X Drafted By Oakland A's

 Xavier Macklin the former Nash Central Bulldog and for the past three years one of the most potent players in college baseball was drafted by the A's in the 12th round.  He was the 376 player picked in the draft which has now ended it's second day with 30 rounds completed and almost 1,000 players selected.  There is still 20 more rounds Wednesday.

Macklin and Brian Goodwin are both linked together in more ways than most people remember as they were Babe Ruth All Stars and both were a member of the 2005 team that both played the outfield when Nash County played for the World Title in Quincy Ma.

Both can run like the win and cover a half acre  a piece in the outfield.  X has more power at the plate but Brian is more disciplined.  I doubt whether you see either one on a college baseball field again.  Xavier played three Legion Seasons while Brian went the way of Travel league so once the Babe Ruth run was over they have traveled different paths to reach today.

The 30 rounds were so fast and furious my numbers may not be correct but I believe 31 players with North Carolina roots were drafted including Andrew Cain who now plays at UNC-Wilmington and is from Rose and Zack Houchins of Louisburg College and if I remember correctly and Hunt High.

There still 20 more rounds on Wednesday.

The football team at UNC got their letter from the IRS today or in their case the NCAA.  The formal notice of Inquiry into the allegations of player benefits should be the main focus.  I really think that all involved were thinking the NCAA might go light on the Heels because the Tar Heel suspended several players from playing last year but that apple cart has been over turned recently when it was reported a UNC player now was a Draft parties put on  in New York back in April during the NFL draft.

Legion Baseball Wednesday night at Nash Central High School.  7.00pm North Raleigh is in town.

Pitchers Dominate First round Of MLB Draft

Brian Goodwin the Former Rocky Mount Gryphon class of  2009 became the highest drafted player from Rocky Mount High School in thirty years as he was selected in the compensation Round by the Washington Nationals the 34th player selected.  Technically the Compensation round is the second round and Brian, was the first pick of round two.

Buck Williams was the last RMHS player selected in the first round of any professional draft when he was selected in the NBA draft in the early 80's.

It was quickly clear that with the softer aluminum bat in college baseball the Major League baseball teams were going after pitchers since  they could get a much better idea about how good a pitcher could be  facing the aluminum bat similar to wood bats of MLB.

This is the second time Brian has been picked in the MLB draft as he was selected in 17th round in 2009 by the Chicago White Sox upon completion of high school.  The question then was would he play for Mike Fox at the University of North Carolina or take an offer from a pro baseball team.  Because of the doubt of how much money it would take to sign him out of high school and his family telling  the MLB clubs that they wanted him  in college Goodwin fell to the 17th round where the choice was simple go to UNC.

Goodwin played his freshman year at Carolina  and batted 282 and started every game for the Tar Heels but ran a foul last fall and was suspended from the baseball team for the spring of 2011.  Goodwin chose to transfer to Miami Dade College in Miami Florida where he hit 382 on the season.

The draft which is live on the MLB Network rated Brian Goodwin as the 8th best outfielder in the draft before it began.  He was the fourth outfielder taken on the night.

If Goodwin decides that major league baseball must wait.  Brian has committed to Ray Tanner and the Gamecocks of South Carolina  for 2012.  Let the negotiations begin. 

Way to go Brian!!!!!!

Tonight in Ahoskie Post 58 beat Brandon Warren and Post 102 5-1.  Warren heading to Barton in the fall wasn't quite as good as Jeremy Sloop who pitched a complete game three hitter only had two walks and struck out 12. 

Post 58 is now 3-0 in Area play and own a five game winning streak and have pushed their record top 7-3 overall.  The games scheduled for Tuesday at Nash Central has been moved to Wednesday.

Nunery Finest Work

There were two feature stories in the Rocky Mount Telegram on Sunday and Sport Editor Jesse Nunery name was at the top of the page for both.  Bernie Capps picture  is in the middle of the front page with both elbows leaning on the table.  Any one who has ever been to a Gryphon basketball game where Bernie is perched in the doorway most of the time he has both elbows on his table watching the game.  I thought when I saw the picture boy that is Bernie.

Jesse's story on Bernie was great which I think is some of his best work that I have read since he has been with the paper.  He also had a story on Tyler Joyner and Tyler's travails these past two season having to sit out from playing baseball at ECU.  Both stories were exceptional.  Good work Jesse.

