UpDate On College Baseball Players

Former Gryphon Ben Fish is hot right now for the Fighting Camels of Campbell.  Ben has started 18 games and played in 26 altogether and and his batting average is up to 373.  He has collected 22 hits in 59 plate appearances and has driven in 12 runs.

Brian Goodwin at Miami Dade Junior College is batting at a 369 clip.   He has 38 hit in 103 at bats and those 38 hits have produced 27 rbi.  I don't think at this point Brian has done anything to not make him a first round draft pick in the June MLB Draft.

Hobbs Johnson got into his first ACC  baseball conference game on Friday  night.  It was brief as he faced only one batter and gave up a hit.  He has now made three appearances on the year for the Tar Heels and pitch 1.2 innings striking out four batters and his ERA is a sparkling 0.00.


Collins Cuthrell playing his freshman season at Barton college has started 31 of the 33 games that Barton has played .  He is hitting 245 on 27 hits in 110 at bats with nine RBIs.


Chad Womble is 0-2 while pitching for North Carolina Wesleyan.  He has appeared in eight games for Charlie Long.

Jim Leggett has pitch three times for Pitt C C.  He has given up three runs in two innings of work.

We have spoken about Dillon Cockrell who is playing on the North Carolina Club baseball team.  I hear over the weekend Dillon had a walk off  Grand slam home run for the club team to win a game for the Club Tar Heels

Debbie Yow said back during the press conference that she had a list of coaches that she would like to be the Wolfpack basketball coach.  Shaka Smart today signed a eight year 1.2 million dollar a year deal to stay at VCU.  I wonder if it hadn't been for the VCU's run during the NCAA tournament would Smart have been on any body's list.  There is a whole lot of chatter that State is going to make an announcement Wednesday.  But, there has plenty of chatter  that has lead to nothing the last three weeks.

The Carolina Hurricanes lost Sunday night in overtime to be 1 point out of the playoffs.  Tonight the team that they are chasing the New York Rangers over came a 0-3 deficient to beat the Boston Bruins 5-3.  This puts the Canes three points down with three games to play this week.  The Rangers have two games left.  All the Rangers need is three points  and out right win and a tie and one loss by the Hurricanes and the Canes are out.  Should the Hurricanes manage to get it to a tie they are in by the tie breaker.  They are surely a long shot now.

Gryphon baseball and softball head to Wilson Tuesday to take on Fike.  I will be at Nash Central doing the Knights and Bulldog baseball game.

Coaches Gamble Earns Respect

Gryphon coach Kent Cox had every reason in the world to come back Saturday and pitch Benton Moss who had just thrown a gem on Tuesday and buckled the knees of every Nash Central batter.  Rain outs on both Thursday and Friday  and the Thursday game moved to Saturday offered Moss three full days rest.

I asked coach Cox during the pregame was there a chance that Benton might be the first reliever in because I didn't think he would start him. "Not a Chance" was his response.  "I care too much about his future to ruin it over one game".  "What happens tonight happens".

What happened?  There different players pitched for the Gryphons a sophomore started he was relieved by a senior that has not pitch on varsity in his high school career until this year and a freshman.  Between them they walked nine and allowed nine hits. Despite that the Gryphons could have won the game with more timely hitting and  better defense in the clutch.

This now means that Moss will pitch Tuesday at Fike.  One other note about Moss.  Just a few days ago we reported that Moss had recorded victory #28 in his career.  One of those games a couple of weeks before when we thought Benton had been the winning pitcher in relief  he was not so he is back to being one game short of Jim Leggett's 28 all time wins.

It looks to me like a wide open race in the Big East.  Two losses could tie for first or win it.  I sure wouldn't  want to expect to win or tie with two losses but it could happen.

Cousin Lauren Doughtie shot 78 today to finish tied for 43rd on the Futures Tour in Daytona Beach Florida. Those old demons to have a bad round struck her again today.  The good news is after being 19th heading into today and then shooting a 78 only 24  passed  her during the day.  Others on tour have their demons to fight with too.

  Next week they have to travel to Nuevo Vallarta, Nayart Mexico.  On the map that is on the western Mexico coast  and looks 500 miles south of the USA.  To me this is way to far to send a group of young want-a-bees after just playing in Daytona Florida.  They don't make enough money to pay for the jet flight.

Have you heard about this.  Last weekend Florida State played Wake Forest and ripped the Demon Deacons three games.  Sometime during the series Florida State had played all 28 players during the three games.  There is an obscure ACC rule that says you can only play 27 players during any ACC weekend series and Wake Forest has protested the final game and Florida State may have to forfeit the final game.

I wonder what page that rule is on.

