March 19, 2007

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Dustin Ackley of North Carolina has been selected Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Player of the Week for March 19, while Georgia Tech's David Duncan earned Pitcher of the Week accolades.

A freshman from Walnut Cove, N.C., Ackley was 14-for-21 (.667) with four runs scored and four RBI in five games for the top-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels last week. He went 10-for-13 in the Virginia series (.769) and at one point had 11 hits in 12 trips to the plate over a three-game span. After going 3-for-4 against UNC Greensboro last Wednesday, the first baseman posted back-to-back four-hit games against the Cavaliers. He also reached base in 12 consecutive official at-bats and posted a .652 on-base percentage for the week.

Ackley, who is riding a team-best 13-game hitting streak, currently owns the second-best batting average in the league (.481) and leads Carolina with 11 doubles, 27 RBI and a .704 slugging percentage. In six games in ACC play, Ackley is batting .640 (16-25) with six RBI.

Duncan helped No. 21 Georgia Tech to its first shutout of the season and the first complete-game shutout for the Yellow Jackets in three years. Against Boston College, the New Richmond, Ohio, native tossed a career-long 9.0 innings and struck out a career-high 10 batters. He retired the first 12 batters he faced before surrendering the first hit to the leadoff batter in the fourth. The sophomore hurler scattered just four hits over the nine innings while walking only two Eagle batters. Duncan improved to 4-2 on the season with the win, having earned a win in four of his last five appearances (all starts).

UNC and Georgia Tech are back on the field early this week before returning to ACC play for the weekend. The Tar Heels host Towson on Tuesday-Wednesday, March 20-21, while the Yellow Jackets play a single game at Georgia State on Wednesday.