University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels Land 11 Baseball Recruits
November 27, 2002 | Baseball
Nov. 27, 2002
CHAPEL HILL - University of North Carolina baseball coach Mike Fox has announced an 11-player recruiting class for the fall, 2003- 2004 year. The group includes five pitchers and six position players and seven of the future Tar Heels hail from North Carolina.
"We are very excited about the 11 players we signed during the early signing period," Fox said. "We feel this group of young men has the potential to be one of our better recruiting classes. As with all recruiting classes time will tell but at this time, we feel very good about our class. We met all of our needs."
Andrew Miller (Gainesville, Fla.) and Daniel Bard (Charlotte, N.C.) headline a group of pitchers that will fill a big need for the Tar Heels next season, who have a staff in 2003 that is loaded with juniors who will be draft eligible in June 2003. Both are listed among Baseball America's Top 50 high school prospects, with Miller at No. 11 and Bard at No. 32. Meanwhile, Brody Taylor (Shelby, N.C.) transferred from Louisburg Junior College and was selected in the 43rd round of last year's Major League Baseball Draft by the Montreal Expos.
"We needed pitching and signed five -- three right-handers and two lefties," Fox said. "In Andrew Miller and Brody Taylor, we feel that we have signed two of the very best left-handers out there. Daniel Bard, Rob Wooten and Robert Woodard have great potential and they are quality young men. We feel very fortunate that they choose Carolina."
Carolina welcomes several highly-touted position players, including shortstop Craig Corrado (Tampa, Fla.), third baseman Jay Cox (Smithfield, N.C.) and utility player Brack Massey (Greenville, N.C.). Catcher Trent Kline (York, Pa.) is a switch-hitter who is rated one of the best in the country at his position.
Outfielders Tyler White (Matthews, N.C.) and Marshall Hubbard (Ashland, Va.) fill needs in the outfield and in Hubbard the Tar Heels are getting an experienced left-handed hitter. Hubbard transfers from William and Mary, where he hit .348 with 12 home runs and 62 RBIs over the last two seasons and was an all-star last summer in the Coastal Plain League.
UNC opens the 2003 season Feb. 17 in Chapel Hill versus Delaware State. Carolina plays 23 of its first 26 games at home and will play a school-record-tying 39 regular-season games at Boshamer Stadium in 2003.
The Tar Heels return a solid nucleus from a team that finished 43-21 and third place in the Atlantic Coast Conference last year. Daniel Moore, Scott Manshack, Whitley Benson and Michael Gross help comprise one of the league's top pitching staffs, while seniors Sean Farrell, Ryan Blake and Chad Prosser look to build on big 2002 seasons. Farrell has a .326 career average with 26 home runs and 153 RBIs.
Signees
| Name | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Hometown (High School/Previous School) |
| Daniel Bard | RHP | 6-3 | 175 | Charlotte, N.C. (Charlotte Christian) |
| Craig Corrado | SS | 6-2 | 170 | Tampa, Fla. (Tampa Catholic) |
| Jay Cox | 3B | 6-2 | 195 | Smithfield, N.C. (Smithfield-Selma) |
| Marshall Hubbard | OF | 6-3 | 200 | Ashland, Va. (Patrick Henry/William & Mary) |
| Trent Kline | C | 5-9 | 160 | York, Pa. (West York) |
| Brack Massey | 3B, SS, OF | 6-3 | 190 | Greenville, N.C. (J.H. Rose) |
| Andrew Miller | LHP | 6-5 | 185 | Gainseville, Fla. (Buckholz) |
| Brody Taylor | LHP/1B | 6-2 | 210 | Shelby, N.C. (Shelby/Louisburg JC) |
| Tyler White | OF | 6-0 | 180 | Matthews, N.C. (East Mecklenburg) |
| Robert Woodard | RHP | 6-2 | 185 | Charlotte, N.C. (Myers Park) |
| Rob Wooten | RHP | 6-2 | 195 | Fremont, N.C. (Charles B. Aycock) |
