Emma Mazzarone
There were some impressive debuts on collegiate diamonds for players with Randolph County ties. And some strong efforts early in the season for veteran plays as well.
Let’s take a look:
Mazzarone shines early
Virginia Tech freshman Emma Mazzarone racked up a 3-1 pitching record that included a softball victory against third-ranked Georgia on Friday. She logged 1 1/3 innings of shutout relief to improve her record to 3-1.
Of her first seven pitching outings, three came in starts for the former Providence Grove standout. She recorded 14 strikeouts in her first 20 2/3 innings.
Mazzarone’s first collegiate decision came with a five-inning complete game when the Hokies defeated Belmont 13-1 at Auburn.
At the plate, Mazzarone produced a single in Virginia Tech’s 9-0 victory against Arizona State.
The Hokies are off to a 12-3-1 start going into Atlantic Coast Conference play.
Thomas excels for UNCG
UNC Greensboro’s baseball team won five of its first seven games, with sophomore pitcher Luke Thomas doing his part.
Thomas recorded a save when the Spartans defeated No. 1-ranked Wake Forest 4-3 in a Feb. 27 home game. He didn’t allow a hit while posting one strikeout in 1 1/3 innings.
The right-hander out of Providence Grove also recorded a pitching victory in UNCG’s season-opening 10-9, 10-inning victory against visiting Fairfield. He worked a shutout inning in that game.
Marsh’s strong moments
Trevor Marsh’s final go-around with UNC Wilmington’s baseball team has been productive in the first couple of weeks.
The center fielder, who’s from Asheboro, was named to the All-Coastal Athletic Conference preseason team.
Marsh racked up a team-high .368 batting average with two home runs and seven runs batted in across the Seahawks’ first six games. In a season-opening series against Mid-American Conference preseason favorite Kent State, Marsh checked in at .455 as the Seahawks won two of three games.
Marsh is in his fifth season with the UNCW program, though the 2020 season when he was a true freshman was cut short by the pandemic.
Nice debuts for Marsh, Mowery
Liberty freshman shortstop Tanner Marsh, a younger brother of Trevor Marsh, had a hit in the Flames’ season opener against visiting Quinnipiac.
Marsh, a former Asheboro and Randolph County Post 45 standout, followed that with a 3-for-5 outing with two doubles the next day as part of what became Liberty’s three-game sweep of the series.
Former Trinity baseball player Landon Mowery is off to a nice start to his career with Western Carolina. He checked with a .333 batting average through six games.
The second baseman didn’t play in the opener, but started the next six games, beginning his career with a four-game hitting streak and four runs scored. His first action came against visiting Iona.
He had one of the Catamounts’ five hits in a series opener last Friday at Florida State.
Lowery reclassified and graduated early from Trinity, skipping what would have been his senior high school season in 2024.
McPeak’s power on display
Tyler McPeak homered four times in Lenoir-Rhyne’s first 14 games. He had a team-high 18 RBI through 15 games for a Division II team that got off to an 11-4 start.
McPeak, a first baseman, played last summer for the Asheboro ZooKeepers, a collegiate team in the Coastal Plain League.
