Cedar Ridge Baseball

Photo by HailState.com

Mia Davidson: The Mississippi State softball team won the Bulldog Kickoff Classic at Nusz Park in Starkville, MS last weekend. Davidson hit three home runs over five games during the weekend, which ended with a 4-0 victory over Tennessee State on Sunday. Tulsa handed Mississippi State its first loss of the season on Friday. In a 2-1 loss, Davidson scored the Bulldogs only run with a homer to centerfield in the 5h inning. Later that night, Mississippi State defeated North Alabama 6-0. On Saturday, Mississippi State shutout Tennessee State 3-0, then rolled past North Alabama 9-1. Against the Lions, Davidson went 3-for-4 with two home runs. She finished with four RBIs and scored three times. It was the fifth time in her career that Davidson had a multiple home run game. The previous time was against Memphis on April 10, 2019. Davidson had a four RBI game for the sixth time in her career. Davidson has had a hit in seven of Mississippi State’s ten games this year. At 9-1, new Mississippi State head coach Samantha Ricketts is off to the best 10-game start of any coach in school history. Through ten games, Mia is hitting .290 with four home runs and six RBIs. She is 2nd on the team with 23 total bases.

Montana Davidson: In Mississippi State’s loss to Tulsa, Montana went 2-for-3 with two singles. The following day in a 6-0 win over North Alabama, Davidson scored a run in the sixth inning off a single by Christian Quinn. Montana, who played shortstop at Orange, has started all ten games this season for the Bulldogs. She is hitting .231 with two RBIs. Mississippi State starts play Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Palm Spring, CA on Thursday. They open with Oregon State on Thursday. The Bulldogs also play BYU, Oregon, UC Riverside and San Diego State during the three-day event.

Brad Debo: The N.C. State baseball team started its season with a sweep of James Madison last weekend. Debo, who is now a senior, went 1-for-3 as a designated hitter in the Wolfpack’s 4-0 win over the Dukes. Overall, Debo went 2-for-9 for the weekend. N.C. State is 4-0 after Tuesday’s win over Longwood.

Bowen Collins: The Lenoir-Rhyne men’s lacrosse team, ranked #17 in the country, defeated Westminster 17-8 Moretz Stadium in Hickory on Friday. Collins, a senior from Hillsborough, scored a man-advantage goal for the Bears in the 2nd quarter, his fourth of the year. Lenoir-Rhyne will face #6 Belmont Abbey in Hickory on Friday night.

Zach Wright: The Division II Mars Hill men’s lacrosse team defeated Lees-McRae 20-13 at Meares Stadium on February 11. Wright had two shots and scooped up two ground balls for the Lions. On February 15, Lindenwood defeated Mars Hill 23-6. Wright assisted on a goal scored by Devin Napol in the fourth quarter. Mars Hill is 1-2.

Jonathan Hall: Now in his senior year as a runner at Wofford, Hall competed in the VMI Indoor Classic in Lexington, VA last weekend. He reached the semifinals of the 60 meter hurdles and finished 8th with a time of 8.74 seconds. In the Carolina Challenge at the South Carolina Indoor Track & Field Complex on January 31, Hall finished 21st in the 60 meter hurdles. In 2018-19, Hall made the Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll.

Icez Barnett: Erskine defeated the Division II Chowan women’s basketball team 60-57 on Saturday in Due West, S.C. Barnett didn’t play. Last Tuesday, #21 Belmont-Abbey defeated Chowan 95-84. Barnett scored two points in three minutes. The Hawks are 4-16, 4-12 in Conference Carolinas.

Lauren Cates: The Wake Tech women’s basketball team edged Bryant & Stratton College 62-59 on Saturday at Maury High School in Norfolk, VA. Cates, who graduated from Orange in 2019, finished with four points, one rebound, two assists and two steals. She shot 1-of-5 from the field. On Wednesday, Louisburg College defeated Wake Tech 80-66 in a game where the two teams combined for seven technical fouls. Cates finished with six points. Wake Tech is 15-5 overall, 8-4 in Region X of the National Junior College Athletic Association.

Jamar Davis: The N.C. State indoor track & field team competed at the Texas Tech Invitational in Lubbock, TX over the weekend. Davis finished 11th in the triple jump with a leap of 15.38 meters.