Tonight is the Major League Baseball Draft and former Gryphon Brian Goodwin is hopeful to hear his name called in the first round.  Should things not work out for Brian and the draft he has committed to South Carolina next year.

He may not hear his name Monday night but  former Nash Central player Xavier Macklin will probably hear his name on Tuesday.  X  and Brian both will have decisions to make on what they will do for rest of this summer. Stay in school and play college ball next spring or begin the process of minor league baseball.

Cousin Lauren Doughtie shot 77 on Sunday but finished tied for 41st in the Futures Tour Tournament.  So far this year in five events Lauren has been in the money three times  and in those three events this is her best year on the money list.  She is slowly showing signs of improving.  Now that it is June the Futures Tour will run off several tournaments in the coming weeks.

The three ACC teams that started the day with a loss got another one on Sunday to knock them out of the NCAA baseball Championship.  Georgia Tech and Miami each won once Sunday but not twice. Virginia and North Carolina all wrap up their Regional.   So the ACC will send two  teams to the Super Regional. Clemson was beaten by Connecticut and they play again today and the winner goes to Super Regional. Florida State has to play today due to the fact that rain forced their game to finish today at noon. FSU is ahead 8-0 in the sixth inning.

The Pirates of ECU won once Sunday but had nothing for top rank UVA.

Post 58 is on a roll. Sunday night they went to Salisbury and beat Rowan County by a 9-6 score.  If you remember yesterday I said this was a let's see where we stand in the state game.  Four wins in a row now for Post 58.  Tuesday night home game has been pushed back to Wednesday night.

Seven ACC Baseball Teams Head to Third Day

All seven ACC baseball teams that are playing in NCAA Regional action have all survived to play a third day.
 The two that lost on day one Georgia Tech  and N C State both won in elimination games and  State will play Stetson again Sunday afternoon 1.00pm  and if they survive that play South Carolina late Sunday afternoon..  Georgia Tech beat Southern Miss. 6-2.  Tech gets a second chance against Austin Peay Sunday after Mississippi State beat Peay.

N C State beat Georgia Southern 5-2 after the first batter of the game for GS was hit by a pitch, stole second, advance to third on a ground out and scored on a double. The Pack had their ace Corey Mazzoni on the mound and he gave the Pack eight strong innings.

ECU beat Navy 6-1 thus eliminating the Midshipmen from the NCAA playoffs.  The Pirates will play the first game Sunday  against St Johns who UVA embarrassed in the winners bracket game. If they win that they get hold of UVA the host school in this Regional and #1 seed in the entire tournament.

The North Carolina Tar Heels are running through their regional like a #3 seed should.  The winners bracket game Saturday night the Tar Heels splattered James Madison  14-0.  The second game in a row the Heels pitchers have tossed shut outs.  It is hard to lose when the other side fails to score.  The Tar Heels wait for James Madison and Maine to square off in the first game in Chapel Hill Sunday and then if the Heels win  the late game on Sunday it is on to the Super Regional which will also be in Chapel Hill.

UVA,UNC, Floria State and Clemson are all undefeated and can advance to the Super Regional with one win today.  Miami, N C State and Georgia Tech must win twice today in order to play once again Monday.  The ACC is 13-3 over all after two days of NCAA play.


D H Conley Girls softball team won the State softball 3-A championship Saturday giving the Coastal conference three State Titles since Christmas.  Basketball, Girls Track and now Softball.

Cousin Lauren Doughtie shot a 72 Saturday on the Futures Tour and is tied for 25th heading into Sunday's final round.  23rd is her best Futures finish ever.   Go gettum Lauren.

Just an update from the ECU Club team winning the National Championship.  Thomas Sykes another former Northern Nash player was a member of the team as well as winning Championship game pitcher Zack Woodley.  Thomas broke his arm in preseason football practice his senior year at Northern and had a difficult time recovering and missed just about his entire season season at Northern not being able to play football, basketball and did return to baseball for the state playoffs.

Post 58 is in Salisbury this afternoon top play Rowan County and then tomorrow drive all the way to Ahoskie for their third East Area conference game with Ahoskie within a week.  They are home Tuesday night against North Raleigh at 7.00pm at Nash Central.

