Cedar Ridge Baseball

Jaden Hurdle: The former Orange High first baseman had a big weekend as Patrick Henry Community College swept Cleveland Community College in a doubleheader on Sunday. Collectively, Hurdle went 6-for-7 with two doubles, a home run and four RBIs as the Patriots swept the doubleheader 5-3 and 23-3 in Shelby. In the opening game, Hurdle went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, and a run scored after a home run. According to records from the National Junior College Athletic Association, it was Hurdle’s second home run this season. In the second game, Hurdle went 4-for-4 with two double. She scored twice with two RBIs. Hurdle closed the second game as pitcher. She threw two-and-two thirds innings. She surrendered three hits, one run and one walk with two strikeouts.

Mia Davidson: #5 Florida swept the Mississippi State softball team over the weekend at Nusz Park in Starkville, MS. In Friday’s 1-0 loss to the Gators, Davidson hit a double.

Montana Davidson: Montana started all three games against Florida at third base. The Bulldogs are 15-11 overall, 0-6 in the Southeastern Conference.

Tori Dalehite: Dalehite scored in the opening game of the UNC Greensboro softball team’s doubleheader against Elon on Friday. In the Spartans’ 11-3 win over the Phoenix, Dalehite replaced Kayleigh Willis as a pinch runner. Dalehite scored off a wild pitch in the 4th inning to increase the Spartans lead to 6-1. UNCG split the Friday doubleheader, but swept Elon in another doubleheader on Saturday. UNCG is 13-6.

Kaylen Campbell: A member of Orange’s 2016-17 Big 8 Women’s Basketball Conference Championship team, forward Kaylen Campbell was honored on Senior Night for the Division III Trinity College over the weekend. Campbell’s senior year was canceled because of the pandemic, but the Bantams played two exhibition games against Connecticut College on Saturday and Sunday. Campbell was named a Captain for this year’s team. Last year, Campbell played in 20 games for the Bantams and averaged 2.6 points and 2.1 rebounds. She is majoring in music at Trinity and is the co-founder of Trinity’s Athletes of Color Coalition. At Orange, Campbell was the Captain of a team that won a school-record 21 consecutive games to open the season, swept the Big 8 regular season and postseason tournaments and reached the third round of the 3A state playoffs.

Bryse Wilson: Wilson had a strong spring training start for the Atlanta Braves on Saturday. He allowed one run over 4 and two-thirds innings as the Braves defeated Boston 8-2. Wilson is 2-0 this spring. He surrendered five hits and three walks with three strikeouts. In the first at-bat of the game, Wilson had a comebacker go off his calf, but remained in the game until the fifth inning.

Landon Riley: The Liberty Flames closer didn’t get a save this weekend. He got his first win instead. On Saturday, Riley threw the ninth inning in Liberty’s 3-2 win over VCU. He entered with the game tied 2-2 and threw another shutout inning. He surrendered two walks and struck out one batter. The Flames got the win in the bottom of the ninth when Aaron Anderson hit a walkoff double to left field. Liberty has won eleven in a row, including a two-game sweep of UCF and two midweek wins over North Carolina.

Joey Berini: #9 East Carolina fell to UNC Wilmington 10-2 at Brooks Field in Wilmington last Wednesday. Joey Berini entered the game in the eighth inning as a pinch hitter and grounded out to third base. East Carolina rebounded to sweep a weekend series against Illinois State. Berini has played in three games this season for the Pirates.

Phil Berger: The former Cedar Ridge pitcher started the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader against Brevard College. Brevard swept the doubleheader, taking the nightcap 9-7. Berger earned a no-decision. He completed four innings and surrendered four hits, two runs and one walk. Berger struck out six. Through six games, Berger is 2-1 with a 2.14 ERA for the Pacers. He has ten walks and 16 strikeouts.

Dylan Boyer: The Lenoir-Rhyne men’s lacrosse team, ranked #5 in Division II, defeated # 12 Queen’s University 15-7 on Saturday night at Dickson Field in Charlotte. Former Orange High midfielder Dylan Boyer actually helped the Royals build a 3-1 lead. He scored two goals, including an unassisted marker in the first quarter. Boyer added a man-up goal in the fourth quarter. It was his first goals at the college level. Queen’s is 3-3 overall, 3-1 in the South Atlantic Conference.

