star outfielder delivered in a big way for the North Carolina Tar Heels on Friday night, hitting a walk-off two-run home run in the 8-6 win over West Virginia. UNC was able to take game one of the three-game series in the Chapel Hill Super Regional, and are now one win away from Omaha and the College World Series.

After West Virginia re-took the lead with a four-run sixth inning to make it 6-4, UNC battled back with a solo home run in the seventh. But the real magic happened in the ninth inning.

Luke Stevenson hit a home run off of starter Derek Clark who threw over 140 pitches to tie the game at 6. A few batters later, Honeycutt did this:

It’s the second walk-off for the Tar Heels in the past eight days and the third comeback win for the program. This one was huge as the Tar Heels now have a 1-0 series lead in the best-of-three and can clinch the Super Regional on Saturday night.

It’s the third home run of the postseason for Honeycutt after he hit two against LSU in a game last weekend.

North Carolina and West Virginia will continue the series on Saturday with first pitch set for 8 p.m. ET. The game is set to be televised on ESPN2.

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UNC baseball star Vance Honeycutt tabbed Academic All-District

Did you know Vance Honeycutt is quite the classroom standout?

Most of the attention Vance Honeycutt receives is for his outstanding play on the baseball field.

Honeycutt, UNC’s starting center fielder and a lock to become a first-round selection in July’s MLB Draft, can hit, run and field just as good as anyone. During the Chapel Hill Regional from Friday, May 31-Monday, June 3, ESPN broadcasting team Mike Monaco and Gaby Sanchez went as far as saying Honeycutt was THE best player in the country (a true statement, in our eyes).

Earlier this year, Honeycutt became the only player in ACC Baseball history to mash 50 career home runs and steal 70 career bases. He also won his second-consecutive ACC Defensive Player of the Year award, an honor cemented by his Chapel Hill Regional-ending catch on Monday night against LSU.

Entering the Chapel Hill Super Regional, which starts Friday at 6 p.m. against West Virginia, Honeycutt carries a .309 batting average, 62 RBIs and a North Carolina-best 24 home runs.

We could highlight Honeycutt all day on the field, but he’s actually quite the student in the classroom, too.

On Tuesday, June 4, Honeycutt was named to the College Sports Communications’ Academic All-District team.

Earning a spot on this team means that Honeycutt, a junior Communications major, has a minimum 3.50 GPA and competed in 90 percent of the Diamond Heels’ games.

On Sunday, July 7 – hopefully after UNC wins the College World Series – Honeycutt will be named an All-America honoree.

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UNC star Vance Honeycutt joins more ACC baseball history with first home run against LSU

UNC baseball star Vance Honeycutt added on yet another milestone to his historic career Saturday evening.

With how much power flows throughout the UNC and LSU baseball programs, it was surprising to see Saturday’s Chapel Hill Regional matchup scoreless through four-and-a-half innings.

Both the Diamond Heels and defending national champion Tigers had their chances, but Shea Sprague and Luke Holman were locked in a pitcher’s duel. Every time it appeared either UNC or LSU scored, Sprague or Holman recorded quick outs or the defense behind them made amazing plays.

Vance Honeycutt, North Carolina’s do-it-all center fielder who recently won his second consecutive ACC Defensive Player of the Year award, leads UNC in stolen bases and home runs, broke the scoreless tie in dramatic fashion.

On his first pitch from Holman in the fifth inning, Honeycutt sent a no-doubt home run – over the left-field fence and well over the outfield netting – for a 3-0 Diamond Heels lead.

Not only did Honeycutt’s blast break a scoreless tie, but it was his 60th career home run, putting him in an exclusive ACC club with Anthony Maisano, Pat Clougherty, current Wake Forest junior Nick Kurtz and former World Series champion J.D. Drew.

These weren’t the only offensive fireworks for Honeycutt, who gave UNC some much-needed breathing room with his second home run in the seventh. LSU closed its deficit to 3-2 in the top half of the seventh, then Honeycutt smoked a 2-strike, hanging off-speed pitch over the left field fence and extended North Carolina’s slim advantage to 4-2.

The Diamond Heels will try and advance to a Super Regional later today, when they host the winner of Wofford-LSU at 6 p.m. ET.

Will we see more Honeycutt fireworks tonight?

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LSU baseball falls to North Carolina in winners’ bracket, will face elimination on Sunday

LSU will play Wofford on Sunday at 11 a.m. CT in an elimination game.

[autotag]Luke Holman[/autotag] took the mound for the winner’s bracket game against North Carolina. The winner of this game advanced to the Regional final matchup and would be one win away from Omaha. North Carolina won 6-2 and sent LSU to an elimination game.

There were no early runs in this one as Holman and [autotag]Shea Sprague[/autotag] were both locked in until the bottom of the fifth inning. With two runners on base in the bottom of the fifth, [autotag]Vance Honeycutt[/autotag] hit a three-run bomb to give the Tar Heels a 3-0 lead.

