Post 58 Giving It All They Got

This is the eighth year that I have been behind the PA mic doing Coleman Pitt Post 58 baseball.  If you look at every player on this team there is not a super star among them.  In fact of all eight teams that I have seen this one is probably the least talented of the bunch.  Why then is this team 8-1 and close to three games in front of second place with a week to go in the regular season?

I think the talk among coaches is this year's league is this is the least talent in the  conference that they have seen in a long time and some of that may be because there are two new teams Albemarle and Windsor in the league who at this point  are average at very best. It just happens that this year being a down year for Rocky Mount is also a down year for everyone else and we just might be the best still. 

Post 58 has the best pitching in the league. Derrick Carter Northern's Nash rising junior is a super pitcher in waiting.  By his senior year he will probably be the pitcher that all the colleges are after from this area.  He is however only a rising junior and growth is still in his future. Jeremy Johnson Rocky Mount High pitcher who is headed to High Point University gives P58 two pitchers who on a bad night can give you six innings.  From what I have seen nobody else has any pitching any where close to those two.  When you add Chase Roupp, Spenser Ramsey, Pascal Ammons P 58 has the best pitching staff in the league.

Adam Bayless is the first baseman and frankly he has surprised me at how good he is.  Good glove at First and a better hitter than I thought.  David Williams and Andy Morris have shared second but they are both play any where players.  Both catch and short stop if need be.  Brock Waynic is a natural shortstop.  Spenser Ramsey had been solid at 3rd.  Linwood Jones the speedster in the outfield and on the bases.  When you add Jeremy Johnson in center when he is not pitching not many balls hit in the air are not caught by Jones or Johnson. Andrew Weatherly looks like an eighth grader who plays like Lou Brock with a rifle arm.  Abel Hernandez has been solid behind the plate but injury prone.

Adam Bayless is the only hitter they have that can threaten the fence but this team plays a lot like UCLA the team that just won the NCAA World Series.  Good pitching, timely hitting and solid defence.  The problem I see for this team in the playoffs  is that you are only as good as you competition will let you be.  Every team in order to continually get better need the challenge of tied in the eighth inning and who is going to make the play to win. Our division was like that last year and the trend is not good.  That doesn't mean it won't trend back up.

Their record at this point is not impressive 8-5 but one habit that Hank Jones likes to do is he

loves playing the teams he thinks will give us an opportunity to play great competition early on.  His problem was with so many players from the local private schools he forget their graduation weekend  and played the three toughest games all year that weekend.  He doesn't care if he loses to the Cherryville's or Garners what he wants to see is who he has that wants to give him the effort it takes to win.

Once he knows who he can count on and started sticking to a lineup this team has been hard to beat.  There is still two more opportunities to see this team Tuesday and Wednesday night.  Tuesday starts at 5:30 and Wednesday 7pm.  If you want to see what  a team looks like that plays as a  team here is your chance.  All the rain outs this team has had this year the Legion needs some good gates to keep up with expenses.  If Legion is alive in the future and the future is next year and beyond they need warm bodies who support those  who have been willing to give up their summer to represent us as Rocky Mount American Legion Team.

Coleman Pitt Takes Two

I have good news and then there is bad news and I guess you want the good news first.  Coleman Pitt Post 58 won a double header from Edenton Post 40 by forfeit.  The two teams were scheduled to play two at 5pm today but I received a text around lunch from Joe Bell that if Edenton could get here they were going to try to play at 4pm.

I arrived at the field around 3pm and the word then from coach Bob Jordan of Edenton was  that he thought he would have his team here by 3:50 or so.  So we are on the let's play as soon as we can to beat any possible rain that might be coming.  4:00pm arrived Edenton has eight players and one should be here but he is not answering text. Since the official start time on the published schedule is 5pm Ricky Crumpler the umpire in charge of the first game informed Edenton that if they didn't have nine to put on the field at 5pm he would have to forfeit the first game.  If they thought that player was coming they could get some extra time for the second game but if Jordan felt he was not coming might as well at 5pm call both games and that is what has happened.

The past two seasons both Windsor and Elizabeth City have formed teams  and even though they are 30 miles from Edenton  their pool of players is the same.  So three teams in that area are trying to field three teams from a pool that is just big enough for two teams.  So all three teams instead of having 17 on each squad only have 12.  When you are down to only 12 an injury depletes you to 11 and then  three decide to go to the beach and you don't have but eight.  Even Rocky Mount had a no show player on Saturday but when you have 14 players there ready to play missing one is easy to absorb.

Here is where as a person who knows all the coaches because most have coached their teams forever like Bob Jordan or Wilson's Rusty Dail who has  coached Wilson for 25 years these guys put their heart and soul into it every year only to see players more interested in going to the beach.  You wonder how long these guys will put up with the changing world of disinterest from young people today.

Now the bad news, Post 58 jumps to 8-1 in conference play but think about this.  The last eight days they have only played five innings of baseball and here we are a week from the playoffs needing playing time but weather and forfeits are not making Hank Jones  and Pat Smith job easy getting this team prepared for the playoffs.

Post 58 travels to Kinston Monday night in what now might be a clinching night if P58 can win.  They are home for a double header Tuesday that starts at 5:30 against Elizabeth City.  They will finish the game tied in the eighth inning which is in  extra innings of a seven inning double header rained out a week ago and then a seven inning game will start.

One of the strangest season I have ever seen in any sport took another turn today in Rocky Mount's favor as Edenton gives two to Rocky Mount

Another Gully Washer

 Post 58 will see if starting early does the trick again this afternoon as the doubleheader scheduled with Edenton will start at 4pm instead of 5.

Once again tonight Coleman Pitt Post 58 starts a game but it never makes it all the way to the ninth inning.  It didn't need too as Coleman Pitt finally caught a break with the weather and got just enough game in and at the time the bottom fell out was leading in the bottom of the fifth inning and that was enough to call BALL GAME to complete a victory for Post 58.

It took some good planning between Hank Jones P 58 coach and Athletic director Joe Bell to get Wilson to come early as they moved the game up one hour at 6pm and if they had not done that another rain out.  The rains came at about 7:15 or so and that at best may be would have made the top of the second if the game was not moved up.

Hank Jones sent Northern Nash Pitcher Derrick Carter to the mound and both the first and second inning Wilson loaded the bases but they managed only a single run in the first on a ground out by Casey Flora to take a 1-0 lead.  The bottom of  the second  P58 struck for three runs after Brock Waynic singled, he was wiped out on a fielders choice by Spenser Ramsey.  Andrew Weatherly laid down a bunt that he beat the throw to first but a wild throw sent Ramsey to third and Weatherly to second.  Jeremy Johnson, David Williams and Adam Bayless all had back to back to back hits and each collected and rbi.

As the clouds started moving in Carter got Post 13 out in the top of the fifth and while batting in the bottom of the fifth P58 score three times again as Andy Morris lead off with a hit.  Linwood Jones beat out an infield single and once again a wild throw sent Morris home and Jones to third.  Andrew Weatherly and Jeremy Johnson got back to back hits that lead to a 6-1 lead and Wilson was ready to make a pitching change when the clouds finally brought a clap of thunder and the field was cleared and about five minutes later the rains game and that was that.

The umpires were in the visitors dugout while the heavy rains came down and I am sure in about 15 minutes there was enough water to call the game but nobody was brave enough to run over in the pouring rain and challenge the lightening to get to the P58 dugout.  When the rained slacked up  a dash by the umpires over to the home dugout and five seconds later the signal game over.

Four plus inning  P58 got two hits each from Jeremy Johnson, David Williams,Adam Bayless and Andrew Weatherly.  Joining the hit parade was Brock Waynic, Linwood Jones and Andy Morris.  Derrick Carter allowed 6 hits in five  innings but one of the big items the defense didn't have a miscue while Wilson had three.  Carter beats Wilson for the second time this year as after the second inning he settled down and made quick work of Wilson on a night when ten minutes could have lead to another lost game with the weather .

Post 58 is now 6-1 in league play and for the first time this year go over 500 on the season at 6-5.  P 58 plays a double header Saturday at Legion field starting at 5pm against Edenton who is another one of those teams right at 500 in the league and if they could knock off P58 twice they would help their playoff cause tremendously.  As bad as the weather forecast is for the next few nights Hank and Joe are hoping to move the games up from five pm so if the games are moved up check here and I'll let you know.

You Guessed It

Tonites Post 58 Legion game against Wilson has been moved up to 6pm to try to beat any impending weather problems.


Coleman Pitt American Legion Post 58 game tonight at Wayne County was rained out.  I was in attendance to see the Tams in down town Rocky Mount and all the while had one eye peeled to the southern sky watching those clouds which never came north.

Starting Friday night CP 58 plays Friday at home, Saturday DH at home, off on Sunday and then play Monday at Kinston and Home Tuesday and Wednesday.  The only way to make up this rain for out tonight is Sunday and of course we don't know what Wayne County has on their plate for Sunday. Sure looks like baseball the 4th, fifth or sixth if need be to get the schedule in.

