Four Pack players, three Tar Heel players make All-ACC baseball team

ncstatehatAtlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year DJ Stewart of Florida State and Co-Pitchers of the Year Chris Diaz of Miami and Nathan Kirby of Virginia head up the 2014 All-ACC Baseball Team, announced on Monday.

Miami catcher Zack Collins earned ACC Freshman of the Year honors, while Virginia’s Brian O’Connor was selected the ACC Coach of the Year. Each of the ACC’s major season awards, as well as the All-ACC team, were voted upon by the league’s 14 head coaches.

Stewart, a sophomore outfielder from Yulee, Florida, led the Seminoles (41-14, 21-9 ACC) to the Atlantic Division title and the No. 2 seed in this week’s ACC Championship at Greensboro’s NewBridge Bank Park. Stewart leads the ACC in batting at .362 and is tied for the conference lead in RBIs with 47. He is also tied for the league lead in doubles with 19 and is sixth in home runs with seven.

Diaz is a big reason Miami heads into the ACC Championship (40-15, 24-6) as Coastal Division champion and the No. 1 overall seed. The Florida City, Florida, left-hander owns a perfect 9-0 record and a 2.32 ERA while striking out 78 batters and walking 33 in 89 1/3 innings. His nine wins are tied for most among conference pitchers.

Virginia’s Kirby owns an 8-1 record that includes a no-hit, shutout victory over Pitt on April 4, and an ACC-low ERA of 1.58. The Midlothian, Virginia, sophomore ranks fifth among ACC pitchers in strikeouts with 91 while walking just 20 batters in 85 1/3 innings. Kirby has limited opposing hitters to a .180 collective batting average.

Collins, a catcher from Pembroke Pines, Florida, has appeared in 50 of Miami’s 55 games, including 53 starts. He ranks fourth on his team with a .285 average, is tied for second in the ACC with eight home runs and is tied for fourth in RBIs with 46.

Stewart, Diaz and Kirby were all voted All-ACC first team, while Collins earned third-team honors.

Virginia’s O’Connor was voted the ACC Coach of the Year for the second straight season and for the fifth time in his 11 seasons leading the Cavaliers. O’Connor’s team has been ranked No. 1 in the nation most of this season while compiling a 43-11 record that includes a 22-8 mark in ACC play. Virginia leads all schools with eight student-athletes selected to this year’s All-ACC team, including a league-leading five first-team honorees.

Miami and Clemson each had seven players voted first-, second- or third-team All-ACC, followed by Florida State with six selections. The Seminoles’ four first-team selections rank second behind Virginia, followed by NC State with three, and Boston College, Clemson, Miami and North Carolina with one each.

Fifteen of the 48 student-athletes named to the 2014 All-ACC Baseball Team are repeat selections, including a trio of three-time honorees in NC State’s Trea Turner and Carlos Rodon, and Clemson second baseman Steve Wilkerson.

Area members of the 2014 All-ACC Baseball Teams

FIRST TEAM

Brett Austin
Jr.
C
NC State

Trea Turner
Jr.
SS
NC State ***

Carlos Rodon
Jr.
SP
NC State ***

Reilly Hovis
So.
RP
North Carolina

SECOND TEAM

Jordan Betts
Sr.
3B
Duke **

Michael Russell
Jr.
SS
North Carolina

Chris Marconcini
R-Jr.
OF
Duke

Trent Thornton
So.
SP
North Carolina **

THIRD TEAM

Aaron Cohn
R-Jr.
1B
Duke

Andrew Knizner
Fr.
3B
NC State

Tom Zengel
Sr.
DH/UT
North Carolina

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