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ZooKeepers scoreboard June2023

ZooKeepers finish CPL baseball season with positives

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By the end of many games, the scoreboard numbers didn’t add up well for the Asheboro ZooKeepers. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)

ASHEBORO – The good times for the Asheboro ZooKeepers mostly came late in the season for the collegiate summer baseball team.

The ZooKeepers finished with a 20-24 record in the Coastal Plain League, winning just two of their last six games. Their 12-11 mark in the second half was the second-best record in the West Division.

That was improvement from 2022, when Asheboro’s 14-33 overall record was the worst in the CPL.

The leading batter for the ZooKeepers was second baseman Cole Laskowski at .290 among players with enough plate appearances to qualify on the official league list.

Todd Hudson and Jared Beebe were tops for Asheboro in home runs with six apiece. Beebe led the team in runs batted in with 39 and Hudson was next with 27.

Tyler McPeak had a team-leading nine doubles despite not playing for nearly three weeks to end the season.

Pitcher Daniel Thompson posted a 2.05 earned run average in nine outings, including five starts. Jacob Halford had the most pitching victories as he racked up a 5-1 record.

First-year general manager Melissa Godwin said pitching depth became a shortcoming for the team. That was particularly evident late in the season.

The ZooKeepers began the season playing home games at UNC Greensboro’s baseball stadium because of a renovation project at McCrary Park that didn’t make it feasible to have fans at the ballpark.

Lleyton Lackey of Asheboro ZooKeepers enjoys a moment late in the season after hitting a home run. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)

In the CPL’s official listing, the ZooKeepers were second-to-last among the 14 teams in home attendance with 609 spectators per opening.

The ZooKeepers were eliminated from postseason contention with the result in their final home game. The Forest City Owls won 4-2 at McCrary Park. Hudson and Dallas Callahan drove in the Asheboro runs.

Then there were three road games remaining on the schedule.

The first of those was cancelled because of weather at Martinsville, Va. Then came an 8-1 loss to the Florence Flamingos, with Asheboro’s run coming on Dylan Driver’s second home run of the season. Jaden Stockton took the loss.

Then Saturday night at Boone, Asheboro won 9-4 as Hudson drove in three runs and Driver and Laskowski both had three hits. Starting pitcher Drew Siegner worked five innings for his first victory of the season.

ZooKeepers Dallas Callahan swing 2023

ZooKeepers find different values in season

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Dallas Callahan has been with Asheboro’s Coastal Plain League team even before this year. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)

ASHEBORO – Tyler McPeak and Dallas Callahan have given the Asheboro ZooKeepers a veteran presence in different ways during the Coastal Plain League baseball season.

McPeak is looking to polish his swing and plate approach in advance of a final season at Lenoir-Rhyne, where he has been a record-setting slugger.

“I’ve always been a guy that feels there’s something else to be desired,” McPeak said. “Chasing perfection in an imperfect game.”

Callahan opted for a final go-around in a collegiate summer league even though he’s done playing at UNC Greensboro.

“I wanted to stay ready in case somebody wants to give me a shot,” said Callahan, 23.

Callahan, the son of first-year ZooKeepers general manager Melissa Godwin, started 53 games this year for UNCG (25-34), batting .195 in 55 games overall. He hit seven home runs.

Callahan, a catcher, played for Asheboro in the summer of 2021, when the team’s nickname was Copperheads.  Last year, hip surgery kept him out of a summer circuit.

More recently, he had two-hit outings four times in a six-game stretch for the ZooKeepers.

“I’m here for the game,” Callahan said. “I’m not ready to give it up.”

Tyler McPeak has made big contributions at the plate for the Asheboro ZooKeepers. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)

McPeak has been out of the lineup for two weeks with ailments after being the team’s biggest offensive threat. Yet even with the missed time, the first baseman entered the last week of the regular season second on the team in home runs (4) and runs batted in (23) behind Jared Beebe. McPeak’s nine doubles top the team and he holds a .314 batting average.

