CHARLESTON, S.C. — Sure, the players and coaches from 14 South Atlantic League teams gathered here to play baseball.

But they also gathered to pay tribute to the Piedmont Boll Weevils, the first-half Northern Division champions.

The Weevils’ 47-24 record helped them win the division by 81

It earned manager Greg Legg the job of coaching the North All-Stars, and the 5-4 loss Tuesday night at Joseph P. Riley Stadium is about the only thing he hasn’t won so far this summer.

Among the impressed are Hickory manager Jay Loviglio and Asheville’s Joe Mikulik, the manager of the South.

“Team-wise, they were the best in the league,” said Loviglio, Legg’s assistant coach in the all-star event. “They’re a solid team with no weaknesses.”

When the season began, the experts were saying the same thing about Hickory, which had several top-notch prospects. In fact Hickory, not Piedmont, led the league with six all-stars.

“My team may have more individual talent but Piedmont played consistent ball with no slumps. Heck, we had a higher batting average — but it’s when you hit that counts. They hit with two strikes and two outs.”

Meanwhile, Asheville was put in the Southern Division and didn’t like the fact it wasn’t playing the other North Carolina teams (Piedmont, Greensboro and Hickory) on a regular basis.

“But I’m actually glad we weren’t in there with those guys,” laughed Mikulik. “It wouldn’t have been any fun. Greg did an outstanding job with those young men.”

Nobody mentioned Augusta’s Luis Garcia.

But it was Garcia, who hit four of his 10 pitches out of the park.

House and Espy, who leads the league with 18 dingers, managed just one each. Byrd knocked out two.

And Alvarez? He was the hard-luck guy, hitting just one, but putting four on the warning track.

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SKILLS: There were also contests for the catchers throwing to second and for outfielders throwing home. Jacobson was second for the catchers and Sitzman lost in a throw-off to Columbus’ Eric Johnson.

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NFL OR MLB: Speaking of Johnson, the Shallotte, N.C., native was an All-American defensive back at Western Carolina. He would definitely have been included in the NFL Draft but said he was not second-guessing himself for choosing major league baseball.

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WHAT’S UP? Legg didn’t meet his all-stars until just before the game because of all the activities they were involved in on Monday.

So what fiery words of wisdom did he share with his North team?

I told them what (hitting) group they were in and to have some fun,” he laughed.

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HOMEBOY: Legg was asked about Weevils being three of his first four batters in the North lineup (Sitzman hit first, Byrd second and Espy fourth).

“Whaddaya sayin’ that I’m a homer?” Legg asked while wearing a big grin.

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32 IS A GOOD NUMBER: Sitzman was a rarity for an all-star. After completing his junior year at Arizona State in the College World Series, he was taken by Philadelphia in the 32nd round of the 1999 draft. No bonus baby money with that pick.

But there he was, signing autograph after autograph Tuesday, a .315 hitter who SAL fans know.

How did he drop to the 32nd round?

Legg said that in a powerhouse program like Arizona State’s, players like Sitzman are sometimes overlooked.

“But I liked him from the start,” said Legg, who managed Sitzman at Batavia last season. “Maybe that’s why I didn’t pay attention to where he was drafted.”

Sitzman certainly paid attention, saying, “I thought I’d go a little higher. I seriously thought about sticking around for my senior year. But this was probably the best opportunity I’d have.”

How does a 32nd-round draft choice become an all-star?

“Work your butt off, know what I mean?” Sitzman said. “I busted my butt.”

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EVEN LOWER: Sitzman wasn’t the lowest round choice in the all-star game. Omar Morega of Columbus was taken in the 50th round.

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EVEN LOWER STILL: Six all-stars went undrafted: Cape Fear pitcher Ed Klepacki, pitcher Jason Stanford and third baseman Nate Grindell of Columbus, outfielder Chris Warren of Augusta and designated hitter Eric Guyton of Capital City.

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TORRE STORY: Perhaps the best all-star saga belongs to Greensboro’s Torre Tyson, son of former St. Louis Cardinal Mike Tyson. He was released by Boston (twice) before being picked up by the Yankees. He came into Tuesday night hitting .315.

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BETCHA DIDN’T KNOW: Comedian Bill Murray is part owner of the RiverDogs.

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SALISBURY FLAVOR: The modern SAL was formed in 1960 as the Western Carolina League and Salisbury had a team. In that first season, Salisbury played an all-star team in Newton and fell 6-2. In 1965, the game was played in Salisbury, with the all-stars winning 3-1.

When Macon joined the league in 1980, the name was changed to South Atlantic.

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THE MVP: Of Josh Hamilton, last year’s No. 1 pick (which cost Tampa Bay $3.9 million), RiverDog general manager Mark Schuster said before the game, “Hamilton is one of those special human beings and it’s wonderful to be around him. Whatever he does in the all-star game is gravy.”

Plenty of gravy. Hamilton was chosen the Star of Stars as the game’s Most Valuable Player.

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BRRR: Weevils pitching coach Rod Nichols said his goal for the all-star game was to enjoy it with his family, which flew in from Helena, Montana.

Wife Sharon and the two kids enjoyed it more than Dad. She said when they left Montana, Helena was getting snow flurries.

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