Woodley Leads Pirates to World Series Championship

Former Northern Nash pitcher Zack Woodley was the winning pitcher as East Carolina won the NCBA World Series championship ( Club Championship)as the Pirates beat Florida State 10-3.  Woodley pitched seven innings allowing only four  hits in the game played in  Columbus Georgia.  The game was played Thursday night.

Woodley after leaving Northern played two years for Pitt C C and was on the team last season that went to the JUCO World Series in Colorado.  Transferring to ECU Woodley decided to not walk on to the varsity baseball team but I wonder now whether Billy Godwin will be calling for Zack to join the varsity team?

There are signs that Post 58 is beginning to put the pieces in place as this Legion season unfolds.  Friday night Post 58 traveled to Millbrook High School  where they took on North Raleigh and came away with a 9-4 victory.  This get the Rocky Mount squad to 5-3 and winners of three in a row.  Sunday night they travel to Salisbury where they will take on Rowan County.

Rowan is in that area of the state where High school and Legion teams that want to win state titles must pass through in order to beat the best from that area.  Sunday will give us a real good idea of where Post 58 stands even though it is still early in the season on the statewide level.

North Carolina State jumped to a 5-0 lead only to lose their opening round game 8-7 to Stetson in the South Carolina Regional in Columbia South Carolina .  The Pack will play for their playoff life against Georgia Southern this afternoon and for the remainder of the playoffs .  One loss and the season is over either Saturday-Sunday or if they can stretch it to Monday.  In other words they can't lose again this weekend.

ECU is in the same boat as the Wolfpack only in Charlottesville Virginia as they lost to St Johns 2-0.  They play Navy this  afternoon in their first win or go home.  The Pirates and the Wolfpack both would have to win four straight games in order to survive in play in a Super regional next week.

Maine out hit North Carolina 7-5 but where it was the most important the score Carolina shut out Maine 4-0.  The Tar Heels move on to meet James Madison Saturday night in the winners bracket game.  The importance of winning the first two games in the NCAA Regional it is possible if Carolina wins Saturday night and the first game they play Sunday they could win the Regional where as ECU and NC State have to win four more to more on.

The ACC had a fair day Friday as the ACC went 5-2.  Georgia Tech and State were the losers.  Georgia Tech lost at home to Austin Peay 2-1.

Our household is up early this Saturday morning as we are headed to the boat landing on Bend Of The River Road.  There is a fishing Tournament there today and Morgan is singing the National Anthem at 6.15am.

College Playoffs Start Today

Mount Olive College the official host school for the Division II World Series in Cary lost their second game Thursday to be bumped from the tournament

Today Carolina host their Regional as the National #3 seed. If they wind up winning this regional this weekend they are a high enough seed to host a Super Regional next weekend.

ECU has a uphill battle in Charlottesville Virginia  as they will try to wrestle the host school UVA out of their #1 overall tournament seeding.  NC State some how or other always plays in the South Carolina Regional.  They are holding their ace pitcher for a matchup with South Carolina on Saturday.  I hope they are not counting their eggs too early.  I don't know whether Elliott Avant has noticed but Stetson is seeded higher than the Pack in this tournament.

Sports reporters are the worse people in the world to claim after one game that Miami was on their way to winning the NBA title.  What little bit of game one that I saw Miami broke the  close game open late in the fourth quarter to win by double digits.  Last night Dallas down 88-73 held Miami to five points the last 7.17 of the game.  Guess what time I went to bed?  The big MO is now in Dallas' corner since the next three games are in Dallas.

Post 58 American Legion team like so many of the recent past know how to score runs.  So far in seven games Coleman Pitt Post 58 is averaging 10.4  runs per game while giving up almost 8.  Their four wins they have scores 12.5 runs while giving up 3.5.  Their three losses they have scored 22 runs while being nailed giving up 34.  It doesn't matter how many runs you score at some point in time you are going to run into pitching that can stop your hitting and then it becomes can our pitching hold them down?

This time of year you are trying to figure out how much  a pitcher can give you before he is out of gas.  Once Hank Jones has some idea about that then it becomes the relievers job to hold the other side.  These last two years when Post 58 has made it all the way to the State Tournament their pitching has been consistently good maybe not great.  This years staff is about like the last two seasons.  Post 58 has several pitchers that can give Jones five- six or seven good innings.