University of North Carolina Athletics
Three Pitchers Selected On Final Day Of MLB Draft
July 16, 2024 | Baseball
FORT WORTH, Texas – A trio of UNC pitchers came off the board Tuesday on the third and final day of the 2024 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.
The Texas Rangers selected Dalton Pence in the 11th round, Shea Sprague was the Boston Red Sox's 13th-round pick, and the Minnesota Twins took Aidan Haugh in the 16th round.
Texas also drafted UNC outfielder Casey Cook with its 2024 third-round pick, while the Red Sox selected a Tar Heel pitcher for the second straight season after choosing Max Carlson with their 12th-round pick a year ago. Haugh is the first Carolina player to be drafted by the Twins since Aaron Sabato in 2020.
The Tar Heels' three selections on the first two days, and three picks on Tuesday, give UNC 17 players drafted under head coach Scott Forbes, including eight pitchers. Its six total picks are its most in the first 16 rounds since it also had six players taken in 2018.
Pence compiled a 5-1 record with a 2.45 ERA and eight saves. He was tabbed Second Team All-America by Baseball America, College Baseball Foundation, D1 Baseball and Perfect Game and voted Third Team All-ACC by the league's head coaches. He averaged 11.35 strikeouts per nine innings, finishing the season with 74 strikeouts in 58 2/3 innings pitched.
Sprague, a native of Hanover, Mass., was named Second Team All-ACC with the conference's second-fewest walks per nine innings average (2.07) and fourth-lowest strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.89). He made 17 appearances with 15 starts and compiled a 3-2 record with a 4.25 ERA, the ninth-lowest in the league.
Haugh moved from the bullpen to the weekend rotation in April, making eight starts during the second half of the season. He appeared in 22 games and pitched 54.0 innings, averaging 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings. He amassed a 4-3 record with a 4.83 ERA. After fanning seven batters in 3.0 innings against South Carolina on April 9, Haugh made his first start five days later against Notre Dame, striking out six in five scoreless innings to get his first win.
MLB clubs have until August 1 to sign First-Year Player Draft selections.
The Texas Rangers selected Dalton Pence in the 11th round, Shea Sprague was the Boston Red Sox's 13th-round pick, and the Minnesota Twins took Aidan Haugh in the 16th round.
Texas also drafted UNC outfielder Casey Cook with its 2024 third-round pick, while the Red Sox selected a Tar Heel pitcher for the second straight season after choosing Max Carlson with their 12th-round pick a year ago. Haugh is the first Carolina player to be drafted by the Twins since Aaron Sabato in 2020.
The Tar Heels' three selections on the first two days, and three picks on Tuesday, give UNC 17 players drafted under head coach Scott Forbes, including eight pitchers. Its six total picks are its most in the first 16 rounds since it also had six players taken in 2018.
Pence compiled a 5-1 record with a 2.45 ERA and eight saves. He was tabbed Second Team All-America by Baseball America, College Baseball Foundation, D1 Baseball and Perfect Game and voted Third Team All-ACC by the league's head coaches. He averaged 11.35 strikeouts per nine innings, finishing the season with 74 strikeouts in 58 2/3 innings pitched.
Sprague, a native of Hanover, Mass., was named Second Team All-ACC with the conference's second-fewest walks per nine innings average (2.07) and fourth-lowest strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.89). He made 17 appearances with 15 starts and compiled a 3-2 record with a 4.25 ERA, the ninth-lowest in the league.
Haugh moved from the bullpen to the weekend rotation in April, making eight starts during the second half of the season. He appeared in 22 games and pitched 54.0 innings, averaging 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings. He amassed a 4-3 record with a 4.83 ERA. After fanning seven batters in 3.0 innings against South Carolina on April 9, Haugh made his first start five days later against Notre Dame, striking out six in five scoreless innings to get his first win.
MLB clubs have until August 1 to sign First-Year Player Draft selections.
UNC Selections In 2024 MLB Draft
| Player, Pos. | Club | Rd. (Pick) |
|---|---|---|
| Vance Honeycutt, OF | Baltimore Orioles | First (22) |
| Casey Cook, OF | Texas Rangers | Third (103) |
| Anthony Donofrio, OF | Seattle Mariners | 10th (303) |
| Dalton Pence, LHP | Texas Rangers | 11th (345) |
| Shea Sprague. LHP | Boston Red Sox | 13th (387) |
| Aidan Haugh, RHP | Minnesota Twins | 16th (488) |
Follow the Diamond Heels
For the latest information on the UNC baseball team, check out GoHeels.com. You can also find the team on social media, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Fans can also receive updates on UNC Athletics by downloading the GoHeels App from both the App Store and the Google Play Store.
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
LHP
/ BaseballHubert Davis post-NC Central Press Conference
Saturday, November 15
Carolina Insider: Rapid Reactions – Men’s Basketball vs. NC Central – November 14, 2025
Saturday, November 15
UNC Men's Basketball: Tar Heels Ground Eagles, 97-53
Saturday, November 15
UNC Volleyball: Carolina Beats Virginia in Four Sets
Saturday, November 15