University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels Earn No. 22 Preseason Ranking
January 3, 2003 | Baseball
Jan. 3, 2003
The Carolina baseball program has been ranked No. 22 in Baseball America's preseason Top 25 poll, released on Thursday. The Tar Heels are coming off a 43-21 season and a 17-7 mark in the Atlantic Coast Conference, their best ACC finish since 1990.
"We're excited to be recognized, but it is just the preseason and we've got our work cut out for us this year," said UNC head coach Mike Fox. "Playing in the ACC is always extremely challenging, and we'll also face some of the best competition in the country out of conference."
Carolina is one of five ACC schools ranked among the nation's best in the preseason, including Georgia Tech ranked No. 1 and Florida State (4th) and Wake Forest (7th) also in the Top 10. Tar Heels have non-conference dates with No. 15 Richmond, No. 21 Auburn and No. 25 Virginia Commonwealth.
UNC, which also earned a No. 34 ranking in Collegiate Baseball's preseason list, 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.
Daniel Moore, Scott Manshack, Whitley Benson and Michael Gross return to help comprise one of the league's top pitching staffs in 2003, 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.
Baseball America's Preseason Top 25
1. Georgia Tech
2. Rice
3. Stanford
4. Florida State
5. Texas
6. Southern California
7. Wake Forest
8. Arizona State
9. Louisiana State
10. Baylor
11. Houston
12. Notre Dame
13. Cal State Fullerton
14. South Carolina
15. Richmond
16. Long Beach State
17. Mississippi State
18. Stetson
19. Clemson
20. Nebraska
21. Auburn
22. North Carolina
23. South Alabama
24. Florida Atlantic
25. Virginia Commonwealth
