A Career Comes To An End

Lander University for the second time in three years made it all the way to the Division II College World Series.  Regardless of the sport when ever playoffs start there is talent and luck  that helps your team advance and in Lander's case some of that talent came from Rocky Mount High School and Thomas Berry.

Way back in 2008 as a jv catcher Thomas was brought up from the jv's to be on the varsity during the state playoffs.  He would sit while older brother Chris a third baseman/pitcher  would be a vital part of the Gryphons run bringing home a state Championship in baseball. Now a sophomore twin brother Matthew joined him in three productive years playing baseball for RMHS.  Included would be Legion Ball where the Berry's were part of the Post 58 Legion team that qualified for the State Championship Tournament.

Graduation time and a former Gryphon baseball player now coaching at Lander Britt Johnson convinced Thomas that Lander would be a good place to play baseball in college.  A shoulder injury  pretty much ended his catching career and as college progressed first base and the designated hitter became Berry's lineup position.

His freshman year in 2012 he played in only 18 games and hit a paltry181 batting average with three rbi and a very good eye produced seven walks. His sophomore season was a season of heal up from injuries.

Now a redshirt sophomore Thomas would be a leader in helping send Lander to the College World Series in Cary.  He batted 348 hit six home runs drove home 54 rbi and walked a total of 62 times which led the DII stats in the nation.  One victory in Cary would give Lander a fifth place finish  in the World Series.

Thomas's junior year for Lander  they would not win as many as they loss but the blame for that could not be placed on the now DH for the Bearcats.  Berry hit 318, eight doubles, nine home runs fifty rbi and 34 walks on the season. 

Berry returned to Lander for his final season and as he has become Mr. Dependable hitting 312 recorded 12 doubles, 14 home runs and number 14 made Thomas Berry the all time home run king in Bearcat history with 29.  He recorded 60 rbi and walked again 56 times.

Lander was knocked out of the World Series tonight 4-2 and finish 3rd in the nation and with it the baseball career of Thomas Berry comes to a close.  He is not the size that pro baseball people want and to add to that he is no speed demon on the base paths.  Despite all that he had a career 326 batting average, hit 29 home runs, drove in 164 runs and walked 167 times.  There is only one way to describe Thomas Berry from his little league career, high school,  Legion  and college,  He is a ball player.  Thanks for the memories.

Change of Venue.  Friday night's Coleman Pitt Post 58 games has been moved to Rocky Mount Academy..  First pitch is 7pm against Post 102 from Ahoskie..

Down To Four

The Division II  College World Series is down to four teams and the Lander Bearcats from Greenwood South Carolina are still alive.  Wednesday afternoon the Bearcats beat the 2014 National Champions Southern Indiana.  Southern Indiana knocked Lander out of their only trip ever to the World Series in 2014. Today the Bearcats repay SI.

Former Gryphon Thomas Berry the DH for Lander went 0-2 in the game but Berry played a tremendous role in the victory.  The lead off hitter in the top of the second Berry coaxed a walk and would score the first run for the BearCats.   The next time up Berry was plunked in the back reaching first base.  Moments later standing on third with one out Berry scored what at the time looked like a sacrifice fly the right fielder lost it in the sun and Berry scored what proved to be the lead run and before the inning was over led 4-1.

Lander wins 4-2 and heading into Thursday action Lander stands 2-1.  They are joined by Cal Poly who after a 3-0 win Wednesday stands at 2-1.  There are two unbeaten teams that stand at 2-0 and they are Millersville from Pennslyvania and Nova Southeastern from Fort Lauderdale Florida.

The way the brackets are set up Cal Poly plays Nova Southeastern at 3pm and Lander collides with Millersville at 7pm.  Should the two unbeaten teams win both games Thursday then Friday begins the two teams unbeaten to play a single game Friday and if needed two games on Saturday.

