ECU baseball's Trey Yesavage, 20 other top college baseball players in North Carolina
With May’s arrival, it’s almost time for some postseason college baseball.
In less than a month, teams across the nation will gather to watch the Selection Show for the Road to Omaha and the College World Series. As it stands, six teams from North Carolina are projected to be among the squads revealed on May 27.
The fifth-ranked Pirates (35-8) lead that group, followed by No. 9 Duke (30-14), No. 12 UNC (33-11), No. 15 Wake Forest (27-16) and No. 20 N.C. State (25-16). UNCW (28-16) is among the teams receiving votes.
Each of those squads are projected to be competing in the postseason, but Campbell (27-15) is lurking as another team in the mix.
THE HAWKS ARE HOT: Can UNCW baseball keep its regular season success rolling into the postseason?
RANKINGS: USA TODAY Sports college baseball coaches poll
Here’s a look at 21 of the state’s top college baseball players on the seven teams that could be competing for a chance to get to the College World Series.
Charlie Beilenson, Duke baseball
One of the top relievers in the nation, Beilenson has a 1.94 ERA in 22 appearances. Across 41 ⅔ innings, the right-hander has a 5-2 record, nine saves and 61 strikeouts.
Chase Burns, Wake Forest baseball
A three-time ACC Pitcher of the Week, Burns has an 8-1 record with 127 strikeouts across 69 innings. The Tennessee transfer has limited opponents to a .180 batting average.
Casey Cook, UNC baseball
Cook is one of the top hitters in the ACC. The redshirt sophomore has a .337 batting average, 59 hits, 58 RBIs with starts in every game of the season.
Jacob Cozart, NC State baseball
An All-ACC catcher, Cozart has a .304 batting average, .432 on-base percentage, 12 home runs and 34 walks. He also has 288 putouts through 41 games.
Carter Cunningham, ECU baseball
The senior star has blossomed into a star in the batter’s box with a .412 batting average, 70 hits, 13 doubles, 12 home runs and 54 RBIs. Cunningham has a .724 slugging percentage.
Parks Harber, UNC baseball
The Georgia transfer is tearing it up for the Tar Heels with a .359 batting average, 56 hits, 45 RBIs and 15 home runs. Harber had a three-homer game at Wake Forest in late March.
Lawson Harrill, Campbell baseball
Harrill does it all for the Camels. The redshirt senior outfielder has a .365 batting average, .827 slugging percentage and a .510 on-base percentage. He has 19 home runs, 15 doubles and 31 walks in 44 games.
Vance Honeycutt, UNC baseball
One of the top power hitters, baserunners and outfielders in the nation, Honeycutt has a .314 batting average with 16 home runs and 44 RBIs. He has 59 runs and 26 stolen bases.
Ryley Johnson, ECU baseball
With a .505 on-base percentage, Johnson is a threat every time he steps in the batter’s box. The junior has a .372 batting average, 56 runs, 35 walks and 18 stolen bases.
Grant Knipp, Campbell baseball
Despite missing time due to an injury, Knipp has been a two-time CAA Player of the Week through 28 games. The catcher has a .414 batting average, 18 home runs and 46 RBIs.
Nick Kurtz, Wake Forest baseball
One of the top power hitters in the nation, Kurtz has a .307 batting average with 18 home runs and a .811 slugging percentage.
Alec Makarewicz, NC State baseball
The East Carolina transfer has found his footing with the Wolfpack. Makarewicz has started every game and has a .349 batting average with 17 home runs and 58 RBIs.
Trevor Marsh, UNC Wilmington baseball
The redshirt senior outfielder has a .341 batting average, 60 hits, 42 runs, 11 home runs and 33 RBIs. Marsh is coming off a four-hit performance against William & Mary.
Ben Miller, Duke baseball
The Penn transfer has become one of the top hitters in the ACC. Miller has a .418 batting average, 69 hits — including 17 doubles and 12 home runs — and 40 RBIs.
Garrett Pennington, NC State baseball
The Wichita State transfer has a .341 batting average, 10 home runs, 43 RBIs and 17 doubles through 41 games. Pennington has 19 games with multiple hits.
RJ Sales, UNC Wilmington baseball
Sales has a CAA-best eight wins this season. The sophomore has 65 strikeouts and has limited opponents to a .188 batting average across 64 ⅔ innings.
Jonathan Santucci, Duke baseball
The junior left-handed pitcher has a 3.67 ERA with a 5-1 record in 11 appearances and 83 strikeouts across 54 innings. Santucci is limiting opponents to a .191 batting average.
Adam Tellier, Wake Forest baseball
The Ball State transfer is leading the Demon Deacons in several categories. Tellier has a .328 batting average, 58 hits, 42 runs and 16 stolen bases. He also has 10 home runs and 10 doubles.
Tanner Thach, UNC Wilmington baseball
The sophomore standout has a .313 batting average, 56 RBIs and 55 hits, including 21 home runs. Thach has three games with multiple homers.
Dalen Thompson, Campbell baseball
A former star at Triton High School, Thompson leads the Camels with 15 stolen bases. The junior outfielder has a .298 batting average, 10 home runs and 37 RBIs.
Trey Yesavage, ECU baseball
The Pirates’ ace has a 1.73 ERA with 113 strikeouts across 67 ⅔ innings. Yesavage has a 9-1 record in 11 appearances and is limiting batters to a .148 clip at the plate.
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: ECU's Trey Yesavage among college baseball's top players in NC