Jaylin Jones: The Division III Pfeiffer men’s lacrosse team defeated William Peace 21-9 at WakeMed Soccer Park in Raleigh on Wednesday night. Jones scooped up a ground ball for the Falcons. On Sunday, Pfeiffer defeated Methodist 18-8 at Lefko Field in Misenheimer. Jones also played for the Falcons and had another ground ball.

Luke Hernandez: Hernandez, a member of Cedar Ridge’s 2017 Eastern Regional Championship team, entered the game as a defenseman for the Falcons in the victory over Peace. Hernandez has played in two games this season. Pfeiffer is 5-1, and sits atop the USA South Athletic Conference at 3-0.

Adam Chnupa: The Elon Phoenix football team fell to William & Mary 31-10 at Zable Stadium in Williamsburg, VA on Saturday. Chnupa, the former All-Conference selection in football at Cedar Ridge, got some snaps on offense for the Phoenix.

Phillip Berger: Berger, who won 21 games in his Cedar Ridge pitching career, captured the victory in relief as Division III William Peace defeated the University of Lynchburg 4-3 at the USA Baseball Complex in Cary on Saturday. Berger threw two-and-a-half innings of perfect baseball with three strikeouts. It was his first win of the season. It helped the Pacers sweep the doubleheader from the Hornets.

On February 21, Berger made his season debut against Roanoke College. Berger started and threw five innings in a no decision. He struck out three while conceding six hits, two runs and four walks. The Maroons defeated the Pacers 6-5. Peace is 5-1 and travels to Averett University on Tuesday.

Landon Riley: #10 TCU swept the Liberty Flames baseball team at Lupton Stadium in Fort Worth, TX over the weekend. On Sunday, Riley finished the game on the hill for the Flames. Riley threw one shutout inning with two strikeouts and one walk. Liberty, 2-5, returns home to host Radford in Lynchburg, VA on Tuesday.

Mia Davidson: The Mississippi State softball team competed in the Lone Star State Invitational across three different cities over the weekend. On Friday, the Bulldogs split a doubleheader against Texas State at Bobcat Stadium in San Marcos, TX. They dropped the opener to the Bobcats 4-3, but captured the nightcap 6-2. Mia Davidson, a 2016 Orange High graduate, combined to go 3-for-6 in the doubleheader. In the second game, she hit a three-run homer to left center in the 4th inning. In the opener, she singled for the first hit of the game and scored off a double from Fa Leilua. On Saturday at the University of Texas in Austin, TX, Mississippi State defeated Houston 3-0, but lost to Texas 8-7. Against the Longhorns, Davidson went 3-for-4 with a double and a home run, scoring twice. At that point in the Invitational, Davidson was 7-for-13. In the win over the Cougars, Davidson went 1-for-3 with a double.

On Sunday, Baylor defeated Mississippi State 10-6. Davidson hit her 57th career home run, extending her hitting streak to seven games. She recorded a hit in all of the Bulldogs’ games last week and hit .471 in the Invitational, including three home runs.

Montana Davidson: In her senior season, Montana Davidson leads Mississippi State with a .421 batting average through 12 games. Montana went 2-for-4 against Texas, her fifth multi-hit game of the year. She also went 2-for-4 against Baylor. Mississippi State is 8-4. They will start Southeastern Conference action against Alabama on Wednesday in Tuscaloosa.

Tori Dalehite: The 2018 Big 8 Conference Hitter of the Year at Cedar Ridge made her college debut for UNC Greensboro over the weekend. Dalehite entered the game as a pinch runner as the Spartans defeated North Carolina A&T 11-2 in the second game of a doubleheader. Dalehite scored off a home run hit by Jordan Gontram. UNCG swept the three games against the Aggies to improve to 4-4.

Grace Andrews: Another series, another home run for the 2020 Orange High graduate. On Thursday against the Montreat JV team, Catawba Valley Community College swept a doubleheader on scores of 3-0 and 6-2 at the Highland Park Community Center in Hickory. In the opener, Andrews went 1-for-3. In the nightcap, Andrews hit a solo homer in the 3rd inning, her second of the season. Andrews finished 2-for-2 with 3 RBIs. She added a double in the bottom of the fifth inning. Catawba Valley had doubleheaders scheduled against Camp Community College and Bryant & Stratton College in Virginia over the weekend, but they were all rained out.

Catawba Valley is 7-3. Andrews has played in all ten games. She’s the top hitter on the team with a .533 batting average and a team-high 16 hits. Andrews is tied for the team lead with ten runs scored. She also has nine RBIs.

