From staff reports
Why he lasted until the 25th round remains a mystery, but Catawba slugger Jerry Sands signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday night.
Catawba coach Jim Gantt indicated earlier this week that something might be in the works, as the Dodgers were flying a representative to North Carolina to meet with Sands, a Smithfield native, and his parents.
“If they were just going to offer Jerry the normal 25th-round slot money (roughly $5,000), they could have done that over the phone,” Gantt said.
The Dodgers were one of many teams that invited Sands to participate in pre-draft workouts. Gantt said several teams called Sands during the early stages of the draft and told him to prepare to hear his name called, but he lasted until well into the second day of the event.
Sands was in excellent academic standing, had made his room reservation for next fall and obviously would have been welcomed back by Gantt for his senior year, but Gantt has known since Sands started crushing tape-measure homers his freshman year that the 6-foot-4, 225-pound masher would likely sign a pro contract after he became draft-eligible.
Players that don’t sign out of high school and attend a four-year college can’t be drafted again until they are juniors.
Sands, who hit .381 in his college career, enjoyed a remarkable junior season in which he drove in 85 runs. He broke Catawba career marks for homers (61) and walks (132) in three seasons.
“Besides the offense, he always played a great right field for us,” Sands’ teammate David Thomas said.
Former Indian Jimbo Davis, who held the school homer record before Sands broke it, remarked Sands is the best player I ever played with, and that’s saying something because I played with Cal Hayes.”
Hayes was a third-round draft pick of the Cardinals in 2002.
In addition to size and enormous power, Sands possesses very good speed and a fine throwing arm. He’ll probably remain an outfielder, but he’s played first base in the Coastal Plain League and he was a standout high school catcher, so he has some options.
Sands had started fast in the CPL this summer, with two early bombs, but he has left the Wilson team for the Dodgers’ mini-camp in Vero Beach.
Sands will probably begin his career in Vero with the Dodgers’ Gulf Coast League team on June 19. They’ll be taking on the Mets.
– Tarheel Tour
Andy Bare fired a 10-under 61 on Wednesday and leads the Tarheel Tour’s Warrior Classic in China Grove by one shot after two rounds.
Bare made an eagle on No. 1 and was 11-under after 14 holes.
He shot 65 in Tuesday’s first round.
Shaun Norris, who has shot 63 and 64, is one shot back.
Cabarrus Classic Champion William McGirt made the biggest move in Wednesday’s second round. He followed a 70 with a 61.
Former Clemson standout Elliot Gealy, a Salisbury High graduate and the son of Rowan Hall of Famer Sam Gealy, shot 64 on the first day and 70 on Wednesday.
He is tied for 21st at 8-under.
Fifty-eight players made the cut. The final round starts today at Warrior at 7:30 a.m.
The event is open to the public and is free of charge.
– Rowan Masters
The 6th Annual Rowan Masters will be held at Warrior June 27-29.
The qualifying round is June 22, with a 1:30 p.m. shotgun start. The low 31 from qualifying stroke play join defending champion Keith Dorsett for match play.
The tournament is open to all amateurs who are Rowan residents or are members of Rowan golf clubs.
The entry fee for the qualifying round is $60 for non-members and $40 for Warrior members.
Fees for tournament rounds are $12 for members and $20 for non-members.
The champion earns a one-year bronze membership and a $400 gift certificate.
Contact Warrior at 704-856-0871
– Rowan Junior Open
The Rowan Junior Open Golf Championship will be held on July 7-8 at The Club at Irish Creek and Warrior.
Entry fee is $50. The tournament is available for first 96 applicants and is open to male and female amateurs who won’t turn 19 before July 8.
The format is individual stroke play over two days on two courses.
Play will be at Irish Creek on July 7 and at Warrior on July 8.
Age groups for girls and boys are are 8-10, 11-13, 14-15, 16-18. Ages 8-10 will play nine holes each day.
Practice rounds are available at both clubs for $20.
Contact Warrior at 704-856-0871 or Irish Creek at 704-933-4336.
– Williams in NCAAs
Winthrop’s Jason Williams (West Rowan) tied for 20th in the high jump preliminaries in the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships held at Drake in Des Moines, Iowa, on Wednesday.
