University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels Rated No. 7 In Collegiate Baseball Preseason Poll
December 28, 2005 | Baseball
Dec. 28, 2005
TUSCON, Ariz. - The University of North Carolina was ranked No. 7 in Collegiate Baseball newspaper's Fabulous 40 preseason poll, and junior pitchers Andrew Miller and Daniel Bard picked up Louisville Slugger Preseason All-America honors from the publication, which released its individual honors Tuesday.
Miller garnered first team honors, while Bard was chosen for the third team. Both hurlers were third-team preseason selections in 2005. As a team, the Tar Heels were also picked seventh in last season's Collegiate Baseball Preseason Poll.
A two-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference choice, Miller went 8-4 last season with a 2.98 earned run average and 104 strikeouts en route to second-team all-conference honors. He is 14-7 with a 2.96 ERA in his two seasons at Carolina and has 192 career strikeouts in 185.2 innings. This summer, Miller was 6-0 with a 1.65 ERA for the Chatham A's and was rated as the Cape Cod League's No. 1 professional prospect by Baseball America.
Bard, who was a first-team All-ACC selection in 2004, was 7-5 with a 4.55 ERA in 89.2 innings. He struck out 77. For his two-year career, Bard is 15-9 with a 4.02 ERA and 145 strikeouts. Like Miller, he enjoyed a stellar summer in the Cape and posted a 1.25 ERA with a league-best 88 strikeouts in 65 innings. Bard was rated as the league's No. 2 prospect by Baseball America and was named West Division MVP of the All-Star Game.
Five ACC squads were ranked in the top 11 of the poll. Clemson was rated No. 6, followed by the Tar Heels at No. 7, No. 8 Florida State, No. 10 Georgia Tech and No. 11 Miami. Nine ACC players picked up preseason All-America honors from Collegiate Baseball, and Bard and Miller were two of the league's three starting pitchers honored.
The Tar Heels return 19 letterwinners, five position starters and the starting rotation of Bard, Miller and Robert Woodard for the upcoming campaign. Carolina opens the 2006 season Feb. 17 against Seton Hall at Boshamer Stadium.
