UNC Baseball lands two on the DI Baseball Freshman First-Team All-American squad

On a roster full of veteran talent, the UNC baseball program relied heavily on some freshman talent, including the battery of Jason DeCaro and Luke Stevenson.

The Diamond Heels duo are among the top freshmen in the country, as they've earned plenty of accolades already for their first season in Chapel Hill. At this point, the honors keep rolling in, as DI Baseball tabbed both players as first-team freshman All-Americans.

The Diamond Heels are the only program in the country to have two first-team selections on this list, as Duke is the only other school to have multiple selections. North Carolina's duo sits together among the first-team honorees, as both players made immediate impacts that have Tar Heel fans excited for what's to come.

DeCaro, a second-team All-ACC pitcher, worked his way into becoming the UNC baseball program's ace. After the rotation suffered two key injuries, it was DeCaro who stepped up to help fill the void, as he worked his way into being one of the most consistent starting pitchers in the country.

The right-hander finished the season with a 3.81 ERA, a mark that ranks him seventh in the country among Division I freshman pitchers. DeCaro led the ACC in starts (18) and posted a 6-1 record in 89.2 innings pitched, as he provided quality outings essentially every time he toed the rubber.

Stevenson took over behind the plate immediately, as he started 63 of the 64 games he appeared in this season. Following the departure of Tomas Frick to the Major Leagues, Stevenson provided a spark on both sides of the ball, as he slugged 14 homers and drove in 58 runs. He put together 15 multi-hit games and had 13 games in which he drove in multiple runs. To add to that, Stevenson handled the Tar Heels pitching staff, a role that could be difficult for a true freshman to take over right from the jump.

Both players proved that they were ready for the challenges of collegiate baseball, as they rank among the top freshman players in the country. With both slated to return to Chapel Hill next season, the future looks very bright for this combo, as they should be able to do some big things in their second season on campus.