Williams cleared 6 feet, 83/4 inches.
He jumped 7-1, a school record, two weeks ago to finish third in regional competition.
The men’s high jump finals will be held on Friday at 8 p.m.
– Intimidators lose
The Kannapolis Intimidators managed only seven hits in a 7-0 loss at West Virginia on Wednesday.
Kannapolis was shut out for the fourth time.
Sergio Morales had two hits for the Intimidators (27-38), who wrapped up their road games in the first half of the South Atlantic League race.
The Intimidators wrapped up the road portion of the first half.
behind Sergio Morales two-hits. No other Intimidators managed a multi-hit game. Kannapolis left just five runners on base in being shutout for the first time since April 19th and for the fourth time this year.
The Intimidators return home tonight for Thirsty Thursday against the Lexington Legends. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m. Call 704-932-FANS for tickets or buy them online at intimidatorsbaseball.com.
– Coastal Plain League
Asheboro’s Chris Ahearn (Catawba) drove in a key run in a 5-1 victory over Thomasville on Tuesday.
Blake Ketner (Catawba) took the loss for Thomasville, allowing his first two runs of the season.
– Carson volleyball camp
Carson coach Trish Hester will conduct a volleyball camp at the school on June 23-26 from 9 a.m. until noon.
The cost is $75 and includes a camp T-shirt.
Players can contact Hester at 704-855-5026 or register at Carson by June 16.
– Catawba softball camps
Catawba has announced summer camp dates.
At Whitley Field, all-skills camps will be held from June 23-26 and July 14-17 with a pitcher/catcher camp from July 7-9. In addition, at the Davie Youth Complex, Catawba will hold a camp from June 16-19.
The all-skills camps at Catawba run from 9 a.m. until noon and cost $100.
The pitcher/catcher camp with be from 6-8 p.m. and will cost $75 and $50 for those who also attend an all-skills camp.
Ages are 6-18. Players will be grouped by ability and/or age.
Contact Adrian Gantt at awgantt@catawba.edu or Shane Prescott at sprescott@catawba.edu.
Checks should be made out to Catawba Softball Camp.
The camp in Davie will be held at the Complex on Farmington Road. The all-skills camp will run from 9 a.m. until noon and will cost $110. The pitcher/catcher camp will be held from 2-4 p.m.. and will cost $100. The cost is $150 for those attending both camps.
For more information on the Davie County camp, contact Kerry Brown at 336-998-9248 or email thebrown@yadtel.net. Checks are to be made to Davie County Little League.
– Baseball camp
Davidson’s Dick Cooke and Appalachian State’s Chris Pollard will head a baseball camp at Central Davidson on June 16-17.
The Piedmont Area Pitcher and Catcher Camp is for ages 6-18 and runs from 8:30-12:30 both days.
The cost is $60.
Other area coaches, including Central Davidson’s Jonathan Brown, will help with the camp.
Call Mike Lawson at 336-798-2909 for information.
– Catawba basketball camps
Catawba basketball is holding 10 camps this summer. It’s the 44th year of the camps.
Head men’s coach Jim Baker directs the camps, along with assistant coach Bill Haggerty.
Individuals camps for boys and girls ages 7-15 and beginners camps for boys and girls ages 5-8 will be held at Catawba on June 16-19 and July 7-10 and at Concord’s Covenant Classical on June 23-26 and July 14-17.
Basketball “Skills and Drills” camp will be held from 4-6 p.m. at Catawba on June 16-19 and at Covenant on June 23-26 for boys and girls ages 8-15.
Call 704-637-4473 for information or go to www.e-timeout.com to register online.
– Pfeiffer camp
The Pfeiffer Baseball camp will have two sessions this summer for ages 6-16.
The first camp will run July 14-18 from 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
The second camp is from July 21-25 from 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
The fee is $100. T-shirts will be provided. Campers should report to the Pfeiffer baseball field between 8-8:50 a.m. each day.
Pfeiffer coaches and players will run the camps.
For more information, call head coach Mark Hayes at 704-463-3237.