From staff reports
Rowan County has announced its American Legion schedule for the upcoming season.
Rowan plans to open on May 25 at Lexington and plays its league opener at Statesville on May 26.
The first home game at Newman Park is scheduled against Rocky Mount on May 27.
Rowan will play both its games with South Rowan early — June 1 and 2.
Rowan also plays Kannapolis very early — May 31 and June 4.
Rowan is the host for the Northern Division vs. Southern Division All-Star Game on June 30.
The playoffs begin July 2.
The state tournament is in Lenoir this summer, with the Southeast Regional in Sumter, S.C., and the World Series returning to Shelby.
See Scoreboard for a full Rowan schedule.
Pro baseball
The Kannapolis Intimidators were rained out on Wednesday in Hickory.
The game will made up as part of a doubleheader in Hickory on May 21.
The Intimidators are home tonight to open a four-game series with the Lexington Legends. Postgame fireworks are planned for Saturday.
Prep tennis
Carson’s boys beat West Rowan 7-2 in NPC play on Monday.
Winning in singles for the Cougars were Hayden Faulkenberry, Philip Wirz, Jonathan Martin, Matthew Martin and Casey Lucas.
Doubles winners were Wirz-Lucas and Will Douglas-Tyler O’Brien.
Prep golf
The Rowan County Tournament will be held at Warrior on April 24 at 2 p.m.
Prep softball
North Rowan won 2-1 at Gray Stone on Tuesday to stay in the chase for a playoff spot.
Samantha Jacobs again led the Cavaliers. She pitched a one-hitter and struck out 10.
Taylor Sells had a triple, and Lindsey Hinson and Lexis Gonzalez had two hits each.
Jacobs and Jennifer Oakley contributed one hit each.
The Cavaliers (7-9, 5-9) are currently seventh in the nine-team YVC but they now have a sweep of sixth-place Gray Stone (5-8), which may prove helpful. The league gets five guaranteed playoff berths and wild cards also are available. North could possibly catch West Montgomery (5-7), but West Montgomery owns the tiebreaker with North if the teams finish tied.
North plays at last-place Albemarle on Friday, while Gray Stone hosts first-place East Montgomery.
North finishes the regular season next Tuesday at home against second-place Chatham Central.
Prep baseball
North Rowan’s non-conference game at Carson was rained out on Wednesday and rescheduled for tonight.
Salisbury is making up a CCC rainout tonight in Lexington and also plays at Thomasville on Friday afternoon.
The YVC gets five guaranteed berths in the 1A playoffs. North Rowan is currently in seventh place in the league but still could finish in the top three. There also are seven wild-card spots available in the 1A West bracket.
First-round matchups:
YVC No. 1 vs. wild card
YVC No. 2 vs. No. 3 Northwest
YVC No. 3 vs. Southern Piedmont No. 2
YVC No. 4 vs. Rocky River No. 2
YVC No. 5 vs. Mountain Valley No. 2
Salisbury is expected to secure one of the CCC’s four berths in the 2A bracket.
First-round matchups:
CCC No. 1 vs. Rocky River No. 3
CCC No. 2 vs. Rocky River No. 2
CCC No. 3 vs. Catawba Valley No. 1
CCC No. 4 vs. Rocky River No. 1
There’s still a scramble for the four playoff berths in the seven-team NPC. There are no wild cards in 3A.
The eight-team SPC will land five playoff berths.
First-round pairings:
NPC No. 1 vs. SPC No. 4
NPC No. 2 vs. Southern Carolina No. 3
NPC No. 3 vs. Southern Carolina No. 2
NPC No. 4 vs. Southern Carolina No. 1
SPC No. 1 vs. Mid-State No. 5
SPC No. 2 vs. No. 4 Mid-Piedmont
SPC No. 3 vs. MEGA-7 No. 2
SPC No. 5 vs. MEGA-7 No. 1
In 4A, the CPC gets four berths, and there also are some wild cards available.
East Davidson’s Dan Tricarico will be recognized on May 3 by the NCHSAA with a Homer Thompson Award as a coach who makes a difference.
Prep sports
Ashe County received the NCHSAA’s Spirit of Sport Award.
Middle schools
Girls soccer
Sacred Heart made its girls soccer debut with 9-0 victory against Salisbury Academy.
Ceci Cardelle scored the first goal on an assist by Kate Sullivan.
Sullivan had four goals and two assists. Annie Habeeb had three assists. Cardelle had two assists. Julia Honeycutt and Kayla Honeycutt scored goals.
“It was a great game, with everyone playing, some for their first time, some scoring their first ever goals,” Sacred Heart coach Daniel Scullion said.