Braden Homsey: Over the weekend, the Division III Ferrum Panthers wrestling team finished 16th at the Pete Wilson Invitational at Wheaton University in Wheaton, IL. Homsey came in 7th at 197 pounds, one of three Panthers to place individually. Homsey finished 5-2 with two pins in the tournament. This season, Homsey is 24-9 with two pins.

Next weekend will start the spring sports season for many college across the state. Hillsborough will be represented in baseball, softball and men’s lacrosse. Here are some of the local athletes that will return to action at colleges across the southeast.

Mia Davidson: The Mississippi State catcher was named a Preseason All-American by Softball America. Davidson, who led Orange to the 2017 3A State Championship, is 10th among active players with 45 home runs in her first two years in Starkville. She led Mississippi State in batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, hits, runs, RBIs and total bases in 2019. Davidson was a top-10 finalist for USA Softball’s Collegiate Player of the Year in 2019.

Montana Davidson: Montana will join Mia Davidson for a Mississippi State team that hired Samantha Ricketts as its new head coach in the offseason. After Montana received a medical redshirt during her sophomore season due to a knee injury, she started all 58 games for the Bulldogs in 2019. As a redshirt sophomore, she hit .269 with seven doubles and 21 RBIs. Mississippi State will play Missouri State to start its season on Friday during a weekend series in Clearwater, FL. That series will also include N.C. State, Louisville, and Liberty.

Amy Stutzer: Stutzer, a 2019 Cedar Ridge graduate, will start her softball career at Division III Salem College in Virginia against Southern Virginia on February 14.

Brad Debo: This upcoming season will be the senior campaign for Debo, who was the catcher for four consecutive Big 8 Conference championship teams for the Orange Panthers. Last season for N.C. State, Debo appeared in 59 of the Wolfpack’s 61 games. He hit .242 with 47 hits, 16 doubles, one triple, four homers and 39 RBIs. The Wolfpack will start its season against James Madison on February 14.

Brandon Andrews: Andrews will start his junior season with the Nicholls Colonels against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville in Thibodaux, LA on February 14. Andrews appeared in 24 games as a pitcher last season for the Colonels. He was 1-2 with a 3.24 ERA and two saves.

Jaylin Jones: The Division II Pfeiffer men’s lacrosse team has become Hillsborough south. There are three former Orange and Cedar Ridge players who will suit up for the Falcons this year. Jones will start his junior season in Misenheimer. In his sophomore season, Jones made six starts and played in 16 games. He scored two goals and added three assists for the Falcons.

Zach Berry: The former Cedar Ridge goalkeeper transferred from the Virginia Military Institute to Pfeiffer last season. In his only year at VMI, Berry was between the pipes for five games. He gave up seven goals in 55 minutes and made six saves.

Luke Hernandez: Also now at Pfeiffer. Hernandez played in one game for the Falcons last season. Pfeiffer faces Emmanuel in Franklin Springs, GA on Saturday.

Bowen Collins: A former star at Orange, Collins is now at redshirt senior at Division Lenoir-Rhyne. Last season, Collins played in 15 games for the Bears. He scored seven points with ten shots on goal.

Zach Wright: Now a senior at Division II Mars Hill, Wright had nine goals in 15 games last season. Mars Hill hosts Montevallo on Saturday.

Aidan Poole: A former defenseman at Cedar Ridge, Poole is now at Division III Greensboro College. Greensboro opens its season on February 15 against Virginia Wesleyan at Pride Field in Greensboro.

Yet another Hillsborough baseball product is set to take his talent to the college level.

Last week, former Orange and Cedar Ridge shortstop/2nd baseman Dante DeFranco committed to Charlotte. The 49ers were the only school to offer DeFranco a scholarship. UNC Asheville, UNC Greensboro, and Old Dominion also recruited DeFranco.

“I’ve been wanting to go to Charlotte for about two years now,” DeFranco said. “The coaching staff is great. The atmosphere is great. The campus is beautiful and it’s not too far from home. It’s Division I baseball.”

