By R.L. Bynum
Three North Carolina pitchers — left-handers Dalton Pence and Shea Sprague and right-hander Aidan Haugh — were drafted Tuesday on the final day of the MLB Draft, but none could have been more pleased than Sprague.
The Boston Red Sox made Sprague with the 387th overall pick in the 13th round, which no doubt delighted the huge Boston sports fan from Hanover, Mass. Carolina’s run to the College World Series aligned with the Boston Celtics’ run to the NBA title, and Sprague often talked about his Celtics fandom during press availabilities.
Pence was the first on Tuesday to hear his name called as the Texas Rangers, who one day earlier selected left fielder Casey Cook, made Pence the 345th overall pick in the 11th round. The Minnesota Twins selected Haugh as the 488th overall pick in the 16th round.
That gave UNC six draftees this season after the Baltimore Orioles selected center fielder Vance Honeycutt as the 22nd pick in the first round on Sunday, then on Monday Cook and right fielder Anthony Donofrio (303rd overall pick in the 10th round by the Seattle Mariners) were picked.
The six picks are the most in the first 16 rounds since six players were taken in 2018. Under Coach Scott Forbes, 17 Tar Heels have been drafted.
MLB teams have until Aug. 1 to sign draft picks.
The draft ended at 5:25 Tuesday after the 615th player was picked.
Sprague’s devastating changeup befuddled many batters last season as a junior transfer from Elon. Sprague, who went from the No. 3 starter to the No. 2 starter after Folger Boaz’s injury in early April, made second-team All-ACC after going 3–2 with a 4.25 ERA. Among ACC pitchers, he issued the second-fewest walks per nine innings, had the fourth-lowest strikeouts-to-walks ratio (3.89) and the ninth-lowest ERA
Pence rebounded after having Tommy John surgery as a freshman and was one of the best relievers in college baseball last season as a redshirt sophomore. Named second-team All-America by four outlets and third-team All-ACC, he went 5–1 with a 2.45 ERA with eight saves.
Pence earned the win in the Chapel Hill Regional title-clinching win over LSU and the save in the Super Regionals title-clinching victory over West Virginia. He pitched 3⅓ shutout innings in UNC’s victory over Virginia in the College World Series opener.
Haugh, with a fastball that reached 95 mph last season, became the Tar Heels’ No. 3 starter after Boaz’s injury for UNC. The junior transfer from Fayetteville Tech, who made his first 13 appearances out of the Carolina bullpen, went 4–3 with a 4.83 ERA and a 2.26 strikeouts-to-walks ratio, averaging 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings.
No high school players who have committed to UNC were selected on Tuesday after the San Diego Padres on Monday picked East Rowan High School shortstop Cobb Hightower.
Photo courtesy of UNC Athletics
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