June 8, 2010
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. --- Junior Matt Harvey and sophomore Levi Michael, who helped lead North Carolina to a record ninth straight NCAA appearance, were honored as the Tar Heels' most valuable players for 2010, head coach Mike Fox announced Monday. Harvey and Michael received the S.H. Basnight Award as the teams' most valuable pitcher and player.
Seniors Mike Cavasinni and Colin Bates claimed the Francis "Tripp" Bourne Award as the team's most dedicated players, while sophomore Jacob Stallings and Greg Holt were honored with the Walter Rabb Award, presented to the team's most improved players.
The seventh overall pick by the New York Mets in the MLB First-Year Draft Monday, Harvey ranks ninth all-time in strikeouts (263) and tenth all-time in wins (22) in Carolina history. The Mystic, Conn., native pitched two complete games this season while registering a career-best eight wins en route to earning first-team All-ACC honors.
In 2010, Harvey led the Tar Heels in nearly every statistical pitching category posting 102 strikeouts and a 3.09 ERA in 96 innings pitched. Opponents hit a lowly .224 against the junior, who registered a near 3:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. The powerful right-hander fanned double-digit batters four different times this season, garnering ACC Pitcher of the Week twice and National Pitcher of the Week once.
A freshman All-America in his rookie campaign, Levi Michael continued to prove he is one of the top young players in the country leading Carolina in nearly every statistical batting category. Michael, who reached base safely in 37 of his last 38 games, led the Tar Heels in batting average (.346), runs (76), home runs (9), total bases (123), slugging percentage (.575), on-base percentage (.480), and stolen bases (20). The Welcome, N.C., native made the adjustment from second to third base while notching a team-best and career-best 16 game hit streak in 2010.
Fifth-year senior
Mike Cavasinni, the heart and soul of the 2010 Diamond Heels, finished his career with a .287 batting average and 39 stolen bases. The Huntersville, N.C., native matched his hit total (63) from 2006 and strung together two 14 game hit streaks in 2010, both career-bests. The senior anchored the Carolina defense in centerfield erasing extra base hits with his speed in the outfield.
A freshman in 2006, Cavasinni notched a career-best .317 batting average. The senior registered a career-best five hits in the Super Regional victory over Alabama helping lead Carolina to their first of an ACC record four trips to Omaha. Cavasinni graduated May 9, 2010 with a bachelor's degree in exercise and sports science.
Selected in the 23rd round by the Washington Nationals in the 2010 MLB Draft, Bates finishes his career with a 3.26 ERA, 16-7 record and 185 strikeouts in 182.0 innings. Bates matched his career-best win total with six in 2010 after making the first starts of his career earlier this season. In his sophomore 2009 campaign, he finished second in the ACC and eighth nationally in appearances, as the Tar Heels advanced to Omaha for the fourth straight time.
The veteran was brilliant in his final game on the mound, tossing two shutout innings while notching five of his six outs via the strikeout in a narrow 3-2 loss at Oklahoma in the NCAA Tournament. An outstanding student, Colin is a three-time member of the ACC Academic Honor Roll and two-time member of the All-ACC Academic Baseball Team. The Naperville, Ill., native graduated May 9, 2010 with a bachelor's degree from the Kenan-Flager Business School.
Holt, who entered 2010 with just 10.2 career innings pitched, led the Carolina staff with 26 appearances this season. The junior right-hander led the Tar Heels with three saves en route to posting a 3-4 record. The Clemmons, N.C., native recorded his first career win against Davidson April 21 and pitched six shutout innings in a win over NCAA tournament team College of Charleston May 12. Holt was one of Carolina's most reliable arms in the pen making an appearance in all four of the Tar Heels' postseason contests.
Stallings enjoyed a breakout sophomore season starting 41 games behind the plate. The talented defensive catcher emerged as a one of the Tar Heels' top bats in the last third of the season. The Brentwood, Tenn., native notched a career-best .307 average with a pair of home runs, 24 RBI and a .417 on-base percentage. Stallings ranked second on the team in batting with a .338 average in league play, earning new career-bests in hits, runs and RBI. The sophomore notched six hits, which included four doubles, one grand slam home run and six RBI , en route to earning Tar Heel of the Week honors May 10.