The NBA has completed the first round of the NBA draft and only two players were picked that had and connections to the State of North Carolina.  The way the NBA works if you are drafted in the first round you are guaranteed a contract for three years.  So if you are a bust in the NBA you will stay on the roster and will get all of the money whether you earned it or not.  Mason Plumlee of Duke and Kinston's Reggie Bullock were first round picks.

Any one else picked  pretty much has to go to camp and make the team that drafts you  and if you do that you will be given a contract.  If you don't make and NBA team then it is off to see the world and play for any professional team that is willing to pay you to play.  The average American player playing  across either ocean makes about $80,000 American dollars a year.  In baseball terms that's  minor league pay when you consider that the first round draft picks are all guaranteed at least a million a year for their first three years.

Ask The Question Somebody Knows

A couple of days ago I lamented on the fact that I had no idea what the standings were in the Area 1 American Legion.  Seek and ye shall find.  Here is the standing as of the end of Tuesday night.
Rocky Mount      5-1
Wayne County    5-3
Kinston               4-3
Edenton              4-3
Windsor             4-4
Pitt County         3-5
Albemarle          3-5
Wilson               3-8

There is no doubt all you need to do is substitute names of the Big East teams from the high school season and you will see that every team is right there in the middle.  Post 58 has two double headers up and coming this week.  Saturday they host Edenton.  Just suppose they were to lose both games.  They would fall back into the middle of the pack real quick.

Next week they have two games with Albemarle.  One that is already tied in the eighth inning and could lose that game in the twink of an eye.  So even though they look nice sitting on top there is work to be done.  The first order of business is a game tonight at Wayne County at Mt Olive College.  Talk about huge games but this one is.  Friday night Wilson  is at Legion Field and then a double header Saturday with Edenton.  The weather forecast is not good at all  through next week.

Tonight is the NBA draft.  Two of the first players to throw their eligibility in the hat was C J Leslie and Lo Brown of N C State.  At the time they were both rated middle of the first rounders.  Since then just about every player  that played college basketball this past season has declared for the draft.  Might not see either drafted in the first round which means they could have stayed one more year or play basketball next year in Brussels.  Tonight we will find out how many  draft declarers from around the world will get a guaranteed contract by being picked in the NBA first round.  There will be only 30 slots with about 100 leaving early.  Somebody surly made a mistake.  We will find out tonight who they were.

You've Come A Long Ways Hobbs Johnson

Just two years from being told to stay home and go to summer school while UNC baseball goes to the College World Series Former Rocky Mount Gryphon and now Former Tar Heel from North Carolina Hobbs Johnson has signed a Pro baseball contract with the Milwaukee Brewers and Johnson has been assigned to play this summer in Helena Montana.
 
His sophomore and Junior years for the Tar Heels he had a 12-2 record  and in 2012 an ERA of 1.56 and this season 2.37.  This year in 87 plus innings pitching for the Tar Heels he did not allow a home run.  The rumor mill has been circulating after Johnson was drafted in the 14th round in early June that he would not be back but after his pitching performance in the College World Series last Thursday night I think the Brewers knew they had better get him now.

Hobbs teammate at both Rocky Mount and Carolina Benton Moss has been named All ACC Academic team for the second year in a row.  Last year Moss made All Academic All American and with a two year grade point average of 3.98 there is no reason to believe he won't be an All American again.

Former Gryphon basketball player Tashawn Mabry fresh off graduation from Mesdesto Junior College in Modesto California where he averaged about 17 points this past season has signed with Tarleton State University in Stevenville Texas.  Tarleton is part of the Texas A&M system and they play in the Lone Star Conference which is a Division II League.  The college has about 10,000 students and is located about an hour from Fort Worth.

The baseball comeback of  Xavier Macklin the former Nash Central Bulldog is underway again.  X man spent the 2012 season in rehab after having to have  shoulder reconstruction surgery.  He is back in the New York-Penn League with Vermont where he started two years ago.  So far in just two games played he has one hit  which was a double in seven at bats.

Brian Goodwin is hitting 252 in in AA baseball.  He has 71 hits on the season but of those 22 have been a double or more.  10 Doubles, 7 triples and 5 home runs.  He seems to have leveled off striking out as he is getting close to only one per game.   Right now that is the area where he has to get better somehow making contact with two strikes.  He has stolen 13 bases in 21 tries but with his speed that percentage needs to be more like 19 of 21.  The learning process continues.

The Season Is Just Beginning

Coleman Pitt Post 58 tried to start the baseball season on May 20th.  Two cancellations later the season cranked up on May 26th.  One month has passed and with rain outs and rescheduling Post 58 has played 10 games.  They stand 5-5, could be 6-4 but had to forfeit one.  They are 5-1 in conference play.  They don't have another game scheduled until Thursday and if it doesn't rain or another team drop out P58 will play 7 and 1/2 games in seven days.

The regular season ends Wednesday July 3rd.  Between now and then P 58 plays Thursday at Wayne County and that game will be played at MT Olive College.  Friday they are home against Wilson.  They play a double header Saturday at home against Edenton. Monday they have a trip to Kinston.  Tuesday they are home again to play Albemarle in that game that was washed out in the bottom of the eighth inning plus another game after the rainout is over.  Wednesday night Kinston travels here to finish up the schedule.  Lord help us all if there is a rain out any where within the next week.

Before we talk playoffs let's look at that game with Albemarle which starts with us batting in the bottom of the eighth inning.  When the lineup cards were turn in to the umpires Post 84 brought only ten players with them and that is all that was all the players  on the lineup card.  Post 58 had 16 players on the lineup card even though a couple may not have even been there. The tenth player for P84 came in the game to pitch so when the game is resumed they must put the same nine back out on the field.  If any of those nine players fails to make it to the game they will only have eight players eligible to play and they will have to forfeit the rain out game.

Post 58 played 13 of the 16 players on the line up card so if one of their players fails to show they still have bench players who could take their place.  The problem for P84 is they have to take the field to resume the game while only the batters have to go to bat that are due up next for P58.  A real dilemma for P84 just making the trip here.  Once the second game starts they can make a lineup any way they want.

One issue I have with the way things are done in the east American Legion I have no idea what the standings are and how we stand heading to the last week.  I know with a 5-1 record we can't be any worse than second but who knows.  Anybody know what the standings are?

The top four make the playoffs.  One plays four and two plays three in the conference.  In years past there have been three levels of conference playoffs but there are only two this year so instead of the first round being two out of three all rounds are three out of five.   Wilson is hosting the State Championship this year so they are already in the State Tournament.  Our champion plays the Capitol area champ and the winner of that three out of five goes to Wilson for the State Title.

So if the weather holds out the Playoffs start July 7th.  The one thing nobody wants to do is have to play on July fourth to make up a rainout game.  I sure don't want to and you know the kids don't want to play then.

NCHSAA All Time Top 100 Coaches

The North Carolina High School Athletic Association as part of the celebration of the 100th Anniversary  of the association has announced the all time top 100 coaches regardless of what sport they were in, in relationship with the NCHSAA.  Only one from Nash County made the list an a couple from Edgecombe County.

Sandra Langley:  SouthWest Edgecombe- Has won more than 600 basketball games as the girls basketball coach  at SouthWest Edgecombe.  She   has served as athletic director at SWE since 1991.  Langley a graduate of SWE is a member of the NCHSAA Hall Of Fame

Rosalie Bardin:  Southern Nash-  Held several coaching positions at Southern Nash  but 24 were as softball coach.  Served at principal of S Nash several years before retirement.  She is a member of the NCHSAA Hall Of Fame

Ron Vincent:  Rose-  All time winningest coach in North Carolina high school baseball.  Won six state titles.  Member of NCHSAA Hall of  Fame.  Had the pleasure of doing I think it was for local TV when Vincent beat Rocky Mount in Rocky Mount for #600.

Harvey Reid:  Elm City/Fike-  The all time winningest high school coach in North Carolina Basketball history winning 816 games.  Member of NC Sports Hall Of Fame and NCHSAA Hall Of Fame.

Gilbert Ferrell:  Fike-  Won the 1968 state 4-A baseball title for Fike.  served as baseball coach for 20 years and athletic director for 13.  Finished off his career as Wilson County Schools AD.  Member of NCHSAA Hall Of Fame.

Jim Fulghum- Green Central-  Makes this list because before he went to Green Central won a  basketball title at North Edgecombe moved to Green Central and won five baseball titles.

Any time there is any list  there are always people left out.  I think you will see that just about all on the list of 100 were deep into NCHSAA activities.  When I say that I am talking they were chairman of the NCHSAA rules committee and something more than just a coach that won many games.  These people were active in the statewide process of the NCHSAA.  If you go to NCHSAA.org you can see the complete list of those from all over North Carolina.

