GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – The national focus on the upcoming Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball season continued this week as the league was well represented in two more preseason polls.
The USA Today Sports Coaches Poll placed seven ACC teams among the top 25, tying for the most of any conference. No. 10 Wake Forest led the way, followed by No. 11 Louisville, No. 12 North Carolina, No. 16 Virginia Tech, No. 18 Miami, No. 20 Virginia and No. 22 NC State.
Nine ACC schools – the second-most of any conference – were listed among the top 35 of the 26th annual NCBWA rankings. Wake Forest and Louisville again led at No. 8 and 10 respectively. Defending ACC champion North Carolina was at No. 13, followed by No. 17 Miami, No. 18 Virginia Tech and No. 19 Virginia.
NC State held the No. 24 spot, followed by No. 32 Florida State and No. 34 Notre Dame. Clemson and Georgia Tech also received votes.
The ACC placed 12 players on both the NCBWA and D1Baseball Preseason All-America Teams, including four first-team selections on each squad.
Reigning ACC Pitcher of the Year Rhett Lowder of Wake Forest is joined on the NCBWA first team by Virginia third baseman Jake Gelof, North Carolina outfielder Vance Honeycutt and Miami closer Andrew Walters.
Lowder, Honeycutt and Walters were also named to the D1Baseball first team, along with Wake Forest first baseman Nick Kurtz.
Eleven of the ACC’s 14 baseball teams have been ranked by at least one preseason publication, and 22 different conference players have been named to at least one preseason All-America team.
ACC baseball teams will open their seasons on Friday, February 17, with conference play set to begin on Friday, March 10. The 15-game ACC Baseball Championship will be held May 23-28 at Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham, North Carolina. ACC Network will be on hand for the first five days of the tournament, with ESPN or ESPN2 set to carry Sunday’s championship game.
Full tournament ticket books are now available at DurhamBulls.com or by calling the Durham Bulls Box Office at 919-965-BULL (2855). Please see
here for the direct link to online ticket sales.
USA Today Sports Coaches Top 25
10. Wake Forest
11. Louisville
12. North Carolina
16. Virginia Tech
18. Miami
20. Virginia
22. NC State
NCBWA Preseason Top 35
8. Wake Forest
10. Louisville
13. North Carolina
17. Miami
18. Virginia Tech
19. Virginia
24. NC State
32. Florida State
34. Notre Dame
NCBWA Preseason All-America
First team
3B – Jake Gelof, Virginia
OF – Vance Honeycutt, North Carolina
SP – Rhett Lowder, Wake Forest
RP – Andrew Walters, Miami
Second team
3B – Brock Wilken, Wake Forest
OF – Ian Farrow, Miami
OF – Jack Hurley, Virginia Tech
SP – Drue Hackenberg, Virginia Tech
Third team
C – Jack Payton, Louisville
DH -Alberto Osuna, North Carolina
SP – Wyatt Crowell, Florida State
SP – Kiernan Higgins, Virginia Tech
D1 Baseball Preseason All-America
First team
1B – Nick Kurtz, Wake Forest
OF – Vance Honeycutt, North Carolina
SP – Rhett Lowder, Wake Forest
RP – Andrew Walters, Miami
Second team
2B – Christian Knapczyk, Louisville
3B – Jake Gelof, Virginia
OF – Jack Hurley, Virginia Tech
Third team
C – Kyle Teel, Virginia
1B – CJ Kayfus, Miami
3B – Yohandy Morales, Miami
DH -Alberto Osuna, North Carolina
SP – Drue Hackenberg, Virginia Tech
RP – Camden Minacci, Wake Forest
D1Baseball 2023 Preseason Rankings
6. Wake Forest
12. North Carolina
14. Virginia Tech
16. Louisville
19. Virginia
21. NC State
22. Miami
Baseball America 2023 Preseason All-America Team
First team
C - Kyle Teel, Virginia
SP - Rhett Lowder, Wake Forest
RP - Andrew Walters, Miami
Second team
OF - Jack Hurley, Virginia Tech
OF - Vance Honeycutt, North Carolina
OF - Travis Honeyman, Boston College
Third team
C - Jack Payton, Louisville
1B - Nick Kurtz, Walke Forest
3B - Brock Wilken, Wake Forest
Baseball America 2023 Preseason Rankings
5. Louisville
8. Miami
9. Wake Forest
13. Virginia Tech
17. North Carolina
19. Virginia
25. NC State
Perfect Game 2023 Preseason All-America
First team
RHP - Rhett Lowder, Wake Forest
RP - Andrew Walters, Miami
3B - Jake Gelof, Virginia
OF - Vance Honeycutt, North Carolina
Second team
1B -Nick Kurtz, Wake Forest
DH - Brock Wilken, Wake Forest
OF - Jack Hurley, Virginia Tech.
SP - Wyatt Crowell, Florida State
Third team
C - Cooper Ingle, Clemson
3B - Yohandy Morales, Miami
IF - Carson DiMartini, Virgiina Tech
OF - Travis Honeyman, Boston College
DH - LuJames Groover III, NC State
SP - Drue Hackenberg , Virginia Tech
SP - Teddy McGraw, Wake Forest
RP - Camden Minacci, Wake Forest
Perfect Game 2023 Preseason Rankings
5. Wake Forest
7. Louisville
9. Miami
13. North Carolina
15. Virginia Tech
19. Virginia
21. NC State
Perfect Game 2023 Preseason All-ACC
C - Cooper Ingle, Clemson
1B - Nick Kurtz, Wake Forest
2B - Blake Wright, Clemson
3B - Jake Gelof, Virginia
SS - Christian Knapczyk, Louisville
OF - Jack Hurley, Virginia Tech
OF - Vance Honeycutt, North Carolina
OF - Travis Honeyman, Boston College
DH - Brock Wilken, Wake Forest
UT - Yohandy Morales, Miami
SP - Rhett Lowder, Wake Forest
SP - Drue Hackenberg, Virginia Tech
SP - Wyatt Crowell, Florida State
SP - Teddy McGraw, Wake Forest
RP - Andrew Walters, Miami
Player of the Year: Vance Honeycutt, OF, North Carolina
Pitcher of the Year: Rhett Lowder RHP, Wake Forest
Freshman of the Year: Gavin Kilen, 2B, Louisville
Collegiate Baseball 2023 Preseason Rankings
6. Louisville
8. Miami
10. Wake Forest
11. North Carolina
16. Virginia
23. Georgia Tech
28. Virginia Tech
30. NC State
32. Florida State
42. Clemson
Collegiate Baseball 2023 Preseason All-America
First team
RHP - Rhett Lowder, Wake Forest
RP - Andrew Walters, Miami
3B - Jake Gelof, Virginia
OF - Vance Honeycutt, North Carolina
Second team
C - Jack Payton, Louisville
3B - Yohandy Morales, Miami
3B - Brock Wilken, Wake Forest
OF - Jack Hurley, Virginia Tech.
Third team
RHP - Drue Hackenberg , Virginia Tech.