|
The North Rowan baseball notebook …
Winning can be such a pain in the neck.
Just ask Nate Woodburn.
North’s senior shortstop watched practice from the Cavalier dugout Tuesday because of a neck injury.
Did he get it off a hard slide into second trying to break up a double play? Or crashing into a catcher in a play at the plate?
“I think it happened when we were celebrating Friday,” Woodburn admitted with a grin.
North’s dogpile came after winning the 2A western final, a 4-1 victory over Southwestern Randolph that propelled the Cavs into the state championship series this weekend against Greene Central. The teams square off in Zebulon’s Five County Stadium on
Saturday at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. If a deciding game is needed in the best-of-three series, it will be played Sunday at 2 p.m.
Woodburn plans on being ready for this weekend. He practiced Monday afternoon before leaving with a sore neck and seeing a doctor. The diagnosis of strained or pulled muscles is being treated with heat and a little bit of rest.
“I was so excited when it happened I didn’t realize it was hurt until Iwoke up the next morning,”Woodburn said. “A couple of the guys were picking on me about it. Iwish it was funny to me, because it hurts!”
Head coach Bill Kesler took the injury in stride.
“I hope we have one more dogpile left in us, but we’ll try to be more careful.”
n
identity crisis: North’s success this season put a dent in the Rowan County American Legion team’s roster.
More than half a dozen Cavs have their eye on a summer of Legion ball, which started last week. And while they can’t play yet, the Cavs are still heading to Newman Park to support their future teammates, who started 3-1.
It hasn’t always been easy getting through the gate, though.
“I like going to the Legion games and fighting the guys to get inside,”second baseman Erik Mowery said with a laugh. “Then they’re like, ‘Oh, you play for North.’ ”
It doesn’t get any easier once you’re inside the stadium, either.
“When you’re not wearing your Rowan uniform it’s kind of hard for them to recognize you — at the gate and the refreshments,”Woodburn said. “They question you trying to get that Cheerwine slushy.”
n
dreaming big: The Cavaliers aren’t exactly disappointed about not playing Legion ball yet. Theirs is the best excuse of all.
“I’d much rather win a state championship than just play Legion ball,”Mowery said. “I wouldn’t mind winning one there, too. We might be coming back with two of them.”
Rowan’s off to a good start with a 4-3 win over Kannapolis, 6-5 decision at Boone and 3-2 home victory against Mooresville. The team’s first loss came Tuesday night, 15-14 at Asheboro.
“They’re doing extremely well without us. I’ve been to all the games,”pitcher Daniel Moore said. “I’m looking forward to that, but it’s not as important as a state championship.”
Which, if the Cavs win, will be something their Legion mates hear a lot about.
“It feels good that we’re the only team around that’s still playing,”Mowery added.
n
final exam: North’s players finished their finals Tuesday and four seniors — Moore, Woodburn, Brad Canipe and Cass Jarrett — will graduate Thursday night.
With academic pursuits “out of the way,” the Cavs’ can focus on acing their baseball final.
“We’ve been having to study the last two nights, but finals ended today,”Moore said. “That gives us three days to practice, concentrate on baseball and that’s it.”
n
been there, seen that: Greene Central’s players will have some idea of what they go against Saturday.
Rams head coach James “Rabbit”Fulghum was among several coaches involved in last year’s East Coast Baseball Showcase games in Wilmington. One of the players he coached was Moore, North’s ace lefty and Game 1 starter.
“He’s a super pitcher,”Fulghum said. “We know they have great pitching, and they have a good team to get this far. We’re looking forward to the challenge.”
n
haven’t been there, still seen it: Kesler isn’t planning on recreating a scene from the movie, “Hoosiers,”when Gene Hackman pulls out a yard stick to prove to his backwoods basketball team that the rims of the Hoosier Dome are the same height as everywhere else.
But the concept holds for the Cavaliers, who go from the spartan confines of Spencer to Five County, the picture-perfect home of the Carolina Mudcats, double-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies in the Carolina League.
“I’ve heard it’s a pretty nice place. It should be a good bit of fun for them more than anything else,”Kesler said. “The bases will still be 90 feet, the pitcher still throws 60-6.”
n
Sportswriter Steve Hanf is covering the Cavaliers in the state playoffs.
|
Today's News