Coach Rob Shore has more time left with the Uwharrie Charter Academy baseball team this season before turning his attention to a new summer league role with the High Point-Thomasville HiToms in the Coastal Plain League. (PJ Ward-Brown / Randolph Record)
ASHEBORO — Uwharrie Charter Academy baseball coach Rob Shore added another summer gig and that will have him in Randolph County for some games.
Shore has taken the job as head coach of the High Point-Thomasville HiToms of the Coastal Plain League, a collegiate summer circuit.
But first, he has the business of guiding UCA into the Class 1A state championship series for the third year in a row. The Eagles have won the past two.
“The owner (of the HiToms) is fully aware that this is where I’m committed first,” Shore said, referring to his position with UCA.
The Eagles are 67-27-1 in three seasons under Shore.
With the HiToms beginning games this week, the overlap is welcome because it means that UCA has made another deep playoff run. The Eagles take on Perquimans on Friday and Saturday in the state finals at Holly Springs.
For Shore, the HiToms will have to wait.
“We’ve got a good coaching staff with the HiToms,” Shore said.
Shore said getting back into summer ball is something he sought. He took a break from that last year, going to Alaska for a 25th wedding anniversary.
After meeting with the HiToms off-field staff in October, he said he knew it would be a good fit.
“It’s a familiar place for me,” Shore said. “It’s a blessing to be able to do it.”
Shore spent 14 years as manager of High Point Post 87’s American Legion team, which shares Finch Field with the HiToms. He said he had a good relationship with the CPL team during those years.
“Some of my greatest baseball memories,” Shore said. “During that time, I grew and learned so much as a coach. It molded me as a leader and shaped me as a professional.
“The opportunity Greg Suire gave me in 2008 to lead the Post 87 HiToms has led me to this new Coastal Plain League opportunity within the HiToms organization. He entrusted me then to help bring life to the Legion program and he’s asking me again to step up and bring a spark back to a storied organization. I’m completely ready to give it a go.”
Shore’s connections to the High Point area run deep. He was manager of the High Point Hushpuppies, a summer collegiate team in the Old North State League, in 2022 and 2023.
Shore said he likes the nine-inning format for the collegiate league, something that previously was used in American Legion until that was reduced to seven innings.
He expects a Triad presence on the HiToms roster. Former Randleman pitcher Drake Purvis and ex-Southwestern Randolph infielder Tyler Parks on are listed on the roster
“It’s a very, very competitive league,” Shore said.
The HiToms are a rival of the Asheboro ZooKeepers. High Point-Thomasville will visit the ZooKeepers on Friday along with June 23, July 5, July 23 and July 30, while the teams also will meet four times in Thomasville.
Shore also previously coached in high school at Trinity and Ledford as a head coach after a role as an assistant coaching at Southwest Guilford.
