Cedar Ridge Baseball

A year ago, the Cedar Ridge baseball team found itself in defining moments game after game.

Time and again, they came up on the short end when they needed a big play. It led to a frustrating and choppy season where it was impossible to gain a rhythm because of the pandemic.

Just two games into 2022, there’s already been a reversal of fortune for the Red Wolves, and they have some new faces to thank for it.

On a typical chilly early-season night game, the Red Wolves pulled out a 9-8 decision in eight innings over Chapel Hill on Wednesday night. In his first game in a Red Wolf uniform, freshman Quinn Finnegan earned the win by throwing four-and-two-thirds innings of relief. Finnegan conceded only three hits and two runs with four strikeouts during his first high school appearance.

In the eighth inning, Cedar Ridge manufactured two runs starting when sophomore catcher Efrain Morales lined a two-out single to centerfield. Designated hitter B.J. Thornton walked and right fielder Nick Nolan was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Senior Garrett Ray walked on four pitches to bring in Morales. Cristian Macias was hit by a pitch to plate Thornton.

In the bottom of the frame, the Tigers got within one run when Tyler Stillson knocked in Evan Hansen with a single to left field. With one out, Finnegan calmly struck out senior Taran Coyne Smith. Macias, playing second base, recorded the final out on a grounder hit by Chapel Hill’s Will Epstein to end a game that surpassed three hours with temperatures in the upper-40s by the time it finally ended.

“We know what we have in Quinn,” said Cedar Ridge coach Bryson Massey. “He’s a freshman and one good thing already about this year is we got to do some scrimmages. I got to put him in a situation in a scrimmage where he came in with the bases loaded. We wanted to see what he’s got. I have the most confidence in that kid. I’ve seen him grow up. I’ve seen him in travel ball. I know what he’s about.”

Cedar Ridge jumped out to a 4-0 lead when each of its first six batters got aboard in the first inning. Morales led off the game with the first of a combined 15 walks on the night. Thornton singled, followed by a Nolan walk to load the bases. Garrett Ray, who just finished basketball season, singled to centerfield to score Morales. Macias got a one-run single to bring in Thornton. Mason Cates did the most damage when he reached on an errant throw that led to Ray and Nolan scoring.

“Efrain (Morales) is a lightning bolt,” Massey said. “He brings a lot of energy to this team. Our team feeds off of it. He’s a great guy to have around.”

The Tigers came back to tie the game with four more runs in the second inning, and pulled ahead 6-4 after three frames. Cedar Ridge came back with three runs in the fourth inning. Third baseman Bryan Flores singled to lead of the frame and scored off a throwing error on a ball it by Braedyn Jacobson. Morales evened the game with an RBI single to left field. Carlo Garay put Cedar Ridge into the lead when he scored on a passed ball.

While the Chapel Hill win was a back-and-forth affair, the Red Wolves’ 2-1 win over Bartlett Yancey on Thursday night in Hillsborough was a classic pitcher’s dual. Once again, Macias came up big.

With the game tied 1-1, Macias drew a leadoff walk to start the bottom of the sixth. With Jake Mergenthal at bat, Macias stole second. After two more pitches, Macias raced for third base and ultimately scored when the ensuing throw wound up in left field.

Macias replaced Cates as the pitcher in the seventh inning and earned the save. He surrendered only one hit with a strikeout.

Cates threw six innings to pick up his first varsity win. He surrendered three hits and one run with seven strikeouts and four walks.

Trailing 1-0 going into the fifth, Cedar Ridge tied the game when Garay led off with a double on a line drive to centerfield. After Jacobson advanced the runner on a sacrifice bunt, Morales knocked Garay in with a sacrifice fly to centerfield.

The Red Wolves will play its first Central Carolina Conference game against Willams in Burlington on Tuesday.
“Last year was a year where we couldn’t find a way to win a one-run ballgame,” Massey said. “We lost a lot of those games. The thing about this team is we have a lot of guys who were a part of that team. They remember that. They knew how to win that close game. It comes down to the little things and we talk about that everyday. In the eighth inning, we executed what we had to execute to get those runs.”