Adam Chnupa: The #24 Elon football team fell to Gardner-Webb 42-20 at Spangler Stadium in Boiling Springs on Saturday. Chnupa played linebacker and recorded two tackles for the Phoenix, including one-half tackle for loss. Elon opens its Colonial Athletic Association schedule against James Madison next Saturday at Rhodes Stadium.

Dylan Boyer: The former Orange High men’s lacrosse star assisted on a goal as Queens University of Charlotte defeated Newberry 12-10 at Setzler Field in Newberry, S.C. on Saturday. Boyer assisted on the Royals’ final goal of the first half, scored by Tyler Ewen that put Queens ahead 6-3 with 4:00 remaining in the second quarter. Boyer also had two shots, one of which was on net. It was the first win of the year for Queen’s.

Josh Mauer: Mauer, who took the drive-thru graduated from Orange last June, is now a midfielder for the Division II Mount Olive men’s lacrosse team, which is ranked #9 in the country. On February 16, Mauer made his college debut for the Trojans in a 10-8 victory over Coker. Mauer had two ground balls against the Cobras. He also played in a 12-3 win over Catawba on February 16.

Jaylin Jones: Southern Virginia defeated the Division III Pfeiffer men’s lacrosse team 22-19 at Knight Stadium in Buena Vista, VA on Wednesday. Jalin Jones, a former Orange High star, scooper up two ground balls for the Falcons in the loss. Pfeiffer (1-1) travels to Ferrum on Sunday.

It’s the second edition of the Rodcast. Today, we’re joined by Cedar Ridge play-by-play man Tim Hackett and Cedar Ridge’s public address announcer Tim Hackett. This is a unique time in American history and for the sports landscape. On this edition, Jeff, Tim and Jon will discuss what this inactivity has felt like, the spring sports seniors that we feel bad for, and what we’ll remember from this season. Plus, overrated baseball films, Northwestern basketball and much more! Enjoy this edition of the Rodcast, presented by C&R Ski Outdoor in Hillsborough! We’ll be back on Friday with Bruce Mitchell, podcaster and writer for PWTorch.com to discuss pro wrestling, in particular the final edition of Nitro from March 2001!

Just a few weeks ago, sports as we know it was brought to a grinding halt. Who would have ever thought that an organism one billionth of our size would take out every single athlete from playing the sports they love and void every spectator of one of life’s most enjoyable escapes? 
But has anyone thought about the totality of this recent chain of events? 
Organized sports originated in 1869 with the advent of American Football while baseball came two years later. In 1875, ice hockey began it’s long standing run in Canada while a Canadian, Dr. James Naismith, would invent the American game of basketball in 1892. Pierre de Coubertin would help revive the Olympic Games in 1889, with the first Olympiad taking place in Athens in 1896.
But it wasn’t until the year 2020, when all of these fun events were suddenly stopped.
As I approach my 40th birthday, I began to recall events since 1900 that voided the world of athletic competitions. But, it’s only the recent events of COVID-19 that has shut down everything. International, national, collegiate, high school, recreation, and youth leagues have had forms of disruptions over time, but never in the history of sports have we ever seen a full shutdown of sporting events.
Here’s a look at some of the most notable disruptions.

1) WAR
Following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary in 1914, the world went into war. As a result, the 1916 Olympic Games in Berlin were canceled. Berlin would host the games 20 years later in 1936.
In 1940, following Nazi Germany’s invasion of Poland one year prior, the Olympic Games in Tokyo were forfeited as a result of Japan’s involvement in the Second Sino-Japanese War. The games were then awarded to Helsinki, Finland. But due to the “Winter War” between Finland and the Soviet Union compiled with the various conflicts of the European Theatre, the games were eventually canceled.
Likewise, the 1940 Winter Olympics were also canceled. Originally scheduled to be held in Sapporo, Japan, the Olympics were moved twice. The first to St. Moritz, Switzerland and then later to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. But as a result of the German invasion of Poland, the games were canceled. Sapporo would later host the 1972 Winter Games.
In 1944, London was set to host the Summer Olympic Games. They too faced cancellation as a result of World War II. London would later host the games in 1948. The Italian Alpine resort city of Cortina d’Ampezzo was slated to host the Winter games that same year, but these games were also canceled by WWII. Cortina would later host the Winter Olympics in 1956.
World War II also was responsible for the cancellation the 1942 and 1946 editions of the FIFA World Cup. 
Despite the international impact, professional leagues in the United States as well as collegiate sports and high school sports all continued.

