Former Diamond Heels make great first impression in their pro baseball debuts

Jake Schaffner and Owen Hull have essentially been on the same journey since they both transferred to North Carolina last offseason.

From joining forces in the Diamond Heels lineup to being key clogs in the Tar Heels run to the College World Series Championship series, it didn't just end when the final pitch was thrown this past season. In fact, their journey together continued when they were selected by the Boston Red Sox with their top two selections in the 2026 MLB Draft.

Now, the former Tar Heels have taken another step in their baseball careers together, as they both made their pro debuts in High-A ball on Saturday night.

To no surprise, both made a great first impression.

Jake Schaffner and Owen Hull impress in their pro baseball debuts

Playing for the Greenville Drive, the High-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, Schaffner and Hull showed flashes of why the franchise took them early in this year's draft class.

Let's start with Hull, whose first professional hit is one that drove in two runs. Tar Heel fans won't be stunned by that fact, given they saw him collect over 80 RBIs over his lone season in Chapel Hill, as he's simply a guy who has a knack for driving in runs.

Overall, Hull collected two hits in five at-bats, as he added another RBI single later on in the game. He walked in his first professional at-bat, showing his patience at the plate.

Trivia question time: who was one of the two players Hull drove in with his first professional hit?

If you guessed Jake Schaffer, you are correct!

Schaffner put together some great at-bats in his debut, as he drove in a run on a fielder's choice in his first plate appearance. He went on to walk in his second at-bat and later scored on Hull's RBI single.

His first professional knock came in the top of the sixth inning when he smoked a double into the right centerfield gap.

Overall, Schaffner reached base four times, recording a pair of hits to go along with two walks. He scored three runs and drove in another, flashing his speed with stolen base.

Jake Schaffner and Owen Hull officially get a taste of life with the Boston Red Sox

Fans of the Diamond Heels were fortunate enough to watch both of these guys thrive in Chapel Hill for their lone season on campus. Scott Forbes and his staff did a tremendous job of identifying talent in the transfer portal that not only fit what UNC was looking to do on the field, but help set the tone for the type of culture the program continues to strive for.

It's no surprise that both Schaffner and Hull made the most of their first professional baseball action, and hope to continue that success as they finish up the 2026 season in High-A ball. Throwing them essentially into game action shows how highly the Red Sox organization thinks of them, wanting them to gain as much experience possible before they head into their first offseason as professional baseball players.

Now, the journey to the big leagues is officially underway, one that Schaffner and Hull would love to continue doing together. It would be quite the story if they can make their MLB debuts around the same time (or heck, even on the same day!).

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