DeFranco joins former teammates Cooper Porter, Joey Berini, and Phillip Berger as players who have committed to playing in college. Porter, a senior left fielder, committed to N.C. State after his freshman year. Berini agreed to attend East Carolina in June. Berger, the winningest pitcher in Cedar Ridge history, started classes at William Peace University in Raleigh last August.

DeFranco spent his first three years at Cedar Ridge, where he played shortstop for two teams that won state playoff games. He shared the middle infield with his younger brother, Jake. As a sophomore in 2017, DeFranco helped Cedar Ridge to a 17-7 record, including a 4-1 win over Nash Central in the opening round of the 3A State Playoffs. It was Cedar Ridge’s first postseason win in eleven years.

DeFranco led the Red Wolves with 30 hits. He hit .375 with 17 RBIs.

In his junior season, DeFranco hit .348 with 19 runs, 24 hits and 20 RBIs. The DeFrancos, Berger Adam Chnupa, Sailor Ramos and Matthew Kahn helped the Red Wolves to an 18-6 season, its best record of the decade. Cedar Ridge defeated Southern Alamance in the 3A State Playoffs before falling to Terry Sanford in Fayetteville.

In his senior season, Cedar Ridge didn’t field a varsity football team. DeFranco, who started for Scott Loosemore’s final Cedar Ridge football team as a junior, and four other Red Wolves received permission from the Orange County School Board to transfer to Orange to continue their gridiron careers. DeFranco started at wide receiver and was third on the team with 20 receptions for 200 yards.

Last spring, DeFranco started at 2nd base for Orange. He kicked off his senior year by lining the very first pitch of the season off the left field wall for a stand-up double against Ragsdale in Jamestown in an 18-0 win. DeFranco alternated between the top two batting slots for first-year head coach Jason Knapp. He was 2nd on the team with a .425 batting average. He also had 31 hits (tied for 2nd on the team) and a team-high 29 RBIs. DeFranco also tied for the team lead with three home runs.

In Charlotte, DeFranco will play under Robert Woodard, who was named the new 49ers head coach in June. Woodard has been the pitching coach at UNC the past three years.

“The whole coaching staff is awesome,” DeFranco said. “The hitting coach is Bo Robinson and he’s been in Charlotte for awhile now. When I was a sophomore and junior, I used to go to a bunch of camps at Charlotte. He was one of the coaches I talked to the most.”

While he spends the next year in the Triangle, DeFranco is staying in shape for baseball by playing for the Pro5 Baseball Academy out of Raleigh. This month, the Pro5 team has trips scheduled for Barton College in Wilson, Lenior Community College, South Carolina-Lancaster, Brunswick Community College and even a journey to Puerto Rico for Halloween.

DeFranco is currently taking courses at Wake Technical Community College. He plans to enroll in Charlotte next August.

The list of former Hillsborough products who are currently playing college baseball include Brad Debo (N.C. State), Landon Riley (Liberty), DeFranco’s former teammate Brandon Andrews (Nicholls), Will White (Greensboro College), Jason Slaughter (Belmont Abbey), Caige Clayton (Brevard College).

Five days after his tenure at Cedar Ridge High School ended after one season, the names just roll off of Mitchell Frazier’s tongue.

There’s Phillip Berger, who became the first pitcher in school history to win 20 career games last spring. Jackson Strowd, who scored the game-winning run in a 3-2 win at Chapel Hill on March 19. And also Cooper Lamb, who scored twice in Cedar Ridge’s 10-0 win over Oxford Preparatory.

That will always be Frazier’s first win as a varsity head coach, a profession that’s in his blood and runs through his family.

It’s also why he’s leaving Hillsborough.

Frazier formally resigned as Cedar Ridge baseball coach last Thursday. He will become the new coach at Eastern Randolph.

For the second straight August, Cedar Ridge Athletic Director Andy Simmons will be searching for a new baseball coach. In 2018, Jamie Athas left to become the head baseball coach at Burlington Williams.

Midway through Cedar Ridge’s 8-12 season, Frazier learned that he would become a father. Frazier, who accepted the job at Cedar Ridge at the beginning of the 2018-19 academic year, made daily drives (one hour each way) from Davidson County while his wife continue to teach and coach women’s basketball at North Davidson High School.