Now that the Little League season is over  the City of Rocky Mount's all Star teams are preparing for for the State playoff.  The district Tournament will be held in Rocky Mount July 9th through the 13th.  This weekend there is a tournament in Smithfield and there is always one every year somewhere in the area that helps prepare the teams for the district.

 This one is a single elimination tournament and both the Midgets (9-10 ) and senior (11-12) teams are playing.  Both groups have an American and a National League team. Through Sunday rain has force the tournament into Monday games and in the Senior League both the American league and National League are undefeated and will play each other for the Senior title.  The American (9-10) year old are still alive and barring more rain will play for this prelim championship Monday.

College Baseball In North Carolina Is Booming

Ever since the rain out of the third game of the North Carolina-N C State baseball series late in April the intensity of college baseball has ramped up a notch.  Look last years ACC Tournament game in Greensboro which at the time was the largest ACC crowd ever was beaten by this year's ACC Tournament game.  People are saying this rivalry is beginning to form.  Look folks in baseball State and Carolina has always been a tough ticket to get.  Their stadium sizes have had something to do with it when only 1,500 could get in but this rivalry has intensified because now both are national powers.

I don't know who is going to win the CWS but there is no other conference  in the country that can say they had two conference members in the top five in the end.  There is no other state that can say they had two teams that made it to Omaha.  This baseball rivalry has always been there but now that both are top five teams the stakes have gotten more important.  Both should be just as good next year

Don't be shocked if you are in the Wolfpack or Rams club to see literature wanting you to give money to expand both stadiums.  Both are land locked to a major degree but I could see both schools trying to add two thousand more seats each in the near future.

It sure hasn't hurt the Big Four having the tournaments in Greensboro and Durham in minor league ball parks.  Look DBAP was not big enough for the Tournament game this year so the writing is on the wall for baseball find a bigger park for the ACC tournament but it has to be in North Carolina if you want to draw large crowds.

I was so glad to see Benton Moss get to pitch in the CWS.  TV said he was hitting 94 with his fastball.  Carolina's starting pitching took a nose dive towards the end of the regular season and there were many who questions whether Benton might be hurt.  After the way Hobbs Johnson threw Thursday and Benton getting a strike out  against his only batter I think  Carolina's pitching problem was they went too much to curve balls late in the season.  Hobbs didn't throw one for 8 and 1/3 innings and Benton blew by his one hitter.

I think for what ever reason Carolina's  pitching coach lost confidence in their fastballs and relied too much on their curves.  I don't care who you are if you hit 90 mph  or more and in Benton's case have a curve that drops off the table and Hobb's curve dives in the dirt  I want my pitcher throwing three out of four pitches fast balls and keep the hitters guessing when the curve is coming.  Late in the season everyone knew a curve was coming from both.  If I am a hitter looking curve and you slip me a fastball I am going to be late swinging and sitting in the dugout struck out.

I am so proud of the way both teams played this year and I have only one complaint about the College World Series.  Why in the world did Carolina wear those Duke blue tops?  Sunday when Carolina wore Carolina Blue and State had on the red tops that to me is Carolina meeting State.  I thought  Duke had make a cameo in Omaha.

Another Rain Out For Post 58

This low pressure system off the coast has scratched another game off the schedule for Coleman Pitt Post 58.  If my count is right we have lost six games to weather, two early on when neither side was ready to start the season and had to forfeit one.  They stand at 5-5 over all and 5-1 in area one  play and as of right now still have eight more conference games to make up because this strange season has taken another twist to add I can't believe this.

I have very few official details but Ahoskie Post 102 has cancelled the rest of their season after an incident after their game Thursday night.  That's all I know as of this moment or should I say that is all I am willing to say publicly about now.  What the league has done as anyone who has played Post 102 will drop that game as if it has not been played at all and any team like Post 58 who was suppose to go to Ahoskie  this Tuesday for a double header will not.  Instead of 16 conference games we are now down to 14. Does anybody know the number to Ripley's Believe It Or Not.  That is the kind of season this has been.

Since this spring during the Big East season the entire league was average and since most of the players are suppose to be from the Nash County Big East area that would lead that Post 58 is an average team this year.  However not that many players are from the Big East but with the players added from other areas  this team still has the qualities of a Big East team.  Light hitting and fair to Midland   pitching.  That is how this team has played so far.

How can you explain that with this type team that at this point this team is 5-1 in conference games.  Well, the good answer is awesome coaching and Hank Jones and Pat Smith are  hard to beat when looking at  other coaching combo's in the area that are better.  I wish I could say that was the answer but quite frankly the entire conference looks like the Big East.

Our only loss was to Wayne County and it was our worse game of the year defensively.  WC is solid but not a team that makes me shake in my boots.  This season is one of those seasons that if this was another year we might be in the lower part of the standing but we are as good as anybody this year.  So why is that?  There are many answers and each one is a good answer if I was on Family Feud.

Travel Ball is stealing players but this year not that many good players from this area playing travel.  Beach, Legion comes right when high school ends  and last until July 10 and then the playoffs.  Kids have cars today and can go where ever they want.  Here is the one that I think digs deep into baseball's future.  I just don't see enough players that love the game that would get up at 9am and play all day  and go back and play some more after supper.  Yes Post 58 has three or four of those guys but back in my day the whole team was filled with every gym rats.  Playing baseball in 95 degree weather is too much work when I could be at the beach or in front of a TV screen playing John Madden.

We live in a different world today.

Legion Takes Two / Carolina Ousted

Coleman Pitt Post 58 swept a double header from Windsor Post 37 tonight 11-1 in five innings and 9-6.  Spenser Ramsey scattered seven hits over over his five innings of work but even though he had base runners on he didn't compound the problem with base only balls.  He only had one for the night.

Adam Bayless was the hitting hero as as he collected two hits and one left the park with the bases loaded.  He had five rbi's in game one.  David Williams and Chase Roupp also had two hits for the game.  Linwood Jones,Brock Waynick, Nick Vester and Andy Morris all had a hit and Morris' double drove in the final two runs of a 7 run fifth to get the game to a ten run mercy rule.

The night cap Hank Jones started David Williams on the mound and lasted only one inning as P37 playing in the night cap as the home team scorched Williams for three hits in the first but three base on balls a hit batter found the Coleman Pitt bunch down 5-1 at the end of one.  Enter Pascal Ammons  a pitcher for Cornith Holder in Wendell and Ammons shuts down P37 for the next four inning holding them  hit less.  He walked three but never giving up the big hit P58 clawed back taking a 7-5 lead into the 6th inning when P37 got a single and a triple to cut the lead to 7-6 but Ammons put out the fire in the 6th and  manged to face four batters in the seventh.

P 58 scratched a run home in the second after two outs a walk to Andrew Weatherly and a triple by Linwood Jones.  They score one in the third without a hit.  Finally the fifth they pushed across  four runs on a rbi by Brock Waynick and an error helped move runners all over the place.  Just for good measure P 58 added two more in the 7th to win 9-6. Post 58 is now 5-1 in conference play and as of tonight they have squared their record at 5-5 on the year.

North Carolina in their fifth elimination game during the NCAA playoffs waited to the ninth inning to score against UCLA Friday night and they join N C State in the eliminated category as UCLA dumps Carolina 4-1.  The Tar Heels finish 3rd in the CWS going 2-2.   In what I would  consider a classy move by Mike Fox  he brought in Gryphon Benton Moss in the game to pitch to the last batter for UCLA with two outs.  Realizing that Carolina's second best pitcher during the regular season had not stepped on the mound and looking as if tonight was it for Carolina Moss proceeded to strike out his only batter he face.

UCLA has given up just two runs in three games and will now play Mississippi State for the CWS Championship starting Monday night.

H O B B S

North Carolina got the last laugh on N C State at the College World Series and they did it on the back of former Rocky Mount Gryphon pitcher Hobbs Johnson.  Johnson pitching the game of his career goes eight and one third innings allows five hits strikes out six but only allowed two runners to reach base with a walk.

Mike Fox let the cat out of the bag during his TV interview where he stated that Johnson to that point in the fifth inning when the between innings interview occurred that Johnson had thrown nothing but fast balls all game.  Late in the eighth inning TV used a stat at the time when Johnson was nearing 120 pitches for the game that all 120 of them had been between 87-92 miles per hour.  To say the least a masterful gem  for Carolina and Hobbs Johnson.

Carolina scratched two runs off Carlos Rodon  who was a surprise starter in the game  in the first five innings but put the game away scoring one in the eighth and four in the ninth to win 7-0. Mike Fox gave Hobbs the ball in the ninth to get a complete game shutout but two back to back hits after one out doomed the complete game idea.  North Carolina has no time to gloat as they will be right back on the Omaha baseball diamond Friday night taking on UCLA a team they have to beat Friday and if they do that beat them again Saturday night just to win this bracket.

