University of North Carolina Athletics
Ackley's Number To Be Retired Jan. 26
January 13, 2017 | Baseball
CHAPEL HILL --- Former Carolina great and 2009 Rivals.com National Player of the Year Dustin Ackley will have his No. 13 retired in a ceremony during the UNC-Virginia Tech basketball game on Jan. 26 at the Dean E. Smith Center. Ackley is set to become the fourth player in program history to receive this unique honor, joining Dave Lemonds, B.J. Surhoff and Andrew Miller.
A native of Walnut Cove, North Carolina, Ackley hit .417 with 22 home runs, 75 runs and 73 RBIs in his junior season of 2009 en route to player of the year accolades. He was named ACC Player of the Year and added consensus All-America and first-team All-ACC honors while leading Carolina to its fourth consecutive College World Series appearance. During the 2009 CWS, Ackley recorded his 28th career hit in Omaha to become the all-time hits leader at college baseball's signature event.
Ackely is the only three-time All-American in school history and left UNC with career records for batting average (.412), hits (346), runs (227) and total bases. He won UNC's Patterson Medal as the school's top male student-athlete and was selected No. 2 overall by the Seattle Mariners in the 2009 MLB Draft. Ackley made his major league debut on June 17, 2011, and has played in parts of six seasons with the Mariners and the New York Yankees.
In addition to the ceremony on Jan. 26, Ackley will also be honored alongside his teammates from the 2007 CWS team at the annual First Pitch Dinner. That event is set for Saturday, Jan. 28, at the Blue Zone, and tickets are available now.
