Pierce Leonard takes a swing for Randolph County Post 45. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)
Randolph County Post 45 has been off a strong start to the American Legion baseball season.
The team has a good core of returning players who’ve produced across the first couple of weeks of the season.
Post 45 had a 7-1 record – capped with a 5-4 victory at Davidson County last week – before a five-day break in the schedule. The team is slated to be back in action this week.
The lone loss came by a 3-2 score at Rowan County. Twelve days later, Post 45 avenged the loss with a 10-5 home victory.
Tyler Parks drove in four runs in that triumph, while Ethan Frye and Braylen Hayes homered. Samuel Asbill was the winning pitcher.
Parks, Hayes, Tanner Marsh, Adam Cole, Josh Meadows, Drew Harmon, Connor Adams, Alex Martinez and Robert Garner are returnees from the 2022 team who’ve been key contributors this season.
Hayes homered twice as part of an 8-RBI night and Marsh scored four runs in a home romp past Davidson County. Meadows homered in a game at Mocksville-Davie County.
Cole won’t be with the team much longer as he reports for classes this month at East Carolina, where he’ll join the football program. Post 45 manager Ronnie Pugh said he welcomed Cole’s participation this spring even though he knew it would be on a short-term basis.
Outfielder Carter Brown, since helping Uwharrie Charter Academy to a Class 1-A state championship, has been produced upon joining Post 45. He drove in three runs in the Rowan County and Davidson County games.
Pitcher Drake Purvis, who was coming off surgery and didn’t pitch until late in the high school season for Randleman, has been a boost to the pitching staff along with high school teammate Austin Lemons.
Other Post 45 newcomers include former Randleman standout Hunter Atkins plus Ethan Frye and Pierce Leonard from Eastern Randolph’s team.
Because of delayed completion of renovations at McCrary Park in Asheboro, Post 45 has played home games at Randleman High School. The team has practiced at McCrary Park and should be playing games there by the end of next week. Last Wednesday’s home game against Mooresville was cancelled because of weather-related concerns.
Coach Rob Shore has guided Uwharrie Charter Academy deep into the state playoffs in his first season in that role. (Randolph Record)
There will be a Randolph County baseball team in the state finals.
It won’t be Randleman.
Either Uwharrie Charter Academy or Eastern Randolph will be in the Class 1-A state championship series in the first weekend of June. Those teams will meet in a best-of-3 West Regional final.
Two-time defending Class 2-A state champion Randleman was bounced in Friday night’s fourth round by Eden Morehead.
Here’s a recap of how it has shaken out:
Class 1-A
The only two Class 1-A teams in the Piedmont Athletic Conference are the only survivors in the classification in the West Region.
Games 1 and, if necessary, Game 3 will be at UCA.
Second-seeded UCA needed eight innings to top third-seeded Draughn 5-4 in Friday night’s fourth round. Carter Brown’s two-out single drove in Grat Dalton with the winning run.
Logun Wilkins was the winning pitcher in relief by logging two innings. The Eagles (18-10) have played every state-playoff game at home.
No. 21 seed Eastern Randolph won its fourth consecutive road game, upending Union Academy 13-6 on Friday night.
UCA shared second place in the PAC. Eastern Randolph (8-17) was last in the league.
UCA defeated Eastern Randolph 3-0 (on April 11) and 4-3 (on April 13) in the regular season.
In Tuesday’s third round, Eastern Randolph slipped past No. 13 seed Highland Tech 3-1, while UCA toppled No. 10 seed North Stokes 11-4.
For UCA, Dalton had three hits and scored two runs. Brett Smith pitched 5 1/3 innings for the victory.
Class 2-A
Second-seeded Randleman’s run came to a halt with a 5-0 loss to visiting Eden Morehead on Friday night.
Randleman had won 13 consecutive games in the state playoffs dating to a Game 2 loss in the 2021 championship series, a result that was avenged later that same day in a decisive Game 3 against Rutherfordton-Spindale Central.
The Tigers (23-5) had outscored their previous three opponents in this year’s state playoffs by a combined 37-8 tally.
In being eliminated, Randleman managed just two hits – a Hunter Atkins double and a Braxton Walker single.
Anderson Nance struck out 10 batters without issuing a walk for Eden Morehead (23-5), ), which had its first margin of more than two runs in any of its state-playoff games.
