College baseball - Randolph Record

26 Jun

Blackledge builds own career with Asheboro ZooKeepers

Bob SuttonSportsAsheboro Zookeepers, Coastal Plain League, College baseball, Lenoir-Rhyne, Owen Blackledge, summer college baseball

Owen Blackledge has brought energy to the Asheboro ZooKeepers for a second summer. (Courtesy of Asheboro ZooKeepers) Son of former NFL quarterback makes good use of time in Asheboro ASHEBORO – At about this time last year, Owen Blackledge had just left Omaha, Neb., where he was a member of a College World Series team. While some goals and destinations have changed, Blackledge is now in the middle of his second season with the Asheboro ZooKeepers. The rising senior outfielder knows how to make adjustments. He once played collegiately for national power Texas Christian University and now has one year…

17 Jun

Ex-Randleman standout Atkins looks for new baseball home

Bob SuttonSportsAsheboro Zookeepers, Coastal Plain League, College baseball, Hunter Atkins, Randleman Tigers, Randolph County Post 45, summer college baseball, UNCG

Hunter Atkins (Bob Sutton / Randolph Record) ASHEBORO – Former Randleman baseball standout Hunter Atkins said playing for the Asheboro ZooKeepers this summer is a treat. It’s also serving as an audition. After one season in UNC Greensboro’s program, Atkins has entered the NCAA transfer portal. That puts more emphasis on the third baseman’s production for the ZooKeepers in the Coastal Plain League. “Trying to get some stats up and see if I can get to a good home,” Atkins said. Atkins had a redshirt season in 2024, so he never took the field for UNCG. The Spartans had a…

15 Jun

College softball, baseball: Perdue, others collect USA South honors

Randolph RecordSportsBrody Gardner, College baseball, College softball, Greensboro College athletics, Kyler Perdue, Pfeiffer athletics, USA South Conference

Kyler Perdue (Courtesy photo) Area softball players made big impacts during the past season Kyler Perdue of Pfeiffer was named the USA South Conference’s Rookie of the Year for softball. Perdue is a Southwestern Randolph graduate. Perdue, a freshman shortstop, batted .350, starting in all 49 games. She was an all-conference second-team selection. Pfeiffer produced a 45-4 record and advanced to the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Falcons went 2-2 in the tournament, eliminated in a 6-4 loss to regional host Christopher Newport in Newport News, Va. Freshman infielder Madison Varner, also a Southwestern Randolph alum, had one hit in…

11 Jun

ZooKeepers experience early ups, downs in CPL

Randolph RecordSportsAsheboro Zookeepers, Coastal Plain League, College baseball, McCrary Park, summer college baseball

Asheboro ZooKeepers teammates greet Alex Kean after his home run Saturday night against the Boone Bigfoots. (Asheboro ZooKeepers) ASHEBORO – A mix of results has been the norm for the Asheboro ZooKeepers in the opening weeks of the Coastal Plain League baseball season. So with a two-game winning streak, the ZooKeepers held a 6-7 record through Monday. On Sunday in Boone, Ryan Kennell and Zach Evans each had three hits as the ZooKeepers upended the Boone Bigfoots 9-8 in 10 innings. Davis Germann provided the go-ahead single in the four-run final inning. Owen Simmons and Mason Manriquez handled the pitching…

30 May

Asheboro ZooKeepers crank up with busy baseball slate

Bob SuttonSportsAsheboro Zookeepers, Coastal Plain League, College baseball, Hunter Atkins, Korey Dunbar, summer college baseball

James Hankerson Jr. has been active early in the season for the Asheboro ZooKeepers. (Courtesy photo) College summer team looks for right blend ASHEBORO – More winning is one of the objectives for the Asheboro ZooKeepers this year. There have been a few seasons of occupying low spots in the Coastal Plain League standings, but second-year head coach Korey Dunbar said there has been a good tone for the first week of the season. “We definitely want to win,” said shortstop Zach Evans, a rising senior at Lenoir-Rhyne. “There are a lot of people counting on us to win.” Dunbar…

