Former player holds spot on ZooKeepers staff

ASHEBORO — Owen Blackledge is back with the Asheboro ZooKeepers this season, but not in a playing capacity.

He’s an assistant coach with the Coastal Plain League team.

Blackledge played for the ZooKeepers in 2023 and 2024 and then finished his collegiate career this spring in the Division II College World Series with Lenoir-Rhyne.

“I love coaching so far,” Blackledge said after a recent ZooKeepers game. “I knew I wanted to go into coaching at some point.”

ZooKeepers coach Korey Dunbar said the continuity with Blackledge in the dugout is a bonus.

“Another familiar face,” Dunbar said.

Blackledge said he played through a torn labrum that he sustained in the regular season with Lenoir-Rhyne.

“When that happened, I took it as a sign,” he said of closing his playing career when the college season ended. He said it was a rewarding final season.

Lenoir-Rhyne upset Catawba in an NCAA super regional to reach the Division II CWS. There are several Catawba players with the ZooKeepers.

“I’m a coach, so they have to talk to me,” Blackledge said with a laugh.

High-scoring games

ZooKeepers’ pitching has been problematic since the resumption of the season following a brief layoff for the CPL All-Star Game.

That was fully evident in Saturday’s 21-2 road loss to the Macon Bacon.

Asheboro’s 14-9 victory against the visiting Tri-City Chili Peppers came with Davis Germann scoring four runs and Jake Griffith homering. The ZooKeepers overcame the issuing of 12 walks. Hayden Mills was the winning pitcher with one inning of relief.

The ZooKeepers came off a break and lost 14-4 last Thursday night’s road game to the High Point-Thomasville HiToms. Asheboro’s Kruise Newman and Boaz Harper homered.