Suppose both Lander and Cal Poly win giving all four teams left with one loss.  Then a double header will be played Friday with Lander playing Cal Poly a team they have not played this week.  Should one of the two one loss teams win that would lead to the one loss teams to meet again on Friday and the winner of that game would play the undefeated Saturday having to win twice.

Thomas Berry's college career has at least one more day and his team Lander is no worse than the fourth best team in the country.

I promised yesterday you needed to watch out that Coleman Pitt Post 58 just might play a game that was not at this time on the schedule.  There is one on the schedule now.  Coleman Pitt will host Ahoskie Post 102 Friday Night at 7 pm at Legion Field.  These two teams just played last Saturday splitting a doubleheader 3-5 and 9-2.

P58 Wins Conference Opener

Just like Rocky Mount High did during the high school  season Coleman Pitt Post 58 asked David Harrison to keep Post 58 in the game.  He did better than that and shut out Cary Post 67 for five innings.  He allowed three hits and the first two batters of the game got two of them.  He walked two batters struck out four.

Harrison was lifted after five innings and left with a four nothing lead after P58 scored putting a four spot on the board in the fifth inning. Logan Pearce got it started with a single, Forest Bell followed with a single.  Runners on first and second Zack Keeter's sacrifice bunt was thrown away by the third baseman scoring two runs.  Isaiah Thomas singled home Keeter.  Josh Pittman tried to sacrifice but this time the pitcher threw the ball away pushing Thomas to third. Colby Carter sac fly to center produced the fourth run.

Luke Mills took to the hill in the sixth and and two hits and a hit batter loaded the bases.  Nothing doing as Mills got out of the jam without a run scoring. Mills pitch three scoreless inning until giving up the shutout in the ninth and two runs.

A generous defense by Cary gave Post 58 a run after two errors the second a wild throw over third  plated run number five.  The lead zoomed to 8-0 in the eighth on RBI singles by Tyler Sherrod  and two RBI by Logan Pearce.  A third RBI was thrown out at the plate.

Post 58 had 12 singles.  Two from Colby Carter and RBI, Tyler Sherrod two and RBI.  Logan Pearce two hits and two RBI.  Others reaching base by hit were Josh Pittman, Noah Schrock,Forest Bell, Zack Keeter, John Michael Kelly and Isaiah Thomas and RBI.

Mills pitch four innings giving up two runs on five hits, walked two and had two K's.  Post 58 is 1-0 in Area one west and now 2-3 on the young season.  They don't have another scheduled game until Wednesday night June 8th at Wilson.  Don't be shocked to hear of a game between now and then but as of right now nothing is official.

Six Teams From Carolina In No Tar Heels

Six teams for the state of North Carolina have made the NCAA Regional baseball championships.  Ten teams from the ACC are in but the first team left out this year's tournament is the University of North Carolina.  They are the highest ranked team 19th RPI to not make the field.  Western Carolina, UNC Wilmington, Wake Forest, Duke, ECU and NC State are all in.

The Wolfpack is the only team from the State to be hosting a regional as they will play Navy at 7pm Friday night.  St  Mary's making their first appearance will play Coastal Carolina in the opening game at 2pm.  Navy is fifth in the nation in ERA but has not played a single game all year against a top 100 team. The Wolfpack and Coastal played  a game against each other the first weekend of the season in Myrtle Beach with the Wolfpack winning 13-10.

ECU will be heading to Charlottesville where their first game will be against Bryant.  Bryant's RPI is 26 while after losing two straight in their conference tournament the Pirates have fallen to 36.

There will be a match up of in state schools on Friday.  UNC Wilmington is the #2 seed in the South Carolina regional and they will meet the Duke Blue Devils. This is the first invite to the NCAA baseball tournament for the Devils since 1961.

Wake Forest returns to the tournament for the first time since 2007.  The only team from North Carolina ever to win the baseball national championship will be heading to Texas A&M where they will be a three seed and play Minnesota in their first game.

