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Tanner Marsh

Tanner Marsh with Blue Comets in spring2022

Marsh finds Liberty destination as Asheboro baseball prospects set futures

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Asheboro shortstop Tanner Marsh makes a throw during the 2022 season. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)

Asheboro’s baseball prospects make various choices

ASHEBORO – Tanner Marsh said he had lots of guidance when determining his best path in baseball after he leaves Asheboro High School.

That ultimately led the versatile player to signing with Liberty during the fall signing period.

“All of my brothers are in college playing baseball and I had good advice,” Marsh said.

He also had extensive playing time in the summer, largely with Randolph County Post 45. He said manager Ronnie Pugh and the staff helped him boost his profile.

“They know a lot about baseball,” he said.

Marsh, who’s frequently a lead-off batter, said he’s expecting to play as a shortstop at Liberty. He’s also a pitcher for Asheboro and Post 45.

“Before I started getting recruited, I didn’t know Liberty was a thing,” Marsh said, noting that he received a boost when college recruiters saw him during the State Games of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. “They liked the way I carried myself on the field.”

Asheboro has other college prospects under coach Brett Hoogkamp. Davis Gore, a catcher among other positions, signed with Division II Belmont Abbey.

“He does well at numerous positions,” Hoogkamp said of Gore, who also has spent time as a third baseman, outfielder and pitcher.

Josh Meadows, a power hitter who’s a first baseman and outfielder, could land on the college level.

Tanner Marsh’s signing added to a family tradition.

Tristan Marsh began his college stops at Coastal Carolina. Trevor Marsh is in the UNC Wilmington program, and Tatum Marsh is set for another season at Brunswick Community College.

Hoogkamp said that family factor has served the youngest Marsh well.

“He’s always trying to compete with this,” Hoogkamp said. “He has figured a lot of things out. He’s loaded with talent. He does pretty well in all areas of the game.”

Tanner Marsh, 17, has more to accomplish for the Blue Comets. He’s a starting guard on the basketball team and another baseball season in the spring.

Gage Miller, a third baseman and pitcher, left the Asheboro program for his senior year to join Holly Springs-based Pro5 Academy. He’s a former North Carolina State commit, but in late November he announced his intention to attend Division I newcomer Queens of Charlotte.

Post 45 player Alex Martinez in Aug2022

Post 45 could have core of roster back next year

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Alex Martinez, shown here batting for Randolph County Post 45 during the Southeast Regional earlier this month in Asheboro, could be among the team’s returning players for 2023. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)

 

ASHEBORO – When the season ended for Randolph County Post 45 earlier this month, it was a downer.

The team lost back-to-back games to be eliminated from the Southeast Regional in American Legion baseball in its home ballpark.

Yet there might have been a ray of hope regarding the future that day at McCrary Park.

“Only three of our 17 players are gone,” Randolph County manager Ronnie Pugh said. “We could have a lot of these guys back.”
Post 45 ended up with a 31-13 record this year. It was an automatic regional entrant based on its role as the host team.

Given the experience on Randolph County’s team, it might have seemed strange that only three of the players will age out. Pugh said that trio is right fielder Blake Marsh, second baseman Tatum Marsh and catcher/utility player Trey Way. All three of them were pitchers as well.

Granted, those are significant losses because all three usually occupied spots within the top five pegs in the batting order.

Blake Marsh (Catawba) and Tatum Marsh (Brunswick Community College) spent the 2021-22 school year at post-secondary school stops, while Way was a 2022 senior on Randleman’s second consecutive Class 2-A state championship team. Way is beginning his freshman year at Virginia Tech.

Several other Post 45 players will be heading to post-high school programs during the school year that’s just starting. That includes center fielder Braylen Hayes at UNC Greensboro, catcher Alex Martinez at Brunswick Community College and pitcher Robert Garner at Wake Tech.

Other Post 45 starters are rising high school seniors. That list includes left fielder Adam Cole (Southwestern Randolph), third baseman Tyler Parks (Southwestern Randolph), shortstop Tanner Marsh (Asheboro) and first baseman Josh Meadows (Asheboro). Several other players still in high school – such as Grant Little (Uwharrie Charter Academy), Drew Harmon (Montgomery Central) and Connor Adams — were part of this year’s postseason contributors.

In some cases, the 2023 college players or high school seniors might opt for other summer destinations rather than American Legion baseball.

After losing the Area 3 title game to Rowan County, Post 45 went 2-2 in both the state tournament and the Southeast Regional.

“We’ll get back out there and start recruiting,” Pugh said of encouraging eligible players to participate in American Legion baseball.

So there would be a strong quest for Post 45 to contend for a spot in the 2023 American Legion World Series in Shelby.

