By R.L. Bynum
When UNC coach Scott Forbes lured a Division III transfer and a transfer first baseman, both worked out well.
He’s accomplished both with the commitment of Monclair State first baseman Sam Angelo, who D1 Baseball named to its Division III first-team All-American team. The 6–0, 210-pound left-handed hitter, a graduate student last season who also made the American Baseball Coaches Association team, made his decision known Monday on X (formerly Twitter).
The X bio for Angelo, the two-time New Jersey Athletic Conference Player of the Year, reads in part: “One day, the people that didn’t believe in you will tell everyone how they met you.”
During the last offseason, Carolina welcomed Arcadia second baseman Alex Madera and Georgia first baseman Parks Harber, and both had excellent seasons. While Harber (team-leading .343 with 20 homes, 63 RBI) has no eligibility left, Madera (.303, 34 RBI) could return next season.
Angelo, who turns 24 later this summer and can also play in the outfield, is the second known commitment out of the transfer portal, joining Princeton left-handed pitcher Tom Chmielewski, who was 6–6 with a 3.40 ERA last season, walking 19 and striking out 73 in 13 starts. Those are on top of a couple of commitments Forbes said before the Men’s College World Series that he had already secured.
“I’ve been trying to do my work every year, keep my head down and just keep going,” Angelo told The Monclarion in April. “My goal is just to produce as much for the team as possible, and stack up as many wins as we can.”
Angelo, who will have one season of eligibility, gives UNC a good option at first base after leading Monclair State with a .436 average, a .520 on-base percentage, a 1.146 OPS, 71 hits, 15 doubles and 60 RBI. He was tied for eighth in Division III with 18 home runs, the third-most in a season in program history.
Angelo’s wRC+ (weighted runs created plus) was fifth among NCAA players in all divisions at 225.
In a victory over Redlands on March 12, he tied the program record with nine RBI and collected a career-high five hits.
Angelo, whose hometown is Toms River, N.J., began his career in 2020 but played only four games because that was the COVID-19 season.
Monclair State went 26-13 last season.
Hunter Stokley, who played first base for UNC two seasons ago but missed most of last season because of injury, is expected to return for the Tar Heels next season.
Photos via monclairathletics.com
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