Sept. 25, 2007
TUSCON, Ariz. -
Two-time College World Series runner-up North Carolina has once again landed one of the nation's top groups of newcomers according to Collegiate Baseball's annual recruiting rankings, which were released Tuesday. The Tar Heels' 13-man class was rated seventh nationally and second in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Carolina's class is the highest rated among Collegiate Baseball's rankings comprised solely of high school talent for the second straight season.
Right-handers Matt Harvey (Mystic, Conn.) and Nate Striz (Lakeland, Fla.), who were each selected in the top five rounds of the 2007 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, headline this year's crop of rookies. Both hurlers were rated among Baseball America's top 100 prospects as prep standouts.
Led by recruiting coordinator Chad Holbrook, the Tar Heels have had great success recruiting from the state of North Carolina in recent years. This year was no exception, as UNC added four of the top 10 in-state prospects in No. 3 Patrick Johnson (RHP, Conover, N.C.), No. 5 Ben Bunting (CF, Randleman, N.C.), No. 8 Greg Holt (3B/RHP, Clemmons, N.C.) and No. 10 Ryan Leach (RHP/IF, Forest City, N.C.).
Rounding out the Tar Heels' class are: Zeke Blanton (OF, Forest City, N.C.), Garrett Davis (RHP, Fremont, N.C.), Michael Knox (1B, Cary, N.C.), Logan Munson (LHP, Columbia, S.C.), Robbie Penny (RHP, Whiteville, N.C.), Tarran Robinson (LHP, Chapel Hill, N.C.) and Brett Thomas (1B, Columbia, S.C.)
LSU claimed the top class followed by Florida State at No. 2. Atlantic Coast Conference opponents Virginia (No. 13), Miami (No. 20), Clemson (No. 21) and Georgia Tech (No. 23) also earned spots in the top 40 ranking.
The 2007 class marks the second straight top-seven crop for Carolina, which has posted a top-11 class in four of the last five years. The Tar Heels' 2006 class, which featured freshman All-Americas Dustin Ackley, Tim Fedroff and Alex White, was ranked No. 6 by the publication.
The Tar Heels are in the midst of fall practice and open their annual Fall World Series Oct. 9 at the USA Baseball Training Complex in Cary.