2) 9/11
On that faithful Tuesday, America changed forever. In the immediate aftermath, major American sporting events were postponed or canceled. 
Major League Baseball postponed games up to one to three days following the tragedy. This would eventually delay the playoffs and cause the World Series between the New York Yankees and Arizona Diamondbacks to be played for the first time in November.
The National Football League postponed its’ Week Two games and made them up one week after the conclusion of the season. This obviously caused a delay of the playoffs and Super Bowl XXXVI.
NCAA College Football also postponed games. Games scheduled for September 13 & 15 were eventually played in early December, or canceled as a result of the inability to find opponents.
The 2001 Ryder Cup that was scheduled to be contested at The Belfry in England was postponed by a year. Other team based golf events (Presidents’ Cup & Solheim Cup) were also postponed and played a year later.
More closer to home, high school and local events faced minimal disruption. 
I was living in McDowell County at the time and saw a few events in volleyball and soccer postponed to later dates. Football, however was still on schedule as most football stadiums were large remembrance venues, with patriotism on full display. The local youth football league also did not face any postponements.
There were memorials worldwide, but there were no mass cancellations.

3) BLIZZARDS
While not events that affected events nationally or abroad, winter weather events can be something to behold in North Carolina.
In early March of 1993, I as a 13 year old lad was an outfielder for my middle school – playing in the balmy 78 degree heat. I remember coming home to a ring around my neck, and no, that wasn’t from dirt. It was the sunburn. My arms also got a nice coating of pink. (I don’t tan, I burn….even today). 
Two weeks later, the great portion of Western North Carolina (ranging from the Georgia/South Carolina/Tennessee border counties to the I-77 corridor) was under a massive blanket of snow ranging from 15 to 48 inches, with a three-inch layer of ice underneath. At my parents’ home in southern McDowell County, we had a solid 19 inches. 
On that Saturday, a normal 15-minute drive to Marion for supplies turned into a six-hour trek due to the horrible road conditions. To a good portion, electricity was the biggest concern in addition to trying to reign in our patience. Power was restored a week later, just in time for the beginnings of March Madness.
Given the time of the event, high school sports faced minimal disruption as it occurred during the week of the state basketball championships, which were postponed a week. High school baseball, softball, and track & field also faced minimal time off as their seasons had not began.
In 2000, the Triangle faced one of it’s biggest winter weather emergencies as 20 inches of snow fell in 24 hours. As what we faced in the mountains seven years prior, the same effect was prevalent in Central North Carolina. Given it’s time frame in late January, basketball games, wrestling matches, and swim meets all faced uncertain futures with postponements. 
But it did produce one of the best diversions – the basketball game between Maryland and North Carolina. This was the game that could not be attended by the “Wine and Cheese” faithful (the alumni members of The Rams Club members) but instead by the students. After a thrilling win by the Tar Heels that saw the students storm the Smith Center floor, it unleashed a immense amount of controversy. For years, students tried every way possible to get more closer to the action – much to the dismay of Rams Club members who didn’t want to give up their seats.
In both cases, the snow melted, roads cleared, and events resumed.

If you look at all three of these circumstances, certain sects of sports faced a form of disruption. But never in the history of sports have we ever seen a total disconnect with the cancellation of tournaments, postponement of season play, and even to postpone the largest sporting event in the world, the Olympic Games – all at one time.
While the future is grave and completely uncertain, we are living in times that we might not see again. But as a sports fan, I’m hopeful that breakthroughs can be made to return athletes to play and the fans to the stands.

What started out to be a promising spring sports season for athletes across the region ended suddenly on Thursday. The NCAA announced that national championships for all spring sports would be canceled because of the corona virus pandemic.

On Friday, the NCAA extended the eligibility of athletes on spring sports teams one year to make up for the season lost to the coronavirus. An athletics official at an East Coast school told The Associated Press that the NCAA Division I Council Coordination Committee sent an email notifying schools of the eligibility decision.

Most prominently, that will impact Brad Debo, the former Orange High catcher who was already underway with his senior season on the N.C. State baseball team.