It was typical early season baseball at Chapel Hill Field on Wednesday night. Fans were bundled up in blankets as Cedar Ridge and Chapel Hill battled into extra innings. The Red Wolves fought until the end and came away with a 9-8 win in eight innings over the Tigers. In his first game, freshman Quinn Finnegan threw four-and-two-thirds innings of relief and came away with the win. Finnegan struck out four and conceded only three hits and two runs, one of them earned. Sophomore catcher Efrain Morales scored the game-winning run when Garrett Ray drew a walk in the eighth inning with the bases loaded. Morales, in his first Cedar Ridge start, led off the eighth inning with a single to centerfield, setting up two runs in the lone extra inning. Morales went 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Cedar Ridge earned another narrow win on Thursday night when they defeated Bartlett-Yancey 2-1. Cristian Macias scores the game-winning run off a throwing error, then picked up the save when he threw a scoreless seventh inning. Cedar Ridge will start play in the Central Carolina Conference against Williams on Tuesday in Burlington.

Aidan McAllister has had a long relationship with baseball. It didn’t start well.

“If I’m being honest, when I first started playing baseball, I was not good at all,” McAllister said. “I was originally a soccer player and I enjoyed that. It was my stepbrother who got me into baseball.”

Somehow, McAllister made the Hillsborough Youth Athletic Association Hawks in Hillsborough when he was ten years old, but his relationship with the game hasn’t always been smooth over the years. There were time he wanted to quit.

Yet baseball is a game of failure. In the Major Leagues, the best teams will lose 60 times a year. The worst teams usually win 60 times.

Bryson Massey, McAllister’s head coach at Cedar Ridge High School, was barely out of his mother’s womb when his beloved Atlanta Braves lost 97 games in 1990. The next year, they won the National League West and got within one win of a World Championship.

Though he’s been tempted to walk away, like any relationship worth preserving, McAllister have found that baseball is the thing he can’t leave behind.

“I wasn’t as gifted as others,” McAllister said. “I felt like I had to work a lot harder at it. I just wanted to prove to everyone else that I could be good at it. You have to be very mentally strong to play baseball. I’ve done things during slumps that I thought would help me and it only made me worse. I’ve learned from it and it had made me better.”

Last October, McAllister formally committed to play with Hofstra University in Nassau County, NY. On Thursday at the Cedar Ridge Media Center, McAllister formally signed his letter of intent with the Pride, a member of the Colonial Athletic Association.

Massey, Cedar Ridge Athletic Director Andy Simmons and Principal Dr. Carlos Ramirez were on hand for the ceremony, along with McAllister’s teammates and other students.

“He’s a kid that’s going to outwork a lot of people,” Massey said. “We’ve talked a lot about focusing on proving some people wrong. We talked about that at the end of last season. Last summer, he got in the gym and worked on his body and his swing. He got a lot better at baseball and that’s what you have to do.”

While his high school career has consisted of just 16 games over two seasons because of the pandemic, McAllister has continued to work on his game as a first baseman with Cedar Ridge and the Canes Baseball showcase squad during the summer.

“It was definitely the coaching staff,” McAllister said of his reason for committing to Hofstra. “I formed the best relationship with them. I really enjoyed the Hofstra campus. The school is definitely different from North Carolina. it was very big. It was more rural than I expected.”

Officials from the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore and various schools across North Carolina had also contacted McAllister about playing.

McAllister briefly played with Team Elite, a showcase team coached by Andrew Cook, who spent last season as the Director of Baseball Operations with North Carolina Central. The Eagles’ shut down its baseball program in June.

Before classes at Cedar Ridge, McAllister is a daily morning presence at the Edge Sports Complex in Durham, where he’s worked on the mechanics of his swing.