It was only the third time that Randleman gave up as many as five runs in a game this season. Austin Lemons was charged with all five runs, though only two were earned, in six innings.
Randleman topped visiting East Davidson 7-3 in Tuesday night’s third round to push its winning streak to seven games.
RANDLEMAN – As the Class 2-A state playoffs began, Randleman’s baseball team cranked it up a notch.
The Tigers know what it takes this time of the year.
“We’ve got to keep up the energy,” senior second baseman Shawn Miller said. “We all know we’re good enough to be on the field.”
For the two-time defending state champions, the bats have awakened. With Friday night’s power display, it was reminiscent of a season ago – with mostly different guys taking the swings.
“More of what I expected throughout the year,” coach Jake Smith said of the offense. “Hopefully, we’re hitting our stride and continue to swing it.”
Five home runs helped in the second-seeded Tigers’ 13-3 victory against 15th-seeded Forbush.
So confidence could be soaring again for Randleman after a shaky stretch late in the regular season. The Tigers (22-4) next meet No. 7 seed East Davidson (20-4) on Tuesday night.
“It’s something about this time of the year,” catcher Caleb Dunn said. “We’re confident and we’re trying to reach our goal.”
The latest power display against Forbush (21-8) began early. Starting pitcher Austin Lemons belted a two-run homer to cap the three-run first inning.
“Every time he gets on the mound, he helps himself,” Smith said.
Lemons worked through five shutout innings, holding Forbush to two hits while striking out seven.
By then, the Tigers held an 8-0 lead.
In the fourth, Dunn’s ground-rule double knocked in one run. Then Hunter Atkins hammered a full-count pitch over the fence in center field off reliever Riley Campbell for a grand slam. It was quite the conclusion to a 13-pitch at-bat.
“The joy came really from fighting with two strikes, not really necessarily the grand slam,” Atkins said. “Really fighting with two strikes, no matter where the ball goes. Two strikes and get a big hit like that, I was definitely excited.”
Forbush produced three runs in the sixth with just one hit off reliever Drake Purvis, leaving the bases loaded.
Then with one out in the bottom of the inning, Randleman got going again. Atkins, Seth Way and Lemons hit back-to-back-to-back long balls.
“Those were no-doubters,” Smith said.
Then, per the script, it was Chesney Welch’s turn and he hammered a two-run double to right field to end the game via the mercy rule. He has had game-ending hits twice in a four-game stretch.
The production is coming throughout the batting order.
“We’re competing even more and getting hits and coming through,” Atkins said. “Anybody can do the job.”
That has been another encouraging sign. John Kirkpatrick had three hits vs. Forbush.
“I think the bottom of the lineup had real good at-bats,” Smith said of Friday night’s effort.
In the first round last Tuesday, Randleman ripped No. 31 seed Reidsville 17-2. Way and Purvis pitched.
The Tigers have allowed less than 2.5 runs per game this year. The pitching has been a staple.
“They work so hard,” Dunn said. “It’s paying off for them.”
Randleman’s Austin Lemons had a big night on the mound and at the plate in the PAC Tournament final. (Bob Sutton/Randolph Record)
RANDLEMAN – There was so much going on with Randleman’s baseball team in the Piedmont Athletic Conference Tournament final.
Everything from Drake Purvis making his much-anticipated season debut to the Tigers racking up their 20th victory of the year.
Yet pretty much nothing could overshadow Austin Lemons.
The senior who mostly waited in the wings behind a stacked roster from a year ago emerged as the pitching and hitting standout in Randleman’s 4-0 victory against visiting Trinity on Thursday night.
“This is the biggest game I’ve probably ever pitched in my life and I feel like I handled it really well out there. I could trust my team. We got some runs. I knew right when we got those runs, I felt good about it.”
Make no mistake, the Tigers got their runs because of Lemons, who hit a two-run homer and later doubled to set up another run,
So he went from having a up-close view of Randleman’s record-setting 2022 season as a reserve to becoming one of the main participants for this year’s conference titlist.
“It definitely feels rewarding after working a lot,” Lemons said. “It’s not just for me. Hunter (Atkins) and Seth (Way) are the two that were in the lineup last year. They’ve been killing it this year. Everybody else had to fill really big roles and I think we’re doing a really good job of that.”
Lemons, a UNC Greensboro signee as a pitcher, must have been paying good attention last year.
“He has worked for this,” Randleman coach Jake Smith said. “He has seen people being successful in front of him.”