Now, Frazier’s drive will be cut in half, unless he gets behind the occasional tractor-trailer.

“It was a family decision,” said Frazier from his home on Tuesday night. “The driving was never an issue. I just felt that it would be best to get on a schedule that’s similar to what my wife is on. That way, I can support her in the way that she needs support. It was a very difficult decision.”

Frazier arrived at Cedar Ridge after serving as an assistant at Southwest Guilford. An assistant principal at Cedar Ridge, Kevin Bowman, went to Guilford College with Jeff Joyce, who also coached at SGHS.

“The community at Cedar Ridge was close knit with its baseball,” Frazier said. “It was a pleasure to be around. They gave me my first opportunity to be a head coach and I’ll forever be grateful for that. You’re around a lot of great people at Cedar Ridge. That’s the whole school, not just baseball.”

During an up-and-down season, Frazier’s most memorable moment came in his final game. On Berger’s senior night, he threw a complete game to beat Northern Durham 4-3 for his 22nd, and final, career victory.

“Holy cow,” Frazier says when recalling that memory. “That’s a night I’ll never forget, for sure. Everybody on that team really rallied around those seniors. It was a really special night all the way around. It was a well-played game.”

Like many people of his generation raised in the south, Frazier is a diehard Atlanta Braves fan. After learning that his wife will give birth to a son in January, there’s already a pool open at Eastern Randolph as to which former Atlanta player Frazier will name his son after (Maddux is the current betting line favorite).

But coaching will always be part of the Frazier family. Even though his wife is due in November, she’s still planning to coach basketball starting in November. Her husband will get adjusted to his 2nd varsity team in Ramseur.

“At the end of the day, family comes first,” Frazier said. “This was one of those family decisions that we needed to make. I’ll definitely remember the community support I had at Cedar Ridge.”

Bryse Wilson: For the fourth time since July 21, Wilson earned a quality start for the Gwinnett Stripers of the AAA International League. On Friday, Wilson threw seven scoreless innings in Gwinnett’s 10-2 over the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders in Moosic, PA. It was his fourth straight win since being sent down by the Atlanta Braves on July 21. Against the RailRiders, Wilson conceded four hits and struck out nine. In his last four starts, Wilson is 4-0 with a league-best 0.33 ERA. In that span, opponents have hit .191 against Wilson. He has surrendered two runs (one earned) in the last 27 innings with six walks and 25 strikeouts. Wilson has helped Gwinnett take a two-and-a-half game lead over Durham for first place in the International League. He now has a 8-7 record in Gwinnett with a 3.58 ERA.

Training camp has started for college football teams across the country. Many former Orange High and Cedar Ridge High football players will be on the gridiron this season. In one notable case, it will be a notable return for a former Orange High All-State linebacker who hasn’t played a game in nearly two years.

Payton Wilson: A redshirt freshman for N.C. State, Wilson last played on October 27, 2017 against Cedar Ridge. He tore the ACL in his right knee on the opening kickoff, ending his high school career. After enrolling in Raleigh in January 2018, he tore the ACL in his same knee once again last summer. Now, Wilson is prepared to make an impact when N.C. State hosts East Carolina on August 31 at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh.

Coach Dave Doeren was asked about Wilson during ACC Kickoff in Charlotte last month.

“He’s chomping at the bit,” Doeren said. “I’m going to tell you, Payton is an incredible competitor. He was a great wrestler, incredible player in high school. He hasn’t been able to play in a long time. He’s healthy. He’s fully cleared. Probably more excited to play in training camp than anybody on our football team.”

Trent Gill: A redshirt sophomore at N.C. State, Gill will look to see more action in Raleigh this season. Gill, who graduated from Cedar Ridge in 2017, has yet to play for the Wolfpack. He was an All-Big 8 Conference performer in football, and also played soccer and tennis.

Stone Edwards: The 2017 Orange graduate is now a redshirt sophomore at Vanderbilt. In 2018, Edwards played in 12 games for the Commodores. He made seven tackles, one tackle for loss and one sack as Vanderbilt reached the Texas Bowl. They finished 6-7.