Also, former Orange lacrosse player Bowen Collins will have another year of eligibility on the Lenoir-Rhyne men’s lacrosse team. The Bears had already defeated Limestone and Adelphi, ranked #1 and #3, respectively, in Division II, when the season was canceled.

Mia Davidson: Davidson ended the year with a bang as Mississippi State softball defeated Southern Miss 7-2 at USM Softball Complex in Hattisburg, MS on Wednesday. Mia went 4-for-4 with two home runs and four RBIs. Davidson came up for her final at-bat needing a triple for the cycle, but hit another home run instead. It was the 41st multi-homer game in Mississippi State history.

Against UT-Martin, Davidson hit a home run to become the 23rd player in Southeastern Conference history to hit 50 home runs. She’s one of nine active players in Division I to reach that mark.

In the final weekend of the season, Mississippi State won the Bulldog Slamboree in Starkville. On March 6, the Bulldogs defeated Bryant 5-1, then shut out Mississippi Valley State 6-0. On Saturday, Mississippi State swept another doubleheader, beating Southeast Missouri State 2-0 and Mississippi Valley State 20-3 in five innings. On Sunday, the Bulldogs edged Southeast Missouri State 2-0.

In the second game against MVSU, Mia reached base in all four plate appearances, scoring three times. She finished 2-for-2 with a double and a single.

Mia ends the 2020 season with a .330 batting average in 28 games. She hit seven home runs and 21 RBIs, and a team-high two triples.

Montana Davidson: Montana started at 3rd base in all five games in the Bulldog Slamboree. She went 1-for-2 in the opening win over Bryant. Montana ends her junior season with a .224 batting average. She started in 27 of the Bulldogs’ 28 games. Mississippi State was supposed to open its SEC slate against Kentucky this weekend.

Brad Debo: The N.C. State designated hitter played in nine games with four starts. He hit .263 with one double. N.C. State finished with a 14-3 overall record, 1-2 in the ACC.

Phillip Berger: Berger played in Division III William Peace University’s final game of the season, a 13-9 win over Dean College at the USA Baseball Complex in Cary. Berger threw two-thirds-of-an-inning, striking out one batter. On March 7, Berger started against Piedmont. He threw six-and-one-thirds-innings, and allowed five runs on eight hits. He took a no-decision as Peace won in the 9th inning 6-5 in Cary. Berger was named the USA South Athletic Conference Freshman of the Week after his victory over Mary Washington on February 23. In that victory, he threw seven shutout innings and allowed three hits. Berger appeared in seven games this season. He finished 1-1 with a 5.79 ERA with 20 strikeouts and four walks.

We’ll have a look at lacrosse, wrestling and basketball players coming up on Monday.

After a chaotic 48-hour span where breaking news about the coronavirus pandemic seemingly burst across Twitter feeds and smart phones every ten minutes, there are two things for certain in regards to local sports.

One is that after Friday night, there won’t be any games contested in Orange County until Monday, April 6, at the earliest.

The other is that this is the weirdest time to be involved in sports, at any level, in modern history.

Even after 9/11 in 2001, there were football games played across the Triangle only three days later.

The Corona virus pandemic, on the other hand, has led to Orange County Schools calling off class starting on March 16 all the way through April 6.

On Thursday afternoon, the North Carolina High School Athletic Association barred teams from holding organized workouts, practices or skill development for the next three weeks. At the end of the school day, Orange Baseball Coach Jason Knapp and Cedar Ridge Baseball Coach Bryson Massey delivered final instructions to their players on how to stay in shape during their off time for the next three weeks until the season starts again.

But will it resume? If it does, what will the schedule look like? Will there be only conference games? Or will the Hilltop Invitational, scheduled to return this Easter after a year off, be contested when the students return? Will there be a state playoff? If so, will it be a 64-team field? Will the NCHSAA just cancel the season outright, like the NCAA essentially did on Thursday?

Absolutely no one knows.

That’s why Knapp described Thursday’s meeting with his team as gut wrenching. No one wants to think this would be the end for Orange seniors Joey Berini, Tucker Miller, Cooper Hench, Ethan Guentensberger, Dayne Watkins and Nathan Horton.

Certainly the thought of Cedar Ridge seniors Fransisco Martinez, Grant Fox, Chris Pearce and Cameron Hartley ending their senior year prematurely isn’t any easier.

Yet as images appeared on Twitter timelines of college baseball and softball teams from around the country gathering to mourn the abrupt ends to their seasons Thursday, there were an air of finality in the meeting rooms that was unescapable.

