Ackley adds accolade

UNC first baseman chosen nation's top freshman

North Carolina first baseman Dustin Ackley on Wednesday chosen Collegiate Baseball newspaper's Freshman Player of the Year, adding to a long list of honors for the Tar Heels' top hitter.

Ackley was joined on the publication's Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America Team by UNC outfielder Tim Fedroff, N.C. State second baseman Dallas Poulk and Duke relief pitcher Michael Seander. N.C. A&T outfielder Christian Beatty also was honored.

Also a third-team All-America and the ACC's Freshman of the Year, Ackley is the first Tar Heel since Brian Roberts in 1997 to earn national rookie honors. He is batting .427 with Carolina freshman records of 109 hits and 65 RBI in 63 starts. Ackley also leads UNC in doubles (19), slugging (.608), on-base percentage (.465) and stolen bases (10).

UNC has had at least one Collegiate Baseball freshman All-America in each of the past five seasons.

ALSO WEDNESDAY

GOLF

ALL-AMERICAS: UNC's Martin Ureta made the PING Division I All-America third team announced Wednesday by the Golf Coaches Association of America.

Florida State's Jonas Blixt and Georgia Tech's Roberto Castro and Cameron Tringale made the second team.

Honorable mentions went to Andrew DiBitetto and Corey Nagy of Charlotte; Chesson Hadley, Georgia Tech; Matt Savage, Florida State; Michael Schachner, Duke; and Webb Simpson, Wake Forest.

FOOTBALL

STEELE FILLS CAMPBELL STAFF: Tony Grantham, a former coach at Navy and Louisiana State, and Landon Mariani, a former coach and player at North Carolina, have filled the final two spots on Dale Steele's Campbell staff.

Grantham will coach linebackers and Mariani will be in charge of quarterbacks and serve as the running game coordinator for the Fighting Camels, who resume football in 2008 after a 50-year hiatus.

DUKE ASSISTANT INTERVIEWS AT MONTANA STATE: Duke linebackers coach Larry Kerr is the second candidate to interview for the Montana State job. Kerr is among four finalists to replace fired coach Mike Kramer. Kerr has been a defensive coordinator at UCLA, Colorado State and Northern Arizona, and he spent six seasons as an assistant at Stanford.

TRACK AND FIELD

NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP: Lousiana State sophomore Trindon Holliday ran the third-fastest time 100 meters in the world this year, 10.02 seconds, in the semifinals at Sacramento, Calif.

Florida State's Walter Dix won his heat in 10.13, easing off at the finish. The two will meet Friday.

No final events were on Wednesday's schedule. Results are online at www.ncaasports.com.

SOFTBALL

WOMEN'S COLLEGE WORLD SERIES: Arizona won its eighth title, breaking loose against Tennessee ace Monica Abbott for a 5-0 victory at Oklahoma City. The top-seeded Wildcats (50-14-1) lost the opener in the best-of-three series, then won twice. Taryne Mowatt pitched all 60 innings in the event to become the first pitcher to win seven games.