Lemons said he grew as a player last summer and in the fall on the travel ball circuit. Combined with what he learned from watching his former Randleman teammates, he applied it all to his final high school season.
“I feel like I just stuck through the process. I came out here and practiced just the same as everybody else,” Lemons said. “I took a lot of time to learn watching these guys on the field and I think it really carried over to this year.”
So that’s why the Tigers felt good about sending Lemons to the mound for the tournament final after he tossed two shutout innings in relief in Tuesday night’s eight-inning escape against Providence Grove in the semifinals.
“He competed and threw strikes,” Smith said. “His body language, his presence. He’s very focused.”
He gave Randleman six innings vs. Trinity, allowing two hits and a walk with eight strikeouts.
Lemons relies mostly on fastballs and sliders. He said his control tended to be a glitch in past years, but that’s an area where he made significant improvement.
“I definitely feel like I’ve always had some of the talent there,” he said. “There’s potential, but I really had to work. I feel the biggest thing that changed for me is my mental approach, just being more confident.”
Randleman (20-4), the two-time defending Class 2-A state champion, will hold a high seed when the state playoffs begin next week.
Perfect inning for Purvis
Now, they’ll have Purvis ready to contribute. He hadn’t pitched in competition in about 10 months because of elbow surgery.
Randleman’s Drake Purvis throws a pitch in the final inning against Trinity. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)
The junior left-hander entered in the seventh – though Lemons stayed loose on the side – and pitched a perfect inning.
“A couple of days ago we knew this would be the night,” Purvis said. “Slowly returning back. This is what you want. The place was packed, a big crowd.”
Second baseman Shawn Miller fielded a grounder toward the hole and snagged a line drive for the first two outs before a called third strike ended the game. Purvis celebrated with an emotion-filled prance toward the dugout.
“Wanted to see some live hitters in game in game situations,” he said. “Have that playoff mode. I’m used to this. It’s not my first rodeo and definitely not my last, either.”
It pretty much went by design for the Tigers. Purvis pitched a no-hitter in last June’s Game 1 of the state championship series vs. Farmville Central.
“We had to get him in and see him, and it was a positive,” Smith said. “He was amped up, for sure. I don’t blame him, I would be, too.”
Some offense, too
In part because of Randleman center fielder Way’s diving catch in right-center field that likely saved a run to end the top of the fourth, neither team had scored. In the bottom of the inning, Atkins drew a lead-off walk and scored on Lemons’ second home run of the season.
Randleman players react to teammate Chesney Welch’s home run. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)
The lead grew to 3-0 on Chesney Welch’s first varsity home run when he led off the bottom of the fifth with a blast to right-center field.
“I’m just getting out of my spring training phase,” Welch said of bolstering his production. “Sometimes they feel a certain way, and that (swing) was one of them.”
Soon after, Trinity starter Ethan Willard was gone. The Tigers loaded the bases with one out, but didn’t score again in the fifth.
Lemons’ lead-off double in the sixth resulted in the game’s final run after a couple of defensive miscues.
Randleman posted its first shutout in an 11-game span.
Trinity (15-10) failed to score in the tournament final for the second year in a row. Last year, the Bulldogs bounced back and reached the fourth round of the state playoffs.
Trinity used Andon Simmons’ two-hitter in a 4-0 semifinal victory against visiting Uwharrie Charter Academy with Landon Mowery and Brody Little both homering. The Bulldogs needed a fifth-run sixth inning to rally past seventh-seeded Eastern Randolph 7-5 in the quarterfinals.
Logan Fox of Providence Grove had a role in tight baseball games with Randleman last week. (Randolph Record file photo)
Providence Grove did what might have seemed like the unthinkable in Piedmont Athletic Conference baseball last week.
The Patriots knocked off state power Randleman and ended a multi-year streak of domination.
“Probably was unexpected,” Providence Grove coach Glen Hunt said. “Not a lot of people thought we could go in and win that game.”
Providence Grove’s 3-2 victory halted Randleman’s 38-game winning streak against conference opponents that spread across parts of five seasons.
And two days later, the Patriots nearly did it again.
Providence Grove’s stunning victory came on Lemuel Coltrane’s three-run home run in the fourth inning at Randleman. How unusual was that?
It’s the only home run hit by the Patriots in what’s now 16 games played this year.
