Tag: Vance Honeycutt

Weekend sweep boosts Diamond Heels just outside Top 10

Another weekend sweep, another jump in the rankings for the UNC baseball team.

Losing two of three at longtime rival UVA wasn’t ideal for the UNC baseball team.

The Cavaliers snapped the Diamond Heels’ 9-game winning streak on Thursday, April 4, then won the series on Friday

North Carolina was able to salvage the series finale on Saturday, extending its streak without a sweep into the second full month of college baseball. UNC lost last Tuesday against South Carolina, but rebounded over the weekend with a sweep of Notre Dame.

The Diamond Heels scored 30 runs while giving up just five in its three games against the Fighting Irish, including Friday’s 13-0 opener, which North Carolina’s first shutout win since March 19.

As a result of its strong weekend, UNC climbed up to 11th in the latest D1 Baseball Rankings.

Virtually every Diamond Heel contributed offensively throughout the series, starting with Friday’s massive victory, in which Casey Cook, Parks Harber and Luke Stevenson combined for six hits and 10 RBIs. Anthony Donofrio led the charge in Saturday’s 7-2 win, mashing a team-high three hits and driving in two runs, while star center fielder Vance Honeycutt shined with three hits and two RBIs Sunday.

Pitching, which struggled immensely in the UVA series, enjoyed its best series on the season.

Jason DeCaro earned his second win on Friday, pitching six shutout innings while striking out three batters and allowing just three hits. Shea Sprague also nabbed his second win – on Saturday – allowing just two runs on five hits in 5 2/3 innings. Aidan Haugh thrived in his first start on Sunday, hurling five shutout innings while striking out six.

North Carolina will try and build on its 3-game winning streak on Tuesday, April 16, as it welcomes 2016 CWS champion Coastal Carolina for a 6 p.m. ET first pitch.

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Vance Honeycutt’s big night ties him with Mac Horvath on UNC home run list

How many more home runs can star UNC outfielder Vance Honeycutt mash this season?

After sweeping Wake Forest on the road last weekend and earning a Top-10 ranking, the UNC baseball team hasn’t been able to find that same rhythm in two losses this weekend against UVA.

There’s been no shortage of offense this weekend, as North Carolina has put up 13 runs in two games. Most of the Diamond Heels’ Thursday runs came from singles, doubles and triples, while both Friday runs resulted from homers.

Both of the Friday homers came from All-Star center fielder Vance Honeycutt, who was held hitless on Thursday.

Honeycutt’s first jack got UNC on the board (3-1) in the third inning, while his second round-tripper closed UNC’s deficit to 3-2 in the sixth.

Not only was Honeycutt’s 2-home run game his first since the 2022 ACC Championship game, but it also moved him into a tie with Mac Horvath for third on North Carolina’s all-time list.

Horvath was quite the hitter at UNC, mashing 47 home runs and driving in 141 runs. He was selected in the second round of last year’s MLB Draft by the Baltimore Orioles, playing currently with the high-A Aberdeen Ironbirds.

Honeycutt will likely join Horvath in the minors next year, as Honeycutt’s projected to be a first-round pick in this summer’s MLB Draft. The two are tied in homers, but Honeycutt also has 131 RBIs.

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WATCH: Vance Honeycutt makes highlight-reel diving catch

How many more times will we see Vance Honeycutt make a game-saving catch in center field?

There is no shortage of offensive talent on the UNC baseball team.

You have left fielder Casey Cook, who ranks amongst the nation’s top hit-getters and run producers. Alberto Osuna is enjoying a revival season at designated hitter, mashing .370, while North Carolina still carries the ever-powerful Vance Honeycutt, who’s already hit eight home runs and driven in 29 runners.

Honeycutt’s offensive stats might be the focus of his game, but he’s also one of the best defenders in college baseball. His 2023 sophomore season was cut short due to injury, but he STILL won ACC Defensive Player of the Year.

Those defensive abilities were showcased on Thursday, April 4, as Honeycutt extended for an immaculate diving catch, in the Diamond Heels’ 14-11 loss at UVA.

This isn’t Honeycutt’s first time making a highlight reel play, as Tar Heel Nation has also watched him climb the wall for home run robberies. Honeycutt has a knack for making plays in the clutch – both with his glove and bat.

Honeycutt struggled at the plate on Thursday, going 0-for-5 with three strikeouts. He made up for that during Friday, homering in the third inning to close UNC’s gap to 3-1.

Can Honeycutt stay healthy and lead North Carolina back to the College World Series this year?

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D1Baseball ranks UNC star Vance Honeycutt among its top outfielders

Just how highly was UNC star center fielder Vance Honeycutt ranked across college baseball?

If there’s ever a story about UNC baseball, there’s a good chance it mentions star outfielder Vance Honeycutt.

Guess what? So will this story.

Honeycutt, a junior in-state centerfielder from Salisbury, NC, is the reigning ACC Defensive Player of the Year. Not only is Honeycutt smooth with his glove, but he’s also lightning-fast and has quite the pop in his bat.