Could this be the end?

No one knows.

“I feel like someone has kicked me in the gut and ripped my heart out,” Knapp tweeted after the team meeting.

Knapp acknowledged he wasn’t surprised when the NCHSAA suspended the spring season. He had been in a series of texting chains with other Big 8 Conference coaches and athletic officials about contingency plans since late Wednesday.

“We had a feeling after the NBA did what it did on Wednesday night that things were going to go this way,” Knapp said from his home Thursday. “We haven’t had any specific plans. What’s probably going to happen is the athletic directors are going to get together and see what they come up with as far as a conference schedule. That would be my guess.”

Cedar Ridge was supposed to face Northwood on Friday night in Hillsborough. It was postponed.

“It’s tough to meet with your team in a situation like that when they’ve worked really hard,” Massey said. “They’ve been all-in from day one. Now we don’t know when we’re going to get back on the field. I saw a lot of faces that were upset and unhappy. They asked why. But this is a teaching moment. You have to accept it.”

Orange was also slated to travel to the Wilson Tobs Classic against Wilson Hunt on March 21, which will be postponed. Knapp talked with the director of the Tobbs Classic, Mike Wilson, but didn’t come up with any concrete changes.

“He called me today and we kicked around a few ideas,” Knapp said. “I think we’re all in wait-and-see mode right now.”

The uncharted territory is hard enough for a veteran coach. Massey is in his first year at Cedar Ridge.

“It’s really different,” Massey said. “I talked to some coaching buddies today. It’s not what you expect in your first year of coaching. I guess you get thrown to the fire and your learn. It can’t get any worse. You figure it out and you get through it.”

As for the absence of practices, Knapp and Massey hope the players will show individual responsibility.

“I put that on the kids,” Knapp said. “Hopefully, if things go as scheduled, will get back after it after April 6. I told them they’re going to have to hit the ground running. My pitching coach, Matt Roberts, told them about pitching drills that they can do on their own. We have some great senior leadership and asked them to reach out to the team and make sure they’re doing their part.”

Something that Massey knows for sure is that just because there aren’t any games doesn’t mean he won’t stop being a baseball coach.

“I’ll still spend these three weeks taking care of my field,” Massey said. “Even if I don’t have practices, I can always do that. The field is always there for you regardless of what’s going on across the world.”

That will help pass the time, but now there is lots and lots of waiting.

And the waiting, indeed, will be the hardest part.

Every coach will remember his first win and Bryson Massey was no different.

Speaking two days after Cedar Ridge defeated the Burlington School 3-1 at Red Wolves Baseball Field in Hillsborough, Massey picked apart piece-by-piece the vital moments of his first coaching win.

In a year of younger players across the Big 8 Conference, Cedar Ridge sophomore Will Berger went four innings to earn the win as the Red Wolves defeated the Spartans 3-1.

Berger, who started at quarterback last season for the Cedar Ridge football team, is the younger brother of Phillip Berger, who graduated last June with a school-record 22 pitching wins. Phillip now pitches at William Peace University, where he was named the USA South Rookie Pitcher of the Week on February 24.

While Cedar Ridge senior Fransisco Martinez didn’t earn the save, he was one of the heroes of the night. In two out in the fifth inning, Martinez replaced Chris Pearce, who was forced to leave the game because of an injury. Martinez walked into the game with the bases loaded for Burlington, but got the final out to retain the 2-1 lead.

“Francisco took the ball in a big situation for us,” Massey said. “He stepped up as a senior in a close game. He showed his leadership in a big situation for us.”

Sophomore Cristian Macias earned the save with a shutout seventh inning.

After hitting 9th in the season opening loss to Carrboro, Grady Ray was inserted into the leadoff spot on Friday.

“He had some good at-bats against Carrboro in the nine spot,” Massey said. “I thought he had enough good cuts to earn that leadoff position. He looked comfortable in the box against Burlington and I was pleased with that.”

After Massey replaced Mitchell Frazier in September, almost all of the members from the 2018 squad were gone. Two years ago, Cedar Ridge finished 18-6, 11-3 in the Big 8 Conference and reached the second round of the state playoffs. Only Ray and Grant Fox remain from the Cedar Ridge team of 2018.

A new roster and a new coach has given Cedar Ridge baseball a fresh start. That’s despite a disappointing 11-2 loss to Carrboro to open the season on March 4.

