Ackley taken with No. 2 pick

By: Bill Cole | Winston-Salem Journal
Published: June 09, 2009

Dustin Ackley, a North Carolina first baseman, was the No. 2 pick tonight in Major League Baseball's first-year draft by the Seattle Mariners.

Immediately after Ackley was taken, the San Diego Padres, drafting No. 3, selected Donovan Tate, a centerfielder and a 2009 UNC football recruit. Tate, a quarterback and high-school senior in Cartersville, Ga., signed with UNC in February in the NCAA's football signing period.

A UNC baseball recruit, Jacob Turner, a righthanded pitcher, was the No. 9 selection by the Detroit Tigers. Turner is a high-school senior in St. Charles, Mo. Turner signed with UNC in November 2008 during the NCAA's baseball signing period.

Ackley, a Walnut Cove resident and North Forsyth High School graduate, is a junior and has helped UNC reach its fourth consecutive College World Series. He was named this season's ACC player of the year.

As expected, Stephen Strasburg, a righthanded pitcher from San Diego State, was the No. 1 choice, selected by the Washington Nationals.

Many draft analysts consider Ackley the best hitter available in the draft, less than one year after he underwent surgery on his right elbow to replace a damaged tendon and couldn't swing a bat for 3-4 months while recuperating.

Ackley is UNC's career leading hitter with a .410 batting average. He holds school records with 338 hits, 225 runs scored and 535 total bases. He is batting .412 this season.

"Maybe right after my surgery I had a little bit of worry, like coming right out of surgery," he said recently. "Once I started swinging again and didn't feel any pain I kind of knew it was going to be that bad.

"I had to get used to swinging again and get my body ready for swinging every day. Those were the biggest things for me."

Some major-league teams think Ackley a better fit for the outfield, specifically centerfield, because of his speed. He said recently that he has no preference for where he plays.

"I've only made maybe three starts out there," he said. "I'm out there every day during (batting practice), shagging balls and stuff. I feel like I've been out there every day. It's just that I actually haven't been out there in the games very much."

He is UNC's highest draft choice since 1992, when pitcher Paul Shuey was taken with the second pick by the Cleveland Indians.