The 2013-2016 years of Orange baseball could be labeled the Wilson/Debo era.
The period that followed that have been the Berini/Cooper era.
Joey Berini and Cooper Porter each started their varsity careers on March 1, 2017 in a 6-0 win over Riverside in Hillsborough. Berini started at shortstop, Porter entered as a courtesy runner. Ironically, Porter started at shortstop in the next game at Jordan, the only time in his career that Berini didn’t start. Since then, Berini has been Orange’s starting shortstop for 69 consecutive games.
After beginning their high school careers together, Berini and Cooper took the next step in their respective baseball journey on Friday afternoon at Orange High Gymnasium.
Now, they have to prepare for the very likely possibility they’ll be opposing each other in college.
Porter, who committed to N.C. State shortly after his freshman season, formally signed with the Wolfpack.
“I just felt like State was the best option,” Porter said. “It’s in the ACC. It’s close to home. It felt more like home to me when I went on my visit.”
Berini signed with East Carolina, where he committed last spring. He was courted by UNC, UNC Asheville, Western Carolina, UNC Greensboro and North Carolina Central, among others.
“I’ve always wanted to (play college baseball),” Berini said. “I guess I knew when I started getting some (college recruiting) looks that I could play in college. It’s always been my dream to play in college and I’ve worked towards that.”
Berini was named the Big 8 Conference Player of the Year in 2018. He led the Panthers in five offensive categories with a .541 batting average, 35 runs scored, 33 hits, 12 doubles and four triples. He was third on the team with 26 RBIs.
As Berini prepares for his senior year, his younger brother is set to take over his long-held spot in the Orange infield. Jackson Berini is a shortstop at Stanford Middle School. Jackson hit leadoff with the Chargers last season, where they captured the Orange-Person Athletic Conference Northern Division championship.
N.C. State coach Elliott Avent wasted no time with a scholarship offer after Porter’s freshman year, when he played four different positions, including four appearances on the mound. Wolfpack coaches maintained contact with Porter while he played on the Showcase summer circuit with Canes Central.
“They reached out immediately to me,” Porter said. “They came to all my tournaments and stayed in contact with me more than the other coaches did.”
Berini and Cooper started as freshmen just as the program was in the midst of change. At the time, they had no idea the biggest transformation was yet to come.
After leading Orange to four consecutive Big 8 Conference championships, Bryse Wilson and Brad Debo had just graduated in 2016. Wilson was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the fourth round of the Major League Baseball Draft days after he turned his tassel at the Smith Center. Debo was en route to N.C. State.
Berini and Porter learned on the job in their freshmen year as Orange started 9-11. They reached the postseason and had a remarkable run, beating South Johnston in Four Oaks 4-2. The following Friday, the Panthers pulled a 2-1 upset over Southern Lee in Sanford, despite being held to four hits and six baserunners. Porter had the game-winning hit with an RBI single to score Dalton Brown in the 2nd inning.
The following Tuesday in Shallotte, Orange was two outs away from another upset against West Brunswick, leading 1-0 in the seventh inning. Berini scored Orange’s only run off a groundout by Caige Clayton. In the 7th, West Brunswick’s Garrison Gause launched a solo homer to centerfield just beyond the extended glove of Jayden Poteat to tie the game, only the second home run hit in the Trojan’s spacious ballpark the entire year. It was something that was more than poetic.
Gause’s father died the week before from cancer. The Trojans won 2-1 in eight innings.
In their sophomore season, Orange defeated Jacksonville 6-2 in the state playoffs. Porter had an RBI double to score Poteat in the opening inning as Orange roared out to a 6-0 lead. It was Orange’s seven consecutive year with a postseason win, tying Southeast Guilford for the longest streak in 3A baseball.
It was also be Dean Dease’s final one.
The following month, Dease retired after winning 504 games in 34 years.
Berini and Porter helped new Coach Jason Knapp usher in another Panther era in 2019, where they finished second in the Big 8.
Berini and Porter weren’t the only members of Orange’s 2019 squad to sign with a college team this week. On Wednesday, former Cedar Ridge and Orange infielder Dante DeFranco signed with Charlotte. DeFranco’s commitment to the 49ers was reported on Hillsboroughsports.com last month.