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UNC Baseball: Vance Honeycutt quickly making a name for himself

ByNick Delahanty|
CHAPEL HILL, NC - FEBRUARY 19: An Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and NCAA game baseball during a game between High Point and North Carolina at Boshamer Stadium on February 19, 2020 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Andy Mead/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NC - FEBRUARY 19: An Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and NCAA game baseball during a game between High Point and North Carolina at Boshamer Stadium on February 19, 2020 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Andy Mead/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

The UNC baseball freshman centerfielder didn’t take long to acclimate to the college baseball game. 

If you haven’t done so already, familiarize yourself with the name Vance Honeycutt.

The UNC baseball program is off to a blazing hot 8-1 start to the season, and Honeycutt has played a major role in the team’s early-season success. From the looks of it, you’d never even think that the Salisbury, North Carolina native is a true freshman based on his start to the 2022 campaign.

In his first game as a Tar Heel (hitting in the nine spot), Honeycutt put together a monster performance. The centerfielder went 3-4 with two home runs and four runs scored to help North Carolina secure an Opening Day victory.

Needless to say, him hitting ninth was definitely not going to last long.

Since that game, Honeycutt has moved his way up in the order and is now serving as the team’s leadoff hitter. His combination of speed and power is unique, as head coach Scott Forbes has compared him to Trea Turner of the Washington Nationals.

Although Honeycutt isn’t playing shortstop like Turner has grown accustomed to, the similarities between the two players are definitely there. Through nine games, we’ve seen first-hand just how the freshman centerfielder can impact the game in multiple ways.

Overall, Honeycutt currently has a .414 batting average, which ranks second among all Tar Heels hitters. To go along with his team-high five home runs, Honeycutt has also scored 15 runs while being a consistent on-base presence.

His speed has also been on display, as the freshman is a perfect 10-10 in stolen base opportunities. He has four multi-steal games, which already is something that the UNC baseball program hasn’t seen from a freshman in almost 20 seasons.

With the way he’s been playing, it could be expected that plenty more home runs and stolen bases are on the way for Vance Honeycutt. If they haven’t realized it just yet, opposing teams are going to have to take notice of Honeycutt, as he’s already quickly becoming an impact player for Forbes and the Tar Heels.

Continue to follow the Keeping It Heel team for all the latest news and updates regarding Vance Honeycutt and the rest of the UNC baseball program.

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