From staff reports

THOMASVILLE —  The Thomasville  and Lexington Rotary clubs partnered to present the annual Central Carolina Conference athletic awards.

Salisbury senior Isaac “Trell” Baker, a standout as a football receiver and basketblal guard, was honored as the league’s outstanding male athlete.

Salisbury’s Maria Capito, a standout in tennis, basketball and soccer, was named the league’s outstanding female athlete.

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Also presented was the Charles England Sportsmanship Award, which went to Oak Grove.

The   George Cushwa Cup for overall athletic excellence was presented to Ledford. Ledford finished first or second in 14 0f 19 varsity sports.

  The meeting was held at the Rittling Conference Center at Davidson County Community College.

College baseball

The American Baseball Coaches Association announced all-region teams.

Catawba senior first baseman Chance Bowden (Salisbury) was named Southeast Regional Player of the Year.

Mars Hill junior  catcher Matt Honeycutt (South Rowan) was named second team All-Southeast Region.

ABCA All-America teams will be announced on Tuesday. Catawba coach Jim Gantt is on the All-America committee.

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DURHAM  — Cal Raleigh homered and drove in three runs, Drew Parrish struck out 14 and Florida State beat North Carolina State 5-2 on Friday night to advance to the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament semifinals.

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DURHAM — Brandon Martorano hit a three-run home run, Luca Dalatri struck out eight in five innings and North Carolina beat Georgia Tech 9-0 on Friday at the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament.

Zack Gahagan followed Martorano’s homer with a two-run shot of his own during the five-run third inning that put the top-seeded Tar Heels (38-18) in control of a game that was inconsequential to the semifinal pairings. Pittsburgh, the No. 12 seed, had already advanced out of the three-team pool by beating both of these

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DURHAM  — Devin Mann drove in three runs, Adam Wolf struck out nine and Louisville beat Duke 9-2 on Friday to advance to the semifinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament.

Josh Stowers and Zach Britton each had two-run singles during the four-run first inning that put the fifth-seeded Cardinals (42-16) in control.

Louisville has won five straight and 10 of 11, and after going 2-0 in pool play, will play 12th-seeded Pittsburgh on Saturday in the semifinals.

    

Mid. school baseball

Cameron Padgett was the winning pitcher and hit a grand slam in Erwin’s win against China Grove in the middle school tournament championship game.

Minor leagues

  Eric Krupa, president of the South Atlantic League,   announced the members of the Class of 2018 for the South Atlantic League Hall of Fame.

This year’s class includes former Hickory Rebels player Ken Free, Former Greensboro mayor Jim Melvin and Greensboro Grasshoppers president and GM Donald Moore.

Free’s professional baseball career began in 1952 when he played for the semi-pro Greensboro Redbirds at the age of 15.  After a three-year stint in the U.S. Army, he joined the Raleigh Tigers in the Negro Leagues in 1959 and played in the last East-West All-Star Game at Comiskey Park in 1959.

  Free barnstormed with Satchel Paige in 1960, then played for the Western Carolina League’s Hickory Rebels in 1960.

The new inductees will be honored as part of the festivities surrounding the 59th Annual South Atlantic League All-Star Game, scheduled to be played on June 19  at First National Bank Field, home of the Greensboro Grasshoppers.

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CHARLESTON, W.Va— Calvin Mitchell had three hits and two RBIs, and Cody Bolton allowed just two hits over five innings as the West Virginia Power beat the Kannapolis Intimidators 5-0 on Friday.

Bolton (1-0) struck out eight and walked one to get the win.

In the bottom of the first, West Virginia scored on a double by Mitchell that brought home Chris Sharpe. Later in the inning, Oneil Cruz hit a sacrifice fly to give the Power a 2-0 lead. The Power then added a run in the third and two in the eighth. In the third, Mitchell hit an RBI single, while Cruz hit an RBI double and then scored on a single by Brett Pope in the eighth.

The Intimidators were held scoreless for the fourth time this season, while the Power’s staff recorded their fourth shutout of the year.

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FAYETTEVILLE, N.C.   — Workers accepted to build a baseball stadium in North Carolina for a minor league team of the Houston Astros will be paid while they train for their jobs.

The Barton Malow Co. of Charlotte is overseeing the construction. Senior project manager Roslyn Henderson says the company needs about 30 people to work full-time.