That blast off Seth Way followed singles by Andrew Canter and Joe Coltrane, that latter an attempted sacrifice bunt that turned into a single. Lemuel Coltrane, a right-handed batter, drove the ball over the fence in left-center field.
“He got ahold of a fastball and it went out,” Hunt said.
Freshman Andrew Thomas threw a three-hitter with three walks and seven strikeouts to frustrate an often-potent Randleman offense.
“That game really went fast,” Hunt said. “All of a sudden, I looked up and it’s the sixth inning and we’ve still got the lead.”
The Tigers hadn’t lost a game to a conference opponent since April 25, 2019, to Providence Grove. Two days earlier that year, the Patriots also defeated Randleman.
After that week, the Tigers went on their conference domination, including a May 2, 2019, victory against Providence Grove in the league tournament final.
The pandemic limited Randleman to one conference game in 2020 before the rest of that season was cancelled. The Tigers were 8-0 in PAC play this season before the loss.
The outcome ended Randleman’s nine-game overall winning streak this season.
Last Thursday, Randleman avenged that outcome with a 3-2 victory of its own against Providence Grove. Austin Lemons pitched a complete game while allowing one earned run and Hunter Atkins drove in two runs and Shawn Miller scored two runs for the Tigers.
“We played some pretty good defense in that game,” Hunt said.
Logan Fox had two of Providence Grove’s five hits off Lemons. Lemuel Coltrane doubled and scored, but Canter’s 5 2/3 innings on the mound went for naught. The loss means the Patriots can’t catch Randleman in the regular-season standings.
Only Trinity with two conference losses and four league games to go can move to the top. That would require beating the Tigers twice this week.
Providence Grove has split four conference series to hold a 4-4 PAC mark and 10-6 record entering this week.
“Hopefully, the kids realize what they can do,” Hunt said. “Beating a team like Randleman should solidify that.”
** Southwestern Randolph won twice against Wheatmore, posting a 7-3 road victory as Grant Little pitched into the sixth inning without allowing an earned run in the PAC game. Adam Cole and Tyler Parks both had two hits, including a double apiece, and Grant Kirk scored two runs.
Later in the week at Asheboro, Austin Harvell’s grand slam in the sixth inning clicked in the mercy rule in a 12-1 romp. Cole launched a three-run home run, Easton Clapp had three hits and scored three runs and Parks had two runs batted in. Jonah Campbell’s 5 1/3 innings on the mound earned him the victory.
In between those games, Southwestern Randolph hammered visiting Jordan-Matthews 18-6 as Eli Gravely drilled a home run and joined Harvell with three runs batted in.
** Jake Hunter and Brett Smith combined for Uwharrie Charter Academy’s 3-0 shutout of host Eastern Randolph.
In the rematch, UCA won 4-3 at home in 10 innings with Troy Carver and Caleb Brown knocking in runs in the 10th, which began with the score tied 1-1. The winning run scored on a passed ball. Eastern Randolph’s Stratton Barwick struck out 12 in seven innings.
UCA topped host Winston-Salem Atkins 11-2 in non-league play with Walker Wilkins driving in three runs in the Eagles’ first outing of a three-win week.
Asheboro’s Josh Meadows, left, Tanner Marsh and Davis Gore stand during the national anthem Saturday prior to a game at First National Bank Field in Greensboro. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)
** At Greensboro, Asheboro finished 1-2 in a three-day tournament at First National Bank Field.
Asheboro salvaged the seventh-place game on Tanner Marsh’s game-winning double in the bottom of the seventh inning of a 2-1 victory against Northern Guilford on Saturday. Marsh struck out 10 in a six-inning pitching performance before Connor Adams worked the seventh for the victory.
Earlier, the Blue Comets lost 13-6 to Southeast Guilford and fell 2-1 to Western Alamance.
Eastern Randolph’s Kahlin Graham reaches to make a tag on North Moore’s Austin Patterson during a game in the ZooKeepers Classic last week at Southwestern Randolph. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)
Randleman’s baseball team went to the Mingo Bay Classic in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and came away with a 4-0 mark in the event during spring break.
It began with a 4-3 victory against Woodson, Va., as Caleb Dunn drove in two runs in a four-run first inning.
The Tigers rode Seth Way’s bat and arm in a 9-3 victory against Robinson, Va. Way worked six innings on the mound, while he drilled a three-run home run and a double on his way to five runs batted in.