Mike Fox could come back with Kent Immanuel who for most of the season was Carolina's ace but during the NCAA has seemed tired.  Fox could come back with another former Gryphon Benton Moss who has yet to pitch in the CWS.  Carolina lives to play another day sending N C State home to Raleigh where the WolfPack will finish fifth in the College World Series.

The weather forecast seems to look favorably on Coleman Pitt Post 58 getting two games in Friday night as they host Windsor.  First pitch will take place about five at Legion Field.

Can't Get Much Bigger

Maybe if State and Carolina were meeting in the Final Four in basketball it would be considered bigger.  Since it has never happened on the basketball court or in a BCS football game tonight's College World Series  game in Omaha Nebraska is the ultimate of college sports games between the two biggest rivals in North Carolina.  Just Maybe Duke -North Carolina in basketball would be bigger and yes they did meet one year in the NIT semi's but never on the NCAA stage.

What is at stake tonight is a years worth of ragging because for the loser tonight they pack up Friday morning and come back to RDU Airport while the other will try to play at least one more game. The winner still has the hope of winning the National Championship in College Baseball while the loser will have to hear all about what the other did to send you home.  I hope for who ever wins it is a game of we did the right thing at the right time to win.  I hope we don't have another wild throw to first starts the down fall for the loser.  The burden for any player out there spilling his heart to win for his team making a error and becomes a goat is a life time anchor to drag around for the rest of your life.

Coleman Pitt Post 58 will try again Friday night to play  a double header with Windsor which is a conference game.  Between cancelling games and rain outs Post 58 still has 12 conference games to play by the fourth Of July.  Some of those rain outs are still being looked at to find open dates.  Don't be surprised if the way this season has gone to play one team on a Saturday at noon and play anther team at 7pm to get all the games in.  That's the way this season has been.  If you add all the cancellations with the rain outs P58 who stands at 3-5 on the year has lost more games than played.

All of the high schools in the area have had graduations and school is over until mid August.  Some of those students that graduated are searching jobs that will become what they do for the rest of their lives.  Some have found summer jobs waiting for opening day of colleges where they will go to get more education to prepare them for their future.  Still others while getting more education will attempt to play sports in college.  What follows is a list of those from Rocky Mount High School that I know of that will play sports in college.  If I have left someone off please send me a comment so we can add them to the list.  This list is based on them getting at least some scholarship money to play what ever sport they are in.  This does not include those who will walk on in college.

Brandy Pittman  Winston Salem State  Cheer Leading
Michael Hines  Livingstone  Football
Mason Hines North Carolina A&T Football
Michael Gainey Jr.( MJ)  Newport News Apprentice Basketball
Kelsey Daniels New Port News Apprentice  Basketball
Kasey Cooke  Western Carolina   Soccer
Evie Hunter  North Carolina Wesleyan   Volleyball
Jeremy Johnson  High Point  Baseball
Spenser Ramsey North Carolina Wesleyan  Baseball
Ben Winstead  Guilford College Football
Ahmad Harrell  North Carolina A&T   Football
Ty'Ais Cooper  Methodist College  Basketball
J'Kyra Brown  East Carolina Basketball

NBA Basketball Finals

I did not watch any of the NBA finals at all until the completion of the N C State- UCLA baseball game was over.  I was tempted to turn during the commercials to watch but this is the College World Series and my team is playing, I ain't turning away.

Once the baseball game ended I saw the last fifty seconds of the regulation and all of the over time and in that almost six minutes every thing I need to know as to why I can't stand to watch the NBA any more was front and center.  Yes, it may go down in the history of NBA basketball as one of the greatest games ever but not for me.

There was the drive by LeBron when Danny Green stripped the ball away from him but on the replay Lebron threw out his hand and pushed off driving to the basket.  The replay showed Danny Green despite being pushed away did a great defensive job and the ball went off Lebron.  Why was there any replay at all  Lebron had an offensive foul and the ball should have gone to The Spurs any way.

Then with under ten seconds to play Nanu Ginobili took a half a dozen steps driving to the basket and no call.  Yes there were screams for a foul but the foul never came until step four.  The NBA has become Professional Wrestling, entertainment not basketball.  Thursday night I will not watch one minute of the NBA seventh game.  It doesn't hurt that State-Carolina will be on another channel but I wouldn't watch it if it was the only channel on Thursday night.

There was plenty of chatter after Trey Turner missed out on the home run that would have won the game for the Wolfpack last night  of the stadium being too large.  Please don't do one thing to the stadium.  Ever since, three years ago that College Baseball lightened up the baseball bat College baseball has gotten back to playing baseball.  I use to hate to see a starting pitcher still in the game in the 7th inning with the score 9-8.  The old bat was going to produce runs now it is back to the team that best executes wins.  That is the way the game is suppose to be played. 

We have come down to just maybe the most exciting event ever played by two teams that call North Carolina home.  North Carolina and N C State will play a losers bracket game to see who can beat UCLA twice and if you can do all that play again next week a two out of three game series against the other bracket. As well as both of these teams have played this year it is sad to think one will lose and the other will still be alive even though they are on life support.

Rocky Mount High's Hobbs Johnson will pitch for Carolina.  If you remember way back during the ACC Tournament I suggested that I wanted both Benton Moss and Hobbs to pitch late in their games with the score tied and for State to win it  after they were out of the game.  I am to the point now that I want either State or Carolina which ever one can win it all to win Thursday's game.  I do believe which ever one wins Thursday night still is as good as anyone left and can still win it all.  Let's go  win the CWS -ACC.

Legion Can't Complete Before Rain

The double header of two seven innings games took a detour during the first game as Post 58 and Albemarle Post 84 play seven plus innings and were tied 4-4 when the bottom fell out and it didn't take but about ten minutes before the field was flooded.  Here's is now the problem.  When can both teams match up this late in the season to get these two games in.  There is less than three weeks to go in the regular season and Post 58 still has nine scheduled games to play and there is still a need to make up a rain out with Kinston.  Time and available days are running out.  I guess the way this season has gone, this is just another I can't believe this season moment.

Post 58 could collect only five hits while they held P84 to only four.  Seemed as if neither team could win the game.  Brock Waynick had two hits for post 58 while Abel Hernandez, Nick Vester and Chase Roupp had the others.  Adam Bayless started on the mound gave way to Pascal Ammons and Cody Smith  got P58 through eight innings.  When ever the game is resumed P58 will come to bat in the bottom of the eighth.

North Carolina got from Trent Thornton today what whey have not gotten from a starting pitcher almost this entire post season innings.  Thornton gives the Heels seven strong innings and he got help from Chris McCue  in the eighth and ninth innings as North Carolina survives to play another day at the College World Series.  The Heels beat LSU 4-2. 

Brian Holberton got Carolina off on the right foot with a two run homer and Colon Moran added another run in the third and Carolina plays State again Thursday night at the College World Series.  LSU who many thought including myself as the best team in the CWS is out going home with two losses.

I don't think too many people thought there would be many runs scored in the State- UCLA game and it wasn't.  State got some bad luck in the third after they had taken a 1-0 lead and over throw of home hit off the base of the brick wall behind home plate and bounced right straight at the catcher who was chasing the wild throw and he was able to get State's second run of the third inning out at home.

The eighth inning which was State's big chance failed after a sacrifice bunt was not executed and Trey Turner hit a ball to the wall which would have tied the game but it didn't since the runner never got to third on the sacrifice.  UCLA beats State 2-1 to drop State to the losers bracket with Carolina and they will meet up again Thursday night at 8pm.  Mike Fox announced after the game this afternoon that Hobbs Johnson would be on the mound for the Tar Heels.

Just Sunday had been the biggest sporting event ever between State and Carolina and now that will be topped as one of these teams will be knocked out of the tournament while Thursday winner gets a shot to beat UCLA twice.

6-4-3 DP Saves Post 58

Coleman Pitt Post 58 won their third conference game of the year tonight winning at home 6-4 over Pitt County Post 39.  Leading 6-4 relief pitcher Cody Smith walked two batters with one out in the eighth inning protecting a 6-4 lead.  Hank Jones went to the bull pen and brought in reliever Chase Roupp into the game  and he walked the first man he faced.  Bases loaded with one out and clinging to a two run lead which looks as if it is about to disappear Roupp delivered a ground ball pitch which was hit at second baseman Andy Morris who has just been put in the game that inning.  Morris without taking the ball out of his glove scooped the ball to the shortstop Brock Waynick who had to fire a rifle throw to first to beat the runner and Post 58 had gotten out of the jam of the night.

Gone by this time was starting pitcher Derrick Carter who for the second outing in a row gave Hank Jones six solid innings but unlike last week in Wilson he left tied 3-3.  Carter gave up seven hits and walked four batters but Post 58's defense whether it was running down fly balls or Spenser Ramsey gunning runners out from his new home at third base the defense kept Carter in the game.  The top of the seventh Cody Smith had arrived and pitched one and one third gave up a run on two hits and two base on balls.  One of those hits scored on a wild pitch in the top of the seventh.  Smith was credited with the win after he gave up the tie but he was on the mound when Post 58 plated three  in the bottom seventh to take the lead.