Kevin Wright Jr.: A sophomore at N.C. Wesleyan, Wright is gearing up to start at cornerback for the Battling Bishops this season. In 2018, Wright played in two games for Wesleyan, making two tackles and a tackle for loss. Wright is a history major in Rocky Mount.

Jackson Schmid: Now playing at Division III Wheaton College, Schmid is entering his junior season with the Thunder. After starting as Orange’s quarterback, Schmid is now a safety. In 2018, he played three games, making one tackle.

Colin Guentensberger: After suiting up for the East/West All-Star Game last month in Greensboro, Guentensberger will attempt to walk-on at Appalachian State. Guentensberger was the Orange High Player of the Year in 2018.

Francisco McKinley: A four-year starter as Orange’s placekicker, McKinley is also at Appalachian State. He will try to walk-on to the football team. In McKinley’s tenure at Orange, he’s probably best remembered for kicking the game-winning field goal against Southern Durham with less than a minute remaining on September 29, 2017, which paved the way for the Panthers to win its third consecutive Big 8 Conference Championship.

Jamar Davis: The 2018 Orange graduate completed his freshman season at N.C. State last week. Davis qualified for the NCAA Track & Field Championships in the triple jump at Austin, Texas. With a jump of 50’1.75″, Davis was named an Honorable Mention All-American by the USTFCCCA. Last winter, Davis was the only freshman in the country to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in the triple jump. Davis was named 2nd-team All-ACC in the triple jump for the outdoor season, and first-team All-ACC in the long jump and triple jump during indoor season. In his senior year at Orange, Davis competed in the Penn Relays while racking up All-Big 8 Conference honors with the Panthers.

Bryse Wilson: Wilson earned a no-decision on Sunday afternoon for the Gwinnett Stripers of the AAA International League. Pitching against the Syracuse Mets at NBA Bank Stadium in New York, Wilson went six innings. He struck out seven while yielding five earned runs on eight hits. Last Tuesday, Wilson suffered a loss as the Lehigh Valley Ironpigs defeated the Stripers 5-1. Wilson threw three innings. He gave up four runs, none of them earned, on five hits. Wilson struck out seven. Wilson is now 3-4 with a 3.72 ERA. He has 56 strikeouts with eleven walks.

Brad Debo: The N.C. State baseball team ended its season with a 9-2 loss to East Carolina in the Greenville Regional of the NCAA Tournament on June 2. Debo went 2-for-8 in the Wolfpack’s two NCAA Tournament games, losses to the Pirates and Campbell. Debo, a junior, played 59 games for N.C. State this season, starting 51. He hit .242 with four home runs and 39 RBIs. After starting the year 27-2, the Wolfpack finished 15-17 after March to complete the season 42-19.

Landon Riley: After winning the Atlantic Sun Conference tournament for the first time (after leaving the Big South Conference last summer), Liberty’s season ended after three games of the Chapel Hill Regional of the NCAA Baseball Tournament at Boshamer Stadium on June 2. The Flames defeated Tennessee 6-1, but lost to North Carolina 16-1 on June 1. Tennessee avenged its early loss with a 6-5 victory in ten innings. Riley, a sophomore, ended the season with 22 relief appearances. He had a 2-0 record with a 3.82 ERA and one save. Liberty finished 43-20.

Brandon Andrews: The 2017 Cedar Ridge graduate just completed his sophomore year with the Nicholls Colonels of the Southland Conference in Thibodaux, LA. Andrews had 24 pitching appearances this season, finishing 1-2 with a 3.24 ERA. In his freshman year, Andrews had 13 appearances and finished 1-0 with a 5.40 ERA.

Jordan Toney: Playing for Division II UNC Pembroke, Toney ended his college career last month. The Braves finished 21-27 this season. Toney, a relief pitcher, went 0-2 with a 6.53 ERA in 2019. His only save of the year came in the season-opener against Shepherd at Sammy Cox Field in Pembroke. Toney threw three innings against the Rams, striking out seven over three innings. He gave up four runs off five hits. Toney, who started his career at Pfeiffer, played two seasons at Pembroke. For his career with the Braves, Toney went 3-4 with a 6.05 ERA. He made 30 career appearances with the Braves.

