A Special Group

Have you ever noticed that since high school athletes in most cases come from a geographical area in which is considered that schools's district.  It is very hard year after year to have special athletes to stay on top year in and year out.

Just maybe Rocky Mount tennis  May be going through one of those special periods.  They are unbeaten in every team  match this season.

Just this week they completed and undefeated season sweeping the conference tournament. Rocky Mount's number one player Tyler Brice a Junior  won the singles title and is the Big East Tournament Champion.   He beat teammate senior Langley Salter and both have qualified  for the East Regional which starts next Friday.

George Shannon Junior and Landon Norwood Sophomore won the conference doubles title.  Ben Osterhout  a junior who plays the Gryphons 6th single spot qualified for the regional. So five Gryphons are in the individual singles and doubles which starts Friday and the duels or the team play starts Tuesday at home.

These stats are regular season stats but look at how deep this team is.  Tyler Brice playing number one slot 11-0. Playing as Number two singles George Shannon 11-0.  Langley Salter number three player 7-4.  The four spot is held down by Landon Norwood 9-2.  The five hole is occupied by Spencer Harris junior 9-2.  Number six player Ben Osterhout is 10-1.  The Gryphons for the year before doubles ever hit the court were leading their matches 5-1 which had already won the match.

The number one doubles team Brice and Shannon were 8-0. Norwood and Salter7-1.  Harris and Osterhout 4-1.  Quinton Mangano freshman and Sam Philips sophomore 1-0.  Harris and Philips 0-1.

There's more: Those who played this season as the third doubles look at these numbers. Spencer Harris and Ben Osterhaut 4-1.  Charlie Lane junior and Sam Philips 2-0.  Spencer Harris and Sam Philips 2-0..  Charlie Lane and Ryan Shrimper sophomore 1-0..  Ben Osterhaut and Sam Philips 1-0.

Whether one two or three doubles team this team was 30-4 in all their doubles matches. Looking at each player did you notice anything?  There is only one senior on the team. Tuesday starts the playoffs and this team looks as if they have a shot to make the state finals.  The sky seems to be unlimited this year.  Just think they could be better next year!

Red Hot Gryphons

• Last night David Harrison annoyed Northern Nash pitching a shutout.. Tonight a three run homer in the first, a double and rbi a single an a rbi and just a plain single was enough right there but the greedy Gryphons pounded out 12 hits in finishing the regular season clipping Southern Nash 12-3.  The Gryphons close the regular season with an 8-2 conference record and 14-6 Mark for the year.

Ben Seracki gave  the Gryphons shutout ball on the mound through four innings but on a hot humid night tired starting in the fifth and was removed with one out in the 6th.  He gave up five hits three walks and two hit batters. One of the walks and hit batters with the bases load scoring two runs.  Southern third run scored on a Trevor Mills sac fly.

Rocky Mount scored in the third after Spencer Ramsey walked advanced to third on two wild pitches and scored. The fourth started with Zack Keeter strikeout but reach base when the ball rolled to the screen.  Lane Butler bunted him to second.  Josh Pittman doubled him home. A single by Spencer Ramsey, a walk to Jamar Ellis and a double by Harrison  which hit half way up the wall drove home only one run as the Gryphons found two men on the third base bag.  Jake Philbeck single brought home two runs Ben Seracki bunt the runners up and Zack Keeter had an rbi single. Five runs crossed the plate making the score 9-0.

The Firebirds scored two in the fifth after AJ Jones singled.  Grayson Rudder doubled.  Ryan Marlowe was hit by a pitch to load the bases.  Dawson Sikes walked getting an rbi.  Alex Marlowe was hit by a pitch  to drive in the second run.

The Gryphons tried to end it in sixth inning scoring three times  Jamar Ellis walked David Harrison got his fifth rbi on the night with a single.  Jack Philbeck got two rbi with a single to run the score to 12-2.

Hunter Perry opened the Southern 6th with a double.  A Seracki walk was the end of the night for Ben Seracki . Enter Joernest Petway who was greeted by Grayson Rudder single.  A sac fly by Trevor Mills drove home run number three and a needed 7th inning.  Petway gave up a walk and hit but no runs giving the Gryphons a 12-3 victory.

Rocky Mount next plays Tuesday night and will host the Southern
Nash/Northern Nash winner on Monday.  Nash Central will travel to Fike Monday with that winner meeting Hunt Tuesday.

A shocker Nash Central best Hunt 9-1 to finish conference play at 4-6. Hunt  loses for the first time in conference play 9-1.

Gryphons Clinch Second

There will be no doubt the Knights of Northern Nash hope David Harrison graduated soon. The first time The Knights and the Gryphons met Harrison pitched four innings walking none giving up two hits and striking out five.

Tonight Harrison goes the distance giving up two hits striking out 12  and did not walk a batter.  So for the season 11 innings pitched four hits allowed 17 strike outs and zero walks against Northern Nash.  Rocky Mount wins 7-0.