Gryphons Fall To Hunt

Last nights rain out with Fike brought out speculation that Benton Moss may be handed the ball against Hunt  as Rocky Mount and Hunt battled for first place in the Big East  on a Saturday night.  Kent Cox told me while I was getting the lineups for doing the PA tonight to there was no way he would pitch Benton Moss that there so  many more games to play and a cold rainy night  he wasn't messing with his ace pitcher's arm other than playing center field.

Sophomore Jeremy Johnson got the ball for the Gryphons and when he left the game was tied 5-5 in the fourth.  Gryphon pitchers walked eight batters on the night.  Three Warrior runs scored on wild pitches.  Four Gryphon errors  happened at the worst possible times and the end result, Hunt takes over first place in the Big East with a 14-7 victory over the Gryphons

Rocky Mount scored twice in the first on a Thomas Berry double but left the bases loaded after there was only one out.  Starting with the third inning Hunt scored two or more runs in four separate inning.

Hunt had three players with two hits, Jacob Page,Avery Harper and Logan Butts. It's not like Hunt pitching controlled the game as the Gryphons collected nine hits and Hunt committed two errors and six Gryphons reached on walks.  Spenser Ramsey and Matt Berry having two each hits.

The Gryphons return to action Tuesday as they travel to Fike  who has a 1-0 conference record heading into next weeks action.  Benton Moss will be on the hill for the Gryphons.

The second weekend of Ladies Future Tour golf finds second Cousin Lauren Doughtie in the top 20 heading into the final round Sunday afternoon.  Lauren shot 73 Friday and came back today with her first under par round of the year and shot 71 to give her an even par 142 score.  This is the first time in her less than two years on the tour that she will cash a check two weeks in a row. 

So far this season in one plus tournaments Lauren is averaging a stroke per round better than she did last year.  Like I said last week Lauren needs a 73 or better tomorrow to finish in the top 25.  Her past history has been to shoot 75-76 at least one round per tournament.  If she can stay away from that tomorrow then for the first time in her short golfing career she is showing some major improvement in her scores.

Those Carolina Hurricanes came back from down 2-1 to win at the New York Islanders 4-2 and in doing so with four games to play in the season are now one point from the playoffs and two points from 7th place.  They play Buffalo the eighth place team Sunday in Raleigh at 5.00pm

Postponed Again

Twice in a row the Rocky Mount Gryphons have had to wait for another day as weather has gotten tonight's game with Fike.  The rained out game last night with Hunt will be made up at 7.00pm Saturday night at Gryphon Stadium.

Tonight postponed game will be made up April 26th. Rocky Mount's revised schedule looks like this now.

Saturday April 2nd 7.00pm   Hunt @ RM
Tuesday April 5th Rocky Mount  @ Fike
Thursday April 7th Southern Nash @ Rocky Mount
Tuesday April 12th  Rocky Mount @ Northern Nash
Thursday April 14th Rocky Mount @ Nash Central
April 16-18-19 South Johnston Baseball Tournament
April 26th Fike @Rocky Mount
May 3rd Rocky Mount @ Southern Nash
May 5th Northern Nash @ Rocky Mount
May 7th  Rocky Mount @ Hunt  3.00pm

This revised schedule brings up some food for thought.  Can Benton Moss maybe throw three innings Saturday if needed.  My guess that Jeremy Johnson will start for the Gryphons but with the extra day of  rest Moss could be first out of the bull pen.

I have always been a proponent that I only want to pitch a pitcher once against every team.  The second time around the hitters have a slight advantage having seen that pitcher once already this year.  If you start Johnson Saturday night that leaves Moss for the final game of the season against Hunt the second time around.

One problem that Rocky Mount has is the last week of the season is a three game week playing Southern Nash Tuesday, Northern on Thursday and Saturday against Hunt.  You just may have to wait to the last week of the season to decide whether to pitch Benton against Northern or Hunt depending on where you are in the standings.

I promised pictures but I am ashamed to tell you as I was going through Sharpsburg I remembered I left my camera home.  Wes Bradshaw is now a married man.  He cleans up nicely in a Tux. I was impressed.  Tracy I hope can make something out of him.

I knew there was trouble driving in the driveway.  Sheriffs deputies were there to make sure Wes did not get second thoughts and try to run.  Smart move Tracy.

The only good thing about the rain out tonight no one missed the baseball game so in that light I forgive Tracy for planning this wedding on a baseball night.

Coach B W Holt  was among the honored guest.  I had a chance to be part of the processional.  Wes wanted  an honor guard to hold baseball bats as he and Tracy came down the isle as if we were holding swords in the air.  You don't see that at weddings everyday.