ACC Baseball Well Represented in Preseason Polls, All-America Lists

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – As the 2024 baseball season approaches, the preseason polls and superlatives have been announced from various organizations around the country with Atlantic Coast Conference schools being well represented.

Six ACC schools – Clemson, Duke, North Carolina, NC State, Virginia, and Wake Forest – have appeared in all five national preseason polls – Baseball America, D1Baseball, NCBWA, Perfect Game, and USA Today Coaches. Wake Forest, the preseason favorites as voted by ACC baseball coaches, was deemed as the consensus No. 1 team in the nation by all five organizations.
The ACC placed 15 student-athletes on the D1Baseball Preseason All-America teams which leads all conferences. A pair of Demon Deacons, Nick Kurtz and Josh Hartle, pair with the Blue Devils’ Fran Oschell as first team selections.  

Kurtz and Hartle were once again First Team All-America selections when Baseball America released its list. There, the Wake Forest duo was joined by flamethrowing teammate Chase Burns and North Carolina outfielder Vance Honeycutt. The Tar Heel outfielder was ranked among the top three in several Baseball America superlative categories, including best athlete, best defensive outfielder, and best outfield arm. 

A total of 10 student-athletes from around the ACC were named to USA Baseball’s Golden Spikes Award watch list. Hurtle, Kurtz, Burns, and King all represent Wake Forest, giving the Demon Deacons a chart-topping four members on the watch list. Other representatives from the ACC include Honeycutt, Ethan Anderson (Virginia), Cam Cannarella (Clemson), Jacob Cozart (NC State), Griff O’Ferrall (Virginia), and Gage Ziehl (Miami).

Perfect Game honored a pair of Demon Deacons with preseason player of the year honors. Infielder Nick Kurtz earned the organization’s Preseason Player of the Year nod, while Tennessee-transfer Chase Burns was tabbed as the Preseason Pitcher of the Year.

ACC coaches selected the Demon Deacons as the preseason favorites in the league’s coaches poll. Wake Forest was picked to finish atop the Atlantic Division, while fellow 2023 Men’s College World Series participant Virginia earned top honors for the Coastal Division.
 
D1 Baseball Preseason Rankings
No. 1             Wake Forest
No. 10           Clemson
No. 12           Duke
No. 13           NC State
No. 14           Virginia
No. 15           North Carolina
 
D1 Baseball Preseason All-America Teams
First Team
1B - Nick Kurtz, Wake Forest
OF - Cam Cannarella, Clemson
SP - Josh Hartle, Wake Forest
RP - Fran Oschell, Duke

Second Team
C - Jacob Cozart, NC State
SS - Griff O’Ferrall, Virginia
DH - Ethan Anderson, Virginia
SP - Chase Burns, Wake Forest
SP - Michael Massey, Wake Forest
SP - Jonathan Santucci, Duke

Third Team
3B - Carson DeMartini
OF - Vance Honeycutt, North Carolina
OF - Seaver King, Wake Forest
SP - Dominic Fritton, NC State
RP - James Tallon, Duke
 
USA Today Sports Coaches Top 25

No. 1            Wake Forest
No. 9           Clemson
No. 11           Virginia
No. 14           Duke
No. 15           North Carolina
No. 16           NC State
 
NCBWA Preseason Poll
No. 1             Wake Forest
No. 11           Virginia
No. 12           Clemson
No. 14           Duke
No. 16           North Carolina
No. 18           NC State
 
NBCWA Division I Preseason All-America Team
First Team
1B - Nick Kurtz, Wake Forest
SP - Josh Hartle, Wake Forest
RP - Fran Oschell III, Duke
RP - James Tallon, Duke

Second Team
1B - Ethan Anderson, Virginia
3B - Carson DeMartini, Virginia Tech
SS - Griff O’Farrell, Virginia
OF - Anthony Donofrio, North Carolina
OF - Cam Cannarella, Clemson
SP - Chase Burns, Wake Forest
SP - Sebastian Gongora, Louisville

Third Team
C             Jacob Cozart, NC State
OF          Seaver King, Wake Forest
SP          Andrew Healy, Duke
SP          Michael Massey, Wake Forest
 
Baseball America Preseason Poll
No. 1             Wake Forest
No. 9             Clemson
No. 10           Virginia
No. 16           Duke
No. 17           North Carolina
No. 22           NC State
 
Baseball America Preseason All-America
First Team
1B – Nick Kurtz, Wake Forest (Unanimous)
OF – Vance Honeycutt, North Carolina
SP – Josh Hartle, Wake Forest
SP – Chase Burns, Wake Forest

Second Team
OF – Seaver King, Wake Forest
OF – Cam Cannarella, Clemson
SP – Jonathan Santucci, Duke

Third Team
C – Jonathan Cozart, NC State
SS – Griff O’Ferrall, Virginia
 
Perfect Game Preseason Poll
No. 1             Wake Forest
No. 10           Virginia
No. 14           North Carolina
No. 19           NC State
No. 21           Clemson
No. 23           Duke
 
Preseason National Player of the Year: Nick Kurtz, 1B, Wake Forest
Preseason National Pitcher of the Year: Chase Burns, RHP, Wake Forest
 
Perfect Game Preseason All-America
First Team
C – Jacob Cozart, NC State
1B – Nick Kurtz, Wake Forest
SP – Chase Burns, Wake Forest
SP – Josh Hartle, Wake Forest
RP – Fran Oschell, Duke

Second Team
SS – Griff O’Ferrall, Virginia
OF – Cam Cannarella, Clemson

Third Team
3B – Carson DeMartini, Virginia Tech
OF – Vance Honeycutt, North Carolina
OF – James Tibbs III, Florida State
RP – James Tallon, Duke
 
USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Watch List
C/UTIL - Ethan Anderson, Virginia
OF - Cam Cannarella, Clemson
C - Jacob Cozart, NC State
SP - Josh Hartle, Wake Forest
1B - Nick Kurtz, Wake Forest
SP - Chase Burns, Wake Forest
OF - Seaver King, Wake Forest
SS - Griff O’Ferrall, Virginia
RP - Gage Ziehl, Miami
 
Perfect Game Preseason All-Conference Team
C - Jacob Cozart, NC State
1B - Nick Kurtz, Wake Forest
2B - Blake Cyr, Miami
3B - Carson DeMartini, Virginia Tech
SS - Griff O’Ferrall, Virginia
OF - Cam Cannarella, Clemson
OF - James Tibbs III, Florida State
DH - Garrett Michel, Virginia Tech
UT - Ethan Anderson, Virginia
SP - Chase Burns, Wake Forest
SP - Jonathan Santucci, Duke
SP - Josh Hartle, Wake Forest
RP - Gage Ziehl, Miami
RP - Fran Oschell, Duke
 
ACC Player of the Year: Nick Kurtz, Wake Forest
ACC Pitcher of the Year: Chase Burns, Wake Forest
ACC Freshman of the Year: Drew Burress, Georgia Tech