Austin Lemons threw a four-hitter with 11 strikeouts in an 8-1 romp past Buckhannon-Upshur, W. Va. Hunter Atkins had three hits, including a double and triple.
Then came a 4-1 victory against University out of Morgantown, W. Va., as Braxton Walker logged six innings in his first pitching start. Atkins tripled and drove in two runs.
Split decisions
The four Randolph County teams in the ZooKeepers Classic at Southwestern Randolph all split two games last week. The final day of competition in the event, which had pre-determined matchups, was wiped out by Friday’s rain.
Eastern Randolph got off to a good start by defeating North Moore 13-5 with Pierce Leonard providing two triples and four runs batted in. Apex Friendship defeated the Wildcats 11-1/
Southwestern Randolph fell 12-10 to Chapel Hill despite Eli Gravely’s home run. The Cougars then held off North Moore for a 10-9 victory as Kamden Carter drove in three runs.
Providence Grove lost 10-0 to Apex Friendship before pounding Jordan-Matthews 13-0.
Wheatmore began with a 9-0 whipping of Jordan-Matthews. But the Warriors fell short in a 6-4 loss to Chapel Hill.
Asheboro falls twice
In the Mid-Piedmont Conference, Asheboro lost by 7-2 at home and 8-3 on the road to North Davidson. Tanner Marsh homered in the home game for the Blue Comets.
This week, the Blue Comets are slated for games Wednesday through Friday as part of a tournament at First National Bank Field, which is home to the Greensboro Grasshoppers.
Randleman’s Hunter Atkins takes a swing during a game earlier this season at Eastern Randolph. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)
ASHEBORO – The script looks a bit different, but Randleman’s baseball team has kept the winning formula.
The two-time reigning Class 2-A state champions are cranking out victories on a regular basis.
“We’ve had some tough games that we’ve battled through,” shortstop Hunter Atkins said. “We’ve just been competing. It’s just about competing when it comes down to it. Our team has the grit.”
And Randleman owns an 8-2 overall record. The Tigers have made it halfway through their 12-game Piedmont Athletic Conference schedule with a perfect mark.
“You’re learning all the time,” coach Jake Smith said. “Guys are getting challenged. Just facing adversity. Everything hasn’t gone all hunky-dory. We’ve had to compete and play seven innings.”
The latest success came with Friday night’s 12-5 victory at Southwestern Randolph.
While last year the Tigers frequently had shortened games because of blowouts that resulted in the mercy rule, they’re on the field longer these days.
“It’s something getting used to, playing full seven innings – not going five innings and getting out,” catcher Caleb Dunn said. “Our hard work is going to put us over and we will be able to finish out these games that are longer.”
The past couple of seasons were defined by a roster that included eventual Boston Red Sox draft pick Brooks Brannon at catcher and a roster stacked with college prospects. Now, it’s what Smith calls “back to normal.”
For the Tigers, the good thing is that includes winning games.
“We’ve got the guys this year that need to get the job done,” Atkins said. “Just getting after it. That’s how we roll. We just get after it.”
Randleman’s Austin Lemons threw five innings Friday night. Smith said he liked Lemons’ outing even though the right-hander wasn’t always smooth. He was forced to work out of jams.
“Kind of grew up,” Smith said.
Lemons allowed three runs, but only one was earned. He walked four and struck out seven.
“He had a good night,” Dunn said. “He can do better, though. I know he can.”
Seth Way has been the team’s top starting pitcher. The Tigers are waiting for the return of Drake Purvis, who’s rehabbing from an elbow injury. Purvis said he could be on the mound within a couple of weeks.
Randleman’s results have been nice validation through four weeks of the season.
“We really worked hard in this preseason and I think that really helped us in that way, getting our confidence up,” Dunn said. “Playing great competition as many times as we can a week is really good for us and I think that can really help us out throughout the season.”
The Tigers have remaining PAC series left against Uwharrie Charter Academy, Providence Grove and Trinity.
“Going through the conference undefeated right now is definitely a good feeling,” Atkins said. “Can’t ask for much more.”
Randleman’s five-run first inning came in handy against Southwestern Randolph. Chesney Welch had an RBI double and Seth Way, Shawn Miller and Dunn all drove in runs.
The Cougars scored two runs in the second. Adam Cole’s triple drove in a run in the third, and then Southwestern Randolph loaded the bases with no outs. Lemons struck out the next three batters.
“That was the chance to get back in the game,” Southwestern Randolph coach Ethan Marsh said.