The Final North Carolina team in is the Catamounts of Western Carolina.  They are not hosting but not far to get to their regional as they will play host Clemson on Friday.  WCU came out of the losers bracket and played six games to win the Southern Conference title.  They are 103 in the RPI and overall record is 30-29 and during the season 0-8 against top 50 teams.

UNC Lacrosse won both the Men's and women's national championships in Lax.  The men's game was a great one.

The Coleman Pitt Post 58 game at Pitt County Post 39 was rained out and  cancelled.  No make up date has been scheduled and now that both teams are hitting into their conference games may not have a chance to make this one up.  Post 58 will be home Tuesday night as they start conference action.  First pitch is scheduled for 7pm at Legion Field against Cary.

Lander University with the three Players and coaches from Rocky Mount play their winners bracket game against Nova Southeastern Tuesday night at Five o'clock at the USA baseball facility in Cary.

Weather Man's Forecast Was Right

The Division two World Series crammed four games into one day so just in case it rained Sunday no team would lose a starting pitcher who might pitch  an inning or two and then sit during a rain delay and not return to the game.

Any time you might have to play four or five games in a week pitching becomes the most valuable commodity any team has  and no one wants to lose a pitcher in a game that might get delayed to the next day.  As many showers and at times heavy rain we had Sunday the NCAA made the right call making me watch baseball until after one am on Sunday?  Weather permitting the losers bracket double header is today and Lander and all the other winners play Tuesday.

Coleman Pitt Post 58 American Legion team 1-3 travels to play Pitt County Post 39 tonight at Pitt Community College in Winterville.  Tuesday they have a home game with Cary which is the first conference game of the season.  Wednesday they travel to Wilson to play Post 13 at Fleming  for the only meeting during the regular season.  The only other meeting now would be if they meet in the playoffs.

Will they host or not and the answer is The NC State Wolfpack will be the only team from North Carolina hosting an NCAA Division 1 Regional starting this weekend.  The Pack will join five other ACC teams hosting the 16 regional sites.  Clemson 6th in the RPI, Miami 3rd, Louisville 2nd, Florida State 13th, Virginia 17th and NC Start 10th all all host three other teams and they will be announced at Noon Monday.

Up in the air  will they get in at all are ECU, North Carolina, Duke and Wake Forest.  If it happens that Carolina, Duke and Wake join State some where in the tournament it will be the first time ever all four of the so called Big Four made the NCAA tournament the same year.

Today is Memorial Day  where we honor our fallen heroes who fell defending this country.  We are a free people who can go to ball games whether it is a professional game, a college game and all the different level in college to American Legion.   No one will stop us and ask us why we were where we are and what we are doing unless of course we are violating a law and need to be stopped.

Thank a veteran today and every day for the freedoms they have helped us keep.  Those that you thank came back but there are so many laying in a grave in many foreign country's who didn't come back.  This is their day. Remember them for what they gave us all.

Saturday Baseball On Sunday

I just had a typical Saturday.  Left home around 9am to visit my step mother in the big Northampton County town of Lasker.  On to Ahoskie where we visited one of my wife Pat's  sisters and the plan A was to go to the American Legion Doubleheader before heading home.  Just might be too hot to sit in the sun at 4 pm so at 3:15 we buzz by the field on the way home.

By the way Coleman  Pitt lost  game one of the doubleheader 5-3 after Josh Daniels pitched the first five innings and left with a 3-3 tie.  Trey Wells gave up a two run homer in the bottom of the sixth for Post 58 third straight loss of the season.

The night cap was all Post 58 as they finally score some runs and beat Post 102 9-2.  Cameron Taylor made a nice comeback after his one and one third inning opening night seven run outing.  He gets the win with close out help from Zack Keeter.

Post 58 travels to Winterville Monday night and plays Pitt County Post 39 at Pitt CC.  Next home action is Tuesday night against Cary.

