Prep baseball - Randolph Record

03 Jun

Eagles soar to state baseball crown with stellar pitching

Randolph RecordSportsBrett Smith, Carter Brown, class 1-A, Jake Hunter, nchsaa, Prep baseball, Rob Shore, state playoffs, Ting Stadium, Trey Kennedy, Uwharrie Charter Academy Eagles

The UCA baseball team collected another state championship banner. (NCHSAA photo) HOLLY SPRINGS – Uwharrie Charter Academy’s baseball team won in different fashions in two games in the Class 1A state finals at Ting Stadium. But stellar pitching was one of the staples as the Eagles repeated as state champions. UCA pitcher Brett Smith kept Northside-Pinetown in check and the Eagles were boosted by Trey Kennedy’s go-ahead home run in a 6-1 victory Saturday afternoon against Northside-Pinetown, sweeping the best-of-3 series. While UCA (28-6) needed an extra inning in the series opener Friday night, the Eagles had a less adventurous…

31 May

Southwestern Randolph in softball, UCA in baseball close in on state titles

Randolph RecordSportsCarter Brown, class 1-A, Class 2-A, Macie Crutchfield, nchsaa, Prep baseball, Prep softball, Southwestern Randolph Cougars, state playoffs, Uwharrie Charter Academy Eagles

Southwestern Randolph’s softball team and Uwharrie Charter Academy’s baseball team are both one victory away from state championships after winning Friday night in drastically different manners. Southwestern Randolph opened the Class 2-A state finals with a 13-0 blasting of Midway at UNC Greensboro. The game was reduced to five innings because of the mercy rule. The Cougars (22-7) go for their first title in 14 years with Game 2 at 2 p.m. Saturday. If necessary, Game 3 will be held at 5 p.m. or 8 p.m., depending on the status of the Class 4-A finals also taking place on the…

30 May

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Caleb Stickle

Randolph RecordSportsathlete of the week, Caleb Stickle, class 1-A, Prep baseball, state playoffs, Uwharrie Charter Academy Eagles

Uwharrie Charter Academy, baseball The senior infielder has been a key member of the back-to-back Class 1A West Region champions. Stickle provided three hits and drove in four runs in the decisive Game 3 of the Class 1A West Region finals Saturday night at Mount Airy. That result sent the Eagles back to the state finals, where they’ll try to repeat as state champions this week in the best-of-3 finals against Northside-Pinetown at Holly Springs. Stickle was solid throughout the regional. He scored the first run when UCA won in the series opener. He had one of the team’s two…

27 May

Southwestern Randolph to play state softball finals at UNCG; In baseball, UCA goes back to same site as last year

Bob SuttonSportsclass 1-A, Class 2-A, nchsaa, Prep baseball, Prep softball, Southwestern Randolph Cougars, Uwharrie Charter Academy Eagles

Southwestern Randolph’s softball team will have to go just one county away to play in the Class 2A state finals this week. The Cougars will take on Midway in the best-of-3 series at UNC Greensboro. The Class 4A series between Garner and Weddington also will be at UNCG. In Class 2A, Game 1 will be at 8 p.m. Friday followed by Game 2 at 2 p.m. Saturday. If a third game is necessary, it’s tentatively set for 8 pm.. Saturday, though it will move to the 5 p.m. slot if a third game isn’t needed in Class 4A. The other…

17 May

Prep Baseball: UCA survives in 8 innings, advances to West Region finals

Randolph RecordSportsclass 1-A, nchsaa, Prep baseball, Randleman athletics, state playoffs, Uwharrie Charter Academy athletics

ASHEBORO – Defending Class 1-A state champion Uwharrie Charter Academy was on the verge of elimination before scoring in three straight innings Friday night to survive. The Eagles pulled out a 4-3, eight-inning victory against visiting Christ the King in the fourth round of the state playoffs. That puts second-seeded UCA (24-5) back in the best-of-3 West Region finals against top-seeded Mount Airy, which edged visiting Cherryville 4-2 on Friday night. Jose Ramirez drove in the winning run in the eighth inning. The Eagles trailed 3-1 before plating a run in the sixth and then benefitting from a seventh-inning error…

