McCrary Park - Randolph Record

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…

29 May

Post 45 looking to fit parts together as season launches

Bob SuttonSportsAmerican Legion baseball, Austin Lemons, Braxton Walker, Carter Brown, Connor Adams, Drew Harmon, Grat Dalton, Jake Riddle, McCrary Park, Post 45, Randolph County Post 45, Ronnie Pugh, Tanner Marsh

Manager Ronnie Pugh says that pitching could be strong for Randolph County Post 45. (Bob Sutton / Randolph Record) Young team to play for Randolph County ASHEBORO – It’s going to take time for Randolph County Post 45 to put it all together with a more youthful roster than in the past. But the group still intends to be one of the top American Legion baseball teams in the state. A week into the season, Post 45 split its first two outings. “We’re getting some things done,” manager Ronnie Pugh said. “All of the things we’re going to put in,…

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…

25 Apr

Baseball tourneys coming to Asheboro; Southwestern Randolph has coaching change

Bob SuttonSportsAsheboro, McCrary Park, Mid-Piedmont Conference, NCISAA, piedmont athletic conference, Prep baseball, Prep softball, Southwestern Randolph Cougars

ASHEBORO – High school postseason baseball – and some softball – will be happening in Asheboro even if there’s not an in-county team involved. Next week, Asheboro will be the host school for next week’s semifinal and final rounds in the Mid-Piedmont Conference Tournament for both baseball and softball. Those matchups will come after quarterfinal games, which will definitely involve Asheboro, are contested at the site of the higher seeds. The baseball semifinals and final will be at McCrary Park. In baseball and softball, the Piedmont Athletic Conference Tournament begins Monday with games at the highest seed. For baseball, Randleman…

08 Apr

Prep baseball: UCA blasts three foes in Asheboro event; Randleman adds to win total during spring break

Randolph RecordSportsAsheboro Zookeepers, Jake Hunter, McCrary Park, Parker Kines, Prep baseball, Randleman Tigers, Seth Way, UCA Eagles, Walker Wilkins, Wheatmore Warriors

Southwestern Randolph’s Grant Kirk slides into the plate to score a run against Westchester Country Day School last week at McCrary Park in Asheboro. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) ASHEBORO – Uwharrie Charter Academy’s baseball team won three times in the Asheboro ZooKeepers Classic last week at McCrary Park. The Eagles socked Southern Alamance 12-1, trounced Jordan-Matthews 15-5 and topped Montgomery Central 9-0. Wheatmore had a winning record in the classic, while Southwestern Randolph and Asheboro both finished with 1-2 records in the multi-day competition. UCA’s Jake Hunter pitched in the first game of the event. Walker Wilkins had four hits, including…

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…

12 Mar

Asheboro ZooKeepers go cashless for 2024 season

Randolph RecordBusiness, SportsAsheboro Zookeepers, Coastal Plain League, McCrary Park, summer college baseball

ASHEBORO – The Asheboro ZooKeepers baseball team will operate on a cashless basis for the 2024 season at McCrary Park. The team announced last week that the cashless set-up will include the purchase of tickets through a new partnership with SimpleTix! along with purchases made at concession and souvenir stands. For fans needing assistance in the process, off-field staff will be available to assist, team officials said. The ZooKeepers are a collegiate summer league team playing in the Coastal Plain League. The season begins with a May 23 home game against the High Point-Thomasville HiToms.

11 Aug

ZooKeepers finish CPL baseball season with positives

Bob SuttonSportsAsheboro Zookeepers, Coastal Plain League, College baseball, McCrary Park, summer college baseball

By the end of many games, the scoreboard numbers didn’t add up well for the Asheboro ZooKeepers. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) ASHEBORO – The good times for the Asheboro ZooKeepers mostly came late in the season for the collegiate summer baseball team. The ZooKeepers finished with a 20-24 record in the Coastal Plain League, winning just two of their last six games. Their 12-11 mark in the second half was the second-best record in the West Division. That was improvement from 2022, when Asheboro’s 14-33 overall record was the worst in the CPL. The leading batter for the ZooKeepers was second…