Got home just in time to spend 30 minutes at home and head to Cary to see Lander play in the fourth game of the day in the Division II College World Series.  Had it planned out just right.  Game time was schedule for 8:30 as four games were squeezed in Saturday because of the pending rain coming Sunday.  Picked up my son Brooks and we arrived around eight just enough time to hob nob with the Johnson family there watching son Britt coach third for Lander.  Also the Leggetts rooting  for son Jim as pitching coach for the Bearcats.

Didn't get a chance to speak to the Berry family before the game but the best laid plans don't always workout.  Game three went 12 innings and the first pitch in the Lander game was not until 10:05pm.  Thomas Berry's first at bat he hit a rope that the right fielder almost didn't even move.  Second chance was a foul pop up which almost hit one of the in bound jets heading in to RDU.  Third time up was a K.

Lander got a home run in the first but a miss played ball in the outfield tied the game at one.  Another defensive lapse gave Central Missouri the lead of 2-1 in the top of the eighth.  Two outs and Thomas Berry at the plate he coaxed a walk.  Those of you who remember Thomas playing at Rocky Mount might remember he is not fleet a foot so he was replaced by a speedster in the bottom of the eighth.  No need for a speedster as Lander gets a two run homer to take a 3-2 lead into the ninth and they bring on their stopper from the bullpen.




Those of you who have watched the ACC baseball tournament this week especially the NC State games know what it feels like to be on top of the mountain one minute and knocked down the next.  Lander gives up the tying run and somehow or other were lucky enough not to give up the lead.  Heading to the bottom of the ninth tied 3-3.  Lander scores one run to win on a walk off single and advance to the winners bracket game Tuesday Night at 8:00pm.  The game ended at 1:14am this morning.  Didn't stay long to bask in the glory of victory with the Johnson's,Berry's and Leggetts.  Here it is 3:26 as I write this blog and church starts for me at 8am.

Many of you know the ACC championship game has moved to 10 am this morning.  Nash  County's John Haggerty will be the umpire behind the plate.

Improved But No Cigar

Tonight at Legion Field Coleman Pitt Post 58 played a second game this week at home against Pitt County Post 39.  Wednesday night PC had eight runs by the end  of the second.  Tonight it took them nine to score six but that was plenty as Pitt County wins for the second time this week 6-3 over Post 58.

Much improved was CP 58 Pitching  as Noah Schrock got the start and after three innings held P39 scoreless through three.  Colby Carter started P58's 3rd with a two out single. A walk and a Tyler Barrett single and a wild over throw at third produced the first RBI for any Post 58 player plus the throw scored Logan Pearce who had walked.  Barrett scored on a wild pitch to make it 3-0.

It looked as Schrock was in big trouble in the fourth as the first batter reached on an error, a hit, a hit batter loaded the bases.  Schrock got a much needed strike out and then the old 1-2-3 double play.  A high bouncer was looking like it was going to get past Schrock, if it did it probably was going to be an infield hit but Schrock manages to stop the Ball throw to catcher Dawson Sikes and threw to Tyler Sherrod at first for a double play.

The fifth there would be no getting off the hook as Pitt County start with a hit. One out and a hit batter and error at second a base on ball and a hit and double and Pitt County leads 4-3.  Tyler Barrett relieved and gave up two runs through the eighth inning.  Josh Daniels pitched the ninth.

Coleman Pitt pitching held PC to five hits walked 6 and CP58 committed three errors.  Rocky Mount got four hits  Wednesday  could find only five tonight. Three from Colby Carter, and one each Josh and Tyler Barrett who got the only RBI.  Batters five through nine were 0-15.

Weather permitting Coleman Pitt travels to Ahoskie Saturday for a double header playing two seven inning games.  This Tropical storm may mess up a lot of baseball this weekend including the DII  World Series in Cary. Lander University with the three former Rocky Mount players and coaches on board will play at 8:30 Saturday night as instead of playing two games on Saturday and two on Sunday.  Trying to beat the rain but late Saturday forecast doesn't look good either.