University of North Carolina Athletics
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
Diamond Heels Ranked No. 11 In Collegiate Baseball Preseason Poll
December 20, 2022 | Baseball
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The University of North Carolina baseball team is ranked No. 11 in Collegiate Baseball's Fabulous 50 NCAA Division I Preseason Poll presented by Big League Chew.
The Diamond Heels are coming off their 23rd 40-win season in 2022 after posting a 42-22 record. UNC won the ACC Baseball Championship for the second time in three seasons and captured the NCAA Chapel Hill Regional and advance to its 10th Super Regional.
The Tar Heels garnered 470 points in the preseason poll and finished just two points outside the top 10 behind fellow ACC member Wake Forest.
The Demon Deacons, who occupy the No. 10 spot with 472 points, are one of three ACC teams ranked inside the top 10 along with No. 6 Louisville (482) and No. 8 Miami (476).
LSU (498), Florida (495), Stanford (491), Texas A&M (489) and Tennessee (485) hold the top five spots in the poll.
UNC will pay 22 games against teams ranked in Collegiate Baseball's Fabulous 50 NCAA Div. I Pre-Season Poll with three-game series against Miami, No. 16 Virginia, No. 20 East Carolina, No. 23 Georgia Tech, No. 28 Virginia Tech, No. 30 NC State and No. 42 Clemson plus a single game versus No. 47 South Carolina.
North Carolina was unranked in five of college baseball's six major preseason polls last year, but finished the season ranked inside the top 15 in all six polls. The Tar Heels wrapped up the 2022 campaign at No. 13 in the final Baseball America poll, 14th in the Collegiate Baseball and DI Baseball polls, and 15th in the NCBWA and USA Today Coaches polls.
Despite the loss of nine seniors and two underclassmen to the draft, UNC is well-positioned to make another championship run. The Tar Heels returns three-fourths of their starting infield, a two-year starter behind the plate and an All-America center fielder along with their Friday night starting pitcher.
Returning lettermen Johnny Castagnozzi, Tomas Frick, Vance Honeycutt, Mac Horvath and Alberto Osuna combined to hit 76 of the Tar Heels' 101 home runs last season and drove in 230 of their 435 runs.
Max Carlson made 18 starts a year ago and held opposing hitters to a .239 batting average, while averaging more than 10 strikeouts per nine innings.
The Tar Heels open the 2023 campaign against Seton Hall on Feb. 17 – game of one a three-game weekend series – at Boshamer Stadium.
The Diamond Heels are coming off their 23rd 40-win season in 2022 after posting a 42-22 record. UNC won the ACC Baseball Championship for the second time in three seasons and captured the NCAA Chapel Hill Regional and advance to its 10th Super Regional.
The Tar Heels garnered 470 points in the preseason poll and finished just two points outside the top 10 behind fellow ACC member Wake Forest.
The Demon Deacons, who occupy the No. 10 spot with 472 points, are one of three ACC teams ranked inside the top 10 along with No. 6 Louisville (482) and No. 8 Miami (476).
LSU (498), Florida (495), Stanford (491), Texas A&M (489) and Tennessee (485) hold the top five spots in the poll.
UNC will pay 22 games against teams ranked in Collegiate Baseball's Fabulous 50 NCAA Div. I Pre-Season Poll with three-game series against Miami, No. 16 Virginia, No. 20 East Carolina, No. 23 Georgia Tech, No. 28 Virginia Tech, No. 30 NC State and No. 42 Clemson plus a single game versus No. 47 South Carolina.
North Carolina was unranked in five of college baseball's six major preseason polls last year, but finished the season ranked inside the top 15 in all six polls. The Tar Heels wrapped up the 2022 campaign at No. 13 in the final Baseball America poll, 14th in the Collegiate Baseball and DI Baseball polls, and 15th in the NCBWA and USA Today Coaches polls.
Despite the loss of nine seniors and two underclassmen to the draft, UNC is well-positioned to make another championship run. The Tar Heels returns three-fourths of their starting infield, a two-year starter behind the plate and an All-America center fielder along with their Friday night starting pitcher.
Returning lettermen Johnny Castagnozzi, Tomas Frick, Vance Honeycutt, Mac Horvath and Alberto Osuna combined to hit 76 of the Tar Heels' 101 home runs last season and drove in 230 of their 435 runs.
Max Carlson made 18 starts a year ago and held opposing hitters to a .239 batting average, while averaging more than 10 strikeouts per nine innings.
The Tar Heels open the 2023 campaign against Seton Hall on Feb. 17 – game of one a three-game weekend series – at Boshamer Stadium.
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
INF/OF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
1B/DH
/ BaseballUNC Baseball: Tar Heels Complete Sweep of Le Moyne with 21-1 Win in Game 3
Sunday, March 01
WBB: Post-Duke Press Conference - March 1, 2026
Sunday, March 01
UNC Women's Basketball: Tar Heels Top #12 Duke on Senior Day, 74-69
Sunday, March 01
BASE: Tar Heels Complete Sweep of Le Moyne with 21-1 Win in Game 3
Sunday, March 01