From staff reports
Rowan County plays Wheeling Post 1, the West Virginia champs, at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday in the third game of the first round of the American Legion baseball Southeast Regional in Asheboro.
Wheeling won its first West Virginia state championship since 1988, but it’s a program that has won 15 state titles.
Rowan County (30-6) will send right-hander Omar Bautista to the mound against Wheeling.
Bautista was the Rowan County Pitcher of the Year with a 9-1 mark in the prep season for West Rowan and has followed up with a strong American Legion season. He’s 4-1 with a 2.47 ERA.
Bautista has walked more batters in the Legion season (24 in 47 innings), but he’s been able to get double-play grounders when he needs them.
Rowan coach Jim Gantt said Thursday’s starter (that game will be at 9:30 a.m. or 4:30 p.m.) will depend on whom he uses out of the bullpen in Game 1.
Right-hander Riley Myers (6-0) and lefty Bryan Ketchie (6-0) are the leading candidates to start on Day 2 of the double-elimination event.
The other starters for Rowan are lefty Hunter Shepherd (5-1) and right-hander Tyler Scruggs (3-1).
The regional at McCrary Park looks different this year, with Virginia (Mid-Atlantic) and Kentucky (Great Lakes) assigned to different regionals, and with West Virginia joining the eight-team Southeast Regional field made up of seven state champs — N.C. S.C., Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and West Virginia — and host Randolph County Post 45.
The tournament will start with a bang at 9:30 a.m. when undefeated South Carolina takes on a Florida club that crushed opponents 45-3 on the way to winning its state tournament. Florida won 18-0 in its state-tourney opener.
It won’t be a break for anyone who draws Randolph County. Randolph is tough at home and has been runner-up as the regional host the past two seasons.

College football
The South Atlantic Conference announced preseason all-conference teams on Tuesday.
Lenoir-Rhyne had seven first team picks. Carson-Newman had five. Catawba had three.
Catawba receiver Carloas Tarrats (39 catches, 661 yards, 7 TDs) was a first team pick, along with linebacker Kyle Kitchens and DB Mark McDaniel (South Rowan).
Kitchen notched 49 tackles, nine for loss and made five sacks for the Indians.
McDaniel had five interceptions, nine breakups, six tackles for loss and 43 total stops.
Catawba players on the second team were quarterback Mike Sheehan, offensive lineman Lewis McCormick, running back David Burgess, linebacker Jamal Lackey (Davie), kicker Chad Hollandsworth and punter Caleb Berry.
CIAA
The CIAA will televise three football games during the 2015 season — the homecoming games for Virginia State and Winston-Salem State and the conference championship game in Durham.
All will start at 2 p.m.
Airing networks and television markets will be announced closer to the game dates.

Local golf
Nick Lyerly has shot 71-71 — 142 in the first two rounds of the four-round Trusted Choice Big “I” National Championship.
Lyerly is playing at Prairie Dunes Country Club in Hutchinson, Kansas.
He’s tied for fourth, three shot off the pace.
GARS
Sixty GARS members played a Texas Scramble at Corbin Hills.
Three teams tied for first place at minus 7.
Winning in a scorecard playoff was the team of Tony Labarbera, Bert Bollinger, Dale Cobb and Bob Sidden.
Second place went to Lou Manning, J.C. Ritchie, Paul Rodgers and Ray Pope.
The third place-team was John Cress, Jan Kichefski, Mick Rowell and Frank Rowell.
Gordon Correll won closest to the pin on No. 2. Donald Martin won longest putt on No. 9.
Corbin Hills
The Corbin Hills Women’s Golf Association played on Tuesday.
Winners:
First Flight: Gross-Susan Morris, 1st Net-Toni Iossi, 2nd Net-Azalee Story.
Second Flight: Gross — Monica Green, 1st Net-Joy Maughmer, 2nd Net-Bev Cobb.
eGolf Tour
The eGolf Gateway Tour returns to Lake Wylie, S.C., this week for the seventh annual River Hills Classic, to be contested at the River Hills Country Club.

Minor leagues
The Kannapolis Intimidators announced the promotion of pitcher Yency Almonte to Winston-Salem and the arrival of former Clemson lefty Zack Erwin to replace him on the roster.
• Kannapolis lost 3-2 to Asheville on Tuesday.
Helmis Rodriguez (8-5) limited Kannapolis to two runs in seven innings.
Brett Austin was the only Kannapolis player with two hits. Mason Robbins tripled. Louie Lechich drove in a run.
• Nick Lomascolo (Catawba) has struck out 61 batters in 50 innings this season. He has a 1-1 record and a 2.34 ERA for Peoria.
Lomascolo has a 1.53 ERA in his last 10 outings.

Sign-ups
China Grove youth baseball and softball fall registration is Aug. 10-28 at Dale’s Sporting Goods in China Grove.
Cost is $ 45.
Baseball leagues: 5/6 Coach Pitch; 7/8 Pitching Machine; 9/10 Baseball, and 11/12 Baseball.
Softball leagues: 5/6/7; 8/9/10; and 11/12.
Contact James Solomon at ymcanewhouse@yahoo.com or 704-857-1439.

Youth track
The Hurley YMCA Warriors Track and Field team is competing this week in the AAU Junior Olympic National Championships in Norfolk, Va.
Jalen Houston placed seventh in the 200 meter final in a personal best 25.46 seconds. He earned All-America honors.
Day 2 results
Girls (13)
1500 meters
53rd: Leah Cressler: 5:43.76
Boys (13)
75th: Jackson Price: 6:01.44 (personal best)
Girls (14)
53rd: Aubree Cain: 5:56.94 (personal best)
Women (17-18)
42nd: Julianna Evans: 6:22.85 (personal best)
Turbo javelin
Boys (12)
49th: Noah Julian: 54 feet, 9 inches
Javelin
Boys (13)
46th: Jaxon Evans: 65 feet, 7 inches