Honeycutt out for this week’s regionals with lingering lower-back issues

By R.L. Bynum

Vance Honeycutt’s lower-back issues continue to linger, and he will be unavailable to North Carolina during this week’s Terre Haute Regional.

The sophomore center fielder, the ACC Defensive Fielder of the Year, hasn’t played since the Tar Heels’ sweep of N.C. State in mid-May. UNC faces Iowa in its first regional game in Terre Haute, Ind., on Friday at 5 p.m. (ACC Network).

“You get the doctors’ opinions, and we have to do what’s best for Vance,” UNC coach Scott Forbes said. “He wants to play. But until that lower back heals completely, it’s just one of those things; you have to rest to heal it.”

Forbes said that they found out when they got back from the regular-season-ending series against Clemson that Honeycutt’s condition was worse than they thought, and that’s why he was ruled out for the ACC tournament.

“We’ll see what happens,” Forbes said. “We go on a run; you get to Omaha, you always have hope. But Vance will not be available for the regional.”

Forbes said that Honeycutt felt it during a sprint to first base during the last game of the N.C. State series.

Junior Mac Horvath will continue to start in center field, with Johnny Castagnozzi starting at third base for the Tar Heels and Alberto Osuna continuing at designated hitter.

“We’re past the initial shock of not having Vance,” Forbes said. “Vance is such a glue guy. He’ll be in the dugout with us and our guys are going to rally around it and do everything to raise their level to help us succeed.”