The last few conference gamesThe Gryphons has had some good hitting nights.  Tonight is a ten hit night including two triples and Northern contributed four errors.

The Gryphons scored in The first after leadoff batter Josh Pittman walked and Jamar Ellis drove him home with a single.  Northern's only threat came in second.  Josh Daniels floated a single to left.  Playing for  sac bunt Aaron Gerlach attempted and Daniels beat the throw your second.  A sac bunt put runner on second and third but Harrison struck out the next two to snuff out any rally.

The Gryphons struck for four in the third getting a single from Josh Pittman, an rbi double by Spencer Ramsey followed by another double by Jarmar Ellis. The second triple of the night by David Harrison plated Ellis.  Harrison scored  on an error.

Ramsey, Ellis and Harrison had back to back to back singles in the fourth to score run six and the Gryphons 7th was aided by two base on balls and an error to round out the scoring.

The win brings the Gryphons to 7-2 and guaranteed two place in next weeks tournament and a semi final home game Tuesday against the Monday 3/6 match up Monday.  We know for sure right now Northern will be the sixth seed.

Rocky Mount's make up Tuesday night's rain out tomorrow night at Southern Nash.  Northern finishes conference play 0-10

There was thrilling baseball played everywhere else in Big East conference play.  Hunt went to 9-0 with a ten inning 2-1 win over Fike.  Fike finishes it's conference play at 4-6.

Southern Nash topped Nash Central 3-2.  The win clinches 3rd for Southern Nash at 5-4 with a game tonight against Rocky Mount While Fike and Nash Central 3-6 will play the 4/5 game in the Big East tournament   Monday. Nash Central host Hunt tonight.

The Rocky Mount boys tennis team have completed their regular season undefeated and this afternoon swept through the conference team title 9-0 to head to state playoffs undefeated.

Rocky Mount boys track and field teams wins the Big East championship while the girls finish second.

FLOODED Out

We are having a hard time recording little league games for WHIG TV.  The night they can record the the ball games right now is Wednesday which is the senior little league.  So far of the three possible nights we have been ready to tape we been rained out once and last night flooded out.

I think the street that runs by the sports complex is Inpendendence Drive.  Coming off Wesleyan Blvd.  There were road closed signs so if you circle around to the YMCA the road close sign is near the playground toward the sports complex.  You can see water running across the road beyond the play ground.

Tuesday night Trea Turner former NC State baseball player and now the starting shortstop for the Washington Nationals hit for the cycle.
He hit a single,  double, home run and a triple.  It is only  third time in Washington National history that a player has hit for the cycle.

He also drove in 7 runs in the game to be only the second player in major league history to hit for the cycle and driven in 7 runs in the same game.  The only other player in major league history Joe DiMaggio.

Tonight is the NFL draft and there is plenty  of conversation  that the Cleveland Browns will pick UNC football quarterback Mitch Trubisky as the number one draft pick in this years draft.,,we will know  later tonight.

Heard over the weekend that Benton Moss threw for the first time since his back injury early in spring training.  He is on the Advanced A  team in Port Charlotte Florida which is the spring training home of the Tampa Bay Rays.

High school baseball resumes tonight after Tuesday's rainouts.
Northern Nash visits Rocky Mount. Southern Nash travels to Nash Central and Fike invades Hunt.

Wash Out

During yesterday's blog after having been to several games over the years at Southern Nash I didn't think the field would drain for a Wednesday game.   I was correct but what I didn't think is that every baseball field in the  conference is in jeopardy for any Wednesday games.

Every game schedule for Thursday will still be the games played. Every game rained out Tuesday will play Friday. No team has any advantage as all will have to play two conference games back to back and all will have pitch count issues Thursday as to how many pitchers needed to complete Thursday's game and still have enough to play Friday.

Last night former Northern Nash graduate Elliott Avent the baseball coach at NC State won his 1000th game as a college Baseball coach.  In his 20th year in Raleigh the win over NCA&T was his 682nd win while losing 421.  Avent's first coaching  stint was right here in Rocky Mount in 1981 and 82 as an assistant coach at NC Wesleyan

NC Wesleyan might be called the cradle of baseball coaches having a former assistant Avent with 1000 wins and former head coach Mike Fox the head coach at Carolina with over 1330 college victories.

One of the greatest pleasures of any high school coach is to see one of their athletes move on to college to play at the next level. Tara McDonald the head girls volleyball coach at Rocky  Mount will get to see that happen.  Ashley Hatfield a member of the volleyball squad will attend John Wesley university in High Point and will play volleyball.

Good news for North Carolina Basketball  as Joel Berry II has decided or has has received word that he will not be  a high pick in this years NBA draft so he is returning to Chapel Hill to play his senior year for the Tar Heels.

It is a shame that college basketball has to worry every year whether they will have any players returning  each year because the NBA could draft any player after any season.

The NBA should do like major league baseball and either draft a
Player right out of high school of wait after their third year out of high school.

