KANNAPOLIS — If Piedmont Boll Weevils general manager Todd Parnell wants to increase attendance, all he has to do is hire Brian Hitchcox as a P.R. person in charge of getting fans in the seats at Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium.

Hitchcox has a secret to filling the stands.

He can simply invite his relatives from Tennessee.

Hitchcox comes from a small Tennessee town called Dayton. His future wife, Erica Murphy, hails just down the road in Spring City. And in small, Mayberryesque towns like these, relatives are loyal.

During one recent game, the Hitchcox clan came to visit and watch their favorite son Brian play second base for the Boll Weevils.

Who came? Let’s see here.

There were Granny and Papa. Sandy and T.A. came, along with daughters Melissa and Lora. Uncle Billy Joe and Aunt Geneva were there.Don’t forget Christy, Haze, Paige and Aunt Betty. Oh yeah, Papaw came along for the ride, as did mom Sandra and sister Raven. And don’t forget cousin Amy.

Whew.

That’s a lot of people. That’s a lot of love.

“Spring City is a small town,” said Erica, whose wedding with Hitchcox is planned for February. “You go in the gas station and know 10 people. I’ve lived in Tennessee my whole life and people are real close. Brian’s family really supports him.”

Erica’s support includes carrying a video camera and taping him.

“Brian watches it immediately when he comes home,” she said.

And just for the record, last names represented in the Hitchcox Tour included Brown, Murphy, Humphrey, Smith and Raines.

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WE’RE NO. 3: Baseball America came out with its latest power rankings and the Piedmont Boll Weevils’ 66-34 record has them in third place among Class A teams.

That’s impressive, considering that’s all Class A teams, including the high A’s. Piedmont is low-A.

Piedmont has the best record of any professional team on any level. The second-best record? That belongs to the Phillies’ Double-A team Reading, which was 61-33 when the rankings came out.

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OUCH! The Weevils’ attendance is nowhere near the Cape Fear Crocs. On July 9, in a 3-0 loss to Savannah, the Crocs played in front of 363 fans. Ouch!

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GOING DOWN: Just because you win the first half title in the South Atlantic League doesn’t mean you’re going to win the second half.

Take Columbus, Ga. of the Southern Division. It won the first half with a 45-38 record and started the second half 3-12.

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WHO’S NEXT? The latest rumors being heard about which major-league affiliate to replace the Phillies concerns the New York Yankees.

Sources say the Yankees want out of Memorial Stadium in Greensboro, where they have been since 1926.

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FORFEIT: Hagerstown came away with a 9-0 forfeit win over Columbus recently.

“There was a ruckus, then another ruckus and the (Columbus) manager pulled his team off the field,” said Parnell.

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FORMER WEEVILS: Pitcher Carlos Silva played in the Futures All-Star Game.

Jimmy Rollins, a shortstop for Scranton, was the Phillies Minor League Player of the Week for July 10-16. Rollins hit .750 with three homers in five games. He was 12-for-16 with eight runs, six walks, seven RBI’s and two stolen bases.

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WEEVIL NOTES: Marlon Byrd, Nate Espy and Jay Sitzman are still among the hottest hitters in the league. Byrd is third at .323. ... Byrd has hit safely in eight of nine games. ... Bonus baby pitcher Brett Myers has a SAL-leading 11 wins. ... Piedmont is hitting .320 in 10 games against Hagerstown. Buzz Hannahan is hitting .444 in six games against the Suns. ... Hagerstown did beat the Weevils on July 20, handing Ryan Madson his first loss since June 3. ... The Weevils have 271 extra base hits. Espy has 48 and Byrd 46. They are 1-2 in that category in the SAL.

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THE SCHEDULE: The Weevils return home July 27 for a four-game set against Asheville. They then hit the road for eight days, returning Aug. 8.