McPeak, a North Lincoln product, will be entering his sixth season in a college baseball program. He was on the Campbell team prior to transferring to Lenoir-Rhyne, where his 18 home runs this year set a single-season school record.

“It would be nice to break that record again,” he said.

Until then, time in a summer league was a good option again.

“I’m just trying to have fun,” McPeak said. “I know this is probably my last year of summer ball.”

Thompson honored

Daniel Thompson of the ZooKeepers was named the CPL Pitcher of the Week. Across two outings, the right-hander for UNC Greensboro struck out 12 batters in 8 2/3 innings and picked up one victory.

It also was a big week for Asheboro’s Daniel Hudson. He had the game-winning single against the Boone Bigfoots in a 13-12 comeback home victory and then homered twice the next night against the High Point-Thomasville HiToms at Finch Field. The 20-10 outcome against the HiToms gave the ZooKeepers a five-game winning streak, which was snapped the following night by the Wilson Tobs.

Note: The final regular-season home game of the season for the ZooKeepers is Tuesday night (Aug. 1) vs. the Forest City Owls.

ZooKeepers pitcher Hunter Hill headshot

UCA alum, ZooKeepers pitcher Hill finds new college home

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ASHEBORO – Hunter Hill arrived to play summer baseball with the Asheboro ZooKeepers while representing North Carolina Wesleyan.

When he leaves, he’ll be heading to another college.

Hill, a former Uwharrie Charter Academy pitcher, is transferring to Division II Belmont Abbey.

“I’m excited about it,” he said. “I was happy to move up the ladder.”

Hill pitched for two seasons for Division III N.C. Wesleyan without a loss on his record. The time in his first season with the ZooKeepers in the Coastal Plain League has given him confidence that he can be successful at a higher level.

“It’s a good test,” he said. “Trying to be competitive and see what I got.”

Hill posted a 7-0 record with a 5.05 earned run average in 14 appearances as a sophomore for N.C. Wesleyan, which had a 36-10 record and won the USA South Conference regular-season and tournament titles to reach the Division III NCAA Tournament. That followed Hill’s freshman season when he was 2-0 with a 2.57 ERA.

ZooKeepers coach Korey Dunbar, who was aware of Hill during recruiting when he was on the staff of Division II Barton, said the pitcher has become a more powerful pitcher.

“Hunter has changed his body completely since high school,” Dunbar said.

The transfer process was a challenge because Division III regulations differ from the higher levels. That meant it was up to Hill to spread the word in the form of self-promotion.

“It was kind of a headache,” he said.

Hill, a right-hander, said he had interest from a few Division II teams.

Hill, a former player for Randolph County Post 45, said he was hoping to play in 2022 with the ZooKeepers, but he didn’t make those arrangements in time to be considered for a roster spot.

“This year, I took it as soon as I could.” he said. “I’ve loved it here.”

Hill was a starting pitcher for N.C. Wesleyan, but mostly has been logging bullpen innings for Asheboro.

“I was on an innings count for the summer,” he said.

Dunbar said Hill has fit in on the pitching staff. He entered this week with a 1-0 record and 10 strikeouts in 17 1/3 innings.

“Division II, Division III, for me, that kind of goes out the door,” Dunbar said. “It doesn’t matter where they’re from.”

There has been a pressure situation in an unusual form for Hill on the mound at McCrary Park. That came in a June game against the Holly Springs Salamanders.

The ZooKeepers held a 4-2 lead when Hill pitched the eighth inning. With two Salamanders on the base, team general manager Melissa Godwin, in an effort to rile up the crowd, announced on the public address system that a strikeout of Holly Spring’s Nolan Watson would ignite 10 T-shirts being thrown into the stands as a giveaway.

Hill came through with the strikeout.

“I can’t let everybody down,” Hill said of his thoughts. “That’s one of the coolest strikeouts I’ve had.”

ZooKeepers Carter French slides 2023

ZooKeepers deal with curves late in season

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Asheboro ZooKeepers outfielder Carter French reaches for second base on a slide earlier this season. French plays for North Carolina during the college season. (PJ. Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)

ASHEBORO – Highs and lows, comings and goings.

