News And Views

Gryphon baseball won today in the South Johnston baseball tournament 5-2 over Cleveland.  They meet South Johnston at 2.30pm Tuesday in the fifth place game.

Alex Pearce needs to get all his pitching days to be moved to Monday's.  That would require the Braves to start their series on Saturdays and end on Monday.  Two straight Mondays now Alex Pearce is the winning pitcher on a Monday game for UNC Pembroke as they won today in Florence SC 5-2.  Pearce is now 5-3 on the season and today was the only win the Braves had this weekend against Francis Marion.

Brian Goodwin will be starting out his first full season in pro baseball in Hagerstown Maryland.  This is the A level in the South Atlantic league.  This has to be a major disappointment for Brian.  Signing the multi million dollar contract with the Nationals as he did last August he was expected during the winter and spring training to hopefully start at AA.

The Nationals have shown to be a club that doesn't mind spending money and their top prospect Bryce Harper has been sent to AAA to begin the year.  The Nationals have signed many veteran players this off season and finding slots to play just may have push Brian back to A ball.

2pm Tuesday afternoon the new Carolina Mudcats of the Carolina League will play their first game  as the A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians.  The first team they will play will be the home club the Cleveland Indians.  I heard they were still advertising tickets this afternoon on the radio so if you are free you can't get the majors to come to you any  closer than 35 miles away Tuesday.  The Mudcats this year are the team that use to be in Kinston.

Tonight the National Championship of College basketball is underway and I find that I have no interest in watching this game.  No local team any where near the game I doubt whether I will even watch fives minutes.

So You Forgot What Day It Was

I would like to thank each and everyone of you that called, sent a text or e-mailed me about winning the half million on the lottery over the weekend but you all forgot what day it was.  I will be at work this morning if God is willing.  I bought two tickets for Friday's drawing and only had two numbers altogether on both tickets.  So you have been duped.

Northern's Tyler Joyner pitched a complete game for the Pirates of ECU Saturday as the Pirates handed Alabama Birmingham a ten run loss 12-2.   Tyler has worked his way to the ECU Saturday starter.

Sunday Benton Moss left the Carolina game after pitching five innings with the lead but did not get the win when the Demon Deacons tied Carolina in the Ninth.  The Heels won in the bottom of the ninth.  Pitching for Rocky Mount Benton had high strike out totals but I never expected this as a freshman.  Adding the five innings Sunday Benton has pitched 31.1 innings on the year and has struck out 40 batters.

Last year Hobbs Johnson was Carolina's designated pitcher to one left handed batter per game.  This year has average outing is over an inning at a time and his ERA has dropped all the way down  to 1.15.

Alex Pearce will once again pitch today for the Braves of UNC-Pembroke.   They missed a weekend game with rain and have been pushed to Monday again.  Alex will try for win #5.  Alex pitched and played practically very position at Nash Central.  After his freshman year at UNC-P and he was behind the plate catching who would have ever thought he would have a shot at five wins by early April in his senior season.

You know all four of our local players pitching in  Division one and two  baseball play  within a very comfortable drive.  You can count of Tyler pitching on Saturdays for the Pirates.  Benton and Alex pitching on Sundays and Hobbs could be in any weekend game for the Heels when the game is tight.

This is the last weekend of Spring training.  Minor league players  probably already know where they will spending  the summer up to the point where they are moved up or down.  Where Brian Goodwin and Xavier Macklin  will call home for a while will be known shortly.

  This weekend Lander College comes to Pembroke and of course that is the Team that "Baseball" Britt Johnson is assistant coach with.  Thomas Berry will also be  on the field as Thomas will square off against Alex Pearce next weekend.