Earlier this month in Shelby, Troy Post 70 became the first Alabama entry two win the American Legion World Series since 1967 by defeating two-time defending champion Idaho Falls (Idaho) Post 56 in the championship game.

Camden (S.C.) Post 17, which won the Southeast Regional in Asheboro, went 1-2 in World Series bracket play and failed to advance to the semifinal round. Camden’s lone victory came against eventual champion Troy.

Braylen Hayes bats for Post 45

Hayes caps Post 45 drama in late-night Southeast Regional win

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Braylen Hayes had the final hit for Randolph County Post 45 in its extra-inning victory against Evans (Ga.) in the Southeast Regional. (File photo)

ASHEBORO – Braylen Hayes wanted the chance to end Thursday night’s game in the Southeast Regional.

The Randolph County Post 45 center fielder didn’t miss on that.

“It works at the end, that’s all that matters,” Hayes said. “I knew (it was the winning hit) because Blake (Marsh) can move pretty good. He’s going to score.”

Hayes belted a double off the wall in left field with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning, allowing Marsh to score from first base with the winning run in the 3-2 victory against Evans (Ga.) Post 192 in American Legion baseball at McCrary Park.

“He said (before going to the plate) that this game was over,” Post 45 manager Ronnie Pugh said of Hayes. “He didn’t say how.”

Randolph County (31-11) will meet Camden (S.C.) Post 17 at 7:30 p.m. Friday in the winners’ bracket. They’re the two remaining undefeated teams.

Until the game reached extra innings, it was another showcase for Post 45’s Tanner Marsh, who has hobbled around the field for two games and produced an alarming rate.

Hampered by an ailing left hamstring, he has come through at the plate and in the field.

“Sometimes you just have to push through,” Tanner Marsh said. “I’ll play all week.”

He drove in Randolph County’s first two runs and ended up as the winning pitcher with three innings of relief.

“He always steps up,” Pugh said. “You can’t get him out of the lineup. He told me today to throw away my eraser.”

Pugh adjusted the initial lineup configuration a bit, moving Tanner Marsh to third base rather than shortstop so any mobility issues would be less of a factor. Trey Way, an established shortstop who was the catcher Wednesday night, took the shortstop spot.

In the eighth, Blake Marsh reached on a one-out infield single. Then it was Hayes’ turn and he smacked his first hit of the regional for the most dramatic conclusion so far in the regional.

“Sometimes you have to win one like that,” Pugh said.

Hayes said it was his first walk-off hit in recent memory in this type of situation. During the past high school season, any walk-off hit for Randleman came in a mercy-rule situation.

Post 45 starting pitcher Blake Marsh made it through four innings. Just seconds after he dodged a bases-loaded jam to end the top of the fourth, umpires halted play for what became a 62-minute lightning delay.

Post 45 scored in the second inning when Hayes walked and later scored on Tanner Marsh’s sacrifice fly. Randolph County got its second run in the fourth, with a couple of misplayed fly balls resulting in the run.

Tyler Parks took over for Randolph County on the mound and yielded a fifth-inning run on Matthew Roa’s run-scoring double.

On the next batter, left fielder Adam Cole’s sliding catch of Chesney Lepard’s line drive toward the gap notched the second out and prevented the tying run from scoring.

Tanner Marsh went to the mound with two runners on base and no outs in the sixth. He worked out of the mess and the Post 45 lead stood at 2-1.

Evans put a runner on second with no outs in the seventh. Charlie Bussey came around from second base to score on a groundout. If he had been out at the plate, the game would have ended.

Tatum Marsh had two of Post 45’s eight hits.

Thursday’s scores

Wilmington 9, Owensboro, Ky. 4 (Owensboro eliminated)

Rock Hill, S.C. 11, Columbia, Tenn. 3 (Columbia eliminated)

Camden, S.C. 9, Belleview, Fla. 7

Randolph County 3, Evans, Ga. 2, 8 innings

Grant Little photo Post 45 file photo

Little comes up big as Post 45 pulls out victory in Southeast Regional opener

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Grant Little’s return to action turned out to be timely for Randolph County Post 45. (File photo)

ASHEBORO – The game barely started and Randolph County Post 45 needed big help in the Southeast Regional.

That came from Grant Little, who hadn’t pitched in more than a month.

Little calmed things down for Post 45 before the offense caused commotion in what became a 14-8 victory against Rock Hill (S.C.) Post 34 in the nightcap of the first day of the American Legion regional Wednesday night at McCrary Park.

“We realize what we’re playing for,” Post 45 shortstop Tanner Marsh said.

Little gave up one run across 3 2/3 innings – until a misplayed pop-up on the first batter after he was lifted resulted in two more runs. But what Little accomplished was big by putting a halt to Rock Hill’s momentum and allowing the Post 45 bats to finally get going.