28 May

Marsh receives tourney MVP honor for UNCW

Randolph RecordSportsAsheboro, asheboro baseball, CAA, College baseball, NCAA Tournament, Trevor Marsh, UNCW

WILMINGTON – UNC Wilmington’s Trevor Marsh from Asheboro was the Most Outstanding Player of the Coastal Athletic Association Tournament as the Seahawks repeated as baseball league champions Sunday at Brooks Field. Marsh went 2-for-4 and drove in three runs, including a two with a seventh-inning single that put the Seahawks ahead to stay in second-seeded UNCW’s 6-4 victory against top-seeded College of Charleston. Marsh, a senior center fielder, batted 8-for-13 in the Seahawks’ three tournament games. On Monday, UNCW (39-19) was assigned to the Athens, Ga., site as the No. 2 seed in the four-team, double-elimination NCAA regional. The Seahawks…

13 May

Wingate sweeps series for baseball title in Asheboro

Randolph RecordSportsAsheboro, College baseball, McCrary Park, South Atlantic Conference, Wingate Bulldogs

ASHEBORO – Wingate’s baseball team swept the South Atlantic Conference Tournament championship series at McCrary Park. The Bulldogs secured the automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament with the title. Third-seeded Wingate won the best-of-3 opener by 11-4 against Lincoln Memorial with Sean Barnett homering twice Friday. That was followed by Saturday’s 9-1 romp, Sean Barnett and Brett Adams both driving in three runs. Wingate (33-23), owner of a six-game winning streak, heads to North Greenville (S.C.) for Southeast Region play. The Bulldogs open against Mount Olive, with Georgia College and North Greenville in the other matchup to start…

09 May

Lincoln Memorial, Wingate to meet in SAC title series in Asheboro

Randolph RecordSportsAsheboro, College baseball, McCrary Park, NCAA Division II, South Atlantic Conference

ASHEBORO – Lincoln Memorial and Wingate will meet in the South Atlantic Conference baseball championship series this week at McCrary Park in Asheboro. It’s a best-of-3 championship series to determine an automatic qualifier for the NCAA Division II Tournament. The teams will meet in Game 1 at 4 p.m. Friday. Game 2 is at noon Saturday and, if necessary, Game 3 will follow. Lincoln Memorial upset host and top-seeded Catawba in the four-team bracket in Salisbury. The fifth-seeded Railsplitters defeated Catawba 8-3 on Sunday to conclude the double-elimination bracket. In Hartsville, S.C, third-seeded Wingate swept Newberry in two games Sunday,…

04 May

Dunbar relishes dual roles with Asheboro ZooKeepers baseball team

Bob SuttonSportsAsheboro Zookeepers, Coastal Plain League, College baseball, Korey Dunbar, McCrary Park, Melissa Godwin, North Carolina Tar Heels, summer college baseball

Here’s Asheboro ZooKeepers general manager/coach Korey Dunbar outside the new ticket booth at McCrary Park. (Bob Sutton/Randolph Record) Coach adds front-office duties for college summer team ASHEBORO – Korey Dunbar saw the advantages of adding the title of general manager with the Asheboro ZooKeepers. He’ll combine that role with his duties as the team’s second-year coach for the Coastal Plain League team, which begins play later this month. Melissa Godwin stepped away from the general manager’s role after one year in the position. Last fall, Dunbar became interested in an expanded role. “We talked through some things,” he said. “It…

05 Apr

College league to bring baseball finals to Asheboro

Bob SuttonSportsAsheboro, College baseball, McCrary Park, South Atlantic Conference

ASHEBORO – The South Atlantic Conference is moving its baseball tournament’s championship series to Asheboro’s McCrary Park next month. The NCAA Division II league was in a pinch to find a new venue and chose Asheboro, with the Asheboro ZooKeepers acting as hosts. “We reached out to them,” SAC commissioner Patrick Britz said. “We were able to work something out. … We’re only a month out. We had to move pretty quickly.” The best-of-3 finals are set for May 10 and 11 (and May 12, if necessary). The SAC Tournament finals had been held in recent years at Smokies Stadium…