Oct. 8, 2007

DURHAM, N.C. - The tireless recruiting efforts of North Carolina baseball assistant coaches Chad Holbrook and Scott Forbes have once again paid off, as the Tar Heels claimed the nation's No. 4 crop of newcomers according to Baseball America's 2007 Top 25 Recruiting Classes, which were released Monday.

The 13-man class, which was also ranked seventh by Collegiate Baseball, is regarded as tops in the Atlantic Coast Conference by Baseball America. Carolina outdistanced top-25 classes from ACC rivals Clemson (15th), Virginia (17th), Miami (20th) and Georgia Tech (22nd).

As was the case in the Collegiate Baseball rankings, the Tar Heels' class is the highest rated comprised solely of high school talent.

Right-handers Matt Harvey (Mystic, Conn.) and Nate Striz (Lakeland, Fla.), who were each selected in the top five rounds of the 2007 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, headline this year's crop of rookies. Both hurlers were rated among Baseball America's top 100 prospects as prep standouts.

The Tar Heels have had great success recruiting from the state of North Carolina in recent years. This year was no exception, as UNC added four of the top 10 in-state prospects in No. 3 Patrick Johnson (RHP, Conover, N.C.), No. 5 Ben Bunting (CF, Randleman, N.C.), No. 8 Greg Holt (3B/RHP, Clemmons, N.C.) and No. 10 Ryan Leach (RHP/IF, Forest City, N.C.).

Rounding out the Tar Heels' class are: Zeke Blanton (OF, Forest City, N.C.), Garrett Davis (RHP, Fremont, N.C.), Michael Knox (1B, Cary, N.C.), Logan Munson (LHP, Columbia, S.C.), Robbie Penny (RHP, Whiteville, N.C.), Tarron Robinson (LHP, Chapel Hill, N.C.) and Brett Thomas (1B, Columbia, S.C.)

Both Davis and Harvey are slated to start this week in Carolina's annual Fall World Series, which opens Tuesday at USA Baseball Training Complex Stadium in Cary.