Vern Benson, 89, passed away on Monday.
The Granite Quarry resident was a former major league player with the Philadelphia Athletics and St. Louis Cardinals and was a minor league manager and long-time big league coach with the Cardinals, New York Yankees and Cincinnati Reds.
Benson is in the Catawba, N.C. American Legion and Salisbury-Rowan halls of fame.
His obituary is in today’s Post.
A story on Benson will appear later this week.
Catawba’s basketball teams host Wingate tonight in a SAC doubleheader that starts at 6 p.m. at Goodman Gym.
Catawba’s men (4-10, 4-6) lost 74-52 at Wingate (10-4, 7-3) on Nov. 20.
Kijuan Arrington leads the Indians. He’s 10th in the SAC in scoring at 17.0 points per game.
Tyrece Little averages 16.2 points and 8.9 rebounds and needs three blocks to become Catawba’s all-time leader in rejections.
Ryan Daye scores 19.7 ppg for the Bulldogs. Wingate has won its last two games and is 4-2 on the road.
• Catawba’s women (8-6, 6-4) have lost three out of four and will try to bounce back from a tough road swing at home.
The Indians won 85-81 at Wingate (11-3, 7-3) early in the season.
Chloe Bully, who became a 1,000-point scorer on Saturday, leads the Indians. She’s averaging 15.1 ppg.
Former Statesville star Janitsha Williams (15.9 ppg) and 6-footer Kayla Harris (15.7 ppg) are the top players for the Bulldogs.
Livingstone
Coming off a 76-53 home win over Shaw, the Livingstone men (11-5, 4-3) are back on the road tonight against the Broncos of Fayetteville State (12-5) at Capel Arena.
Fayeteville State has won three in a row. Livingstone snapped a three-game skid against Shaw.
High-scoring guards Jody Hill (18.3 ppg) and Mark Thomas (17.8 ppg) lead the Blue Bears. Hill is the CIAA Player of the Week. He had a 37-point outing.
Both teams are 1-0 in the CIAA’s Southern Division. Gametime is slated for 7 p.m. The game will be televised on Comcast Sports Southeast, Aspire TV and Bounce TV.
• Livingstone’s women (9-8, 4-3) open the doublelheader. They’ll look to bounce back from Saturday’s loss to Shaw, but Fayetteville State (12-4, 5-2) is strong.
Oshon West (North Rowan) scored 15 points for second-ranked Louisburg in a 106-85 victory against Guilford Tech on Monday. West has moved into the starting lineup in recent games. He shot 6-for-8 on Monday and made three 3-pointers.
• Pfeiffer lost 83-59 at Barton on Tuesday. Mike Smith scored 17, and A.J. Clark had 13 for the Falcons (4-13, 1-7 Conference Carolinas).
Pfeiffer’s Amy Steller (Davie) is shooting 88 percent (22-for-25) from the foul line and ranks second in Conference Carolinas. Barton’s Nyeshea Willie is shooting 90.3 percent.
• Pfeiffer lost 95-80 at Barton on Tuesday.
Alexis Stallard led the Falcons (2-14, 1-7 CC) with 15 points. Steller scored 12.
Southeast Middle’s girls and boys won championship games on Tuesday in the Corriher-Lipe gym.
East Rowan won 40-30 against Carson in SPC wrestling on Tuesday.
East (18-2, 6-0) got pins from Wyatt Blume, Shiheem Saunders, Jeff Burrell and Logan Haas.
Austin Hoosier won by forfeit. Sam Cornacchione won a major decision. Luke Miller and Max Wall won decisions.
For Carson, Brandon Sloop, Anthony McCurry, Alex Lyles and Bronson Knabbe had pins. Cameron Rayfield and Garrett Pell won decisions.
East is at home against Concord on Friday.
• West Rowan defeated Northwest Cabarrus 54-30 Tuesday in SPC wrestling.
Dakota Goodson, Wood Poteat, Quameak Lewis and Francisco Castro won their matches for West.
A.J. Martlock, Steven Le, Thomas Current, Ben Kluttz and Denny Triche won by forfeit.

North Rowan’s varsity boys play Concord at 6:30 tonight in Spencer, following a jayvee boys game.
A.L. Brown’s boys lost to Hopewell 64-60 despite 20 points and five assists by Joekeem Neal.
• A.L. Brown’s girls lost to Hopewell 51-48. Aitana Grant scored 13 for the Wonders. Kelly Chrismon scored 11, and Esther Kituku had eight.
• J.M. Robinson upset West Charlotte in MECKA boys action Tuesday 79-71.
Lavar Batts Jr. scored 19 points to lead the Bulldogs, who had six in double figures. Robinson, who trailed 24-9 after a quarter, made 15 of 19 free throws in the final quarter to preserve the victory. Robinson outscored the Lions 50-20 in the second and third quarters.
• Nick Hough scored 27 points, but Hickory Ridge lost to Cox Mill 68-65 in SPC boys action.
• Taylor Sehm-Crowley scored 29 points to lead Cox Mill’s girls to a 56-44 win against Hickory Ridge.
• Winston-Salem Prep (1A), Shelby (2A), Freedom (3A) and Olympic (4A) are the top-ranked boys teams in the NCPreps.com basketball poll. The top-ranked girls teams are Bishop McGuinness (1A), Bandys (2A), Chapel Hill (3A) and McDowell (4A).
No Rowan teams are ranked. North Rowan’s boys received votes. East Davidson’s girls are ranked eighth in 2A. Thomasville’s girls are ranked 10th. Concord’s boys are ranked fourth in 3A. Cox Mill’s boys are ranked 10th.
Mount Tabor’s girls are ranked ninth in 4A. Hough’s boys are ranked seventh in 4A, while North Meck is ranked ninth.
East Rowan’s jayvee boys won 58-34 against Carson on Tuesday.
Logan Shuping scored 16 points. Lucas Morton had 13 points and seven rebounds. Datavian Davis had eight points and 12 rebounds. Corbin Elliott had six points and 13 rebounds. Bravon Goodlett had eight points, seven rebounds and five assists for the Mustangs (8-4).
• A.L. Brown’s jayvee girls improved to 11-1 with a 34-25 win against Hopewell.
Rowan Little League baseball and softball registrations are from 8-4 on Feb. 1 and Feb. 8 at Godley’s Garden Center on Statesville Boulevard. Registration also will be held at the Salisbury Community Park concession stand from 8-4 on Feb. 15.
Parents can also register online anytime at http://www.rowanlittleleague.com
Baseball cost is $80 for Coach Pitch and T-ball (ages 3-8). Cost is $100 for ages 9-10, 11-12 and 13-16. League age is as of April 30, 2014.
Softball cost is $80 for Girls 8U Coach Pitch (ages 6-8). Cost is $100 for ages 10U, 12U, 14U League age is as of Dec. 31, 2013.
Contact Jeff Bernhardt at 704-326-5255 or Wade Furches at 704-633-2873.