“When I came here, we set a plan to reach his goals,” said Massey. “I’ve spent a lot of time with him on and off the field. Throughout this offseason and into the fall, we really focused on finding somewhere to fit him. We talked back-and-forth and felt that Hofstra was the best school that gave him what he needed and the opportunity he deserved.”

Though McAllister hasn’t had as much time in a Red Wolf uniform as he would hope through his first three years at Cedar Ridge, he credits Massey with helping him grow into a Division I-caliber player.

“I was pretty immature when I first came to high school,” McAllister said. “He helped me in that aspect. Maturing was a big part of it for me. That helped a lot. He’s also given me a lot to work on, like with drills. He’s helped me with the recruiting process.”

Next spring, McAllister will get a chance to play a full schedule. It’s something he hasn’t done at Cedar Ridge. The Red Wolves’ season begins at Chapel Hill on March 2.

“I definitely want to make a statement and show my ability,” McAllister said. “I’m just going to continue to put in the work.”

After verbally committing to play baseball at Hofstra University in October, Cedar Ridge first baseman Aidan McAllister formally signed with the Pride during a ceremony inside the Cedar Ridge Media Center on Thursday afternoon. The event included Cedar Ridge baseball coach Bryson Massey, Athletic Director Andy Simmons, Principal Dr. Carlos Ramirez and member of the Red Wolves baseball team. McAllister has played for the Red Wolves varsity squad for three years. Last season, he hit two home runs in the opening two innings against crosstown rival Orange. Just a few years ago, McAllister was unsure if he was capable of being a college baseball player, much less a Division I caliber player. McAllister credits his improvement to The Edge Sports Performance in Durham, as well as Coach Massey. McAllister and the rest of the Red Wolves will start their season on March.2 at Chapel Hill.

Photo by Marc Reidel:

Bailey Lucas: The Division III Meredith College volleyball team honored senior and former Orange star Bailey Lucas during a tri-match at Weatherspoon Gym in Raleigh on Saturday. The Avenging Angels won both matches to extend its winning streak to nine, a season-long. Meredith defeated Pfeiffer 3-0 on scores of 25-16, 25-20 and 25-15. Lucas started and had a game-high 17 assists along with two digs and one ace. Meredith also swept Greensboro 3-0 on scores of 25-21, 25-17 and 25-21. Lucas had 19 assists with seven digs and an ace. Meredith also won two matches over Salem last week. On Tuesday, Meredith defeated the Spirits 3-0 on scores of 25-13, 25-18 and 25-16 at Varsity Gym in Winston-Salem. Lucas led the Angels with 17 assists, one ace and six digs. On Thursday, Meredith swept Salem again in Raleigh. Lucas finished with eleven assists and seven digs. The Angels are 18-6 overall, 12-2 in the USA South Athletic Conference.

Joey McMullin: The Sandhills Community College men’s basketball team was named the preseason #1 team in Division III of the National Junior College Athletic Association media poll. The Flyers continued to prepare for the upcoming season with a 105-64 win over Blue Light College in a scrimmage in Pinehurst on Wednesday. McMullin lead the Flyers with 14 points. He also tied for the team lead with nine rebounds. Sandhills will start the regular season against Lenoir Community College in Kinston on November 3.

Trenton Gill: Miami defeated #18 N.C. State 31-30 at Hard Rock Stadium in Coral Gables, FL on Saturday night. Gill had six punts for an average of 49.2 yards per boot for the Wolfpack. His longest was 59 yards, one of three punts that went over 50 yards. Three punts were downed inside the 20-yard line. Of Gill’s seven kickoffs, six were touchbacks.

Keshawn Thompson: For the third time this year, former Orange High linebacker Keshawn Thompson led Campbell in tackles in a game. Thompson registered 12 tackles, but #11 Kennesaw State routed the Camels 30-7 at Barker-Lane Stadium in Buies Creek. Thompson leads Campbell in tackles with 41 on the season. The Camels are 3-4 overall, 2-2 in the Big South Conference. They will travel to Charleston Southern next Saturday. Thompson has started all seven Campbell games.