12 May

Perfect game marks history for Faith Christian baseball team

Bob SuttonSportsFaith Christian, Mason Taylor, North Carolina Christian School Association, Prep baseball, state playoffs

Faith Christian pitcher Mason Taylor cranked out a perfect game during the state playoffs. (Photo courtesy Faith Christian) RAMSEUR – Mason Taylor made history for Faith Christian’s baseball team by throwing a perfect game. It marked the first such accomplishment in the 60-year history of the school, headmaster Todd Daniel said. For Taylor, a freshman right-hander, it came in the quarterfinals of the North Carolina Christian School Association state playoffs Tuesday. “I feel I’ve definitely improved,” Taylor said. He struck out 12 of 15 Southside Christian batters in the 10-0 home victory. The game ended when the Eagles scored four…

11 May

Two UCA teams plus Randleman in baseball, Cougars in softball move on in states

Randolph RecordSportsclass 1-A, Class 2-A, Class 3-A, nchsaa, Prep baseball, Prep softball, Randleman Tigers, Southwestern Randolph Cougars, state playoffs, Uwharrie Charter Academy athletics

Southwestern Randolph’s Alyssa Harris slides into the plate as Walkertown catcher Sadie Smith tries to make a play in a first-round game of the Class 2-A state playoffs for softball. (Scott Pelkey/Randolph Record) Two baseball teams and two softball teams from Randolph County made it through the first week of the state playoffs. Now it likely becomes more challenging for Randleman and Uwharrie Charter Academy in baseball and Southwestern Randolph and UCA in softball. In baseball, there was one team from the county guaranteed to advance to the third round when Randleman and visiting Wheatmore met in Friday night’s second-round…

08 May

Hoogkamp leaves baseball post following Asheboro’s playoff loss (updated)

Bob SuttonSportsAsheboro Blue Comets, Brett Hoogkamp, Class 3-A, Mid-Piedmont Conference, Prep baseball

Asheboro baseball coach Brett Hoogkamp makes a mound visit during a game this season. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) ASHEBORO – Asheboro baseball coach Brett Hoogkamp has stepped down, but he’s bound to be involved in area athletics again. Hoogkamp announced his intentions to resign shortly after the Blue Comets lost in the first round of the Class 3-A state playoffs Tuesday night. He finished his eighth season in the position. “It has been a good eight years,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed it. Once I got into coaching, it was kind of a dream of mine (to be a head coach) and I got…

06 May

UCA teams seeded high for state playoffs in baseball, softball; Most area teams to start on road

Bob SuttonSportsclass 1-A, Class 2-A, Class 3-A, Prep baseball, Prep softball, state playoffs

Uwharrie Charter Academy softball and baseball teams have high seeds in the West Region for the state playoffs. The seeds, which were announced Monday by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association, have both teams in line to play in regional finals in a couple of weeks. But there’s plenty of work to be done by then. The playoffs begin Tuesday, with potential second-round games Thursday or Friday. *** BASEBALL *** In Class 1-A, defending state champion UCA (20-5) is seeded No. 2, with a home game vs. No. 31 Bradford Prep (3-13). Eastern Randolph (9-16), which was a regional…

02 May

UCA Eagles dethrone Randleman in PAC Tournament for baseball

Bob SuttonSportsAlex Carver, Brett Smith, Carter Brown, PAC Tournament, piedmont athletic conference, Prep baseball, Randleman Tigers, Trey Kennedy, Uwharrie Charter Academy athletics

RANDLEMAN – Uwharrie Charter Academy’s baseball team went where it had never gone before Thursday night. Claiming the championship in the Piedmont Athletic Conference. Brett Smith pitched a seven-hitter with nine strikeouts and the Eagles came up with clutch hits, with Carter Brown providing three run-producing singles and Alex Carver homering in visiting UCA’s 6-1 victory in the PAC Tournament championship game. “We hadn’t beaten them since we joined the conference,” Brown said. “We had that mindset that we’re going to play good and we should come out and win. We came with the confidence that we could beat them.”…