Live Looks by Harris Yudin
Tyler Locklear, 1B, VCU
In what was an otherwise productive Chapel Hill regional, Locklear’s bat was fairly quiet Saturday evening. He reached base just once – a sixth-inning walk when Carolina starter slipped on the mound – and was frozen by a two-strike, 96 mph fastball from Davis Palermo with a chance to add to the VCU lead in the seventh. Even with the results not being there on Saturday, Locklear’s strength and raw power are obvious in his swing, and he has decent control of the strike zone. Double-plus power and strong on-base skills could get him drafted as the third round.
Mac Horvath, 3B, North Carolina
After homering in each of his first two plate appearances of the regional, Horvath went 0-for-8 with two walks in the following two games. He did, however, make plenty of hard contact in those two games, with a pair of hard lineouts and a handful of deep flyouts. The draft-eligible sophomore still finished with eight hits, seven runs and six RBI on the weekend, building on a red-hot second half of the season. He also showed off his glove, which, along with a very strong arm, is an asset at the hot corner. Horvath’s athleticism and loud tools could be enticing in the fourth or fifth round.
Danny Serretti, SS, North Carolina
Serretti provided Carolina with its biggest moment of the game on Saturday when he pulled a Nolan Wilson pitch down the line for a two-run homer that cut the VCU lead to one with two outs in the ninth inning. He went 0-for-5 Sunday vs. Georgia, but still came away with eight hits and three homers in the regional. Serretti made several impressive defensive plays in both games – including cutting down the lead runner at third when the Rams were threatening in the third inning – although his double-clutch error in the seventh led to VCU extending its lead to 3-0. His typically reliable defensive play coupled with the best offensive season of his collegiate career should be enough to get him drafted in the top eight rounds.
Angel Zarate, RF, North Carolina
Zarate’s 0-for-5 showing against VCU on Saturday played a role in snapping the Heels’ eight-game winning streak and pushing them into an elimination game. He bounced back with a multi-hit game on Sunday, however, including a leadoff single in the third that sparked a three-run inning. The fifth-year outfielder has been a consistent presence atop the Carolina lineup all season, and he ended up with 10 hits and eight runs scored on the weekend. Zarate’s draft stock is limited by the fact that he will be 23 on draft day, but his hit tool and track record in the ACC will be intriguing on Day 2.
Alberto Osuna, DH, North Carolina
Osuna had a relatively uneventful game against VCU on Saturday, going 0-for-2 with three walks and failing to score a run. He put the ball in play a couple of times Sunday vs. Georgia, reaching on an error in the second and hitting a single through the left side in the sixth that ended up allowing the eventual game-winning run to score. The Carolina DH continued his three-true-outcome ways this weekend, as he finished the regional with five walks, six strikeouts and one towering home run in game 6. With no defensive value and a high whiff rate, Osuna’s draft stock remains fairly low– although some team will take a chance on his bat late on Day 2.
Brandon Shaeffer, LHP, North Carolina
Schaeffer didn’t have his best stuff on Saturday, but was still effective. He didn’t command his two-seamer as consistently as he did against Virginia Tech in the ACC tournament, but he generated plenty of weak contact with the pitch. His only real mistake was a pitch left over the plate to Connor Hujsak in the second inning, which was belted for a home run. He walked the leadoff hitter in each of the fifth and sixth frames, but managed to prevent them from coming around to score. Schaeffer departed with one out in the sixth inning, yielding just one run on four hits with two walks and four strikeouts. Schaeffer came back out on one day’s rest to toss 3.1 innings in the deciding game on Monday night, and he will get at least one more chance in the Super Regionals to boost his draft stock– which currently sits somewhere late on Day 2.
Davis Palermo, RHP, North Carolina
Palermo entered Saturday’s game against VCU with runners on the corners and two outs in the seventh – in which two runs had already scored – and proceeded to get VCU slugger Tyler Locklear looking on a 96 mph fastball to end the frame. He did yield a homer to Connor Hujsak the following inning, but he did his job by preventing the game from getting out of hand. The 22-year-old reliever threw 2.1 strong innings vs. Georgia the following afternoon, punching out four of the 10 batters he faced. Palermo, who has been relied on heavily in the Heels’ fireman role, pairs his mid-90s fastball with a sharp, mid-80s slider, plus command and a repeatable – although not entirely smooth – delivery. His track record is shallow for a 22-year-old, but the stuff will be enticing late on Day 2.