Cedar Ridge Baseball

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.

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.