University of North Carolina Athletics
Veterans Highlight Diamond Heels' Award Winners
June 22, 2009 | Baseball
June 22, 2009
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Juniors Dustin Ackley, Kyle Seager and Alex White and senior Adam Warren, who helped lead North Carolina to an Atlantic Coast Conference-record four straight College World Series appearances, were honored as the Tar Heels' most valuable players for 2009, head coach Mike Fox announced Monday. Ackley and Seager received the S.H. Basnight Award as the teams' most valuable players, while Warren and White were honored with the S.H. Basnight Award for the squad's most valuable pitchers.
Senior Garrett Gore claimed the Francis "Tripp" Bourne Award as the team's most dedicated player, while sophomore Ben Bunting was honored with the Walter Rabb Award, presented to the team's most improved player.
The Rivals.com National Player of the Year and a finalist for the Dick Howser Trophy and the Golden Spikes Award, Ackley is the first three-time team MVP in program history. Carolina's career leader in average, hits, runs and total bases, the Walnut Cove, N.C., native posted an ACC-best .417 average and 22 home runs, while also adding 111 hits, 75 runs, 73 RBI, a .763 slugging percentage and a .512 on-base mark. His 203 total bases established a school record. Ackley, who is also the first three-time All-America in school history, ranked among the ACC's top four in 10 offensive categories this season.
He wrapped up the 2009 College World Series on a 22-game NCAA Tournament hitting streak and set the CWS career record with 28 base hits in just 15 games. Ackley, who started all 66 games this season and all 207 in his career, was the No. 2 overall pick in this month's Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by Seattle.
A Kannapolis, N.C., native, Seager joined Ackley with a 100-hit season, finishing second in the ACC with 103 hits and fifth with a .393 average. His 26 doubles were second in school history, and Seager finished with six homers, 62 RBI and 59 runs. He started all 66 games at third base and captured first-team all-conference honors. Seager was a third-round pick by Seattle.
Warren and White teamed to give the Tar Heels a dominant one-two punch in its weekend rotation for the second straight season. Warren, a product of New Bern, N.C., went 10-2 with a 3.31 ERA over 98 innings. He struck out a career-best 103 batters and wrapped up the season in the ACC's top 10 in wins, ERA, strikeouts, inning and opponent average. Warren, who was a second-team All-ACC choice and a fourth-round pick of the New York Yankees earlier this month, is second in school history with 32 wins and shares the UNC record with an .889 career winning percentage.
A first-team all-conference pick and the No. 15 overall selection in the MLB Draft by Cleveland, White went 8-4 with a 3.87 ERA and 121 strikeouts in 107 innings. The Greenville, N.C., product led the ACC in strikeouts and innings and ranked among the league's top 10 in wins, shutouts, opponent average and complete games. White is second in school history with 317 strikeouts and tied for fifth with 27 victories.
A key four-year contributor, Gore established career bests with 84 hits, 52 runs, six home runs and 44 RBI as a senior. He hit .311 with 64 starts after moving to right field for 2009. The Wilmington, N.C., native was at his best in the postseason with a .436 average, a team-high three home runs and 11 RBI in eight NCAA Tournament games.
Bunting, who made just 17 starts in 2008, started all 66 games in left field this season with a .336 average to rank third on the team. The Randleman, N.C., product tallied 92 hits to rank sixth in the ACC and added 63 runs to stand eighth in the league. He also posted 12 doubles, four triples and two home runs, while driving in 37 runs.