So far in 2024, Honeycutt is hitting .288 with eight home runs and 29 RBIs. His strikeout numbers are a bit concerning, leading North Carolina with 38, but that’s bound to come with being a power hitter. Honeycutt will most likely run when he’s on base, as he tops the Diamond Heels with 16 successful swipes.

Throughout his UNC career, Honeycutt is a career .278 hitter. He’s mashed 45 home runs, driven in 129 and stoles 64 bases.

With how much he dominates the collegiate circuit, which has him projected as an early first-round pick in this year’s MLB Draft, Honeycutt was named D1Baseball’s fourth-ranked outfielder.

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It’s rare to find a solid combination of speed, power and defense in today’s game. You’ll encounter several professionals who have mainly power (Pete Alonso), or speed and defense (Kevin Kiermaier), but rarely all three.

Honeycutt isn’t the only star in North Carolina’s lineup, which includes .400 hitter Gavin Gallagher and 40-RBI masher Casey Cook, as part of an offense that ranks 25th nationally in batting average (.315).

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Diamond Heels make massive jump in D1Baseball rankings after weekend sweep

Five wins in a row, including a weekend sweep of Georgia Tech, have the UNC baseball team back in the Top 15 of D1Baseball’s rankings.

After losing a weekend series to the Miami Hurricanes two weeks ago, the UNC baseball team responded in dominant fashion last week.

On Tuesday, the Diamond Heels mercy-ruled UNCW, 11-0, in seven innings behind eight combined RBIs from top-of-the-lineup hitters Gavin Gallagher, Casey Cook, Vance Honeycutt and Parks Harber.

Over the weekend, North Carolina (21-4, 7-2) swept Georgia Tech for its second ACC series sweep.

On Friday, UNC came back from an early 2-0 deficit behind an Alberto Osuna double, Alex Madera single and Cook home run. Dalton Pence iced the Yellow Jackets’ comeback for his second save, helping the Diamond Heels to a 5-4 victory.

North Carolina clinched the series on Saturday, whooping Georgia Tech 11-5. Sunday was more of the same, with UNC winning 9-2.

As a result of its new 5-game win streak, the Diamond Heels jumped six spots to 14th in the latest D1 Baseball rankings.

North Carolina has been able to play at this high level thanks to a balanced hitting attack, as 11 regulars are hitting over .300 and help UNC sport the nation’s 19th-best batting average (.320). The Diamond Heels have 34 home runs and 206 RBIs as a team – Honeycutt leads the team with eight home runs, while Cook’s 37 RBIs are tops.

Pitching hasn’t been nearly as dominant, but it’s significantly better compared to last year. Three regular starters (Jason DeCaro, Olin Johnson, Shea Sprague) have an earned run average under 4.00, Matthew Matthijs leads the NCAA with nine wins while Dalton Pence may just be the best reliever in all of college baseball.

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How did last year’s UNC-ECU baseball series pan out?

The UNC baseball team hosts ECU on Friday, Feb. 23 to begin a 3-game weekend series. This is a common, in-state rivalry matchup.

Despite no college baseball team from North Carolina winning the College World Series since 1955, the Tar Heel State has a plethora of talented programs who are regulars in the NCAA Tournament.

NC State came close to winning it in 2021, but lost in the semifinals.

The North Carolina Tar Heels might be its home state’s greatest program to never win a CWS title, despite reaching the CWS 11 times and the finals twice.

Another one of North Carolina’s top collegiate programs is East Carolina University, which has won the AAC (American Athletic Conference) regular-season title the past three years. ECU has reached the NCAA Tournament 33 times and won a regional on seven occasions, but has never reached the CWS.

If you haven’t guessed it already, the Diamond Heels and Pirates are facing off this weekend for a 3-game series. Game One will be Friday, Feb. 23 at 5 p.m. in Chapel Hill, Game Two will be Saturday in Fayetteville, NC and Game Three will be Sunday in Greenville.

These two baseball rivals have played every year since 2016, with the lone exception being the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign. Last year provided three exciting matchups, with each game being decided by one run.

Ahead of Friday’s highly-anticipated game, let’s quickly revisit last year’s matchups.

Vance Honeycutt joins exclusive club with Tuesday grand slam

Grand slams are about as exciting an offensive play you’ll see in baseball. UNC star Vance Honeycutt bashed one Tuesday to set a mark.

If it weren’t for Vance Honeycutt’s heroics on Tuesday afternoon, there’s a strong chance the UNC baseball team could be staring its first 2024 loss in the face.

Honeycutt, the ACC’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year and a projected early first-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, stepped up to the plate in a crucial fifth inning against Elon. The bases were loaded, count was full and North Carolina was down 4-3.

In came the pitch from Itai Spinoza and – boom – Honeycutt went opposite field for his first grand slam on the young campaign.

Honeycutt’s grand slam was crucial for the Diamond Heels, but it also put him in elite company.

Honeycutt joined Jarrett Shearin, who starred at UNC from 1996-1999 and is the all-time leader in RBIs (214) , as the only two players in program history to hit 40 home runs and steal 50 bases.

