Cole Blevins gets ready to do some damage. Photo Credit: Sean Meyers

Staff report

SALISBURY — West Rowan rising senior Cole Blevins announced a commitment to UNC Wilmington’s baseball program on Wednesday.

Blevins committed following the NC/SC Border Battle in Charlotte.

The two-day Border Battle included batting practice and defensive evaluations and a game between Team North Carolina and Team South Carolina.

Prep Baseball Report recently released a ranking of the state’s top 10 players in the Class of 2026. Blevins was seventh on that list and was the highest uncommitted player on the list. East Rowan’s Harrison Ailshie, a UNC commit, is second on that list.

The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Blevins is a talented outfielder/pitcher, a lefty swinger and right-handed thrower. He has thrown 89 mph and he has 6.8 speed in the 60-yard dash. He’s had exit velocities measured as high as 103 mph. He has considerable power on pitches he can pull and he can hit to the the opposite field when pitched outside. He understands the strike zone. He is a disciplined hitter who draws a lot of walks.

Blevins produced an All-State junior season for West Rowan coach Seth Graham, posting impressive numbers. He batted .456 with an on-base percentage of .609. He scored 46 runs and drove in 29. He had four homers, nine doubles and two triples and stole 16 bases.

As a sophomore, Blevins batted .451 with an on-base percentage of .563. He scored 33 runs, knocked in 24 and stole 15 bases. He had eight doubles, a triple and a homer.

Blevins burst on the scene as a freshman and became a starter for the Falcons, batting .324 with an OBP of .386. He scored 19 runs and drove in 20. He had nine doubles and two triples and stole four bases.

He’s scored 98 runs with 36 extra-base hits and 73 RBIs during his high school career with one year still to go.

Blevins is currently playing for the Rowan County American Legion team for the first time and has totaled 15 RBIs in seven games. He’s batting .550.