Randleman baseball - Randolph Record

03 Oct

Former Randleman catcher Brooks Brannon picked for coveted fall league

Bob SuttonSportsArizona Fall League, Boston Red Sox, Brooks Brannon, Randleman baseball

Brooks Brannon signs an autograph for a young fan this summer while with the Salem Red Sox. (Bob Sutton / Randolph Record) Former Randleman standout Brooks Brannon will be one of the youngest players in the Arizona Fall League, which is a circuit for some of the baseball’s top prospects. “I was ecstatic,” Brannon said of the selection. “I knew it was very prestigious. It was a really good feeling.” Brannon, a catcher in the Boston Red Sox organization, has played parts of three seasons as a professional since he was drafted in 2022 in the ninth round following his…

13 Aug

Former Randleman standout Trey Way ready to give Radford a try

Bob SuttonSportsAsheboro Zookeepers, Burlington Athletic Stadium, Burlington Sock Puppets, Radford, Randleman athletics, Randleman baseball, Randolph County Post 45, Trey Way, Virginia Tech

Former Randleman baseball player Trey Way goes through pregame testing prior to an outing with the Burlington Sock Puppets this summer. (Bob Sutton / Randolph Record) BURLINGTON – Trey Way hasn’t played much baseball the past couple of years. He wants that to change. Way, who was a key part of two Randleman state championships, has a new role and a new team. “It has been an up and down journey, for sure,” Way said. “You have to see the good in everything.” The quest for more baseball satisfaction hasn’t waned. He’ll attempt to gain that at Radford. An infielder…

04 Aug

Former Randleman pitcher Cooper opts for another year at Liberty

Bob SuttonSportsAppalachian League, Burlington Sock Puppets, College baseball, Liberty Flames, Randleman athletics, Randleman baseball, summer college baseball, Trey Cooper

Trey Cooper (Bob Sutton / Randolph Record) BURLINGTON – Even during a summer of baseball uncertainty for pitcher Trey Cooper, he was focused on development. The former Randleman pitcher wants to be a starting pitcher again. “Trying to get back in the starting routine,” Cooper said. Cooper has one season of college eligibility remaining and he entered the transfer portal after his second season at Liberty. It turns out, he’s staying with the Flames. For the second time in three years, he was pitching with the Burlington Sock Puppets, a collegiate summer team in the Appalachian League. Cooper said he…

28 Jul

Brannon reflects on life changes early in pro baseball career

Bob SuttonSportsBoston Red Sox, Brooks Brannon, minor leagues, Randleman baseball, Randleman Tigers

Former Randleman slugger Brooks Brannon is playing for a second year in a row for the Salem Red Sox. (Bob Sutton / Randolph Record) SALEM, Va. – About two years since Brooks Brannon was drafted by the Boston Red Sox, the former Randleman slugger is inclined to talk plenty about changes. Don’t worry, he still projects as a power-hitting prospect as he’s in the early stages of what he hopes will be a climb in the Red Sox organization. He categorizes alterations in his life as positives, a list that includes immersion in faith and a recent engagement. That’s a…

08 Jul

Randleman pitcher finds his Way to Liberty

Bob SuttonSportsCollege baseball, Liberty Flames, piedmont athletic conference, Prep baseball, Randleman baseball, Randleman Tigers, Seth Way, Virginia Tech

Pitcher Seth Way, right, confers with coach Jake Smith and catcher Isaac Yates during a game this year. (PJ Ward-Brown / Randolph Record) RANDLEMAN – Seth Way has changed his college destination, but he’ll still be joining a Division I program in the state of Virginia. Way, who has been a standout two-way player for Randleman, announced a commitment to Liberty last week. “I knew as soon as I got on campus that’s where I wanted to go,” said Way, who had a standout high school career for Randleman. The right-handed pitcher had signed in November with Virginia Tech, but…

03 Jul

Atkins, four other ZooKeepers picked for CPL All-Star Game

Bob SuttonSportsAll-star game, Asheboro Zookeepers, Coastal Plain League, College baseball, Hunter Atkins, Randleman baseball, summer college baseball

Nic Schutte fires a pitch for the Asheboro ZooKeepers during last week’s victory against High Point-Thomasville. (PJ Ward-Brown / Randolph Record) ASHEBORO – Third baseman Hunter Atkins of the Asheboro ZooKeepers is one of the team’s five selections for the upcoming Coastal Plain League All-Star Game. Atkins, a third baseman from Randleman, will join second baseman Sal Laimo and pitchers Mason Maniquez, Noah Samol and Dylan Dickert on the West team. The CPL All-Star activities will be held Sunday and Monday in Forest City. Atkins began this week with a team-best .306 batting average in 23 games. He had knocked…

13 Apr

Prep Baseball: Randleman racks up another PAC title; UCA takes down Eastern Randolph twice

Randolph RecordSportsJake Riddle, piedmont athletic conference, Prep baseball, Randleman baseball, Seth Way

RANDLEMAN – Randleman wrapped up another Piedmont Athletic Conference baseball championship by defeating visiting Providence Grove 8-1 on Friday night. The Tigers improved to 10-0 in league play. Randleman will be the top seed for the PAC Tournament in a couple of weeks, a spot clinched because the Tigers beat Wheatmore twice. Only Wheatmore can pull even with the Tigers, but that would require the Warriors winning their four remaining league games and Randleman losing twice to a sub-.500 Trinity team. Randleman has lost just two conference games in a four-season span. Jake Riddle struck out…

30 Jul

Hayes backtracks to Post 45, carves new path

Bob SuttonSportsAmerican Legion baseball, Braylen Hayes, Randleman athletics, Randleman baseball, Randolph County Post 45, UNCG

Braylen Hayes takes a swing for Randolph County Post 45 this summer. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) ASHEBORO – Braylen Hayes didn’t anticipate being back with Randolph County Post 45 this summer, but he’s glad that opportunity existed. It’s turning out to be a good thing for Post 45 despite his unexpected availability. The former standout outfielder for Randleman didn’t make it to the finish line in his first college season at UNC Greensboro. “Just having too much fun in college. It went downhill and ended up not having the best grades,” Hayes said. “It was all on me. It’s good, though,…

14 Jul

Brannon blasts off with Class A team

Randolph RecordSportsBoston Red Sox, Brooks Brannon, Class A, Randleman baseball

Brooks Brannon’s rise to Class A baseball came with a bang. The 2022 draftee of the Boston Red Sox out of Randleman homered in two of his first three games and three of his first five games with Salem Red Sox of the Carolina League. Brannon, 19, played his first game in the Carolina League on June 29 when Salem played at Fredericksburg. From there, he had a hit in all five games with Salem heading to this week’s break in the schedule. He blasted home runs at Fredericksburg and two at Lynchburg and had nine runs batted in through…

20 May

UCA, Eastern Randolph advance to Class 1-A showdown; Randleman’s reign ends in Class 2-A upset

Randolph RecordSportsEastern Randolph athletics, Hunter Atkins, nchsaa, Prep baseball, Randleman baseball, Rob Shore, Uwharrie Charter Academy athletics

Coach Rob Shore has guided Uwharrie Charter Academy deep into the state playoffs in his first season in that role. (Randolph Record) There will be a Randolph County baseball team in the state finals. It won’t be Randleman. Either Uwharrie Charter Academy or Eastern Randolph will be in the Class 1-A state championship series in the first weekend of June. Those teams will meet in a best-of-3 West Regional final. Two-time defending Class 2-A state champion Randleman was bounced in Friday night’s fourth round by Eden Morehead. Here’s a recap of how it has shaken out: Class 1-A The only…