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Honeycutt introduced himself to the college baseball world after a standout freshman season, in which he hit .296 with 25 home runs, 57 RBIs and stole 29 bases. His sophomore campaign was cut short due to injury last year, but Honeycutt still homered 12 times and stole 19 bases.

If Honeycutt stays healthy this season, there’s no reason why the Diamond Heels shouldn’t advance deep into the College World Series.

Just how far can they go?

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Pence slams the door on Elon comeback, Diamond Heels remain undefeated

A Casey Cook single and Dalton Pence shutdown inning proved to be the UNC baseball team’s difference-makers in Tuesday’s 8-7 win over Elon.

After coasting through Opening Weekend against Wagner, the UNC baseball team needed a challenge to test how good of a team it was.

North Carolina got that test on Tuesday afternoon against a pesky Elon squad, which was looking for a massive upset.

Even with a Vance Honeycutt grand slam, a trio of run-scoring singles and a Pheonix error, it was Diamond Heels reliever Dalton Pence who closed the door on a tight, 8-7 UNC victory.

Elon (1-3) knocked North Carolina reliever Aidan Haugh for two runs in the eighth, closing its deficit to what ended up being the final score. The Diamond Heels went to starter/reliever Connor Bovair to clean up the mess – he delivered with an 11-pitch, 1-hit scoreless eighth.

Pence came in to face the final two Phoenix batters and looked every part of a reliable closer, retiring both hitters and helping UNC escape with a key victory.

Outside of North Carolina’s 10-3 win over Wagner on Opening Day, pitching has been inconsistent through four games. Elon jumped on UNC pitchers early, taking a 4-3 lead in the fourth inning after a home run and two singles.

After recording just two hits over the weekend, Honeycutt put the Diamond Heels ahead for good with his fifth-inning grand slam. North Carolina wasn’t finished at the plate, with Casey Cook’s seventh-inning single proving to be the eventual game-winner.

UNC now sits 4-0 ahead of its weekend series against 11th-ranked East Carolina, with one game apiece in Chapel Hill, Greenville and neutral-site Fayetteville, NC. This will be a great, early-season measure to see how good the Diamond Heels truly are.

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WATCH: Vance Honeycutt grand slam puts UNC ahead against Elon

UNC outfielder Vance Honeycutt is a household name in college baseball. His latest clutch his gave the Diamond Heels a lead against Elon.

One of the biggest names to keep an eye on in college baseball this season is Vance Honeycutt, the North Carolina Tar Heels’ junior outfielder who’s projected to be an early, first-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft.

Honeycutt is the ACC’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year, as he’s a regular on SportsCenter Top 10 with his highlight-reel jumping and diving catches, but he’s also a blazing speed threat with a knack for big hits.

On Tuesday afternoon at Boshamer Stadium, with UNC trailing 4-3 against Elon in the bottom of the fifth inning, Honeycutt came up with his team’s greatest clutch hit on the young season.

The grand slam was not only much needed for the Diamond Heels‘ biggest star, who entered the game hitting just 2-of-12, but for a squad that struggled through Elon’s 4-run fourth.

There’s still plenty of time left in this game, as UNC carries its 7-4 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning, but there’s no doubt it’s much easier to play with a 3-run cushion. North Carolina faced little adversity in its season-opening sweep of Wagner, so it’s good to face a challenge this early in the season.

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Tar Heels projected to play at the beach in NCAA Regional

Can you believe we’re already making NCAA Baseball Tournament predictions? Where exactly is North Carolina projected to end up?

College baseball season hasn’t even kicked off yet, but we’re already making projections.

LSU will look to repeat as College World Series champions, but it won’t be easy without Paul Skenes. Wake Forest spent a good portion of last year ranked atop college baseball, only for it to be defeated by LSU in the semifinals.

There’s also a lot of hype in Chapel Hill, as the UNC baseball team sports a re-vamped pitching staff and a talented, returning position player group led by center fielder Vance Honeycutt. The Diamond Heels are one of the greatest programs to never win a College World Series, despite appearing in 11 and making the finals twice (2006, 2007).

If all goes according to plan (which rarely happens in sports), North Carolina will make its seventh-consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Just ahead of Opening Day, where does D1Baseball have UNC in postseason action?

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If you recognize the name Coastal Carolina, it’s because the Chanticleers pulled off one of college sports’ greatest upsets in 2016, going 6-2 in the College World Series and winning the whole thing. Coastal has made the NCAA Tournament 19 times, including last year when it hosted a regional,

Arizona State is a storied program, winning five College World Series titles and making the NCAA Tournament 40 times. The Sun Devils are looking to dance again for the first time since former MLB player Willie Bloomquist, the 1999 Pac-12 Player of the Year at Arizona State, took over as manager before the 2022 season.

Samford University, who plays in the Southern Conference, is one of the better mid-major conference teams in the country. The Bulldogs have made four NCAA Tournament appearances – 2012, 2018, 2021 and 2023 – while also winning the SOCON Tourney each of those years.

While this would be a fun, tough regional to play in, the eventual hope is North Carolina will host a regional of its own.