
-- Baseball AmericaBard has not thrown with the same consistency of teammate Andrew Miller, but the righthander should give the Tar Heels two first-round picks. Bard limited opponents to a .220 average in his first 72 innings this spring while winning six of his first nine decisions. According to UNC head coach Mike Fox, Bard had his best start as a collegian on April 23 by tossing a four-hit shutout versus N.C. State. That performance followed a strong effort in the Cape Cod League, when he led the circuit in strikeouts and ranked as the second-best prospect, behind only Miller. Bard was deemed one of the premier high school pitchers in the 2003 draft before falling to the Yankees in the 20th round due to signability concerns. He proceeded to earn ACC freshman of the year honors in 2004 prior to an uneven season as a sophomore. Bard's fastball resides in the low 90s and touches 94 after hitting 98 earlier in his college career. His curveball is just as effective, featuring a sharp bite and a late break. Scouts also love his workhorse mentality and durable body. He can struggle with the command of his fastball, and has worked on becoming more pitch-efficient.
College:
Junior at North Carolina
DOB:
June 25, 1985
Height / Weight:
6-4 / 202
Position:
RHP
Career Stats (courtesy Soxprospects.com) year team level age w l % era g gs cg sh sv ip h r er hr bb so k/bb 2004 NC Coll - 18 8 4 0.667 3.88 16 15 1 1 0 95.0 94 49 41 31 68 2.19 2005 NC Coll - 19 7 5 0.583 4.22 16 16 1 1 0 89.2 73 53 42 43 77 1.79 2006 NC Coll - 20 8 3 0.727 3.47 15 14 2 1 0 85.2 71 42 33 33 90 2.73
-- Red Sox Press Release on the day of the DraftBard, who was recommended by Red Sox scout Jeff Zona, was ranked the No. 15 overall prospect and the No. 13 pitching prospect in the draft by Baseball America. In three seasons for the University of North Carolina, the 6-foot-4, 202-pounder has gone 23-12 with a 3.86 ERA (116 ER/270.1 IP) in 47 games (all but two as a starter). His 23 wins rank seventh on the Tar Heels' all-time list. The Charlotte, N.C resident, who owns four career complete games and three shutouts, has made at least 14 starts and logged 85.2 innings or more in each of his three campaigns. The 21-year-old righthander has 235 strikeouts in 270.1 innings, an average of 7.8 strikeouts per nine innings.
Bard earned the win in UNC's regional title victory over Winthrop on Sunday, helping the Tar Heels advance to this weekend's Super Regional matchup against Alabama in Tuscaloosa, AL. The winner of the best-of-three series will advance to the 2006 College World Series.
A Preseason All-America selection, Bard has established career bests as a junior this season with eight wins (8-3 record), a 3.47 ERA and 90 strikeouts. With only 33 walks in 85.2 innings, he has averaged 9.5 strikeouts and 3.5 walks per nine innings. He has been at his best down the stretch, posting a 5-1 record and 1.56 ERA over his last seven appearances (six starts). A two-time ACC Pitcher of the Week in 2006, Bard has limited the opposition to a .225 batting average.
Bard last summer pitched for the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod League, going 3-3 with a 1.25 ERA and 82 strikeouts in 65.0 innings of work. He led the league in strikeouts and ranked third in ERA. Named to Baseball America's College Summer All-America Second Team and rated the league's No. 2 prospect, Bard started the 2005 Cape League All-Star Game for the West Division and earned MVP honors.
A graduate of Charlotte Christian High School, Bard was originally drafted in the 20th round in 2003 by the New York Yankees.
Edited by Red Averages, 26 June 2006 - 07:38 PM.




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