Four Diamond Heels were honored with ACC all-conference team picks on Monday, including sophomore outfielder Vance Honeycutt who was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year.
Honeycutt is the first Tar Heel to receive the award since its inception in 2017 and also was selected to the All-ACC third team. The Salisbury native was a significant presence in center field with 141 putouts in his 50 games started, as well as a Sports Center Top 10 home run robbery.
Along with Honeycutt, fellow outfielder Casey Cook — another man familiar with an SC Top 10 moment — earned All Freshman team honors. In ACC play alone, Cook ranks third in batting average with .393 and has an on-base streak of 43 games, the highest by a first-year in UNC history.
While no Tar Heels were selected to the first team, junior Mac Horvath and junior Jackson Van De Brake were chosen for second-team honors. Horvath, who has played multiple positions around the diamond, recently was the first ACC player since Marshall McDougall in 1999 to have at least 20 doubles, 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases in a single season.
Second baseman Van De Brake, who made an unexpected splash at the plate after transferring from Tacoma Community College, is currently slashing .325/.449/.515. Not only did his surprising offensive prowess come in handy, but his infield abilities were crucial to the Diamond Heels as the slugger racked up 72 putouts and 91 assists throughout the regular season.
