Signee Profile: Quinton Miller

Quinton Miller, a 6-2 178-pound pitcher from Medford (N.J.) Shawnee, was one of three 2008 UNC signees to play n the prestigious Aflac All-American Classic in San Diego last summer.

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Miller is ranked the No. 52 prospect in the nation by Perfect Game and the No. 1 player in the state of New Jersey, edging out future UNC teammate Jason Knapp for the top spot.

What sets Miller apart from the rest, in his mind, is his competitiveness and passion for the sport. “I just love the game and I’m always out there 100 percent focused, I love winning and I’ll do anything to win,” Miller said.

As a result of shoulder tendonitis in 2007, Miller only pitched in four games his junior season, but still posted a 1.09 ERA.

“Quinton’s one of these guys who’s being recruited as a pitcher and last year he had some shoulder tendonitis and we didn’t use him as a pitcher at all, we used him as a hitter and he led our team in almost every offensive category (batting .400 with five home runs),” said Shawnee head coach Brian Anderson.

“He’s very reminiscent of a player we had a few years back, Sean Doolittle who was the ACC Player of the Year at Virginia recently.” Even though Doolittle was Shawnee’s ace on the mound for three years, he was drafted in the MLB first round as a hitter.

Whether Miller will ever make a plate appearance at UNC remains to be seen. Like others in the Tar Heels’ 2008 class, he is not a one-dimensional player. “He’s a very versatile athlete and even though he’ll be used as a pitcher at Carolina, he has the ability to be an everyday player as well,” said Anderson. “He’s a great leader with a great work ethic and he comes from a great family.”

Miller’s fastball consistently sits in the low 90s and is complemented by two very effective off-speed pitches. He was described by a Perfect Game scout as “one of the most polished pitchers in the 2008 class.” UNC coach Mike Fox, referring to Miller’s skills on the mound, said: “Quinton has a very quick arm and a great feel for pitching. He throws strikes with all his pitches and he has great mound presence.”

Miller chose to commit to Fox and his staff over almost every program in the ACC and SEC. “It really came down between Carolina, Georgia, Clemson, and Auburn,” Miller explained.

When asked why he decided to be a Tar Heel over such respectable company, he said: “The atmosphere, the campus, the pedigree of the school itself as well as the baseball program and they’re building a new stadium which was also a big hot point. I just fell in love.”

Miller is excited about the opportunities that lie ahead, but is primarily focused on couple of goals when gets to UNC. “Obviously I want to a conference championship and maybe we can get over that bump and win a national championship.”

TAR HEEL BASEBALL RECRUITING BOARD
2008 Signees
Seth Baldwin	OF	Forest City (N.C.) East Rutherford
Derrik Gibson	SS/OF	Seaford (Del.) High
Matt Harrison	SS	Henderson (Nev.) Green Valley
L.J. Hoes	OF	Washington (D.C.) St. John
Jason Knapp	RHP	Annandale (N.J.) North Hunterdon
Garrison Lassiter	SS	Clemmons (N.C.) West Forsyth
Tim Melville	RHP/3B	Wentzville (Mo.) Holt
Jimmy Messer	RHP	Hudson (N.C.) South Caldwell
Quinton Miller	RHP	Medford (N.J.) Shawnee
Jacob Stallings	C	Nashville (Tenn.) Brentwood
2008 Commitments
Jeff May	C	Creedmoor (N.C.) South Granville
2009 Commitments
Brian Goodwin	OF	Rocky Mount (N.C.) High
Levi Michael	MIF	Lexington (N.C.) North Davidson
Chris Munnelly	RHP	Lewisville (N.C.) Forsyth Country Day