June 24, 2008

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Sophomore All-America selections Dustin Ackley, Tim Fedroff and Alex White each earned most valuable player honors when North Carolina announced its season-ending baseball awards Tuesday. Ackley and Fedroff were co-winners of the S.H. Basnight Award for position players, while White claimed the pitching MVP award.

In addition to the MVP award winners, sophomores Brian Moran and Kyle Seager each earned the Walter Rabb Award for the most improved players. The Francis "Tripp" Bourne Award for the most dedicated players went to the entire pitching staff.

Ackley and Fedroff, who rank as the first Tar Heel tandem to bat over .400 in the same season, posted two of the finest offensive campaigns in school history. Ackley hit .417 with 82 runs scored, 51 RBI and 19 stolen bases, while Fedroff batted .404 with 78 runs, 12 home runs, 71 RBI and 14 steals.

A two-time All-America, Ackley set a school record with his 82 runs scored and logged the second-most hits (116) in UNC history and the third-best average. He also registered top-10 single-season totals in at-bats, doubles and total bases. His .409 career batting average is tops in school history and tied for second in the Atlantic Coast Conference record book.

Fedroff, a consensus All-America, posted the third-most hits (115) and fifth-best batting average in school history. He also notched top-10 single-season totals in at-bats, runs, doubles, triples, extra-base hits, RBI and total bases.

White finished the year with a 13-3 record and a 2.83 ERA in 20 games, which included 15 starts. He worked 101 2/3 innings and struck out 113 to 42 walks. White tied for second in school history in wins and tied for fifth in strikeouts. The ACC Pitcher of the Year was at his best in the postseason with a 5-0 record and a 2.76 ERA in 29 1/3 innings. White tied an NCAA record with three wins in a single College World Series.

Moran claimed the most improved pitching honor after making the jump from 13 appearances in 2007 to 40 in 2008. In 49 innings, Moran struck out 72 batters and walked just 17. He held opponents to a .245 average and posted a 2.76 ERA out of the bullpen. His 40 appearances are tied for the fourth most in school history, and he went 1-2 with two saves.

The Tar Heels' fourth All-America selection, Seager earned most improved position player honors after batting .347 with a school-record 30 doubles, nine home runs and a team-high 75 RBI, which rank fourth in UNC history. He also posted top-10 single-season totals in triples, extra-base hits and total bases.

Carolina's pitchers earned the award for dedication after ranking as the nation's best staff throughout the 2008 season. The Tar Heels led the nation with a 2.92 ERA, which ranks as the program's lowest mark since 1983. Carolina also recorded a school-record 681 strikeouts and tossed eight shutouts, which was one off the program record. UNC's hurlers entered the CWS as the nation's leader in ERA, strikeouts per nine innings, fewest hits per nine innings and opponent batting average.