By R.L. Bynum
Two North Carolina players who went undrafted in last week’s MLB draft have signed free-agent contracts.
First baseman Parks Harber has signed a deal with the New York Yankees and pitcher Ben Peterson has reached a deal with the San Francisco Giants.
A three-year letterman at Georgia, the 6–3, 225-pound Harber transferred to North Carolina in the offseason, starting 60 games and earning second-team All-ACC honors. He hit a team-high .343 and posted career-highs in home runs (20, second on the team), RBI (63), hits (80) and walks (35).
Harber, who turns 23 in September, had three hits in his UNC debut against Wagner, a career-high five RBI against Georgia Tech on March 26 and tied the program record with three home runs against Wake Forest on March 30, homering in five consecutive games from March 23 to 30.
Peterson, a 6–3, 217-pound right-hander, pitched at Appalachian State as a freshman and Florida Southwestern State College as a sophomore before pitching two seasons for UNC.
Last season, he was 3–2 with a 4.70 ERA, walking 20 and striking out 30 in 30⅔ innings after going 3–0 with a 5.40 in 35 innings in 2023.
Photo courtesy of UNC Athletics
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