Henderson says workers will earn wages during the eight-week training course.

The city signed a contract with the Astros in December, 2016. That contract says a minor league team will play at the stadium for at least 30 years, starting next year.

Prep signings

Carson goalkeeper  Montanga Gurganious will sign with Catawba’s soccer program next week.

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East Rowan’s  Bryson Sprinkle, the North Piedmont Conference and Rowan County Golfer of the Year, will sign with Catawba  next week.

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South Rowan’s Mary Jester will sign with Piedmont International next week.

South boys and girls  soccer coach Kyle Neal has accepted a coaching job at Piedmont International.

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Carson all-county tennis player Siera Fesperman has signed with Methodist.

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West Rowan wrestler Luke Waggoner, a regional and state qualifer, has signed with Greensboro College.

Prep football

South Rowan running back DeMarcus Blackwell, Class of 2019, was a standout at the  recent Blue-Grey  All-American Bowl Georgia Regional Combine in Atlanta.

Blackwell (5-7, 175) has been invited to participate in the Mid-Atlantic Super Regional combine at the Washington Redskins Training Facility in Richmond on June 23-24.

Blackwell had outstanding rushing games last season against East Davidson, West Davidson, Thomasville, Central Davidson and Salisbury. He scored TDs against Ledford, West Davidson and Thomasville.

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A number of Rowan players competed in the North Carolina Regional Combine held in Greensboro in late March.

Carson running back Hunter Courtney (Class of 2020) and defensive end Te’olyn Woodruff (2019) performed well, as did North Rowan quarterback Willis Mitchell (2019) and  South Rowan receiver/returne Cameron Hurd (2019).

Woodruff (6-2, 220) also played on the offensive line and punted for Carson.

An injury cut his sophomore season short, but Courtney (5-9, 163) had 283 rushing yards and four TDs for the Cougars when he was hurt.

Mitchell (5-11, 205) threw 20 touchdown passes and also ran for seven scores for the Cavaliers in 2017.

Hurd (5-6, 150) caught TD passes for South against Lexington and Salisbury and also had a big night against North Davidson.

Legion baseball

Rowan County’s scheduled game at Kannapolis on Friday was canceled.

Rowan is scheduled to play two games today with Eastern Randolph Post 81, starting at 4:30 p.m. at Newman Park.

Rowan also is home Sunday night against Kernersville.

Showcase baseball

The South Charlotte Panthers have a host of Rowan County players and their teams will get started this weekend.

The 2019 team includes Salisbury’s Bo Rusher and Davie County’s Hite Merrifield. Merrifield has commited to Wake Forest.

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The 2020 SC Panthers roster includes East Rowan pitcher/outfielder Jake Davis, East catcher/outfielder Charlie Klingler, and A.L. Brown pitcher Chris Allen.

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The 2021 SC Panthers have East Rowan hurlers Jake Hunter and JD Basinger and Salisbury infielder Vance Honeycutt.

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Nathan Chrismon, a China Grove youngster who is headed to South Rowan, is on the 2022 SC Panthers.

NFL

The Oakland  Raiders signed third-round  pick Brandon Parker (A.L. Brown, N.C. A&T) to a four-year contract.

Parker’s deal includes over $4.1 million in total money and a signing bonus of more than $1 million.

The Raiders traded up for Parker at No. 65 overall and intend to mold him into their right tackle of the future under new OL coach Tom Cable.   

College softball

Pfeiffer shortstop Vada Blue Sherrill has added more honors.

The junior was named ECAC Player of the Year and also earned NFCA second team All-America honors.

Sherrill broke single-season school records for batting average (.508), on-base percentage (.593), slugging percentage (.992), runs (64), home runs (16), RBIs (69), total bases (129) and stolen bases (56).

Pfeiffer’s  Stephanie Fortner joined  Sherrill on the All-ECAC firs team.

Pfeiffer coach Monte Sherrill was named ECAC Coach of the Year.

College basketball

DURHAM, — Duke is giving freshman R.J. Barrett a homecoming trip this summer.

The Blue Devils will head to Canada to play a three-game exhibition series in August.

Barrett is a key member of Duke’s latest crop of potential one-and-done players.

The small forward played his senior season in high school at Montverde Academy in Florida.