Boys tennis
In Knox’s 8-1 loss to Erwin, Booth Pfaff and Ryan Leonard won for the Trojans in doubles.
Catawba camps
To get information or to register for Catawba summer basketball camps, go to www.e-timeout.com.
College baseball
Catawba senior J.J. Jankowski shared SAC Pitcher of the Year honors with Tusculum’s Craig Goodman.
Catawba players making the All-SAC first team along with Jankowski were outfielder Ethan Satterfield and DH Garrett Furr.
Catawba’s second team All-SAC picks were shortstop Brett Underwood, starting pitcher Nick Lomascolo and reliever Nate King.
Catawba was represented on the SAC Gold Glove team by catcher Greg Lawson, second baseman Julio Zubillaga (Carson), Underwood and right fielder Ryan Bostian (South Rowan).
Carson-Newman first baseman Kyle Koeneman was named Player of the Year.
Brevard’s Chad Funkhouser was named SAC Rookie of the Year. Tusculum’s Doug Jones was named SAC Coach of the Year.
No. 2 seed Catawba opens in the SAC tourney today in Forest City against No. 5 Carson-Newman at 3:45 p.m.
Zubillaga injured two ankle ligaments in a collision in right field with Bostian recently and has missed several games. He said he hopes to be ready to play today.
Jankowski is expected to start on the mound for the Indians today.
College softball
Western Carolina center fielder Erin Foster (West Rowan) was named Southern Conference Player of the Week.
The senior batted .522 in seven games and hit four home runs, including two in one game with Chattanooga.
Foster also was honored in March. She’s the first player in the history of the WCU softball program to win two Player of the Week awards in the same season.
Foster has 15 homers, second all-time at Western. She is tied for eighth nationally.
Catawba senior first baseman Alli Justice was named SAC Softball Scholar-Athlete of the Year on Wednesday.
Justice is only the second softball player from Catawba to earn the Scholar-Athlete award, which recognizes academic and athletic excellence, service and leadership. Angie Grubbs won the award in both 1993 and 1994.
“Alli exemplifies the definition of a student-athlete,” Catawba coach Nan Whitley said. “She has always showed great leadership abilities and has great character traits.”
Justice is a communications major with a 3.96 GPA and is batting .281 with 14 extra-base hits.
Catawba pitcher Brittany Murray made the All-SAC second team.
The SAC Player of the Year was Anderson’s Abby Child.
Catawba, seeded second, takes on Wingate in a SAC tournament first-round game today in Greeneville, Tenn., at 3:30 p.m.
College volleyball
Led by MVP Caleb Brophy, Pfeiffer swept Mount Olive on Wednesday at Merner Gym for the Conference Carolinas Tournament title.
College golf
Appalachian State’s Lauren Smith (Salisbury) shot 78-79-80 — 237 to tie for 14th in the Southern Conference Championships played at Hilton Head.
Local golf
Will Collins (Salisbury) shot 4-under 68 in the first round of the eGolf Tour’s Forest Oaks Classic in Greensboro and is tied for sixth.
Salisbury resident Frank Adams III shot 71.
The Corbin Hills women held a State Handicap Tournament on Tuesday.
The winner was Sheryl Johnson, with Joy Maughmer second and Eileen Full third.
Beth Calhoun won low gross, with Phyllis Durland second and Kristi Laton third.
Norma Burgess won low putts and was followed by Cindy Carmazzi.
Youth basketball
The 12-under Carolina Phenoms basketball team went 2-1 in the AAU State Tournament in Greensboro.
The Phenoms’ only loss was to the Running Rebels of Raleigh, the state champ.
The Phenoms were led by point guard Trell Baker (Knox), forward Martavio Rankin (Knox) and post Jamarius Hairston (Southeast) in the first day of competition.
The second day they were led by shooters Cole Perry (Erwin) and Josh Ellis (Erwin), point guard Jailen Williams (Southeast) and rebounders Caleb Mauldin (West Middle) and Cole Myers (West Middle). Other players contributing were Elijah Moss, Davis Tadlock and James Stepp.
The Phenoms are coached by Clint Mauldin and assistants Brian Williams and Missy Williams.
The Phenoms have been awarded a bid to play in the AAU National Championship Tournament in Hampton, Va., this summer.
The Phenoms are the defending USBA and USSSA state champs, titles they will again defend in the coming weeks.
The Phenoms are back in action in two weeks in Charlotte, where they will again compete against top ranked teams.
Rowan Hurricanes
The Rowan Hurricanes girls basketball club is looking for girls in grades 8-10 for a developmental summer AAU team.
Contact Coach Matt Randolph at 704-267-9374 or RowanHurricanes@yahoo.com.