University of North Carolina Athletics
Iannetta, Gross Highlight Carolina Baseball Award Winners
June 9, 2004 | Baseball
June 9, 2004
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Coming off its third consecutive trip to the NCAA Regional final and its deepest run in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament since 1990, the North Carolina baseball team handed out its annual team awards earlier this week. Junior catcher Chris Iannetta and senior closer Michael Gross won the S.H. Basnight Awards for the most valuable player and pitcher, respectively. Junior catcher Mark Griffin won the Francis "Tripp" Bourne Award as the most dedicated player, while junior outfielder/designated hitter Ross Cook and sophomore right-hander Jonathan Hovis were co-winners of the Walter Rabb Award for the most improved players.
A three-year starter, Iannetta had an outstanding junior season, batting .336 with 15 home runs, 19 doubles and 71 runs batted in to rank second behind Hubbard in each category. Defensively, he threw out 24-of-48 runners and picked off nine others. A native of Providence, R.I., Iannetta committed just seven errors in 571 chances for a .988 fielding percentage. He is one of three finalists for the Johnny Bench Award, presented to the nation's top catcher, and was a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy, awarded to the nation's top collegiate player. Iannetta was also voted first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference and named third-team All-America by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. He earned all-tournament honors at both the ACC Championship and the NCAA Columbia Regional. He was picked Monday in the fourth round of the Major League Baseball Draft by the Colorado Rockies.
The Tar Heel closer as a senior, Gross went 4-4 with eight saves and a 2.24 ERA, the lowest on the staff. He worked 52.1 innings and led the team with 32 appearances. Gross struck out 59 batters against just 12 walks. For his career, the Marietta, Ga., native appeared in 91 games to rank seventh in program history and posted a 12-8 record with 11 saves. Gross had a career ERA of 4.42. He went in the 33rd round of the draft to the St. Louis Cardinals.
Griffin is a two-time recipient of the most dedicated player award. He serves as the Tar Heels' bullpen catcher and batted .400 in 10 at-bats with a homer and four RBI.
The first of the two most improved award winners, Cook saw action in the outfield and at designated hitter for the Tar Heels this season after getting just 12 at-bats a year ago. Playing extensively against left-handed pitching, he batted .343 (35-for-102) with two homers and 14 RBI. Cook started 23 games and played in 46. Hovis, who was 2-1 with a 5.51 ERA as a freshman in 2003, was one of Carolina's top long relievers this season. He went 3-0 and ranked third among relievers with a 2.75 ERA. In 39.1 innings, he struck out 32 batters and walked just nine.
The Tar Heels finished 43-21 and advanced to the finals of the NCAA Columbia Regional.