Adam Chnupa: The Elon football team defeated New Hampshire 24-10 at Rhodes Stadium on Saturday. Chnupa entered the game as a reserve defensive back and assisted on a tackle. Elon has now won three in a row and is 4-3 overall, 3-1 in the Colonial Athletic Association. The Phoenix will travel to James Madison next Saturday.

Kayla Hodges: Hodges made two more starts for the Elon women’s soccer team in a couple of marathon games last week. On Sunday, Elon defeated Northeastern 2-1 in overtime at Parson Field in Brookline, MA. Hodges played all 93 minutes before Kenney Jones scored the golden goal in overtime. On Thursday, the Phoenix played to a scoreless tie against William & Mary at Albert-Daly Field in Williamsburg, VA. Hodges fired one shot and played all 110 minutes. Elon is 7-5-2, 2-2-2 in the Colonial Athletic Association. Elon will host #23 Hofstra on Sunday at Rudd Field.

Emerson Talley: Talley started Lenoir-Rhyne’s game against Newberry at the Smith Road Complex on Saturday. Newberry came away with a 1-0 win in double overtime. Talley played 36 minutes. Last Sunday, Lenoir-Rhyne defeated Tusculum 5-0 at Pioneer Field in Greenville, TN. Talley came off the bench and played 13 minutes. The Bears, in the Division II South Atlantic Conference, are 9-3-2, 7-2-1 in the SAC.

Taylin Jean: The Division II Limestone women’s soccer team shut out Tusculum 4-0 at Saints Field in Gaffney, SC on Wednesday. Former Cedar Ridge goalkeeper Taylin Jean entered the game in the second half and preserved the clean sheet for the Saints, making one save. Limestone is 9-3-1, 5-3-1 in the SAC.

Brittany Daley: The Division III Greensboro College women’s soccer team played to a 1-1 tie against Mary Baldwin University at Pride Field in Greensboro on Wednesday. Daley played all 110 minutes for the Pride. Greensboro is 4-9-3 overall, 2-4-2 in the USA South Athletic Conference. Daley will be honored on Senior Day on Sunday when Greensboro hosts North Carolina Wesleyan.

Jordan Rogers: The Division III William Peace women’s soccer team lost in heartbreaking fashion on Saturday. Salem College scored in the final minute of the second overtime to defeat the Pacers 3-2 at Varsity Field in Winston-Salem. Rogers, a former Orange Panthers, started for the Pacers and played all 110 minutes. She fired one shot. On Wednesday, Peace played Pfeiffer to a 1-1 tie in Misenheimer. Once again, Rogers started and played all 110 minutes. Peace is now 4-6-3 overall, 2-4-2 in the USA South Athletic Conference.

Keshawn Thompson: It was a showdown between a former Orange Panther and a former Cedar Ridge Red Wolf at Barker-Lane Stadium in Buies Creek on Saturday. The Campbell Fighting Camels, featuring former Orange linebacker Keshawn Thompson, faced off against the Elon Phoenix, which included former Cedar Ridge linebacker Adam Chnupa. The Phoenix defeated the Camels 24-23. For the second week in a row, Thompson led Campbell in tackles with nine. Last week, Thompson was honorable mention for Big South weekly football honors. Campbell is 0-2. They will face Presbyterian on Saturday in Buies Creek.

Adam Chnupa: Elon is now 1-1 after the victory over Campbell. Chnupa played special teams for the Phoenix in the win. Elon will travel to Appalachian State on Saturday.

Payton Wilson: In N.C. State’s loss to Mississippi State on Saturday night at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, MS, Wilson suffered a shoulder injury. Wilson did register his first sack of the season. He finished with three tackles. There’s no word yet on whether Wilson will miss any action. Mississippi State defeated N.C. State 24-10. The Wolfpack were deprived of its first road win against an SEC team since 1977.