The bottom of the seventh started innocently enough with a 6-3 ground out but a e-4, two base on balls and strike out P 58 had the bases loaded with two outs when pitch hitter Chandler Clontz found an open hole over the shortstops head to give P58 the lead at 5-4.  Run Number six scored when Linwood Jones drove home Adam Bayless who had walked earlier.

Buoyed by the 6-4-3 double play to end the eighth Chase Roupp got the save after he  set P39 down in the ninth 3up and 3 down.  Post 58 collected only seven  hits while P39 had 9.  P58 played error free baseball while P39 had four. Post 58 pitchers walked seven on the night while Pitt County walked but three.  The difference today Coleman Pitt Post 58 played an excellent defensive game and they come home 3-1 now in the conference while Pitt County dropped to 3-5.

Adam Bayless lead the P58 hitters with two and two rbi. Chandler Clontz only at bat produced a hit and rbi.  Linwood Jones' hit brought home a run. Brock Waynick had a hit and rbi but he also had a suicide bunt with an rbi.  Spenser Ramsey and Chase Roupp had Post 58 other two hits.

No time to rest as Post 58 will play a double header Tuesday night starting at 5pm against Albemarle Post 84.  Post 84 is the Elizabeth City team that failed to show for a game a couple of weeks ago and in order to keep from having to forfeit that game P84 gave up a home game with us to play a double header Tuesday night in Rocky Mount.

R O D O N

North Carolina State and Carolina have met many times in the history of the ACC basketball tournament for the championship when winning the ACC was more important that any NCAA game.  Today North Carolina and State met each other for the first time ever in any sport in a NCAA game.  All you have to know about this one is the name Carlos Rodon.

Rodon didn't give up his first hit until the fifth and by the seventh inning the Pack has score enough runs Rodon was throwing everything right down the middle trying to get the game over. By games end the Pack scored eight times and pounded out 11 hits on their way to their first College World Series win since 1968.  Rodon allowed a ninth inning run to spoil the shutout and finished up giving up five hits but for WolfPack fans every where this one is the sweetest victory over Carolina ever.

Nash County's very own Elliot Avent  becomes only the second N C State coach to win a world series game trailing Sam Espozito who has two.  Carlos Rodon becomes only the second pitcher in N C State history trailing Tarboro's Mike Caldwell who was the winning pitcher in both of State's CWS wins in 1968.

North Carolina must now fall to the loser bracket where they will play an elimination game Tuesday afternoon at 3pm against either LSU or UCLA who are playing tonight.  State has at least two more games they can play will meet the winner of LSU-UCLA Tuesday night at 8pm.   Should Carolina win Tuesday and State lose they would play each other in an elimination game later this week.

Coleman Pitt Post 58 American Legion baseball team has six games to play at home starting Monday  night and five of the six are conference games.  Monday they play Pitt County at 7pm the team they beat last week 8-7.  Tuesday a double header starts at 5pm with Albemarle the team that failed to show for a game about two weeks back. The double header will start at 5pm.   Friday they play host to Windsor  for a doubleheaded which starts at 5pm and finish up Saturday night against Creedmoor.  By Saturday night will will know all we are going to know about this years team.

Glad I Was There

Standing behind the mic and describing what I see has taken me to many different places during my career.  There have been many that the build up leading up to the game had me pumped up too for the importance that game might carry.  A State Championship game, a conference championship and then there are the moments like Wednesday night.

I had heard at the Legion game Tuesday night that Norman Chambliss was retiring as a little league coach with the Rocky Mount Parks and Recreation after 25 years and that Wednesday was the last night for him.  Since I had the assignment to tape the Little League Championship right off the bat I knew this was going to be special for me and that meant his team was in the finals.

Back in 1993 and 1994 my son Brooks played for Norman on the Pepsi Braves.  At the time living in Fayetteville and I didn't see every game played during those two years but I saw enough that as a little league coach myself for 16 years I knew Brooks was getting all the coaching he needed with Norman.

 When ever I came to see games and I saw some of the regular season games and  all the 1994 all Star games in which Norman was the head coach after the Braves had gone undefeated in the regular season and the tournament which if I remember was the first time in the history of Rocky Mount rec any time had accomplished that feat. Brooks had introduced me to Norman but knowing all the moaning and groaning done by parents  I was introduced to him and that was it.

I saw every game a coach and there are many just like Norman who are there to help the kids not there just because their children are there.  Rocky Mount has several who have dedicated their spring, summers and fall to teach our kids how to play ball but there is one more aspect that I saw from Norman.  He taught our kids about life.

Since Brooks has moved on with his life Norman ask me about him every time I run into him. The Braves had to beat the A's twice Wednesday to win the championship and after the Braves won the first game to force a championship I sent a  text to Brooks to tell him I was about to do play by play in the championship little league game and Norman and the Braves were in it and Norman had announced his retirement  after the game.   I went on and did the broadcast in which the Braves won.

The City presented Norman with an award for his service to our city and I checked my phone during the ceremony and Brooks had replied to my text. This story today is about one of many coaches in Rocky Mount who pour their heart and soul into their passion of little league baseball.  I interviewed Norman surrounded by his team for TV and  at the end of the interview I told Norman what Brooks had said.  Brooks text says it all.  "Norman Chambliss Great Coach, Better Person.

Thanks Norman you have had a great part in my families life much more than you realize.  I know there are about 250  more kids that you coached that can say that too.

Early Conference Battle

Coleman Pitt Post 58 has had a strange first six games of the  season heading into tonight.  Three of their four losses have come to teams that have a combined 40-6 record.  The fourth loss was a forfeit so standing at 0-4 on the season most of us observers of Post 58 were shocked that two road conference games this week had gone to P58 4-1 at Wilson and 8-7 in Greenville.  2-0 in conference play and tonight Wayne Count Post 11 brings in an 8-2 and 2-1 conference record. Post 58 falls at home 10-2.

 Hank Jones still trying to find who is going to be counted on as the season unfolds starts Johnathan Aparicio on the mound.and from the get go Aparicio had trouble finding the plate and when he did Post 11 had little trouble driving in runs.  P 11 scored twice and looked for more until a nice double play ended a big time rally.  Wayne Co score three more in the second  before P58 scratched home two runs in the bottom of the second.   A walk, a single by David Williams and a two run double by Brock Waynik produced two runs  to find P58  down only 5-2 at the end of two.

Spenser Ramsey came on to pitch the third and held P11 in check until  the sixth inning.  The final eight innings of the game Wayne County would score eight times and all are listed in the books as unearned runs as P 58 gave P11 plenty of help when ever they needed it.  4 errors officially but one batter reached after he had two pop ups dropped and one was in foul territory.


Adam Pate a UNC recruit collects three hits on the night of the seven that Wayne County could muster but when you add four errors ten runs crossed the plate for the winners. Linwood Jones was 2-2 for Coleman Pitt  and David Williams added two more. Jeremy Johnson, Johnathan Aparicio and Brock Waynik had a double and two rbi. 

Greg Johnson pitched seven strong innings for Wayne County who now is 3-1 and 9-2 over all on the season.  Coleman Pitt drops to 2-1 and 2-5 and the mystery remains at how good can this team be this year.  Their four losses have come to teams with a combined 49-8 but I don't care who you play spill the ball all over the place like they did tonight  they will have trouble beating teams 8-49.

Sunday Is No Ordinary State -Carolina Game

All of the sniping, we are better than you will go out the door Sunday afternoon when State- Carolina meet in Omaha Nebraska.  The game will not knock either out but for the loser a trip back to North Carolina could come faster than the other but even winning Sunday guarantees no picnic for the winner.  It is my opinion that LSU is the team to beat of all the teams left in the World Series and guess what they are in the bracket with State and Carolina.

North Carolina remains #1 in the RPI  and right on their heels is LSU in second.  LSU is the only team in the country with less than 10 losses.  N C State is 6th and UCLA the fourth member of this bracket is 13th.  The good news for State and Carolina this sounds like the ACC Tournament all over again. 

State and Carolina have played each other three times this season with Carolina winning 7-1 State winning 7-3 and then the marathon game in Durham with the Tar Heels winning 2-1.  All three of those games never was Carlos Rodon and Kent Immanuel opposite each other on the mound.  You can best better believe they will be on the mound against each other Sunday.  No holding back, let's see what you got when these two square off. 

This game is every thing for  those of us living in North Carolina which ever one you root for but ESPN chose to have the prime time game Sunday LSU and UCLA.  Makes sense since  it is more of a national game since one is from the south and the other west coast.

So far this year Carolina is 57-10 while State is 49-14.  The last 16 times that these two have play each other  and that is over the last four years they are even at 8-8.  Carolina started out 39-2 but down the stretch 18-8. State started 18-10 but down the stretch 31-4.   All of this adds up to two of the best teams in the country playing each other.

