University of North Carolina Athletics
Bukauskas, Miller Honored By Baseball America
January 30, 2017 | Baseball
North Carolina juniors J.B. Bukauskas and Brian Miller were named to Baseball America's annual preseason All-America list that features the nation's top college talent as voted by a selection of scouts and crosscheckers from throughout professional baseball. Bukauskas, a right-handed pitcher from Ashburn, Virginia, was a first-team selection, while Miller, an outfielder from Raleigh, North Carolina, was named to the second team.
Bukauskas returns for his third season in Chapel Hill after going 7-2 with a 3.10 ERA and 111 strikeouts in 78.1 innings of work last spring. He followed up a strong sophomore season at Carolina with a spectacular summer with the USA Collegiate National Team, posting a 0.00 ERA in 21.2 innings of work. He allowed just seven hits and one unearned run for the CNT, striking out 21 and walking just three.
Miller hit a team-best .345 as a sophomore, also posting team highs of 78 hits, 56 runs and 21 stolen bases. The junior speedster also had an exemplary summer season, earning Cape Cod Baseball League All-Star honors for the Orleans Firebirds. Miller hit .327 for the summer, third-best on the Cape, and his 15 stolen bases were also third among players in the league.
Every year Baseball America surveys scouting directors and national crosscheckers asking them to vote on our Preseason College All-America team. This year 17 of the 30 teams participated, giving a solid cross-section of how scouts view the college talent heading into the 2017 season. For the full BA story, click here.
Bukauskas, Miller and the Tar Heels open the 2017 season on Friday, Feb. 17, against Kentucky. Tickets are on sale now, with full-season packages starting at just $99. For more information, click here.
