Coastal Plain League Notes: Injuries strike area players Atkins, Parks

ASHEBORO — A heel injury resulted in a premature end to the season for Asheboro ZooKeepers utility player Hunter Atkins.

The former Randleman standout said the ailment didn’t heal right away and continued to be an aggravation. Atkins said a few weeks ago that it appeared he might be finished for the summer season.

He said the injury occurred running out a ground ball at Finch Field against the High Point-Thomasville HiToms in a Coastal Plain League game.

Atkins hit .250 with a double and drove in a run in four CPL games this year. He also played for the ZooKeepers last summer, when he was a Coastal Plain League all-star.

Atkins was a starting outfielder this year for Division II power Catawba as a redshirt freshman. He said that has been rewarding.

“I love it,” he said. “The camaraderie is insane.”

Parks returns from injury

Former Southwestern Randolph baseball standout Tyler Parks suffered a scary injury in a Coastal Plain League game.

Playing for the High Point-Thomasville HiToms in a June 17 home game at Finch Field, he was hit in the face by a pitch.

Parks, who was in the lead-off position and playing as the third baseman, took an 89 mph fastball from Martinsville right-hander Trey Ludy, a Radford pitcher during the collegiate season, on the face. Parks didn’t fall to the ground, but he was dazed as there was blood. He made it to first base, but was removed from the game.

“He was in shock,” HiToms coach Rob Shore said. “I don’t think he knew what happened.”

Parks batted .269 with the HiToms prior to the injury. He returned to action July 11.

Parks, 20, also has entered the transfer portal. He spent two seasons in the North Carolina program, but never appeared in a game for the Tar Heels.

Shore said a college team can benefit from having Parks on the team.

“He can help out somebody a lot,” Shore said.

** Former Randleman pitcher Drake Purvis made four appearances with the HiToms, with the last one June 22. He had a 0-3 record and 8.19 earned run average.

After a June 23 game at McCrary Park, he said he would likely be pitching all summer with the HiToms but those plans apparently changed.

Purvis pitched 48 2/3 innings with a 7-0 record and 3.33 earned run average this year for Gaston College, a junior college power. He said he planned to be back there for another season.

Five ex-Asheboro players selected

Of 33 players with Coastal Plain League ties selected in last week’s baseball amateur draft, a league-high five former Asheboro players were picked.

Florida State shortstop Alex Lodise, the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Player of the Year, played briefly for the ZooKeepers in 2023 after competing as a North Florida freshman. He was a second-round pick of the Atlanta Braves.

UNC Greensboro pitcher Danny Thompson, selected in the eighth round by the Toronto Blue Jays, played for the ZooKeepers in 2023.

Central Missouri’s Chase Heath, a catcher last year for the ZooKeepers, was picked in the 20th round by the St. Louis Cardinals.

A pair of 2021 Asheboro players were picked – infielder Wyatt Henseler, then of the University of Pennsylvania and most recently of Texas A&M, went to the Washington Nationals in the ninth round and pitcher Cannon Pickell of Western Carolina went to the Miami Marlins in the 20th round.

Recent results …

On Sunday, the ZooKeepers gave up 10 runs across a three-inning stretch late in the game in a 14-9 road loss to High Point-Thomasville. Rylen Stockton and Jake Griffith homered for Asheboro. Carter Daniels pitched six innings, but took the loss.

Asheboro split four games last week vs. the Boone Bigfoots, with the home team winning each time. Seojun Oh hit a two-out single to break an eighth-inning tie in the ZooKeepers’ 4-3 victory. Caleb Cockerham was the winning pitcher with one shutout inning of relief. David McGeorge was the winner in Asheboro’s 5-4 decision, with Jeremy Reyes notching three hits.

The ZooKeepers also suffered an 8-1 home loss to the Holly Springs Salamanders.