UNC catcher signs free agent deal with MLB team

July is typically a slow month for collegiate sports, but not for the UNC baseball program, which had six players taken in the MLB Draft.

In a first-round surprise, Jake Schaffner went 20th overall to the Boston Red Sox. Owen Hull (second round, 67th overall) joins Schaff in Beantown, while Jason DeCaro and Ryan Lynch (third-rounders), Macon Winslow (sixth round) and Matthew Matthijs (17th round) also heard their names called.

Days after conclusion of this year's Draft, another Diamond Heel will be playing pro ball. Colin Hynek, who split time behind the dish with Winslow last season, signed a free agent deal with the Chicago Cubs.

Hynek likely begins his career in A-ball with either the Myrtle Beach Pelicans or South Bend Cubs, like most draftees and post-draft, free agent signings do. If Hynek makes it to Wrigley Field, he'll join former North Carolina standout Michael Busch.

Hynek transferred to UNC from Georgia State ahead of the 2026 campaign, giving the boys in Carolina Blue a potential Luke Stevenson replacement. Known for his power and defense, Hynek ended his lone year in Chapel Hill with a .253 batting average, 10 home runs, 59 runs batted and 349 put-outs.

During the Diamond Heels' postseason run, which ended in a decisive, Game 3 loss of the College World Series Finals to Oklahoma, Hynek primarily handled catching duties. Winslow's bat earned him a starting lineup spot as designated hitter, but North Carolina had two stars to count on behind the plate.

The Cubbies currently have Carson Kelly and Miguel Amaya splitting catching duties. How soon before Hynek moves up the minor league ladder?

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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC catcher signs free agent deal with MLB team