That sums up what the Asheboro ZooKeepers have been going through lately.

In the past week’s games, they’ve gone 2-2.

Saturday night’s 12-1 whipping of the Holly Springs Salamanders at McCrary Park came with numerous highlights, including the first home run for Lleyton Lackey. The game was reduced to seven innings by the mercy rule, with Win Scott firing a four-hitter.

Yet it’s generally hard to figure who might be the main contributors with a revolving roster. Once a 34-player roster, there were 28 listed players Friday night, with more early departures likely.

The ZooKeepers lost shortstop Alex Lodise, who came a couple of weeks into the season and left with a couple of weeks remaining. It was quite an offseason for Lodise, who transferred from North Florida to Florida State and batted .368 with the ZooKeepers.

Another infielder, Tanner Thomas of Longwood, played just six games with Asheboro.

First baseman Tyler McPeak, the only position player from the team selected for last week’s CPL All-Star Game, has played sparingly recently as he deals with ailments. He did have a ninth-inning game-tying hit in the All-Star Game.

The ZooKeepers are down to four remaining home games – Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and then Aug. 1.

Jared Beebe homered and drove in five runs and Jay Dillard also homered among his four hits and knocked in four runs as the ZooKeepers thumped the High Point-Thomasville HiToms 12-6 at Finch Field in Thomasville on Thursday night after the league-wide two-day All-Star break.

Hunter Hill, who’s from Asheboro, logged 4 1/3 innings as the ZooKeepers’ starting pitcher and gave up six runs on 10 hits. Matt Kemp, a Randleman product, worked an inning in relief in his first game of the year with the team.

On Friday night, Asheboro and the HiToms both stranded 14 runners, but High Point-Thomasville was boosted by Austin Dearing’s two-run homer in a 5-1 victory at McCrary Park. Dallas Callahan had two of the ZooKeepers’ six hits, but struck out with the bases loaded to end the game.

Asheboro starting pitcher Ethan Snyder struck out 10 batters in five innings.

ZooKeepers pitcher Win Scott June2023

ZooKeepers send three to CPL showcase

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Win Scott delivers a pitch for the Asheboro ZooKeepers. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)

ASHEBORO – The Asheboro ZooKeepers had three players selected for this week’s Coastal Plain League All-Star Game.

First baseman Tyler McPeak and pitchers Jacob Dienes and Win Scott were set to participate in two days of activities at Lexington, S.C. The Lexington County Blowfish were the host team for the All-Star events.

McPeak, a graduate student at Lenoir-Rhyne, has been one of the league’s top power hitters. Dienes and Scott are both rising juniors at North Carolina State.

The Asheboro trio will be on the West Division team.

The East Division team had Morehead City’s Trent Youngblood tagged as one if its starting outfielders. The player for Transylvania represented the ZooKeepers as an infielder in last year’s All-Star event. This year, he has been among the CPL leaders in doubles and runs scored.

The ZooKeepers are back in action later this week. They have home games Friday night (vs. High Point-Thomasville HiToms) and Saturday night (vs. Wilson Tobs).

Ups and downs

Something got into the ZooKeepers’ bats last week. They won a non-league game against the Wake Forest Fungo by 8-3 and then kept it going.

Asheboro had two CPL games end early in seven innings because of the mercy rule.

The first of those came last Wednesday night against the Forest City Owls, who were first-half West Division champions. The 14-3 romp included home runs by Alex Lodise and Todd Hudson. Owen Blackledge had three hits, including a two-run single.

The ZooKeepers smashed the host Boone Bigfoots 11-0 on Friday night, aided by a seven-run second inning. Ethan Snyder threw six shutout innings.

In between the routs, Asheboro won 10-8 against the host Martinsville Mustangs, propelled by a six-run eighth inning. That frame began with the ZooKeepers facing a 7-3 hole.

Yet there was trouble by the weekend in games at McCrary Park, where the team’s five-game winning streak (four in CPL play) ended.

