Recruit Chooses UNC Over MLB

But Hayes decided to sign with North Carolina instead. Hayes batted .465, with five home runs and 29 RBIs. He also had five doubles, five triples and 15 walks in 71 at-bats for the Mustangs.

"He's a well above-average runner, a shortstop who has great quickness in the field and great speed," scouting director Marty Maier told Baseball America. "He's a guy we think will be a solid defender, but also a guy who we think has a chance to hit."

Hayes was recommended to the Cardinals by area scout and Salisbury resident Randy Benson.

Hayes, a righthanded batter, has been compared to players like second baseman Ray Durham of the Chicago White Sox and former Cardinals third baseman Terry Pendleton.

Hayes, 18, was the Rowan County player of the year and the North Piedmont Conference most valuable player in baseball. He led the Mustangs to a 21-4 record.

Former Tar Heels Earn Playing Time in Minors

North Carolina baseball players Russ Adams, Chris Maples, Scott Autrey and Adam Greenberg were selected in MLB's June draft.

Adams was chosen by the Toronto Blue Jays in the first round with the 14th pick.

Adams has seen some playing time with the Dunedin Blue Jays and the Auburn Doubledays -- both Single-A farm teams for the Toronto Blue Jays. Most recently Adams has played in 30 games for the Doubledays at shortstop and currently has a .354 batting average with 16 RBIs.

Adams, a junior from Laurinburg, played first and third bases for the Tar Heels and led the team with a .370 batting average, 94 hits and 45 steals.

Maples was drafted in the sixth round by the Detroit Tigers. He has played in 16 games at third base for the Oneonta Tigers, a Single-A affiliate of Detroit. Maples earned 11 RBIs for Oneonta, and has a .242 batting average.

Maples, a senior from Hillsborough, set school records with 190 total bases and 48 extra-base hits.

Autrey was picked in the seventh round by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He has pitched in four games, winning two of them for the Hudson Valley Renegades, a Single-A affiliate of Tampa Bay. He has pitched 16 innings for the Renegades, earning a 3.21 ERA.

Autrey, a junior from Arlington, Texas, had a 5-3 record as a pitcher for the Tar Heels and led the team with 87 strikeouts.

Greenberg was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the ninth round. Since signing with the team, Greenberg has seen some playing time with the Daytona Cubs, a Single-A club for Chicago. Greenberg has played in seven games as an outfielder for Daytona and has hit .476, with one homerun and seven RBIs.

Greenberg, a junior from Guilford, Conn., led UNC with 17 home runs and 57 RBIs.

The four played in the NCAA Regional Baseball Tournament for UNC. The Tar Heels lost to South Carolina 3-1 and finished the season 43-21.