The experts called it in the preseason calling Carolina #1 in the country while State was voted #1 in ACC.  All that matters now to either team is right now they are 10 days away from a magic dream coming true.  This Sunday's loser  will have a harder time  meeting that dream than the winner but winning Sunday is no guarantee of future success.

Since both teams are in the same bracket they could meet at least once more later in the week and if one team is in the winners bracket is undefeated  and the other would have to win twice to win out so Sunday may not be the only time they meet next week.This will be the first time ever that State and Carolina have ever met  in the NCAA baseball playoffs or any other NCAA playoff game in any sport.  No one cares who beat who last week, last year or  last century.  The only thing that matters to us all is who wins Sunday. 

The Dictator- TV

The all mighty dollar has ruined many a person who became consumed with the thirst of more money.  There is not a more visible example of that today than college athletics.  Conferences like the Atlantic Coast Conferences are no longer close enough to get in your car on Saturday morning and ride to Charlottesville to a football game.  Louisville and Notre Dame joining the ACC no longer has anything to do with the Atlantic Coast.

Miami has to fly two hours to play a conference game practically with everyone in the ACC.  There is nothing wrong with getting bigger.  Nascar use to have six races a year in North Carolina the home of Nascar.  If Las Vegas takes away one of Charlotte's races we will be down to one.  Why is all of this happening? The answer is simple.  The more TV's that you can attach to that will watch your product the more money is in the cake for everyone to divide up.

TV contracts add millions of dollars to sports conferences.  Spending all that money TV executives want a say when you play and all of the people (College Universities) that want more money have to sell their soul to get it.  There is no more evidence of how TV demands when you play than the North Carolina-South Carolina Super Regional.  The first game was scheduled for noon Friday and was rained out.  Saturday they played at 1pm.  Sunday was another 1pm game.  A split between the two teams  led to a third winner take all game that TV wanted to air Monday night at 7pm not Monday afternoon at Noon or 1pm like the other games had been.

If the game had of been played in the afternoon  there would have been no rainout and the winner would have played their first game in the College World Series at 3pm on Saturday against N C State.  Moving the game to Tuesday the TV schedule was changed and now  Carolina will play State Sunday at 3pm.  Since Tuesday is the drop dead date for having all the games in the Super Regionals completed Both of the college teams called Carolina were put under extreme stress to complete that game on Tuesday.  The bottom line by selling their soul to TV puts every team in peril when it didn't have to be that way.

Last night Coleman Pitt Post 58 threw their name in the hat of being one of the teams to look out for as the conference play has now started.  P58 played in Greenville against  Post 39 in Mark LeClair Stadium at ECU.  When the dust had settled P58 won 8-7 which now gives them a 2-0 conference mark with a really big game at home Friday night against Kinston.

Also, last night at the Sports Complex the Braves coming out of the losers bracket had to beat the A's twice to win the City of Rocky Mount Senior Little League Championship.  The first game was 6-4 and the winner take all final game was 6-3.  It was also the last game as a little league coach for Norman Chambliss  who after 25 years is hanging up his tennis shoes.  What a way to go out as Champions.

Don't forget the Bar-B-Que chicken plates at Northern Nash Friday at lunch time.  Plates are $7 and can be picked up at the school between 11-2.  If you buy 10 or more plates they can be delivered to your place of business.  Proceeds from this dinner will go to the Northern football program.

Tar Heels Join Pack In O-M-A-H-A

Game three of the Chapel Hill Super Regional the last of the eight Super Regional tournaments to be decided goes to North Carolina as both teams did they best to give the game away but in the end South Carolina did a better job of playing give-a-way and the Tar Heels down the Gamecocks 5-4 to set up a Sunday date with N C State.

North Carolina dropped  a lazy fly ball which would have been out #3 which led to 2 South Carolina Runs but SC gave the runs back and the Tar Heels made them pay scoring three runs in the seventh inning which gave the Tar Heels the lead they would never give back.

This sets up a Sunday at 3pm second day of the College World Series North Carolina playing in their sixth World Series in eight years against N C State playing in only their second ever World Series in the last 45 years.  The last time these two teams played three weeks ago it was in front of the largest crowd to ever watch a College baseball game.  Sunday about 40,000 will watch as theses two old rivals go head to head.

Tonight in Wilson Coleman Pitt Post 58 got off to a good start in conference play as they take down Wilson Post 13 4-1.  Northern Nash's Derrick Carter pitched six solid innings  giving up 3 hits striking out seven walked 2 and hit three others.  The only run he gave up got on base on a very controversial call of a fair ball hit by P13's Zac Layne which was ruled a double when it looked foul by a couple of feet.

Hank Jones brought in Pascal Ammons to pitch the 7th and 8th inning and Cody Smith wrapped up the ninth  inning giving P58 their first official win of the year.  Most inportantly their first conference win of the year.  Leadoff man Jeremy Johnson went four for five in the game including two doubles.Post 58 other three hits from Chase Roupp who's single drove in the first run in the first inning. Adam Baylees hit one off the wall that was about two inches from being a home run and a hustle hit from Spenser Ramsey as he beat out an infield single.

Andy Morris had the only other rbi with a sac fly and the other two runs came home on sloppy defense by Post 13.  Rocky Mount played a smooth game on defense not committing a error all night.  This is the first time all year that Hank Jones has had his whole team for either a practice or game and if tonight is any indication this team will be all right as the season unfurls.

Tonight's game was taped by the All New Sports Show and will be played back Sunday night on WHIG-TV.   The next action for P58 is Wednesday night when they travel to Greenville to play P39.  That game will be played at Mark Leclair Stadium at ECU.  P58 next home game is Friday at 7pm.

Weather Does In P58 And Carolina

If I were Hank Jones  I would begin to think that this Legion season is haunted.  Two forfeits and now three straight rained out games after tonight's home game with Kinston has bitten the dust or should I say mud after a fourth straight day of showers and thunder showers.  Let's add a little to the misery as the next home game scheduled for Thursday and been moved to Friday.

Tuesday night Post 58 heads to Wilson as they will try to open up their conference play with a game at Post 13.  The All New Sports Show on  WHIG-TV is suppose to be in the house but the way this season is unfolding I wouldn't count on it yet.  I can see it now once we finally get some good weather having to play ten games in eight days type situation and that is not a good proposition for a team 0-4 and at this point does not have a game under their belt when the entire team has been there.

The winner take all third game of the Super Regional in Chapel Hill, Carolina against Carolina has been knocked back until noon Tuesday.  NCAA rules state that all Super Regional must be  decided by the end of the day Tuesday.  So if you are thinking why so early on a Tuesday to play this game the answer is they will take all day if needed to get this one in. Why? you might ask.  NCAA rules state that if there is no team that has won the required two games by the end of the day Tuesday then the NCAA Baseball Selection Committee will vote on who goes.

You would think that since North Carolina is the top over all seed they would get the vote but you have to remember that South Carolina has won two of the last three NCAA titles so it will become a game of politics if it is rained out again tomorrow.  My guess is if it takes 12 hours and four rain delays this one is completed Tuesday.

Former Gryphon Benton Moss will get the start but since Carolina's ace Kent Immanuel didn't finish three innings Saturday he will be in there quick if needed.  There is no Wednesday for the loser.  While all of this is going on N C State celebrates their second trip to the College World Series  and it snaps the second longest drought of 45 years between Omaha trips in NCAA history.

The 17 inning State- Rice game was the longest is Super Regional history.  It was the fourth longest game in innings in NCAA playoff history.  It was the longest game ever in NCAA playoff history as far as from the first pitch to the last  4:05 pm until the last 11:31 pm.  Seven hours and twenty six minutes to complete. It was a pretty long game without the 86 minute rain delay.

All of the excitement  concerning the Super Regional I have not had the space to tell everyone if you haven't heard all ready that Carolina  Pitcher and former Gryphon Hobbs Johnson was picked in the 14th round of the major league baseball draft by the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday.  Johnson who as a junior can go pro if he signs a contract and as a left handed pitcher and left handed pitcher are a hot commodity it would not surprise me if after the Tar Heel season is over that Hobbs just might sign.  As a 14th rounder he will not get millions but I bet it will be interesting his offer since he is a left hander.

Pack Waiting On Carolina In O-M-A-H-A

If you thought the 18 inning State-Carolina game just 15 days ago was not enough N C State tried to out do that game as the bull pen throws eight scoreless innings seven in extra innings and the N C State Wolfpack will go to the College World Series for the first time since 1968 after they win a thrilling seven hour and twenty five minute marathon Super regional game over Rice 5-4.  It is the longest game in Super Regional History.