The Tigers were back at it in the fifth, scoring on John Kirkpatrick’s two-out single. Way provided an RBI single in the three-run sixth before Atkins’ two-run home run in the seventh. Atkins scored four runs.
Providence Grove’s Rori Luther makes a move with West Davidson’s Marly Gouker approaching during last week’s game. West Davidson won 1-0. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)
Wheatmore opened the season with a 6-0 victory with Ellie Garrison scoring four goals against visiting Ledford last week in girls’ soccer.
Natalie Bowman and Summer Bowman had the other goals.
It was a nice start for the Warriors, who were undefeated Class 2-A state champions with a 25-0 record last year.
Here are some other items of note from the opening week of the spring season:
Baseball
** Randleman suffered an 11-0, six-inning loss March 1 at Northwest Guilford. That marked the first setback for the Tigers to in-state opponent since June 26, 2021, vs. Rutherfordton-Spindale Central in Game 2 of the Class 2-A state championship series. The Tigers responded later that day to win Game 3 and claim the title.
Last week’s opener went better for the Tigers, who defeated visiting Asheboro 13-2. The game ended in the sixth inning on Hunter Atkins’ three-run home run that clicked in the mercy rule.
** Eastern Randolph opened the season with an 8-3 home victory against Seaforth in coach Brent Haynes’ debut. In the Wildcats’ next game, Stratton Barwick struck out 10 batters in a 5-4 home loss to Eastern Guilford.
** Uwharrie Charter Academy lost its first game under new coach Rob Shore. That setback came by 6-5 at Ledford, where Shore coached a few years ago.
** Eli Gravely of Southwestern Randolph had a four-RBI outing in a 14-4 victory at Montgomery Central.
** Providence Grove opened the season with two non-conference victories for the first time since 2018, defeating visiting Southern Guilford 7-6 in eight innings and host Seaforth 4-2. Lemuel Coltrane had the game-winning hit against Southern Guilford.
** Parker Kines had 12 strikeouts in Wheatmore’s 10-0, five-inning victory against visiting Walkertown.
Softball
Providence Grove has had a couple of challenging games to begin the season.
The Patriots opened with a 4-2 home victory against Southern Guilford. Emma Mazzarone struck out 17 in the two-hitter. Gracie Smith drove in two runs.
Then came a 7-0 home loss to Oak Grove.
Last year, Providence Grove built a 24-0 record before a loss in the Class 2-A state playoffs.
** Southwestern Randolph went nine innings for a 2-1 victory against West Stanly, winning on Madison Varner’s game-ending single. Macie Crutchfield registered 17 strikeouts. The game was scoreless until the ninth inning.
Randleman coach Jake Smith receives a water bath courtesy of Riley Edwards after the Tigers won the 2022 state championship in Burlington. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)
Randleman’s baseball team embarks on another season of high expectations
RANDLEMAN – Randleman has been at the top of the Class 2-A baseball world in the state for the past two years.
Going into this season, the Tigers are going to look different. The goals haven’t changed.
“It’s exciting for the kids, a lot of them waiting their turn,” coach Jake Smith said. “I think we’ve got a lot of guys who are excited about their roles and get their chance to kind of prove themselves and kind of continue what we got going.”
Only two mainstays from the 2022 lineup are still with the Tigers – and they’re both in different positions in the field. Plus, Drake Purvis remains a standout on the mound.
Yet if nothing else, Randleman knows how to reload.
Hunter Atkins is already a two-time all-conference player and he moves from third baseman to shortstop for his senior season. He said it’s clear that there’s a different look with the Tigers, but that doesn’t mean their fans should be worried.
“I can’t tell you how many times people have asked me: ‘How we going to look? How we going to look? We lost everybody.’ ” Atkins said. “We’ve been working our tails off. These guys, it’s not like they’re young, but they’re inexperienced.”
The level of experience would be nearly impossible to replicate with a senior-laden team from a year ago that had college baseball scholarships lined up. Not to mention catcher Brooks Brannon, who was drafted and signed with the Boston Red Sox after setting state records for home runs and runs batted in.
He was just part of a power-laden group.
“You go from a record-setting lineup from runs scored, home runs, RBIs, it is a little different,” Smith said. “These guys are waiting their turn and they got to see great leaders and kids who know how to work and prepare and do the right things before them. They know they can’t be those guys. They just do what they can do, contribute to the team and be great teammates and hopefully have a great season.”
