Top 100 Countdown: Number 36 Matt Harvey (North Carolina)

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The CBB continues our countdown for the 2010 College Baseball season by checking in on the Top 100 Players in the country. We will be providing one player per day until we reach number 1.

We continue the list today with number 36 in our countdown with UNC RHP Matt Harvey. He is from Mystic Connecticut where he attended Fitch High School. He ended up setting career records at Fitch High School as he had 21 victories with 315 strikeouts and a 1.08 ERA over his four year career. He was named a three time all-state pick and a four-time all-conference choice. As a senior, he claimed high school All-America honors from Aflac, Under Armour, PlayStation and Louisville Slugger. Baseball America rated him as the number 1 high school player in the country during the 2007 season. Harvey’s strong commitment to North Carolina slipped him to a third round pick of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim but could not come to an agreement so he decided to head to college.

During the 2008 season, Matt served as the Tar Heels Sunday starter as he made 19 appearances (16 starts) while having a 7-2 record with a 2.79 ERA. In ACC play, he had a 3-1 record with a 3.90 ERA. He claimed freshman All-America honors from Collegiate Baseball, the NCBWA (second team) and Rivals.com (first team). He played the summer of 2008 in the Cape Cod Baseball League where he played for the Chatham A’s. He finished the summer with a 1-1 record with a 0.83 ERA while striking out 29 batters while walking 11 in 21.1 innings of work. Baseball America rated him the third best prospect in the CCBL after the summer was over.

Harvey’s sophomore season saw him go 7-2 with one save while accumulating a 5.40 ERA in 75 innings of work. He struggled with his control though as he walked 42 batters while striking out 81. He went 2-2 in ACC play with 41 strikeouts in 42 innings. His best start of the season was his last of the regular season when he pitched 8.2 innings against Boston College where he allowed only one run. (CBB VISIT). Harvey again spent the summer with the Chatham A’s. He ended up going 0-2 with a 6.00 ERA in seven appearances including three starts. He ended up striking out 16 batters in his 18 innings of work but had problems with his control as he walked 11 batters.

The biggest question with Harvey is whether he will return to his high school/freshman year form or revert to his sophomore year at North Carolina where he was inconsistent. I believe we will see him come back strong for his junior campaign.

You can check out the rest of our Top 100 by clicking here.

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