UNC Baseball: Mike Fox wins ACC Coach of the Year

North Carolina baseball coach Mike Fox has taken home the ACC Coach of the Year award for the 2018 season. It’s the first time UNC’s skipper has won the award. Fox led the Tar Heels to a #1 overall seed in this year’s ACC Tournament for their seventh division title.

The Tar Heels were 22-8 in conference play this year with a 37-17 overall record. They currently rank 7th in the national RPI heading into the ACC Baseball Championship in Durham this week, leading all other ACC teams. UNC’s Coastal Division title was the second straight for the Heels.

Fox has been at the helm for 20 seasons in Chapel Hill, sporting a 877-372 record. He also passed the 1400-win mark this year for his career as a head coach. He managed to get the Heels the top seed in the tournament with their best pitcher, Luca Dalatri, missing nearly all of the regular season.

Joining Fox in taking home awards, third baseman Kyle Datres was named to the First Team All-ACC while first baseman Michael Busch and outfielder Brandon Riley each made the second team. Shortstop Ike Freeman represented the Heels on the third team.

This year’s baseball season started off a bit rocky for the Tar Heels after lofty preseason expectations. They very much righted the ship down the stretch and managed to bring home another division title. As one of the best teams in the country, UNC should be in line to host a regional for the NCAA Tournament following the ACC Baseball Championship at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park this week.