Eight Diamond Heels Take Home All-ACC Honors

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Following a 43-10-1 regular season that saw North Carolina finish 22-8 in ACC play, eight Diamond Heels earned All-ACC honors, the league announced Monday. 

Right-hander Caden Glauber was named both ACC Freshman of the Year and First-Team All-ACC, while starting pitcher Jason DeCaro, shortstop Jake Schaffner and centerfielder Owen Hull joined him in earning first-team honors. Reliever Walker McDuffie earned Second-Team All-ACC recognition, while second baseman Gavin Gallaher, catcher Macon Winslow and starting pitcher Ryan Lynch were named to the third-team. Glauber was also named to the conference’s All-Freshman Team.

Glauber is the program’s first ACC Freshman of the Year since Aaron Sabato earned the honor in 2019, and Carolina’s four first-team selections are its most since 2017.

First-Team

In his first season of college baseball, Glauber — an early enrollee who turned 18 in January — posted the ACC’s best ERA at 1.94 across 69.2 innings, while striking out 82 batters and holding opponents to a .179 batting average, the second-best mark in the conference.

“(Glauber)’s been phenomenal for us,” Scott Forbes told Inside Carolina Monday. “He definitely should be the freshman of the year, in my opinion. He’s a weapon from the standpoint of he can start, he can relieve, and he can change the game.”

In his third season in Chapel Hill, DeCaro posted the ACC’s second-best ERA at 2.03 — trailing only Glauber — while recording 10 wins across 14 starts, tied for the conference lead. Over 71 innings of work this season, Carolina’s Friday starter struck out 69 batters and allowed 16 earned runs.

In his first season in Chapel Hill, Hull led the Tar Heels in batting average (.369), RBIs (68) and on-base percentage (.482), while starting all 55 games in center field. The George Mason transfer also sits tied for the team lead in hits (76) and leads Carolina in doubles (21). In ACC play, the 6-foot-4 Alexandria, Va. native mashed his way to a .432 batting average with 45 RBIs and a .504 on-base percentage against conference competition.

After spending his first two seasons at North Dakota State, Schaffner stepped into North Carolina’s starting shortstop role this season and ranks second on the team in both batting average (.349) and on-base percentage (.459). The Janesville, Wis. native is tied with Hull for the team lead in hits, leads the Tar Heels with 24 stolen bases — the sixth-most in the ACC — while leading the conference with six triples.

Second-Team

Following a freshman campaign that earned him a spot on the ACC All-Freshman Team, Walker McDuffie posted the conference’s fifth-best ERA this season at 2.79, while tallying an ACC-best five saves and striking out hitters at an 11.5 K/9 clip. The Broadway, N.C. native also held opposing batters to a .190 average, the third-best mark in the conference.

Third-Team

In his third season in Chapel Hill, Gallaher finished second on the team in both hits (64) and home runs (12), while driving in 48 runs, the fourth-most on the Tar Heels.

After spending the majority of his freshman season coming out of the bullpen, Lynch moved into a starting role in 2026, where he posted a 4.32 ERA, the fourth-best mark among Tar Heel pitchers. Across 13 starts, the Moorestown, N.J. native compiled a 4-4 record while tossing a team-high 73 innings.

In his debut season with the Diamond Heels after spending his first two years up Highway 15-501 in Durham, Winslow finished the regular season tied for second on the team in RBIs (51) while ranking third in both home runs (9) and hits (58). Behind the plate, the Duke transfer posted the ACC’s second-best stolen-base allowed percentage at .556, throwing out eight of 18 attempted base stealers.

Next Up

North Carolina has earned the No. 2 seed in this week’s conference tournament, and will take on Clemson, Notre Dame or Virginia Tech in Friday afternoon’s 3 p.m. quarterfinal at Truist Field in Charlotte.

Full ACC Postseason Awards

Player of the Year: Tague Davis, Louisville
Pitcher of the Year: Wes Mendes, Florida State
Defensive Player of the Year: Vahn Lackey, Georgia Tech
Freshman of the Year: Caden Glauber, North Carolina
Coach of the Year: James Ramsey, Georgia Tech
 
First Team All-ACC
Wes Mendes, SP, Florida State
Jarren Advincula, 2B, Georgia Tech
Drew Burress, OF, Georgia Tech
Carson Kerce, SS, Georgia Tech
Vahn Lackey, C, Georgia Tech
Ryan Zuckerman, 3B, Georgia Tech
Tague Davis, 1B, Louisville
Zion Rose, OF, Louisville
Jason DeCaro, SP, North Carolina
Caden Glauber, RP, North Carolina
Owen Hull, OF, North Carolina
Jake Schaffner, SS, North Carolina
Jack Radel, SP, Notre Dame
Bino Watters, DH/UT, Notre Dame
Lorenzo Carrier, OF, Pitt
Chris Levonas, SP, Wake Forest
 
Second Team All-ACC
Gavin Eddy, SP, California
Jacob Jarrell, DH/UT, Clemson
Tate Mckee, SP, Georgia Tech
Daniel Cuvet, 3B, Miami
Rob Evans, SP, Miami
Alex Sosa, C, Miami
Derek Williams, OF, Miami
Walker McDuffie, RP, North Carolina
Rett Johnson, OF, NC State
Luke Nixon, 2B, NC State
Mark Quatrani, C, Notre Dame
Caden Dulin, SS, Pitt
Teddy Tokheim, OF, Stanford
AJ Gracia, OF, Virginia
Brett Renfrow, SP, Virginia Tech
Kade Lewis, 1B, Wake Forest
 
Third Team All-ACC
A.J. Colarusso, SP, Boston College
Nick Wang, 1B, Boston College
Nate Savoie, OF, Clemson
John Abraham, RP, Florida State
Trey Beard, SP, Florida State
Brayden Dowd, OF, Florida State
Bayram Hot, 3B, Louisville
Gavin Gallaher, 2B, North Carolina
Ryan Lynch, SP, North Carolina
Macon Winslow, C, North Carolina
Ty Head, OF, NC State
Sherman Johnson, 3B, NC State
Eric Becker, SS, Virginia
Luke Costello, OF, Wake Forest
Dalton Wentz, 3B, Wake Forest
Javar Williams, OF, Wake Forest
 
All-Freshman Team
Luke Gallo, 3B, Boston College
Jett Kenady, SS, California
Brendon Bennett, RP, Clemson
Danny Nelson, RP, Clemson
John Stuetzer, OF, Florida State
Griffin Crain, OF, Louisville
Alonzo Alvarez, DH/UT, Miami
Caden Glauber, RP, North Carolina
Rett Johnson, OF, NC State
Teddy Tokheim, OF, Stanford
Ethan Ball, 2B, Virginia Tech
Evan Jones, RP, Wake Forest
 
17 players on the Third Team due to a tie in the voting