“It’s been a breath of fresh air,” Massey said. “The guys are really eager to work. Against Carrboro, we didn’t perform like we wanted to. All the guys knew it. I challenged them on Wednesday at practice and it was probably the best practice we’ve had. We worked hard on the mistakes that cost us. They came out on Friday night and played well as a whole.”

Ray, starting in centerfield, made several big catches on a night of swirling winds and blustery cold.

“He made some big time plays,” Massey said. “Since February, we’ve had some guys grow up a lot. They’ve taken some roles they haven’t been in before. They’re stepping up and earning the spot to play in.”

Ray, Aidan McCallister, B.J. Thornton all started their first varsity games last week.

Cedar Ridge will travel to Northwood on Tuesday night for its Big 8 Conference opener. You can hear the game on Hillsboroughsports.com starting at 7.

Brandon Homsey: As a sophomore, Homsey has qualified for the NCAA Division III Wrestling Tournament. Competing for Ferrum College, Homsey finished third in the NCAA Southeast Regional at Messiah College in Mechanicsburg, PA over the weekend. On Friday, Homsey lost his opening match to Washington & Jefferson’s Alex Donahue 3-1 in overtime. That left Homsey needing to win four matches to qualify for the national championships. He started Saturday by pinning Waynesboro University’s Adam Rigney. Homsey earned a 3-0 decision over Jack Bauer of Wilkes University, then rolled past Michael Reinhart of York University 7-1. Homsey received a medical forfeit against McDaniel College’s Anthony Wuest, then won a rematch over Donahue with a 10-0 decision in the third-place match. Homsey is 33-10 with four pins this season.

Landon Riley: The Liberty baseball team combined for its first no-hitter in 20 years when they defeated Marist 6-4 at Worthington Field on Saturday afternoon. Three pitchers participated in the no-no and Riley earned his first victory of the season in relief as the Flames won its fifth straight game. In two innings, Riley faced six batters and struck out three of them. Marist scored four runs on eight walks, three hit batters and an error, but no hits. On Friday, Riley earned his third save as the Flames defeated the Red Foxes 4-3. Riley retired four batters, striking out two and walked one. Liberty has won six in a row. They’re scheduled to host Elon on Tuesday in Lynchburg, VA.

Brad Debo: The #8 N.C. State baseball team swept all three games in the CambriaCollegeClassic at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis over the weekend. On Saturday, the Wolfpack defeated Purdue 6-0. Debo went 1-for-2 with a run scored. It was his only action of the weekend. N.C. State is 11-0.

Phillip Berger: Berger suffered his first loss at William Peace University against Greensboro College on Saturday. The Pride defeated the Pacers 11-8 at Ted Leonard Park in Greensboro. Berger threw two-and-two-thirds innings. He surrendered eight runs on six hits. He walked three and struck out three. Peace falls to 9-3, 1-2 in the USA South Athletic Conference after dropping two of three against the Pride.

Montana Davidson: The Mississippi State softball team won the Alex Wilson Memorial Tournament over the weekend, finishing 5-0 against UAB, Alcorn State, and UT Martin. On Sunday, the Bulldogs swept a doubleheader, beating Alcorn State 9-1 and UT Martin 6-1. Montana went 3-for-5 on the day, including going 2-for-3 against the Skyhawks. It was her second multi-hit game of the year. She tied her career high with four assists against the Braves. She went 1-for-3 with a run scored against UAB in a 16=6 win over the Blazers on Friday.

Mia Davidson: Mia made her first start of the season at third base during Mississippi State’s win over Alcorn State on Saturday. She eventually moved across the diamond to first base for the first time in her college career. Mia went 1-for-4 in Saturday’s game against the Braves, which extended her hitting streak to eight, the longest by any Bulldog this season. The streak was snapped the following day in Sunday’s win over the Braves when Mia went 0-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI. On Friday, Mia went 1-for-4 with a double in the win over UAB. Mississippi State is 18-3 . They will host UT Martin on Monday afternoon.

Lauren Cates: The Wake Tech Community College women’s basketball team surprised Louisburg College 87-73 in its regular season finale on Saturday at the Taylor Center in Louisburg. Lauren Cates, a freshman for the Eagles, returned to the starting lineup and scored 16 points off 5-of-9 shooting from the field. Cates was 4-of-6 from three-point range. She also had eight rebounds and three assists as Wake Tech avenged a 14-point loss from January. Wake Tech completed the regular season 18-7. They will travel to the Region 10 Tournament in Martinsville, VA, where they will open against USC Salkehatchie on Thursday night at 6 PM.

