UNC and the MLB Draft

[Raising Heel]

To get us started, here's a good article about how last year's draft hurt UNC's recruiting class and what to expect this year:

http://www.heraldsun.com/sports/unc/x1222496059/UNC-wary-of-losing-signees-to-MLB-draft

This year, Fox is bringing in 19 players in his 2015-16 recruiting class, including four of Baseball America’s Top 75 prospects. The crown jewel of the group is arguably Jahmai Jones, an outfielder from Norcross, Georgia, ranked at No. 46 in Baseball America’stop 75 players. Right behind Jones is outfielder and first baseman Desmond Lindsay, who Baseball America ranks as No. 49.

Sure enough, Jones and Lindsay got drafted in the second round last night. None of the players on the current roster have been selected (yet?). Draft resumes at 12:30 today.

 

[Littlejon]

Kinda surprised Lindsey went that far ahead of Jones. Lindsey at 53 to the Mets and Jones at 70 to the Angels. I guess we'll wait and see what they do, but maybe at least Jones will decide the money isn't good enough.

I fully expect Lassiter has played his last days for UNC, but I am hoping that Bolt and Thornton will come back. We'll see, I guess.

 

[UNCFAN4403]

Bolt in the fourth to Oakland

 

[Jarrod Hardy]

Benton moss in 5th to Tampa Bay trent thornton to Houston reilly hovis to Miami marlins I got a feeling reilly will possibly return to UNC

 

[Jarrod Hardy]

Bolt will not back ! Neither will Trent according to posts trent thanked Houston and said he did it grandpa on twitter

 

[JohnGwaltney]

BY UNC ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

North Carolina's Skye Bolt, Trent Thornton, Benton Moss and Reilly Hovis were selected on day two of the 2015 MLB Draft Tuesday. Bolt was taken in the fourth round by Oakland, Thornton in the fifth round by Houston, Moss in the sixth round by Tampa Bay and Hovis in the ninth round by Miami. This year marks the sixth time since 2000 that at least four Tar Heels were selected in the first 10 rounds of the draft.

A third-team All-ACC outfielder as a junior, Bolt was the 128th overall pick and the 23rd player taken in the fourth round. The Woodstock, Georgia, native hit .259 with 10 homers and a team-best 45 RBIs in 2015. In three seasons in Chapel Hill, Bolt has tallied 20 home runs, 32 doubles, 128 RBIs and 28 stolen bases in addition to playing outstanding outfield defense.

Thornton struggled at times during his junior season but still struck out a team-best 81 batters and limited opponents to a .240 average in 62.0 innings. A native of Charlotte, Thornton becomes the fourth Tar Heel to be taken by Houston in the last five years. The hard-throwing right-hander has a 22-12 record in three seasons at UNC and a 2.82 ERA over 249.1 career innings.

Moss, who was selected in the 15th round by San Francisco a year ago, improved his draft position by 270 places when he was taken 178th overall by Tampa Bay. A four-year weekend starter for Carolina, the Enfield, North Carolina, native finished his Tar Heel career ranked second in school history in strikeouts, fifth in innings pitched, seventh in winning percentage, and eighth in wins. As a senior in 2015, Moss went 7-1 with a 3.44 ERA in 13 appearances and earned third-team All-ACC honors.

Hovis was a first-team All-ACC reliever as a sophomore in 2014 but was limited to just two appearances as a junior before undergoing Tommy John surgery in April. Despite the injury, Hovis was picked 266th overall by the same Miami Marlins franchise that took former Tar Heel Colin Moran in the first round in 2013. The Gastonia righty holds a 14-1 career record and a 2.75 ERA at UNC.

In addition to the four Tar Heels selected Tuesday, a pair of UNC commits were taken in Monday's second round. Desmond Lindsey, an outfielder from Brandenton, Florida, was picked 53rd overall by the New York Mets, while Jahmai Jones, an outfielder from Roswell, Georgia, was taken 70th overall by the Los Angeles Angels.

 

[Raising Heel]

Good luck to the four UNC players drafted! I'm sure it's been a dream of theirs to play professionally, so good for them. Tar Heels for life.

 

[UNC71-00]

Are we sure Bolt is going? I'm actually surprised he was drafted so high.

 

[Jarrod Hardy]

Bolt and thornton are absolutely leaving. Got confirmed Landon is leaving also. Landon got drafted by white sox . Diamond Heels senior Trevor Kelley got drafted by Boston. Former Tar Heel Taylore Cherry who left the team this year was drafted

 

[JohnGwaltney]

BY UNC ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Korey Dunbar, Landon Lassiter and Trevor Kelley were selected on the final day of the 2015 MLB Draft Wednesday afternoon. Dunbar was a 20th-round pick of the Miami Marlins, while Lassiter went one round later to the Chicago White Sox and Kelley was taken in the 36th round by the Boston Red Sox.

Dunbar had his best year as a Tar Heel in 2015, batting .288 with six homers and a team-best 16 doubles while catching almost every inning of every game in the final three months of the season. The Charleston, West Virginia, junior threw out 21 would-be base stealers on the year.

Lassiter hit .300 with 14 doubles in his junior campaign. The High Point product tied for the team lead with 61 hits and was third on the squad with 36 walks.

Kelley was one of the nation's most important pitchers in 2015. The senior from Wilmington appeared in 41 of Carolina's 58 games and posted a 5-3 record with a 2.55 ERA in 77.2 innings. Kelley struck out 71 batters against just 20 walks and finished his UNC career in the top 10 in school history in appearances.

Three more UNC commits were also selected Wednesday - catcher Wyatt Cross went in the 33rd round to Colorado, catcher Brendan Illies went in the 33rd round to the New York Mets and lefty Brendon Little went in the 36th round to San Francisco.

Former Carolina right-hander Taylore Cherry was a 32nd round pick of the Chicago White Sox.