The High Point-Thomasville HiToms topped the ZooKeepers 12-6 on Saturday night despite three hits and two runs batted in from Lodise.

On Sunday, Martinsville prevailed 13-11 despite Lodise tripling and homering on his way to four RBI.

Asheboro was unable to protect a 9-5 lead through six innings. McPeak, Jarrett Pokrovsky and Mayson Dear all drove in two runs.

Then the ZooKeepers went to the All-Star break coming off Monday night’s 12-2 loss at Martinsville.

ZooKeepers pitcher Ethan Snyder June2023

ZooKeepers find peaks in rough stretch

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Ethan Snyder is the only pitcher with both a victory and a save for the Asheboro ZooKeepers. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)

ASHEBORO – The Asheboro ZooKeepers didn’t win a game in the Coastal Plain League’s second half until their fourth game.

At least they did so in style.

The ZooKeepers defeated first-half West Division champion Forest City 7-6 in Saturday night’s game at McCrary Park.

Alex Lodise hit his first home run with the ZooKeepers. Teammates Jay Dillard and Owen Blackledge both had two hits.

Jacob Halford was the winning pitcher in relief. Spencer Floyd notched a save by recording six outs.

“He’s just aggressive out of the (bullpen),” Asheboro coach Korey Dunbar said of Floyd. “He trusts his stuff. We trust his stuff. He comes out and just attacks guys.”

Asheboro lost its first two matchups with Forest City this year.

Jared Beebe homered twice and Tyler McPeak also went deep in Asheboro’s 14-7 loss to the Lexington County Blowfish. The team announced a season-high crowd of 1,400 at McCrary Park for that game last Friday night.

The Holly Springs Salamanders defeated the ZooKeepers 2-1 on July 4 despite Dallas Callahan’s run-scoring double.

This weekend, the ZooKeepers will be home to face the High Point-Thomasville HiToms on Saturday night and the Martinsville Mustangs on Sunday night.

ZooKeepers Jay Dillard June 29 after double

ZooKeepers show signs of breaking through

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Jay Dillard had a three-run double and then scored a run for the Asheboro ZooKeepers against Holly Springs on Thursday night. (Photo courtesy of ZooKeepers)

ASHEBORO – The Asheboro ZooKeepers didn’t make a push for the first-half title in the Coastal Plain League’s West Division.

But they did develop momentum and created some good vibes by the midway mark of the season.

Among the highlights was Thursday night’s 5-4, 10-inning victory against visiting Holly Springs Salamanders at McCrary Park.

“We strung a couple of nights like that together,” first-year ZooKeepers coach Korey Dunbar said. “We’re starting to finish games.”

The next night, the ZooKeepers ended the CPL’s first half with a 12-5 loss at Holly Springs. That left Asheboro with an 8-12 record, though that’s washed away with the second half of the split season beginning on the weekend.

“I think we’re starting to figure it out as a team,” first baseman Tyler McPeak said.

The ZooKeepers were in their home ballpark for games for only a week during the season’s first half because of renovations. That created a bunch of road assignments and select home games at UNC Greensboro. There were logistical challenges as the roster continued to evolve.

“It seems like this first half has flown by,” Dunbar said.

McPeak set a Lenoir-Rhyne single-season home run record with 18 this year in his first season since transferring from Campbell. He said the ZooKeepers are starting to develop the right mindset.

“Just getting out here and playing every day,” McPeak said. “You can’t dwell on every game. You move on.”

In the first half’s home finale, the ZooKeepers were one strike away from winning in the top of the ninth. An appeal on a check-swing by Nate Carriere was denied and he took advantage of the chance by singling to left field to drive in two runs.

The Salamanders had runners at first and third with no outs in the 10th but Jacob Halford escaped.

With a runner placed at second base based on the extra-inning rules, Todd Hudson, the first batter for Asheboro in the 10th, drilled a single to right-center field to drive in the winning run.

“It’s fun to do,” Hudson said of the walk-off hit. “You like it for the team.”