Landon Riley: The Liberty Flames baseball team has won three of its last four games. Former Orange Panthers pitcher Landon Riley had saves in two of them. Last Wednesday, the Flames defeated Radford 4-2 for its first victory of the season at Worthington Field in Lynchburg, VA. Riley had a four-out save, striking out three. He faced five batters. Over the weekend, the Flames took the final two games of its series against Seton Hall. On Saturday, Riley picked up his second save of the season. He threw two-and-two-thirds innings. Riley struck out two, yielded two hits and one earned run. He also appeared in Liberty’s game against Clemson on February 16, a 6-2 Tiger win. In one-and-one-thirds inning, Riley faced six batters. He struck out one and surrendered two hits and one earned run. The Flames are 3-4 and will host Longwood on Tuesday before preparing for a weekend series against Marist.

Brad Debo: The #12 N.C. State baseball team remains undefeated after sweeping Tennessee Tech at Doak Field in Raleigh over the weekend. Debo started as designated hitter in the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader, a 10-3 Wolfpack win. He went 1-for-4 with a run scored in the sixth inning. On Sunday, Debo started again and went 0-for-2. N.C. State is 7-0 and will face UNC Wilmington on Tuesday in Raleigh.

Phillip Berger: In his first start for the Division III William Peace Pacers, Berger threw a three-hit shutout (seven innings) as Peace defeated Mary Washington 7-0 at the USA Baseball Complex in Cary on Sunday. Berger struck out five and walked only one. Berger, who graduated from Cedar Ridge in June with 21 career wins, made his first appearance with the Pacers in a 9-1 victory over Brevard on February 8. He struck out the only batter he faced in the first game of a doubleheader. Later that afternoon, Berger threw one-and-two-thirds innings in the second game of the doubleheader, striking out four over one-and-two-thirds innings. He yielded two hits and one run. Berger came out of the bullpen for long relief in a 17-inning marathon against Hampden-Sydney. Peace scored two in the top of the 17th to win 5-3 at Ty Cobb Ballpark in Hampton-Sydney, VA. Berger threw four-and-two-thirds innings, striking out four. He gave up only three hits, one run with no walks. Peace is 8-1.

Montana Davidson: Montana hit her first home run of the season for Mississippi State in its 10-4 victory over San Diego State on Saturday night. Montana went 2-for-5 in a doubleheader that started with a 6-2 loss to BYU in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic at Palm Springs, CA. Against the Cougars, Davidson singled in her first at-bat and made a diving catch along the third base line. Montana is hitting .231.

Mia Davidson: Mia hit .294 with a triple and two RBIs over five games in the Mary Nutter Classic. Davidson went 2-for-3 with an RBI in a 6-3 victory over UC Riverside. She went 1-for-3 with an RBI single in the 10-4 win against San Diego State. Mississippi State is 12-3 overall and will host Central Arkansas on Wednesday.

Icez Barnett: As her freshman year winds down, Barnett continues to start for the Division II Chowan women’s basketball team. On top of that, Chowan has won consecutive games for the first time since the start of 2020. On Wednesday, Chowan defeated Southern Wesleyan 69-58 at Tysinger Gym in Central, S.C. Barnett, who started at forward, scored four points and grabbed six rebounds in 12 minutes. She also had two blocks and one steal. On Saturday, Chowan won a thriller over Lees-McRae 71-68 in overtime in Murfreesboro at the Helms Center. Barnett scored three points, grabbed two rebounds, dished out two assists and made two steals in 16 minutes. Chowan is fighting for a spot in the Conference Carolinas Tournament. The Hawks will commemorate senior night against Limestone on Tuesday night. If Chowan wins, they will clinch eighth place and a trip to the conference tournament. The Hawks are 6-19, 6-15 in Conference Carolinas.

Lauren Cates: The Wake Tech Community College women’s basketball team lost to Catawba Valley Community College 62-52 at Tarlton Complex in Hickory on Thursday. Cates started but shot 0-2 from the field. She had three rebounds and five assists. Wake Tech will have its final home game on Monday night (February 24) against South Carolina Faith A&M. The Eagles are 16-7 overall, 9-6 in Region X of the National Junior College Athletic Association.