summer college baseball - Randolph Record

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…

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…

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…

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…

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.

24 Nov

Forest City to be site for CPL All-Star Game

Randolph RecordSportsAmateur baseball, Asheboro Zookeepers, Coastal Plain League, Forest City, summer college baseball

HOLLY SPRINGS – The 2024 Coastal Plain League All-Star Game will be held in Forest City. The Forest City Owls, a rival of the Asheboro ZooKeepers, will be the host team for two days of activities July 7-8 at McNair Field. “Forest City’s vibrant baseball culture and outstanding facilities make it a superb choice for our league’s premier event,” CPL commissioner Chip Allen said in a statement. “We are confident the Forest City Owls and the local community will work together to create an unforgettable experience that will leave a lasting impression on both players and fans.” About 56 players…

14 Aug

Area Sports Briefs: Kidd, teammate place 12th in CGA event; Fall sports begin at high schools

Bob SuttonSportsAmateur golf, nchsaa, prep sports, Steve Kidd, summer college baseball

Kidd, partner play well in senior four-ball PINEHURST – Steve Kidd of Liberty and Linley Tate of Greensboro combined to tie for 12th place in the North Carolina Senior Four-Ball Championship last week at Pinewild Country Club. The winning team was Gastonia’s Larry Cloninger and Belmont’s Mark Hodges at 17-under-par 199. The Kidd/Tate combo checked in at 9-under. Brian Skeen of Trinity and Craig Stroup of Thomasville tied for 21st place at 5-under. There were 79 teams entered in the Carolinas Golf Association event. ** Asheboro’s Sam Davidson didn’t make it to the round of 16 in the North Carolina…

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…