UNC Baseball program lands commitment from Division III All-American transfer

When Alex Madera committed to the UNC baseball program last offseason, there were questions as to whether his production would translate to the Division I level.

Coming from a Division III program to play for one of the country's premier baseball programs isn't an easy transition, but Madera made it seem effortless. He became a major part of the UNC baseball program's successful season, as his contributions with the bat and while playing second base were major boosts for the Diamond Heels.

With plenty of offensive pieces to replace, Scott Forbes and the Tar Heels have once again tapped into the Division III ranks, as they've earned a commitment from Samuel Angelo.

Angelo is a first baseman from Toms River, New Jersey. He has played his entire collegiate career thus far at Montclair State University, as he put up video game type numbers in each of the last two seasons.

During the 2023 season, Angelo hit .457 in 37 games played, as he clubbed 17 doubles and 13 home runs along the way. Although his average dipped to .436 (if you can even call it a dip), his power numbers rose, as he hit 18 home runs in 39 games.

When you put up production like that, the individual honors are sure to roll in. This season, Angelo earned the following accolades:

D3baseball.com First Team All-American
D3baseball.com Region 4 Player of the Year
D3baseball.com First Team All-Region
ABCA First Team All-American
ABCA Region 4 Player of the Year
ABCA First Team All-Region
NJAC Player of the Year
First Team All-NJAC

With one season of eligibility to work with, Angelo will come to Chapel Hill in hopes of helping bolster the Diamond Heels everyday lineup. With Parks Harber exhausting his eligibility, the UNC baseball program have a hole to fill at first base and hope that Angelo can be the guy to fill the void.