University of North Carolina Athletics
Miller Tabbed Preseason ACC Freshman of the Year by Baseball America
January 22, 2004 | Baseball
Jan. 22, 2004
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - North Carolina freshman left-hander Andrew Miller was chosen as the preseason Atlantic Coast Conference Freshman of the Year by Baseball America in the magazine's 2004 College Preview issue, which is on newsstands until Feb. 15.
Additionally, Miller was rated as the top freshman prospect in the nation in the Baseball America Fab 50, which rates the top 50 college prospects by class. Classmate Daniel Bard is rated the No. 9 prospect among freshmen, while sophomore lefty Adam Kalkhof is rated No. 46 in his class and third baseman Sammy Hewitt is ranked No. 37 among seniors.
Junior Marshall Hubbard, who should play right field for the Tar Heels this season after transferring from William & Mary, is rated as the sixth-most significant transfer in the nation. Hubbard did not play in 2003 but hit .326 in 2002 and batted .388 as a rookie with the Tribe in 2001.
The publication predicts the Tar Heels will finish third in the ACC behind Georgia Tech and Clemson. Ranked No. 15 nationally by Baseball America, Carolina is also among six conference teams predicted to reach the 2004 NCAA Tournament.
Additionally, junior right-hander Garry Bakker is rated as the league's No. 10 prospect for the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft. Miller is ranked as the ACC's top newcomer, while Hubbard checks in at No. 4 on that list.
The Tar Heels open the season in Chapel Hill against Seton Hall on Feb. 20.