That marked the ZooKeepers’ second victory in a row following a doubleheader split with the High Point-Thomasville HiToms on Tuesday night.

Hudson, a rising sophomore for Liberty, said it might have been prior to high school when he had a previous walk-off hit. This might have been just what the ZooKeepers needed.

“We’ve been very close in a lot of games,” Hudson said. “Good to pull one out.”

Asheboro scored four second-inning runs on Jay Dillard’s three-run double and Cole Laskowski’s double.

ZooKeepers pitcher Jacob Dienes of North Carolina State rolled through five innings. Then he beaned Austin Hawke to begin the sixth and that was followed by Win Johns’ home run.

On Friday night, Andrew Grande, who played for Asheboro last year, homered for the Salamanders.

ZooKeepers Jay Dillard June2023

ZooKeepers mark home debut with win

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Asheboro’s Jay Dillard reaches second base as the ball skips away from Boone’s Carlos Amezquita during last week’s game at McCrary Park. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)

 

ASHEBORO – The Asheboro ZooKeepers, a college summer league baseball team, finally got to play a game in their home ballpark.

Even that situation lasted only so long.

It was a winning endeavor for the ZooKeepers, who topped the visiting Boone Bigfoots 9-6 on Thursday night at McCrary Park.

The second game of the Coastal Plain League doubleheader was wiped out during the first inning because of lightning and then rain.

Jared Beebe and Tyler McPeak both smashed two-run home runs in Asheboro’s victory. Beebe also had a run-scoring single and McPeak provided a two-run double. Ethan Snyder was the winning pitcher.

On Saturday night at Martinsville, Va., the ZooKeepers split a doubleheader with the Martinsville Mustangs. Asheboro won 3-1 before falling 8-2.

In the victory, Win Scott pitched a complete-game in the seven-inning tilt and Jay Dillard’s two-run single broke a tie.

On Friday night, the ZooKeepers prevailed 11-10 in 10 innings against the High Point-Thomasville HiToms at Finch Field. Jarrett Pokrovsky drove in four runs, Dylan Driver scored three runs and McPeak had three hits.

The winning at home didn’t last as the Macon Bacon topped the ZooKeepers 6-5 on Sunday night despite McPeak’s home run. The ZooKeepers led 5-3 through six innings.

That result dropped Asheboro’s record to 6-10.

Earlier last week, the ZooKeepers’ final two scheduled games at their temporary home at UNC Greensboro Baseball Stadium were rained out.

After a pair of home dates this week, the ZooKeepers will be back for a July 4 matchup with the Holly Springs Salamanders.

ZooKeepers mound meeting June2023

ZooKeepers finally find some answers

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The Asheboro ZooKeepers have had mixed results from the mound during their games so far this season. (Photo courtesy of ZooKeepers)

ASHEBORO – The Asheboro ZooKeepers made notable progress last week.

The biggest of those achievements was finally winning a game.

The Coastal Plain League baseball team lost its first six games of the season, which already has been disjointed by playing home games at UNC Greensboro while McCrary Park renovations are ongoing. The plan is to have the ZooKeepers playing in Asheboro by the end of this week.

At least they’ve experienced success.

The ZooKeepers didn’t pick up a victory until their seventh game of the season, defeating the Martinsville Mustangs 9-4 last Tuesday in Greensboro after facing a four-run hole. Tyler McPeak’s three-run home run was an offensive highlight.

Three nights later, they swept a doubleheader from the visiting Florence Flamingos. Shortstop Alex Lodise had a game-winning hit to end Asheboro’s 1-0 victory in the opener of the twinbill.

It was quite an introduction for Lodise, a soon-to-be Florida State player who was making his ZooKeepers debut. Lodise played for North Florida during the 2023 college season, mashed a school freshman-record 16 home runs and was an All-Atlantic Sun selection, but he’s transferring to Florida State.

Pitchers Jacob Dienes and Garrett Kangas combined for the shutout.

In the nightcap, Asheboro won 5-1 behind work on the mound by Jacob Halford and Ethan Snyder.