Down 4-1 in the top of the ninth the Pack got off the deck to score three runs to tie the game and as in the Carolina game two weeks ago for the next three innings both teams had chance after chance to win only the other side wiggled off the hook.  Then with one one in the bottom of the 12th inning  rain delay came and fans and player headed for cover for about 85 minutes.  When they came back both sides left their bats in the locker rooms. Pitching dominated the next   four and two thirds innings.  Then the magic Tarren Senay singled and came home on a Brett Williams singled with Senay running  on the pitch he scored when the Rice right fielder failed to pickup the ball cleanly and the Pack got out of a botttom of the 17th jam to win.

The Pack will be watch at 7pm tonight as the Tar Heels and Gamecocks play the third game of their Super Regional after South Carolina blasted Hobbs Johnson and every pitcher that Carolina put in the game winning 8-0. The winner will play State in the College World series as they are all in the same bracket.  The College World Series starts Saturday in Omaha Nebraska and at this point who plays what day is yet undetermined.  One bracket plays Saturday and then the other bracket plays Sunday.

If you have watched the ACC tournament two weeks  both Carolina and State played 18 innings and then in the Regional finals Carolina having to go 13 innings just to make it to the Super Regional and now tonight another 17 innings, if you don't like this then you never will like baseball.

Coleman Pitt Post 58 will begin a four day stretch as they play at home Monday night against Kinston.  Tuesday they travel to Fleming Stadium in Wilson to take on Post 13.  Wednesday is a road game to ECU to play Post 39 and then back home on Thursday to play Wayne County.

Magical Day Of Baseball

If you love to watch college baseball and you  are a fan of North Carolina or N C State then Saturday had to be your day because it can't get any better than yesterday can it?  Only if both win again today and both qualify for Omaha.

Any sporting event where two teams are very close to being equal there are moments in every game where you feel like we are going to lose and then there are those moments when you finally feel like you are going to win.  In both games yesterday the Tar Heels and Wolfpack won in their last at bat.

Carolina batting in the bottom of the ninth inning knew if they didn't score that extra innings was not all that bad since it seems Carolina thrives trying to give the fans their  monies worth.  The last fifteen days the Tar Heels have played 14, 18 and 13 inning games and won all three so you know they felt comfortable if it finally went extra innings.  Freshman Skye Bolt drove in the winning run and Carolina is one victory away from returning to Omaha a place they have visited five times this century.

The Tar Heels will send lefty Hobbs Johnson to the hill in what could be the Super Regional clincher for North Carolina.  If you recall Hobbs as a freshman was left in Chapel Hill to go to summer school in 2011 the last time the Tar Heels went to Omaha.  What an opportunity for the former Rocky Mount Gryphon as he will try to help the Heels clinch the Super Regional.

Raleigh, N C State scored twice in the first inning and with Carlos Rodon on the hill you figure that State scored all they needed but they would need two more in the bottom of the ninth to beat Rice.  Never in the history of N C State baseball since the Super Regional have been in play has the Pack had one game to win to go to Omaha with out also losing knocking them out. 

Rice knocked Rodon out with one out in the ninth and seemed on the verge of taking game one when State scored after a walk and then a safety squeeze tied the game and Jake Fincher single in the winning run.  This is State's fourth Super Regional appearance and it the first time they have ever lead 1-0 in the best two out of three.

UNC plays at 1pm on ESPN while State will follow at 4pm on the U.  Should both win Tomorrow they will meet in the first game of the College World Series in Omaha Nebraska

Water Water Every Where

Tropical Storm Andrea showed no mercy to college baseball fans waiting  for the chance to see two college  Super Regionals  played in the Triangle on Friday.  Carolina was the first to give up on the idea of playing Friday as their game with South Carolina  was moved to noon Saturday rather quickly Friday morning.  If weather permitting the battle of the Carolina's will be televised on ESPN.

As late as 4pm Friday State held out hope they just might be able to get their game in at 7pm Friday night with Rice but a 4pm gully washer ended  that hope  and that game has been reset to play Saturday at 4pm on ESPN2. We are down to the final sixteen in college baseball and I can tell you there is no weak sister in the bunch.  Both Rice and South Carolina have won at least one national championship in the last ten years.

Is there a better college for supporting their athletic teams than LSU?  One of the want too's of my life is to go to Baton Rouge and see a football game on a Saturday night. Last night LSU opened the Super Regional with 15,000 people Standing room only crowd to watch the Tiger beat Oklahoma.

It is amazing to me how unnoticed the San Antonia Spurs are.  I don't have the numbers but I doubt other than LA there is another team during the Tim Duncan era that has more wins than them.  They got a good start Thursday night trying to win their 5th title  with Tim Duncan in uniform.  The Spurs 92-88 win in Miami  puts them in a great position to win the NBA title.  The NBA has this funky schedule of two games in Miami, three in San Antone, and two back in Miami.

That shot that Tony Parker took with about five seconds to play only proves one thing.  If it takes eight replays to look at a close call and you still can't decide then you had better stick with the ref's call.  Finally one replay on super slo-mo showed that the ball had just left Parker's finger tips.  It was a killer shot giving the Spurs  a four point lead with five seconds left.  Honestly did any body give the Spurs a chance?

Legion Can't Catch A Break

The new format  being used this year by the American Legion where there is no north or south division just everyone in the same conference  there will be a premium to make the playoffs.  Thursday nights game at Windsor has been postponed again by rain for the second time this week.  Post 58 needs to get a couple of wins under their belt and both Windsor and Albemarle were good opportunities to get off to a good  start this week before next weeks meat of a schedule.

Post 58 takes time off for high school graduations this weekend but listen to this four days in a row starting Monday.  Kinston at Home, Tuesday at Wilson, Wednesday at Greenville and Thursday home to Wayne County.  These four teams are the teams that P58 will need to beat in order to be high enough in the standings to make the playoffs.  It sure would have been nice to get a couple of wins under their belt before Murderers Row next week.

Looks as if it might be Saturday before you will see any Super Regional baseball in the area and I would think Carolina will benefit the most from a rain out.  Since they used all three of their weekend starters Monday night to beat Florida Atlantic another day of rest will not hurt them.  By the way Colin Moran was the 6th pick in the baseball draft Thursday night going to Miami.

If both games are delayed to Saturday I think Carolina will play again at 1pm and State at 4.  ESPN will be carrying all eight of the Super Regional  games either of ESPNU or ESPN two so if you don't have a ticket you can still see both games.

The National Federation of High Schools honored NCHSAA Associate Commissioner Rick Strunk for his outstanding service to the National Federation.  If you are a broadcaster for many years when it was time to get a new Media  Pass Rick was the man you dealt with through the NCHSAA.  It you were also lucky enough be be part of any state championship that were  held in Chapel Hill Rick was always the man in charge whether it was football or basketball.  Rick has served us all well with the NCHSAA but the honor he has received from the NFHS is for his service with the National Organization.

SouthWest Edgecombe has added two new members to their Hall Of Fame.  Raymond Cobb who has spent the last ten years as the Cougars football coach and for 25 years of service to Edgecombe County.  His 25 years he won 253 football games and two state championships while at North Edgecombe.

Bruce Rhodes who is a graduate of SWE and has been coaching baseball for the Cougars since 1986 and head coach since 1992.   Under Rhodes the Cougars made the championship game in 2004 and  he won at least 240 games during his coaching career.

It Doesn't Get Much Better Than This

Friday at 1PM North Carolina will host South Carolina in the so called Chapel Hill Super Regional.  The winner of two out of three games will qualify to go to the College World Series in Omaha Nebraska.  Friday at 4PM N C State will host Rice in the so called Raleigh Super Regional.  The winner of the two out of three games will go to the College World Series in Omaha Nebraska.  Should Carolina and State both win they would be in the same bracket and play each other in the first game of the World Series  next weekend.

It seems like a million years ago but the so called experts picked Carolina to be #1 this year and the Pack to finish first in the ACC which raised eyebrows as to how could Carolina be voted #1 in the nation and second in the ACC.  Even though they didn't completely get it right both at this late date in the college baseball season the experts just about had it pegged.

Carolina from day one started winning 16 in a row, lost and game and started another streak and their best record stood at 39-2 at one point. State lost at home the first game of the season and at their low point stood 15-8 and 2-4 in the ACC.  Injuries prevented the Pack from getting off to a great start but since they are all healthy they are 32-6.  Carolina has never quite been the same since Skye Bolt returned from his broken foot.

Never has college baseball in this area been at the fever pitch it is right now.  If you plan on going to either series this weekend I hope you already have your ticket's cause there ain't none.  You may have to join the students across the railroad track in Raleigh on top of the new parking deck and party with them like they did last weekend over looking the field from 100 yards away.

South Carolina and Rice are capable of winning two straight games and both State and Carolina's baseball season could end this weekend.  It will be a disappointment if both don't make it. It will be awful if one does and the other doesn't.   It will be fantastic if both make it.  Go Heels!  Let's go Pack!

Weird Legion Season Gets Weirder

I know it is June but the snow ball keeps getting bigger and bigger for Hank Jones and Coleman Pitt Post 58.  Jones who during high school season is an assistant under Pat Smith at Rocky Mount Academy.  Rocky Mount Academy played for the 2-A Private school title  and no one can fault Hank for paying attention to what RMA was doing.  Even through all the success of RMA Jones still had his invites to try out for Legion when try outs occurred.