Post 45 (30-11), which rallied from a five-run deficit, plays again at 7:30 p.m. Thursday against Evans (Ga.) Post 192 in a winners bracket game of the five-day, double-elimination event.

The offensive highlights were numerous. Josh Meadows drove in four runs, Blake Marsh and Tanner Marsh both rapped three hits and Adam Cole was on base five times and scored three runs – just to list a few.

Little, though, turned out to supply perhaps the most clutch performance. The Uwharrie Charter Academy player had been nursing a sore labrum that put him on the sideline.

“I didn’t know how long I was going to be out,” he said. “I wasn’t even expecting to pitch (in this game).”

Post 45 manager Ronnie Pugh said Little threw in the bullpen a couple of times in last week’s state tournament.

“You just think the opportunity might come for him,” Pugh said. “That opportunity came and look what he did with it.”

A seven-run fifth inning gave Post 45 a lead for the first time.

“We kept the faith,” Tanner Marsh said. “The coaches kept telling us we just need base runners.”

Randolph County went ahead on Meadows’ two-run single with one out. Tyler Parks followed with a two-run triple. By the time the uprising was complete, Post 45 held a 9-5 lead.

“We just didn’t give up,” said Meadows, who broke out of a slump. “I was told once you find it, it’s going to feel amazing. I was just missing the pitches I wanted and (Wednesday night) I finally fulfilled it. It felt amazing.”

Trey Way had two singles in the fifth.

Randolph County kept going in the sixth. Cole sliced an RBI single and Meadows knocked in a run with a ground-rule double before Tatum Marsh’s groundout resulted in another run.

With a run in the seventh, Post 45 scored in the final five innings.

“We wait until later to turn it on at the offensive end,” Little said.

There was a different tone set earlier when Rock Hill, the South Carolina state champion, poured on four first-inning runs against Robert Garner. Josh Wimmer’s lead-off homer in the second against Little made it 5-0 before – from Post 45’s perspective – order was restored.

The offense had quite a bit to do with it as well. In the state tournament, Post 45 managed a total of 16 runs in four games before nearly matching that in the regional opener.

“We had clutch base hits,” Pugh said. “We finally got people on with no outs or one out. I thought we showed a lot of discipline.”

Wednesday’s scores

Camden, S.C. 10, Owensboro, Ky. 0

Evans, Ga. 5, Columbia, Tenn. 0

Belleview, Fla. 8, Wilmington 5

Randolph County 14, Rock Hill, S.C. 8

Post 45 Tyler Parks catch in states

Post 45 fades away in state tournament

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Third baseman Tyler Parks of Randolph County Post 45 makes a catch on a popup during the first day of the American Legion state tournament. Shortstop Tanner Marsh, right, and left fielder Adam Cole, back, also pursue the play. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)

Randolph County’s season will continue in Southeast Regional on home field

BUIES CREEK – It started swell and ended with a thud for Randolph County Post 45 in the American Legion baseball state tournament this week.

Post 45 was the lone undefeated team in the eight-team tournament through the first two days. By the time the first semifinal ended Friday, Randolph County had been eliminated.

Queen City topped Post 45 by 6-1 at Campbell University.

But unlike other teams that fail to win the tournament, Post 45 has more games to play.

Randolph County (29-11), as the host team, will play in the eight-team Southeast Regional that begins Wednesday at McCrary Park in Asheboro. Post 45 has a 6:30 p.m. game against the South Carolina state champion on the opening night of that five-day event.

Wilmington Post 10, which drubbed Fuquay-Varina 14-4 in the second semifinal in the North Carolina tournament, is slated to take on Queen City (24-8) in Saturday afternoon’s title game with a berth in the multi-state Southeast Regional at stake.

Following a 12-game winning streak, Randolph County lost three of five games during an eight-day stretch.

In the state tournament, Post 45 was tied with Fuquay-Varina and Cherryville after the pool play, all with 2-1 records. Only two could advance to the semifinal round, with Randolph County dubbed the No. 1 seed from the pool based on the fewest runs allowed in the first three games. Fuquay-Varina also advanced.

It turned out to be back-to-back losses for Post 45, which fell 7-3 to Cherryville on Thursday. Starting pitcher Trey Way took the loss. He also provided a run-scoring double, while Alex Martinez had an RBI single for Post 45.

Randolph County began the tournament with Tuesday’s late-night triumph against host Fuquay-Varina. The 6-0 result came behind Robert Garner’s 6 1/3 innings of pitching combined with Tanner Marsh’s two RBI, Josh Meadows’ triple and Adam Cole’s two hits.

Post 45 kept the momentum going Wednesday afternoon by defeating Hope Mills 6-1 behind solid pitching from Blake Marsh, Parks and Connor Adams. Parks and Cole both drove in two runs during a five-run third inning.