As quickly as winter sports ended in Hillsborough last week, the spring sports season begins Wednesday with games involving six different teams from Cedar Ridge and Orange.
If there’s no rain.
Unfortunately, after a picturesque 62-degree sunny day on Tuesday, there’s a chance of rain for Wednesday and Thursday. The good news forecasts call for a sunny, if cold, weekend.
* The Cedar Ridge Boys Lacrosse team, fresh off winning the 3A/2A/1A Eastern Regional Championship last May, will debut at Apex Friendship. The Red Wolves will have to replace their top two scorers from last season in Jack Widman and Sean Tobin. Widman, who had been a member of the varsity team since his sophomore season, scored 59 goals and 33 assists in his senior season. Tobin finished 2017 with 45 goals and 18 assists. The Red Wolves will also have to find a way to replace Carter Danku (21 goals), defenseman Cole Bullard (20 goals) and Kelsey Acome (12 goals). On the bright side, Cedar Ridge returns Nick Bachelder, who is a three-year performer that scored 20 goals and 13 assists last season.
* The Orange Baseball team will face Voyager Academy at 5 o’clock on Wednesday afternoon at Panther Field. After losing pitcher Bryce Wilson (who was an South Atlantic League All-Star in 2016) and catcher Brad Debo (now a sophomore starter with N.C. State), the Panthers went 14-13 last season and became among the most unlikely playoff success stories under veteran head coach Dean Dease. Following a 12-12 regular season, Orange upset South Johnston 4-2 in Four Oaks, then edged Southern Lee 2-1 in the 2nd round of the state playoffs. The Panthers nearly made the state quarterfinals, going into the seventh inning leading West Brunswick 1-0 before the Trojans’ Garrison Gause hit a solo home run to tie the game. It was only the 2nd home run of the season for WBHS, who eventually won the game in eight innings. The Panthers lost top starter Derek Lindaman, but return several players who signed with local schools during the summer. Sophomore Cooper Porter inked a scholarship agreement with N.C. State. Third baseman Caige Clayton committed to Barton College in Wilson. Second baseman Jason Slaughter agreed to attend Belmont Abbey. The promising part of the postseason for Orange was the pitching of underclassmen like Will White, who ended the season with a complete game playoff win over Southern Lee. The Panthers also have Jaydin Poteat returning, who has been the leadoff hitter and centerfielder the past two seasons. Poteat lead the team in batting average, hits, runs, and at-bats last season. Shortstop Joey Berini, who started as a freshman, returns at shortstop after hitting .274 in 2017.
HillsboroughSports.com will broadcast Orange’s season opener against Voyager Academy live on Wednesday afternoon.
* The Cedar Ridge softball team hosts powerful Eastern Alamance on Wednesday at 6 PM. Taylor Barnes returns as the starting pitcher for the Red Wolves. Junior Kara Wagoner hit .419 last season and led the team with 18 hits. Also returning is junior Taylor Raul, who hit .341 with two home runs and 7 RBIs. Another junior, Tionna Carter, played third base last season. In 2017, Carter hit .400 with 12 RBIs and two home runs.