When Dustin Ackley came to the plate in the ninth inning Thursday night at Rosenblatt Stadium, his North Carolina team was on the wrong side of a blowout against Arizona State. But that didn't prevent the Tar Heels junior from doing what he does best.

Ackley lined a single to right field to extend his College World Series hitting streak to 15 games and his NCAA Tournament streak to 22 games. He finished his college career
just like he started -- by putting the bat on the baseball.

Four Tar Heel players and recruits were expected to be chosen in the first round of the MLB draft this evening. All went in the top 15.

First baseman Dustin Ackley was picked No. 2 overall by the Seattle Mariners, and high school centerfielder Donovan Tate — who has committed to play football for the Tar Heels, and would also play baseball — was chosen No. 3 overall by the San Diego Padres. The Detroit Tigers took a UNC baseball recruit, right-handed pitcher Jacob Turner — at No. 9.

Finally, right-handed pitcher Alex White was chosen 15th by the Indians.

Ackley, whose .410 career batting average is the best in UNC history, is batting .412 for the season and holds school records for hits (338), runs score (225) and total bases (535). He has 39 career home runs, 22 this season.

Ackley is projected to be an outfielder at the next level.

White is 8-4 this season and 27-14 in his three years at Carolina.

The Tar Heels will play in their fourth consecutive College World Series, beginning this weekend.

DURHAM — North Carolina first baseman Dustin Ackley and Duke shortstop Jake Lemmerman were named to the ACC Baseball Championship All-Tournament Team Sunday.

North Carolina junior Dustin Ackley, a projected mid-first round draft pick at the beginning of the season, has climbed to near the top of the charts with a sensational junior season.

Ackley, who was named the ACC player of the year earlier this week, has risen into the top five in most projections and is now being talked about as a potential No. 2 overall pick -- by the Seattle Mariners.

North Carolina junior first baseman Dustin Ackley, who stepped up to the plate as a freshman and was a consumate hitter from day one, has been selected as the 2009 ACC player of the year.

After a 2-for-14 series against Clemson dropped Dustin Ackley's batting average nearly 100 points -- from .433 to .341 -- the North Carolina All-American said he hoped a base hit in his final at-bat on Sunday was a sign that more hits were on the way, that his weekend slump would be just that.

He broke out in a big way on Wednesday, going 4-for-4 against Appalachian State with a pair of homers in the Tar Heels' 12-3 victory.

North Carolina All-American Dustin Ackley has delivered dozens of hits just like the line-drive single to right-center field in his final at-bat Sunday against Clemson. But this one looked better than most to the Tar Heels junior.

Ackley, a career .409 hitter entering the season, was batting a brisk .433 coming into this weekend's series with the 19th-ranked Tigers. But he was 1-for-14 in the series when he stepped to the plate in the eighth inning. Then came the much-welcomed base hit.

Staff photo by Robert Willett

CHAPEL HILL — North Carolina's top-ranked baseball team begins its quest for a fourth straight trip to the College World Series when it opens the season next Friday against VMI.

And it will do it in the newly-expanded and re-opened Boshamer Stadium.

Crews on Friday were putting the finishing touches on the $22.6 million project that included luxury boxes, new offices and now a 4,100-fan capacity.