Vance Honeycutt is one reason college baseball can be so special.
If Honeycutt, the Diamond Heels’ super freshman, played basketball the way he plays baseball, he’d be one and done for sure. But baseball has a rule that if a high school player accepts a college scholarship, he cannot enter the MLB Draft until after his junior season.
So, Tar Heel fans have two more years to love on the home-grown Honeycutt, perhaps the best freshman in the country. He will be on their Honey-do list to see, for sure.
The MVP of the ACC Tournament was Carolina’s triple threat in getting through the NCAA Regional and giving another sold out crowd at the “Bosh with Beer” a reason to toast their rejuvenated team.
Honeycutt saved the Tar Heels with a spectacular catch against Georgia in the elimination game and got them started with a home run (his 24th of the season) in Sunday night’s romp over VCU to force the winner-take-all regional final Monday.
The game where all 10 runs were scored in the first four innings — and UNC led by the 7-3 final score behind long bombs by Mikey Madej and Danny Serretti — morphed into a pitcher’s duel, but Honeycutt kept the thrills coming with his legs in center field and especially on the bases.
After getting hit by a pitch in the third inning, he raced to third in a blur on an errant pick-off throw and scored what turned out to be an insurance from on a single by Alberto Osuna.
In the 7th inning, when the left fielder bobbled his lined shot into the corner, “Honey” made him pay by stretching the easy double into a head-first triple as the packed house roared.
The Honeycutt family from Salisbury bleeds Carolina blue. Dad Bob was a member of the 1989 team that reached the College World Series. Vance has 2 sisters who will also be UNC graduates.
Honeycutt became the first Tar Heel ever to hit 20 homers and steal 20 bases in the same season, reaching both of those marks during the ACC Tournament.
As the No. 17 prospect out of North Carolina in his class, there were expectations coming into his freshman season. He has surpassed them, too, making the All-ACC third team and the ACC All-Freshman team.
Whether or not these Tar Heels make it to Omaha, we’ll have at least two more seasons to watch this kid become a spectacular college player before he takes his talents to the big leagues.
Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications
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