Published 12:00 am Friday, May 27, 2011
From staff reports
After a 9-18 effort in 2010, Mocksville hopes to return to prominence in American Legion baseball this season, and it could happen.
Charlie Kurfees returns for his second season as head coach.
Besides most of the members of Davie Countyís powerful high school team (22-3). Mocksville coach Charlie Kurfees will have five players from Forbush and some additional help from West Rowan and North Iredell.
Jacob Barber, Connor Bodenhamer, Nick Boswell, Alex Newman, Javan Phillips and Joe Watson are Davie County starters who plan to play for the Legion team.
Forbush slugger Caleb Brawley, Mountain Valley Conference Player of the Year, is also on board and is expected to play third base.
The list of returnees includes Tyler Jordan, Tyler King, Zach Long, Dillon Byerly, D.J. Webb and Brandon Meade. Webb and King are West Rowan products.
Davie plays its first home game tonight at Rich Park.
n College baseball
Local players had big days as Charlotte beat Rhode Island 5-2 in the Atlantic 10 Tournament on Friday and advanced to todayís championship game against Richmond.
Ross Steedley (East Rowan) went 3-for-3 with two RBIs, while Justin Roland (East) was 3-for-3 with a run-scoring squeeze bunt. Corbin Shive (East) scored a run for the 49ers, and Justin Seager (NW Cabarrus) had a sacrifice fly.
n Trey Holmes (East) and Preston Troutman (East) had two hits each as Appalachian State beat Furman 5-0 on Friday to stay alive in the Southern Conference Tournament.
Holmes knocked in a run, while Troutman scored one.
n Pitt Community College sophomore Micah Jarrett (East) was named to the All-Region X second team.
Jarrett batted .383 with four homers and 39 RBIs and had an errorless season in the outfield.
Zach Smith (East) also had a strong season for Pitt, batting .340 with a homer and 31 RBIs.
n Prep softball
The East Rowan-North Iredell fourth-round playoff game was postponed Friday. The teams plan to play today in Granite Quarry at 1 p.m.
n North Rowanís Taylor Sells and Samantha Jacobs were named to the All-YVC team. See Scoreboard.
n South Stanly lost to East Surry 2-0 in the 1A playoffs.
n Prep football
West Rowan defensive lineman Emmanuel Gbunblee and fullback Clifford Long have been accepted at Coastal Carolina and hope to make the football team as walk-ons.
n Prep baseball
Fridayís storms created havoc with the regional series championships, with numerous suspensions and postponements.
n Carson physicals
Carson will give sports physicals in the gym on Wednesday June 1, for $10.
Physicals will start with seniors at 5:30, juniors at 5:45, sophomores at 6, and rising freshmen at 6:15.
n Parks and Rec
Salisbury Parks and Recreation offers youth sports camps during the summer months.
n Fast Pitch Softball: June 20-23
n Football Camp: June 20-24
n Youth Triathlon Camp June 20-24 & August 1-5
n UFC Mixed Martial Arts Camp: June 27-July 1 & July 18-22
n Soccer Camp: July 11-14
n Baseball Camp: July 11-14
n Beginners Running Camp: July 11-15
n Basketball Camp: July 18-21
n Volleyball Camp: July 25-29
n Wrestling Camp: July 25-29.
n College golf
Catawba golf coach Sam Gealy will be adding a large class of recruits in the fall.
Joining the womenís team will be local standout Madison Kennedy (Salisbury).
Joining Kennedy will be Tailar Murphy (Northern Guilford) and Carmen Grubb (Davie).
Kennedy has had an outstanding high school and junior career and should provide and immediate impact. Murphy has proven to be steady performer and will add depth in the middle of the lineup, while Grubb could see playing time this year.
n On the menís side, Pennsylvania native Matt Hardman (Gettysburg) highlights a solid group of five incoming freshman. His 72.4 scoring average this past fall led his high school team.
Joining Hardman will be North Carolina products Marshall Ritchie (Concord), high school teammates Jeremy Kilgore and Logan Ellis (Southeast Guilford), and Brian Donaldson (Clinton).
ěThis group could be the deepest and most talented we have had here at Catawba in some timeî Gealy said. ěEach of these incoming freshmen has the talent to compete in the SAC. With our returners we look to be very competitive this coming year.î
n Local golf
The Toshiba/EMC North Carolina Open will be played at the Club at Irish Creek on June 6-9.
This is the eventís 47th year and the third time Irish Creek has hosted the event.
n Pro baseball
The Kannapolis Intimidators split a doubleheader at Greenville on Friday.
Kannapolis lost the opener 8-1. Brady Shoemaker homered for the Kannapolis run.
The Intimidators won the nightcap 6-1. Trayce Thompson hit his 10th homer.
n A mini-slump has dropped Kyle Seagerís (NW Cabarrus) batting average to .285, but he had his 15th double on Friday in Jacksonís 4-2 win against Mobile.
n Daniel Wagner (South Rowan) went 0-for-3 on Friday to lower his batting average to .216, but he stole his ninth base of the season.
n Legion baseball
Kannapolisí opener at Lexington was rained out on Friday night.