In 2013, the Astros selected North Carolina pitcher Kent Emanuel. Now the Astros go back to the Tar Heels for another pitcher in 2015, Trent Thornton.
Thornton, a native of Charlotte, N.C., attending Ardrey Kell high school. In 2013, during his freshman season, Thornton was named a consensus freshman All-America honors (Baseball America, Perfect Game, NCBWA and Louisville Slugger) after a standout freshman season. He appeared in 29 games, including six starts, and had a 1.37 ERA in 91.2 innings.
In 2014, appearing in 16 games (14 starts), Thornton posted a 7-4 record with a 2.