Trenton Gill: Former Cedar Ridge punter Trenton Gill was too busy for the Wolfpack’s liking against Mississippi State. Gill had seven punts on Saturday night. He averaged 43.6 yards per punt. His longest was 55 yards. One of the punts was downed inside the 20-yard line. The Wolfpack will host Furman on Saturday night at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh.

Rodney Brooks: After missing the opening game of the season for the Division II Livingstone Blue Bears, former Orange quarterback/defensive back Rodney Brooks made his season debut on Saturday. Savannah State, an FCS team, crushed Livingstone 50-6 at Theodore Wright Stadium in Savannah, GA. Brooks, a safety, had four tackles.

Bryse Wilson: On Sunday at PNC Park, the Washington Nationals defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-2. Wilson suffered the loss for the Bucs. In four-and-one-third innings, Wilson surrendered five runs off seven hits and two walks. Luis Garcia, Alex Avila and Lane Thomas honored off of Wilson, who is now 2-7 this season with a 4.97 ERA. The Pirates travel to Miami next weekend.

Kayla Hodges: After a tight loss to N.C. State, the Elon women’s soccer team rebounded with consecutive wins last week. On Thursday, the Phoenix defeated Gardner-Webb 2-0 at Rudd Field in Elon. Hodges started and played all 90 minutes. On Sunday, the Phoenix defeated American University at Reeves Field in Washington, D.C. Once again, Hodges played the duration of the game and fired one of Elon’s ten shots against the Eagles. Through seven games, Hodges is tied for the team lead with two goals. Elon faces Furman on Friday in its final nonconference game of the year.

Brittany Daley: Emory University’s women’s soccer routed Greensboro College 6-0 in Atlanta on Saturday. Daley played all 90 minutes at centerback for Greensboro. The Pride will travel to Bridgewater on Wednesday.

Jordan Rogers: The Division III William Peace women’s soccer team has won two in a row. On Sunday, the Pacers defeated Ferrum 3-1 at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary. Rogers started at wingback for Peace. On Wednesday, Peace defeated Johnson & Wales University 2-0 in Charlotte. It was Rogers’ 40th game for Peace. The Pacers are 2-2. They will travel to Brevard on Wednesday.

Bailey Lucas: The Division III Meredith College volleyball team won two out of three matches over the weekend. On Friday, Christopher Newport defeated the Avenging Angels 3-1 on scores of 25-18, 24-26, 25-23 and 25-12 at Weatherspoon Gymnasium in Raleigh. For the first time this season, Lucas didn’t start for Meredith. She did finish with two kills, 14 assists and five digs. The Avenging Angels won both of its matches on Saturday. They opened with a sweep of Guilford on scores of 25-17, 25-8 and 25-22 at the Hermann Athletic Center in Raleigh. Lucas came off the bench and had 16 assists and one dig. Meredith defeated William Peace 3-1. Lucas led the Avenging Angels with 25 assists and seven digs. Meredith is 5-3 and will play a doubleheader against Brevard and Maryville on Friday in Brevard.

Kayla Hodges: After being a regular starter for the Elon women’s soccer team’s first Colonial Athletic Association tournament championship team last spring, Kayla Hodges scored her first college goal in the Phoenix’s season-opener against George Washington. In the 55th minute, Hodges scored off a corner kick when she chipped one in the net off an assist from Lily Harkes. Hodges, who started as a defensive midfielder, played 84 minutes as the Phoenix won 2-0 at Rudd Field in Elon. On Sunday, UNC Greensboro defeated Elon 1-0 at Rudd Field. Hodges earned another start and fired one shot. She played all 90 minutes. The Phoenix are 1-1 and will travel to Virginia Tech on Thursday. Hodges, a junior, started all ten games last year.

Bryse Wilson: Wilson was placed on the Injured List by the Pittsburgh Pirates on August 16. Pirates General Manager Ben Cherington says the move is mostly about rest from fatigue. At the time he was placed on the Injured List, Wilson had just started against the Milwaukee Brewers in a no decision. Counting his time with the Atlanta Braves, Wilson has thrown 48 and 2/3rds innings and has an 5.55 ERA.

