Vance Honeycutt could very well be on his way to the 2024 MLB Draft after North Carolina wraps up its stay in Omaha for the 2024 Men’s College World Series.
He has starred at the plate and in the outfield for the Tar Heels since his freshman year in 2022. Now about to wrap up his junior season, UNC head coach Scott Forbes took a moment to reflect on the legacy Honeycutt will leave after his time in Chapel Hill is through.
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“I’ve never coached a combination of power and speed,” Forbes said. “The kid has never taken a day off. I’ve never said a word negative to the kid. I’ve never had to say, Hey, you know, keep your head up. Or if he is 0-for-4, 4Ks, which has happened to him, you can’t tell.
“He’s an unbelievable leader off the field. He’s done an unbelievable job in the classroom. I don’t like to use the word “perfect” because nobody is perfect, but he’s been an absolute pleasure to coach. And there’s a reason we’ve had the success we’ve had, and there’s a reason that this team made it to Omaha.”
Across three seasons with the Tar Heels, Honeycutt has been responsible for 202 runs on 198 hits across 680 total at-bats. He has also accounted for 63 home runs, 165 RBIs and 125 walks during that time with an OBP of .412 and a career batting average of .291.
This season alone, Honeycutt has proved why he’s one of the top players in college baseball. He’s batting a career-high 3.14 coming into Omaha to go with 76 hits, 65 RBIs, 35 walks and 26 home runs having played in 59 games for the Tar Heels this season.
“He stepped up and played great for us,” Forbes continued. “But when he wasn’t, quote, hitting the home runs or getting the big hit, he was doing so much more for us. Obviously playing an unbelievable center field, but he is a lead-by-example guy, and that’s really helped these young guys.
“That gets passed down. Look at these guys that are here today that played in our program. When you have that leadership in your locker room like that, it affects you years down the road, and that’s what Vance Honeycutt — he will leave more than what you guys see on the field. He’ll leave a much bigger legacy than that for sure.”
Honeycutt will lead the Tar Heels’ efforts in Omaha, which begins on Friday afternoon in Game 1 against ACC foe Virginia. The first pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET live on ESPN.
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