Wike among for UNC Players named to All-ACC Teams

Hiddenite Sophomore earns All-ACC honors for third time in three years

Hiddenite Native Taylor Wike

GREENSBORO – North Carolina pitcher Brittany Pickett was selected as ACC Freshman of the Year on Thursday morning, as voted on by the league’s head coaches. The Indian Trail, North Carolina, native was also named to the All-ACC First Team and the inaugural All-Freshman Team. Senior Kendra Lynch, junior Taylor Wike and sophomore Leah Murray were all named to the All-ACC Second Team, as the Tar Heels had one player from each class honored with postseason awards. Lynch earned All-ACC honors for the second consecutive season, while Wike garnered an all-conference nod for the third straight season.
Junior Taylor Wike becomes the ninth Tar Heel to earn All-ACC honors three or more times in her career. After two seasons at second base, Wike made the move over to shortstop, where she started every game of 2017. The Hiddenite, North Carolina, native was just behind Murray with a .357 batting average during conference play and stole a career-high 18 bases on the season.
“To earn All-ACC three years in a row is fantastic,” said Papa. “Taylor is an outstanding player. She’s had to make an adjustment from playing two years at second base, which I think is her more natural position, but she has done a great job at short. She has made some outstanding plays for us. She has good range and she’s very softball savvy.
“Up at the plate she offers us a lot. She’s a great contact hitter. She can put a bunt down to move runners and she has a great eye. She’s one of the best players at drawing walks and extending innings. She’s been solid for us all season.”
Now 32-for-35 for her career, she has the best stolen base percentage in Carolina history at .914. The junior has the second-best career on base percentage (.467) and is poised to break several offensive records before she graduates. After tying the single-season walks record as a freshman, she is tied for third with 92, just 14 off the all-time career mark, while she needs just four double plays to match the record of 43, and with 341 career assists, she is also on pace to break the record set back in 2001 at 434.

(Courtesy UNC Chapel Hill Athletics)