In the top of the seventh inning, [autotag]Alex Milazzo[/autotag] started it off with a single, [autotag]Michael Braswell III[/autotag] followed that with a single, and [autotag]Tommy White[/autotag] hit a single to load the bases for [autotag]Jared Jones[/autotag]. Jones then was walked on a 3-2 count to bring in the first run of the game for the Tigers. [autotag]Ethan Frey[/autotag] then entered as a pinch hitter with the bases loaded against the new Carolina pitcher. Frey drew a walk on a 3-2 count to score another run for LSU. [autotag]Hayden Travinski[/autotag] then grounded into a double play to send us to the bottom of the seventh inning with the score 3-2 North Carolina.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, Honeycutt hit another homer off of Holman, this time a solo shot, to extend the lead to 4-2 North Carolina. That homer chased Holman from the mound and [autotag]Justin Loer[/autotag] entered the game. Holman’s final line was 6.2 innings pitched and he allowed four runs on seven hits, 11 strikeouts, and one walk.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, North Carolina added some insurance as they tacked on two more runs to increase their lead to 6-2 as we headed to the ninth. LSU was unable to come up with any magic in the top of the ninth and the Tigers lost 6-2.

LSU will play Wofford on Sunday at 11 a.m. CT in an elimination game.

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Vance Honeycutt played a major role in UNC’s last ACC Baseball Championship title

The Diamond Heels are about to begin their postseason run in the ACC Baseball Championship. They won the ACC title two seasons ago – can you guess who starred in the championship game?

Even with no Vance Honeycutt in postseason play last year, the UNC baseball team nearly ended up with its second-consecutive ACC Baseball Championship title.

North Carolina dominated Georgia Tech and longtime rival UVA to win its pool, but lost 10-4 to Clemson in the single-elimination semifinals. The Diamond Heels didn’t fare as well in the Terre Haute NCAA Regional, though, watching its season end with two losses to Iowa.

In 2022, UNC enjoyed a healthy Honeycutt and nearly made the College World Series, hosting an NCAA Regional and Super Regional. Two straight losses to a solid Arkansas squad, though, ended North Carolina’s CWS hopes.

Perhaps the highlight of UNC’s 2022 campaign was its ACC Baseball Championship title.

In this run, which came after a rocky April with four ACC series losses, the Diamond Heels beat NC State to take home the gold. North Carolina downed Clemson, Virginia Tech and Notre Dame en route to the title game, winning each of its first three matchups by a minimum five runs.

The Diamond Heels ended up beating the Wolfpack 9-5, but trailed after a first-inning single from NC State’s Josh Hood. That lead didn’t last long, as Honeycutt’s 2-run homer in the bottom half gave UNC the lead for good.

North Carolina started to creep away in the second inning, starting with Angel Zarate’s RBI single, then built a 7-run cushion (8-1) on Honeycutt’s second bomb.

The Wolfpack gave Tar Heel Nation a little scare in the ninth, closing its deficit to 9-5, but now-minor leaguer Davis Palermo trotted in from the bullpen and ended the comeback attempt.

Honeycutt is enjoying a historic season. He holds UNC’s all-time home run record, plus he’s the only player in ACC baseball history with 50 home runs and 70 stolen bases. Honeycutt is hitting .319, fourth-best on the Diamond Heels, with a team-high 22 home runs.

Can Honeycutt continue his torrid stretch and help North Carolina to its ninth ACC Baseball Championship title?

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UNC baseball star Vance Honeycutt tabbed a Golden Spikes Award semifinalist

It’s difficult not to envision UNC star center fielder Vance Honeycutt winning college baseball’s top individual award.

Two-time ACC Defensive Player of the Year, home run king and stolen base machine – these are only a few highlights to describe how good UNC star center fielder Vance Honeycutt is.

Honeycutt is also the only player in ACC baseball history to hit 50 career home runs and steal 70 career bases.

After a back injury prematurely end his sophomore season, Honeycutt is dominating in junior year. He’s one of seven Diamond Heels with a .300 batting average (.319), he leads North Carolina with 22 home runs and 28 stolen bases apiece.

All of this helped UNC to its first ACC Regular Season Title since 2018. The Diamond Heels dominated opponents during the regular season, avoiding a single sweep while sweeping preseason number one Wake Forest on the road, then closing out regular season play by taking two of three from archrival Duke.

As Honeycutt prepares to help North Carolina captures its second ACC Tournament Crown in three years, he was named a Golden Spikes Award Semifinalist.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C7NIEnLxpJS/

That award sounds pretty important, doesn’t it?

That’s because it is.

The Golden Spikes Award is annually given to the nation’s top amateur baseball player. If Honeycutt were to win the award, he’d become the first player in Diamond Heels history to do so.

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