Pitching became a trouble spot for Asheboro during the weekend. A 13-4 loss Saturday at Florence was followed by Sunday’s 9-5 setback at Holly Springs.

In the Holly Springs game, Dallas Callahan of the ZooKeepers homered but it wasn’t enough to wipe out an 8-0 hole after three innings.

So with a 3-8 record through Sunday, the ZooKeepers were stuck in last place in the West Division. Asheboro’s .234 batting average was tied for the worst mark in the CPL. Monday night’s home game against the High Point-Thomasville HiToms in Greensboro was rained out.

Because of rescheduled games amid the adjustments because of McCrary Park’s status, Asheboro could be playing a total of eight home games in the last 10 days of June.

ZooKeepers front of dugout at UNCG June 9 2023

ZooKeepers take winding path to slow start

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Members of the Asheboro ZooKeepers hang out at the dugout at UNCG. (Photo courtesy of ZooKeepers)

GREENSBORO – College baseball players arrived to play a summer season in Asheboro.

So far, they’ve played only elsewhere.

That’s just part of the rough opening stretch of the season for the Asheboro ZooKeepers.

“It’s a little strange,” said third baseman Tanner Thomas, who plays collegiately for Longwood. “We’re very thankful that we have a place like this to play.”

He was referring to UNC Greensboro Baseball Stadium.

With a renovation project behind schedule at McCrary Park, the ZooKeepers have mostly played road games in the Coastal Plain League. They could be using the UNCG facility for select home games through June 21.

So the ZooKeepers played their ”home” opener Friday night at UNCG. The 3-0 loss to the Forest City Owls dropped Asheboro’s record to 0-5. In a rematch the next night at Forest City, the Owls won 6-5.

“We’re keeping a positive attitude,” ZooKeepers catcher Dallas Callahan, who played the 2021 summer season in Asheboro and is a UNCG product. “We’re piecing it together.”

That’s the message from first-year coach Korey Dunbar.

“We’ve got a young group of guys,” he said. “We’re going to continue to get better as we go once we start to figure things out.”

The Asheboro ZooKeepers line up with young fans for the national anthem prior to the “home” opener. (Photo courtesy of ZooKeepers)

Since the start of the season, some players have trickled in. For instance, Jake Holland, a catcher from New Mexico (and transfer who also played for Georgia Tech), was on hand for his first game Friday night.

Dunbar didn’t have pitching coach Josh Pike available until late in the week because of his commitments as a graduate assistant at North Carolina State.

Asheboro received a solid outing from starting pitcher Jacob Dienes, an N.C. State lefty. And by the ninth inning, the ZooKeepers had two runners on base when the game ended on Luke Holland’s lineout to second base.

“We’re not playing our best baseball and we’re in ball games,” Dunbar said. “We’ve got to do some work. I’m positive with these guys.”

Another scoring chance fizzled in the fourth after Dylan Driver’s lead-off double.

Thomas said he’s excited about playing the summer in the CPL after appearing in 44 games as a freshman for Longwood.

“We’re working every day and we’re constantly getting better,” Thomas said. “Little things here and there that aren’t falling our way. Everybody is trying to get kick-started.”

For Callahan, who played this year as a UNCG senior, he figured his playing days on campus had been completed.

“You play your last game here (for UNCG) and think you’re done here,” Callahan said. “And you’re back.”

About 100 spectators attended the ZooKeepers’ first game in Greensboro.

ZooKeepers general manager Melissa Godwin, who’s in her first season, is wife to UNCG coach Billy Godwin. She said she views the relocation of games as a short-term glitch.

“It’s a blessing to be able to use UNCG,” she said. “It definitely has been an operational challenge.”

Dunbar praised Melissa Godwin’s efforts to pull things together the past few weeks. The ZooKeepers have been able to use McCrary Park for practices while renovations continue on off-field fan areas.

“She’s making it a good experience and that’s what we want for the guys,” Dunbar said. “It’s going to pay off.”

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