Post 58 had two games with Cary vanish from the schedule the first week and I don't think anybody really care that much because it gave Post 58 another week to practice before the season started.  Post 58 won their opening game 10-5 over Apex only to find out one of the players from Corinth Holder was ineligible because of age and CP 58 had to forfeit.

This past weekend was graduation for the private schools in the area so Hank took a depleted squad to Garner for three games over the weekend  and to say the least in two of the three Post 58 got plastered.  Friday against Randolph County and Sunday against Garner in which Hank Jones says that Garner is the best looking Legion team he has ever seen and you got to remember Hank played Legion back in the 80's.  As the weekend passed three players have been injured and by the Saturday night game Post 58 only had eight healthy players to put on the field against Kernersville.  Another forfeit had to be made but this one in the eighth inning down by one run.

Alright so the so called preseason games are over and Hank is not ashamed to try to play the best teams he can find in order to get his team prepared for conference play which started Monday night.  Oh no a rain out with Windsor Post 37 so tonight looks like we will not only have our first conference game of the season but we are still searching for the first win of the season.  Wouldn't you know it Albemarle the team from Elizabeth City is a no show so there was no game tonight.  Yes Post 58 did get in their infield practice but Post 84 thought this game was later in the season so here we are 0-4 and in the middle of one of those seasons that you will be able to tell your grand children about later in life.  It can't get any worse can it?  Post 58 will travel to Windsor Thursday night to make up Monday night's rain out.

It is nice to hear when student athletes excel on the playing field and it is even better when those athletes do even better in the class room.  Rachel Pearce Nash Central Softball Player and David Williams a Northern Nash Baseball player will be the high schools Valedictorians when they graduate this weekend at their own high school.  You see the class room and the ball field can get along together when you try to make it happen.   Rachel and David proved that.

Tar Heels Use up 18 Lives To Win -Pack Will Host

It will have to go down as the strangest inning in the history of UNC baseball but the Tar heels blow a four run lead in the ninth inning mostly off of  bad call after a Florida Atlantic runner ran out of the base line and was called safe. They found themselves trailing 8-6 and managed to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth but then turn around and give up a three run homer in the 12th and the North Carolina Tar Heels score three themselves in the bottom of the 12th as the Tar Heels have used up 18 lives or the equivalent of two cats lives and Cody Stubbs bases loaded single in the 13th inning and Carolina survives to play another day 12-11.  Carolina will host South Carolina in the Super Regional this weekend. 

They thought they were a National Seed but didn't get it, but they got it.  N C State will host a Super Regional for the first time ever after Rice beat Oregon 11-4 and in doing so State replaces  Oregon as the #8 seed and will Host Rice.

Coleman Pitt Post 58 got a break from the weather tonight as their game was cancelled due to the weather. They are due to play a home game tonight  against Albemarle.    Hank Jones has already blocked off this weekend while the public schools have their graduations but after the weekend he has just been through trying to get enough player to put a team on the field with the private school graduations I bet you next season he will take notice of both schedules.

Under the file of where is he now former Nash Central Bulldog Xavier Macklin will begin the long road to recovery from his major  shoulder surgery that he had last spring in which he missed the entire baseball season will start all over where his rookie season was in the New York Penn League.  the NYPL starts about mid June after all the teams have a chance to sign the rookies that will be drafted this Thursday.

Also on the minor league baseball front Brian Goodwin continues to struggle with strike outs as he is averaging over one per game.  He does lead the AA minors in triples with 6 and he has also hit four homers on the season.  If you look at his stats everything is fine but those strike outs and he has to start improving there if he wants to move on up the ladder.

Heels Falter- Pack Advances -Post 58 Drubbed

North Carolina wasted six innings of no hit pitching by Hobbs Johnson, out hit Florida Atlanta 12-3 but the final score shows FAU 3 and Carolina 2.  It sets up a winner take all game Monday with the winner heading to the Super Regional.  The time of the game is in the hands of ESPN as they will wait to see how many other winner take all games there are as ESPN will try to air as many as possible live.

Rocky Mount's Hobbs Johnson cruised through six inning surviving a bases loaded jam in the sixth after two walks and a Carolina error.  The lead off batter in the 7th walked which was Johnson 5th of the game and Mike Fox went to the bull pen but two batter later a three run homer and Carolina was behind.  carolina was their own worse enemy as they left 15 men on base during the game.

Over in Raleigh Terran Senay's three run homer in the bottom of the first was all the Wolfpack needed but they got some insurance just in case.  Senay had a two rbi 8th inning hit  and lead the pack to a 9-2 victory and a spot in next week's Super Regional as of yet who they play will  not be determined until Monday between Rice and Oregon.  If Oregon Wins State travels to Eugene Oregon but if Rice wins they come to Raleigh.  State's pitching allowed only three runs in the three games of the regional and only two were earned.

To say the least this weekend might be one that Hank Jones will erase from his memory as Coleman Pitt Post 58 lost three times once each on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I know on Friday there was a scramble to get enough players because of the private schools graduation  but the lack of numbers hurt big time Saturday.  In a dog fight  ( I have been told it was 12-10) a Post 58 injury in the eighth inning forced CP58 to forfeit the game because they did not have enough players to put on the field.  Then Tonight playing Garner at Garner  CP 58 lose 14-8.  Boy what a weekend for Post 58 to forget.  they will be at home Tuesday night.

The ACC is more than holding their own in the NCAA Tournament as of this writing only Clemson and Miami won once are out and everyone else has won at least twice and FSU, Virginia and N C State have advanced to the next round.

Well Worth The Trip

I had plenty of conversation after last night's NCAA game in Raleigh that I might ride to Raleigh pick up my son Brooks and see if we could buy a ticket to tonight's Pack- William and Mary game.  One of the determining factors for me  was wife Pat came home from work sick Friday afternoon and today she is in the bed with the covers over her head.  Good way for me to get out of the house. Made arrangements with Brooks that we would go Saturday morning and Saturday was a workday for so by 3pm I'm home getting ready to go.

Brooks calls and has an issue with one of his athletes racing in the Triathlon  Sunday in Raleigh and he needs to take care of that so it is down to me only.  I ask Morgan whether she wanted to go but a teenager home for the summer from college doesn't want to get caught within a 100 miles of her father on a Saturday night.Ok then I will go by myself. Phone rings and it is Brooks he's back on again .  Off to Raleigh to Pick up Brooks on the way.

We hit the parking lot about 5:50 and walk up to the ticket window and they are down to about 20 seats left in the bleacher and spaces  on the grass hill. We choose the bleacher and buy the tickets and go stand in the line waiting for the gate to open to let everyone in.  By the time we get to the end of the line the gates open and quickly we are inside the Doak.  First stop the bathroom.  I had not taken two steps out of the bathroom and I hear my name.  I look five feet in front of me is Richard Sarmiento and a conversation breaks out.  Richards has been to Mudcat Stadium and seen game two of the 4-A playoffs and now is here to see Rodon like everyone else.

Richard asked where you sitting and we tell him the bleacher and he says come on over and sit with me down the third base line in the shade.  Richard has two seats but there is now three of us and the place is sold out so don't know whether this will work or not.  Richard's seats are the last two seats near the first base dug out where we can watch Carlos Rodon pregame warmup but only this game State is the visiting team and  across the field ,oh well.

Rodon starts the game not allowing a base runner for the first four innings.  The Speed gun says he is hitting on the gun between 88-90 miles per hour.  Top of fifth he hits the lead off runner.  Top of the sixth William and Mary get their second runner of the game on base when Rodon hits another batter.  The very next batter hits a ground ball where the first baseman should be if he were not holding the base runner on and Bill and Mary have their first hit. No problem as the speed gun is now showing Rodon is hitting 92 miles per hour.  The seventh is almost a repeat of the sixth as Rodon hits his third batter of the game and the very next  bloops a single to right field.  No problem as the speed gun is now popping 94.

No one gets on base in the eighth or ninth but now Rodon is touching 95 an after every pitch everyone in the stadium looks to the out field to see how fast that one was.  The last batter in the bottom of the ninth since William and Mary is  the home team has to look at the two pitches that hit 96 on the radar gun.

State wins 1-0 and advances to the Sunday night possible Regional Championship game.  Carlos Rodan in the last weekend of the regular season gave up six runs to Duke through the first three innings.  They didn't get a hit after that as State won 7-6.  Last Saturday Rodan gave up one hit in the ten innings he pitched against Carolina and tonight gave up two hits and struck out ten  as he goes the distance for the win.  His last 25 innings he has given up 3 hits and no earned runs. It seemed as if he didn't get loose until about the fifth inning.   It is a beautiful thing to watch any athlete that has that groove and tonight Carlos Rodon was in the groove.