Benedictine's Parker McCoy on why North Carolina is perfect spot for his baseball future
After Carter Holton graduated from Benedictine in 2021 and moved on to play baseball at Vanderbilt, the Cadets had a big hole to fill after losing one of the best two-way players in Georgia history.
Parker McCoy, then a sophomore, stepped in to fill the void with a stellar season on the mound and at the plate for the Cadets.
McCoy emerged as one of the top players in the country and helped lead BC to the GHSA Class 4A semifinals last year, where they lost to eventual state champion North Oconee.
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He was the No. 1 pitcher for BC as he posted a 9-2 record with an ERA of 1.60, and his performance at the plate was spectacular. He hit .496 with an on-base percentage of .584 and an OPS of 1.523 with 17 doubles, five triples, eight homers and 40 runs scored.
His 70 RBIs were just four off the state record of 74 set by Calhoun's Brodie Pullen in 2005, according to the Georgia Dugout Preview.
College recruiters took note and interest swelled in the right-hander, who also plays third base for BC. He got his first offer from North Carolina over the summer, and the junior recently made a verbal commitment to the Tar Heels.
"I took a visit up there and the campus was just awesome," said McCoy, and All-Greater Savannah first-team selection last year who said he will be an infielder at North Carolina. "You could just tell it was different there."
The Tar Heels went 44-22 last year and advanced to the NCAA Chapel Hill Super Regional, where they lost back-to-back games to Arkansas as their season came to a close.
"I really liked the coaching staff and the facilities at North Carolina," McCoy said. "And it's an excellent school academically."
McCoy maintains a 4.0 GPA at Benedictine and wants to pursue a degree in physiology at North Carolina.
McCoy is known for his dedication to the game. He's been called a "Cage Rat" because he spends so much of his free time at the batting cage honing his swing.
"Parker has been working diligently at his craft and is being rewarded for all his hard work with his commitment to North Carolina," BC assistant coach Jason Pascual said.
McCoy hit .330 with 35 RBIs and a 9.47 OPS as a freshman and went 8-1 with a 1.64 ERA as BC advanced to the Class 4A state finals, where the Cadets lost to Marist.
Head coach Kevin Farmer is looking forward to having two more years with McCoy as a leader on his squad.
"Parker is a competitor on and off the field," Farmer said. "As a two-year letterman, his leadership and guidance with the underclassmen will be very important over the next couple years."
McCoy said he is focused on team goals in his final two years with the Cadets.
"We've been so close the last two seasons, we want to win that state championship," he said.
Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at Dknight@savannahnow.com. Twitter: @DennisKnightSMN
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Benedictine baseball star Parker McCoy commits to North Carolina