The Tigers were 33-1 last year following a 19-2 record in 2021.
Certain types of pressure that might have existed last year – though there wasn’t evidence of stress around a team that generally dominated and posted shutouts in eight consecutive games – won’t be present this spring.
“We had these D-1 commits (so) if Randleman doesn’t win the state championship, what are they doing?” Atkins said. “This year, I feel like they’re kind of sleeping on us a little bit. I like being slept on. You can go out and show them that we’re really not that bad. Everyone wants to beat Randleman. Being the underdog a little bit, taking a punch.”
Along with Atkins, Seth Way is a returning starter. The junior, whose older brother Trey Way was the team’s 2022 shortstop and lead-off batter, will move from left field to center field. He’ll likely be slotted third in the batting order.
Way is also a pitcher, something of a priority for him.
“People say that we lost a lot of guys,” Way said. “People saying that we’re not going to be any good could not be farther from the truth.”
Other pitchers are Purvis, who threw a no-hitter in the opener of last June’s Class 2-A championship series, Austin Lemmons, Chesney Welch and Atkins.
Caleb Dunn takes the catcher’s role, while Shawn Miller is the potential lead-off batter. Miller will be the second baseman (or shortstop when Atkins pitches). Welch, who took his junior year off from baseball, is a corner infielder. Atkins also helped convince football player Riley Edwards to suit up for this season.
Way could be surrounded in the outfield by a pair of freshmen – Jake Riddle in left field and John Kirkpatrick in right field.
“They might be young, but they know what to do,” Smith said.
Newcomers to the lineup could develop into key players.
“These guys have stepped up, they really have,” Atkins said. “It’s impressive.”
Randleman carries a 17-game winning streak into 2023.
Now there’s an opportunity to create more memories.
“You just have fun with it and just go play,” Way said.
Smith’s approach might be altered along the way, but the foundation is similar. He has put together a challenging schedule, while last week’s preseason scrimmage at Charlotte Providence, the reigning Class 4-A state champion, included numerous encouraging moments.
“Hopefully, we’ll have some success,” Smith said. “I’m sure there will be some bumps in the road that we can learn from and get better.”
RAMSEUR – Brent Haynes figured that he would land a job as a head coach for a baseball team when the right opportunity came around.
Eastern Randolph athletics director Foster Cates had the same thing in mind for Haynes.
So this week, Haynes begins his first season as coach of the Wildcats.
“I’m pumped up. I’ve always wanted to have my own program,” Haynes said. “To have the opportunity present itself is pretty exciting for me.”
Eastern Randolph was in need of a coach last summer after Mitchell Frazier stepped away.
“I had been telling (Haynes) that when we had an opening that I would be calling him,” Cates said. “And I did.”
Haynes, 35, is a Southern Alamance alum and a former pitching coach with the Patriots. He also has coached with Impact Baseball and, most recently, Dirtbags, a pair of prominent travel ball programs.
As a player in high school, Haynes was a pitcher and third baseman for Southern Alamance. In his junior season in 2005, the Patriots won the Class 3-A state championship and he was selected as the Most Valuable Player of the title series.
“It’s not a surprise to me (that he has a head-coaching role),” said Southern Alamance coach Jason Smith, who coached Haynes in high school. “In high school, he was always a leader and a thinker.”
Haynes played collegiately for Young Harris in Georgia and for Mount Olive. From there, his coaching roles have included multiple stints with Southern Alamance, a couple of years as Guilford Tech’s pitching coach and a season at Chapel Hill High School.
He coached a Dirtbags age-group team for several years as it rose through the ranks, including last summer. Infielders Hunter Atkins of Randleman and Tyler Parks of Southwestern Randolph played for Haines’ team with the Dirtbags.
Those relationships remain in place.
“He came up with our group, just a great guy, great coach,” Atkins said. “I love talking to him. I helped him with the field over there (at Eastern Randolph) and he helped me with some pitching.”
Haynes had been teaching at Southern Alamance Middle School before taking a spot this school year as a physical education teacher at Eastern Randolph.
The Wildcats were 9-17 overall and 4-8 in the Piedmont Athletic Conference last year. Eastern Randolph hasn’t had a winning season since going 15-9 in 2017.
“I think we’ve got a chance to be pretty good,” Haynes said. “We’ve got a good mixture of some seniors and some underclassmen who are going to be in the lineup every day.”
