Following his team’s ACC regular-season title, UNC baseball head coach Scott Forbes has been named the ACC Coach of the Year. He’s the third coach in program history to earn the honor, after Mike Fox in 2018 and Mike Roberts in 1989.

Forbes is in his fourth season as head coach of the Diamond Heels, having taken over following Fox’s retirement in 2020. Under his guidance in 2024, Carolina won the Coastal Division for the first time since 2018 is one of just 13 teams nationally to win 40 or more regular-season games.

In addition to Forbes’ honor, junior center fielder Vance Honeycutt was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season. Honeycutt posted a .987 fielding percentage on the season, recorded 148 put-outs against just two errors and tallied four outfield assists. His 12.07 defensive runs saved is the highest of any outfielder in Division 1.

Honeycutt – who put together his second 20-home run, 20-stolen base season of his collegiate career at the plate and is now UNC’s all-time leader in home runs – was also one of two Diamond Heels to be named first team All-ACC. Fellow outfielder Casey Cook also appeared on the team after a dazzling season at the dish. Cook posted career highs in every major offensive category, including batting average (.341), hits (73), home runs (16), runs scored (61) and runs batted in (73). His 211 at-bats and .437 on-base percentage were also team highs.

Three Diamond Heels appeared on the second team: pitchers Jason DeCaro and Shea Sprague and first baseman Parks Harber. Relievers Dalton Pence, Matthew Matthijs and catcher Luke Stevenson appeared on the third team, while DeCaro, Gallaher and Stevenson appeared on the All-Freshman Team. Carolina’s eight total selections on the first, second and third teams were not only the most in the league, but the most in a single season in program history. For a full look at the All-ACC teams and conference awards, click here.

UNC will be back in action in the ACC Baseball Tournament when it faces Pittsburgh on Thursday at 3 p.m. in Charlotte.

 

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications/Joe Bray

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