Landon Riley: The 2017 Orange High graduate continues to flourish as a middle reliever at Liberty University. Over the weekend, Liberty won the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament in Conrad Park in DeLand, Florida. In a double-elimination tournament, Liberty played six games in a span of five days. After losing to Jacksonville 9-6 in ten innings on Thursday, the Flames reeled off four straight wins for their first-ever Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament Championship. In Saturday’s 5-2 win over Jacksonville, Riley earned his 2nd win of the season, replacing starter Garrett Price in the fifth inning. With Liberty needing a long relief effort to save up its pitching, Riley entered the game with Liberty trailing 2-0. He delivered four-and-one-thirds shutout innings. Liberty responded by scoring all five of its runs in the sixth inning for a 5-2 win and advance to the championship. The Flames defeated the host team, Stetson, twice to take home the title. Hours after the Jacksonville win, Liberty defeated Stetson 6-3 on Saturday, then beat the Hatters on Sunday 4-3.

It was Liberty’s first conference championship since 2013. On Monday, Liberty was placed in the Chapel Hill Regional of the NCAA Tournament. The Flames will face Tennessee on Friday night at 7 o’clock inside Boshamer Stadium. The top-seed in the Chapel Hill Regional is ACC Champion UNC, who will face UNC Wilmington on Friday afternoon to open the weekend. Tennessee defeated Liberty 7-1 on February 26 in Knoxville. Liberty is 7-3 against ACC teams this season, including two wins over Duke and Virginia Tech, and another against UNC.

Riley, a sophomore, now has 21 appearances this season. He is 2-0 with a 2.51 ERA with one save in 32.1 innings. 

Jamar Davis: Less than a year after graduating from Orange High, Davis has qualified for the National Track & Field Championships as a member of N.C. State. On Saturday in the NCAA East Preliminary in Jacksonville, FL, Davis set the personal record on his second attempt in the triple jump. Davis’ leap of 51-feet, five inches ranks eighth all-time in N.C. State history. It earned him his fourth top-ten finish in the triple jump during an event this season. The NCAA Championships will be held June 5-7 in Austin, TX. 

Brad Debo: Another 2017 Orange High graduate, Debo had a two-run single in the top of the ninth innings of N.C. State’s 6-5 win over Wake Forest in the ACC Tournament at Durham Bulls Athletic Park on Thursday night. The win ensured the Wolfpack would advance to the ACC Semifinals. Against the Demon Deacons, Debo went 2-for-4 with 3 RBIs, including a RBI double in the 7^thinning. In Saturday’s 9-2 loss to Georgia Tech, Debo went 1-for-1 with three walks. The Wolfpack has made the NCAA Tournament for the ninth time in ten seasons. On Friday, they will face Campbell in the Greenville Regional at Clark-LeClair Stadium. The other half of the regional matches up East Carolina against Quinnipiac. The Wolfpack defeated the Camels 10-1 on February 27 in Buies Creek, but the Camels edged the Wolfpack 5-3 on May 7 in Raleigh. 

In 57 games this season, Debo is hitting .242 with four home runs and 39 RBIs. 

Marvin Jones: The Cedar Ridge graduate recently completed his sophomore season with the North Carolina Central Track and Field team. On May 2-4, Jones finished 4^thin the high jump in the MEAC Track & Field Championships. On May 12, Jones finished first in the high jump in the Mount Olive Final Qualifier with a leap of 2.04 meters. Jones had four first place finishes in the high jump this season and was named the MEAC Field Athlete of the Week on March 21. 

One day after winning his 21st career game at Cedar Ridge, Red Wolves pitcher Phillip Berger formally signed with William Peace University out of Raleigh. Berger, who has been a varsity pitcher for four years, was joined by several of his former coaches during the ceremony at Red Wolves Gymnasium. That included Jamie Athas, who was the baseball coach at Cedar Ridge until last summer. Current Red Wolves coach Mitchell Frazier presided over the ceremony. Ironically enough, one night earlier, Berger defeated the Williams Bulldogs, where Athas is now the coach. Former Cedar Ridge football coach Scott Loosemore, who coached Berger in the fall of 2017 when he was a quarterback, drove up from Laurinburg for the ceremony. This week, Berger will complete the regular season with two games against Northern Durham and a make-up game against East Chapel Hill.