By R.L. Bynum
Junior third baseman/outfielder Mac Horvath became the highest Carolina draft pick in three years when the Baltimore Orioles selected him in the second round of the Major League Baseball Draft on Sunday night in Seattle as the 53rd overall pick.
He’s the highest UNC pick since Aaron Sabato went 27th overall in 2020 to the Minnesota Twins, the 220th player drafted in program history and eighth by the Orioles.
The Rochester, Minn., product, a first-team Perfect Game All-America, hit .305 with a 1.129 OPS, 24 home runs, 66 RBI and 25 steals last season. He became the second player in program history with 20 homers and 20 steals in the same season and the first to also hit 20 doubles.
Horvath, who played third base, right field and center field for UNC last season, ranked second in home runs and stolen bases in the ACC, fourth in runs (73), seventh in doubles (21) and slugging percentage (.711), eighth in RBIs and 10th in OPS.
Horvath is third all-time at UNC in career home runs (47), sixth in extra-base hits (90) and the third player in program history with more than 40 homers and 40 steals.
Other UNC players drafted by the Orioles were Dylan Harris (2020), Cody Roberts (2018), Brad Powell (1985), Jeff Hubbard (1984), John Euler (1971) and Danny Talbott (1967). The Orioles drafted Brian Roberts, who began his career at North Carolina but transferred to South Carolina, in 1999.
The third round of the draft is Monday, with the final 10 rounds on Tuesday.
Two-time state high school player of the year Walker Jenkins from South Brunswick High School , who had committed to UNC, was picked fifth overall by the Minnesota Twins and won’t likely play for the Tar Heels.
Photo courtesy of UNC Athletics Communications
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