A Few Questions Still Unanswered

We are down to the last week of the high school baseball regular season.  We already know that Hunt will be the number one seed in next weeks Big East baseball tournament and will represent the conference as the Big East top team in state playoffs.  We also know that Northern Nash will finish last during the regular season because two wins this week still could not catch Nash Central or Fike tied for fourth with three wins.

  Second is secure for Rocky Mount  but they could still be tied by Southern Nash but the tie breaker goes to Rocky Mount.  Third through fifth could be any of Southern Nash, Fike or Nash Central.  The two games every one has on the schedule this week will give us those answers.

Hunt 14-6 8-0 in Big East play has nothing to settle this week.  They have the best offense and defense in the conference if you consider runs scored  and runs given up as the judging factor.  They have score 50 runs in eight conference games while giving up 23.  If there is hope for the rest of the conference they gave up 13 runs the last two conference games  while the first six only 10.  Pitching might be tiring.  Tuesday at Nash Central and finish up Thursday at home against Fike

Rocky Mount 12-6  6-2 can wrap up second out right Tuesday at Southern Nash or with a victory at home Thursday against Northern Nash.  Have picked up runs per game to 4 in conference  33 total while holding steady runs allowed 25 a tad over three.  4 to 3 is their average score in conference play which leaves no room for errors.  What it proves they are winning the close games.  The question is can they keep that up.

Southern Nash 12-8  4-4  They are squeezed in with Nash Central and Fike.  Two losses they could fall to fifth while two wins secure third.  Any thing in between  they could finish from third to fifth. Scored 42 runs in conference while yielding 39.  Kind of shows why they are 4-4. What they have secured is a winning season  something they haven't had many of over the past several years. Host Rocky Mount Tuesday  and travel to Central Thursday.

Nash Central 13-8   3-5 Have shown improvement in runs scored over last several weeks.  Conference wise  scored 46 giving up 42.  Pounded the ball at the Golden Leaf last week.  Could climb to third or fifth.  The lower they are the chances of making playoffs dim.  Host Hunt and Southern Nash this week.  Both those teams are ahead of them in the standings.

Fike  9-10 3-5  Their overall record has them in jeopardy of not making the playoffs.  Stuck in that triangle with Southern Nash and Nash Central fighting it out for 3rd-4th-5th.  Only scored 34 runs one more than Rocky Mount but three games behind them in the standing because they have allowed 44 to RM's 25. Host Northern Nash Tuesday and ride to Hunt Thursday

Northern Nash  5-14 0-8.  Have complete control of last in the Big East regular season.  There is still playoff hope if they can win the Big East baseball tournament and jump to second in playoff seedings.  This new pitch count rule will not be good for any team playing three games in any tournament while the top two only have to play twice.  Scored only 17 runs in conference play and 49 given up both Marks last in Big East.  At Fike Tuesday and Rocky Mount Thursday.

Monday's heavy rain what ever falls Tuesday just might get rained out Tuesday.  More than likely they would play Wednesday so every team would play back to back nights which brings the pitch count rule into play.   Any pitcher who throws 31 pitches Wednesday can not pitch Thursday.  Boythat rule had hurt several teams this year.

I have not seen any schedule for next weeks Big East tournament but in the past they have played  3-6 ands 2-5 on Mondays  Semi's Tuesday and Finals on Thursday just guessing.

Big East Boys Tennis Tournament Starts This Week

Sorry kids but the Easter vacation is over and it's back to the world of books.  There are those that have an afternoon outlet called sports.  This week boys tennis has their conference tournament.

Rocky Mount is the regular season champion 10-0 and 11-0 on the season.  Getting  second  is Fike 8-2 12-4. Southern Nash is third 6-4 11-4. Fourth is Northern Nash 3-7 7-7.  Fifth spot belongs to Nash Central 3-7 8-7. The rear is under the care of Hunt 0-10 2-14

The conference tournament starts Tuesday at Barton College.

Girls soccer is still a week from the end of the regular season.  Rocky Mount and Fike are tied for first at 7-1. Hunt is 5-3 holds down third.  Northern Nash has fourth with a 3-5 record.  Nash Central 2-6 and Southern Nash 0-8 are the bottom two teams.  The big question in soccer who will win out for the top spot.

Softball still has a week to go but Hunt has control at 8-0.  Fike trails in second at 6-2.  Southern Nash holds down third at 5-3.  The bottom tier in the league is Nash Central 3-5, Northern Nash 2-6 and Rocky Mount trails the field at 0-8.

We Will take more about baseball tomorrow.

This past week the Rocky Mount Telegram handed out their winter sports all area team and their player of the year in each winter sport..

Rocky Mount Academy's swimmer Kayla Miller is the female swimmer of the year.

SouthWest Edgecombe's Jack Coltrane is the male swimmer of the year.

Quadarrius Hopkins of Tarboro is the wrestler of the year

Rocky Mount has Keyanna Spivey  as girls basketball player.

Darius Spragley of Northern Nash is the boys basketball player of the year.

Congratulation to all.