The fall sports season is underway for women’s soccer. It will officially start for football, volleyball and men’s soccer next week. Here are some Cedar Ridge and Orange graduates who will be competing in colleges throughout the country this fall.

Payton Wilson: A second-team All-ACC linebacker with N.C. State last season, Wilson returns for his redshirt sophomore season after undergoing surgery on both shoulders. It kept him sidelines for spring practice. Wilson ranks third among returning ACC players in career tackles. He’s been named to the Butkus Award watch list for the nation’s best linebacker.

Trenton Gill: The former Cedar Ridge punter and soccer player is now a redshirt junior at N.C. State. Gill is N.C. State’s career leader in punt average with 46.3 yards–which is tied for the second-best mark among returning ACC punters. Gill’s has 4.997 career punting yards, which is 12 in school history. In 2020, Gill averaged 44.7 yards per punt, the fifth-best single-season mark in school history.

Keshawn Thompson: Thompson is now a graduate student with the FCS Campbell football team. Last year, Campbell played only four games in the fall and sat out the spring. Thompson totaled nine tackles. He started the season opener at Georgia Southern, a game where the Camels lost 28-27 when a two-point attempt in the waning seconds ended with an incomplete pass.

Adam Chnupa: The former Cedar Ridge linebacker returns to Elon’s football team as a redshirt sophomore. The Phoenix played last spring. Chnupa appeared in all six games and finished with six tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss. Elon will open against Wofford at Rhodes Stadium on September 4. It will mark the 20th anniversary of Rhodes Stadium.

Rodney Brooks: The Division II Livingstone Bears of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association didn’t play in 2020-2021 due to the pandemic. Brooks will return as a senior with the Bears. The 2018 Orange graduate had 16 tackles for Livingstone in 2019.

Trey Grizzle: The former Orange linebacker, who graduated in June, has enrolled at Division III Averett University. Averett will face Ferrum College in Virginia on September 4.

Taylin Jean: The 2018 Big 8 Goalkeeper of the Year at Cedar Ridge, Jean starts her junior year at Division II Limestone College. Last season, Jean earned a spot on the South Atlantic Conference Commissioners Honor Roll. She appeared in four games for the Saints between the pipes.

Brittany Daley: A former All-Conference player with the Cedar Ridge women’s soccer team, Daley enters her fourth season with the Division III Greensboro College’s women’s soccer team. Last season, Daley earned USA South All-Academic honors with a 3.9 GPA. Daley has played 45 games in her Greensboro career. Last year, she helped the Pride win the USA South East Division Championship, which was the only tournament the Pride was allowed to play in due to the pandemic.

Jordan Rogers: The Division III William Peace University women’s soccer team will open against Guilford College on September 1. Rogers, a former Orange star who is now a senior, has started all 37 games she’s played in for the Pacers in her career.

Bailey Lucas: Lucas enters her senior season with the Division III Meredith College volleyball team. Last season, Lucas appeared in 14 matches and had 108 digs. She led the team with 298 assists. The Avenging Angels open the season at Roanoke on September 1.

Phillip Berger: The season of the Elizabethton River Riders of the Appalachian League ended on August 7 with a 4-2 loss to the Danville Otterbots at Northeast Community Credit Union Park. Berger ended the year 4-1 with a 3.68 ERA, including the first two wins in the history of the franchise. Despite being a middle reliever, Berger led Elizabethton in wins. In 22 innings, Berger had 19 strikeouts and nine walks. The last game that Berger pitched for the River Riders was on July 16 in a 13-10 loss to Pulaski at Calfee Park in Pulaski, VA. In two innings, Berger surrendered two runs off three hits. On July 10 against Johnson City, Berger threw three innings and surrendered two hits and one run with three walks. The Doughboys defeated the River Riders 6-5. The River Riders finished in second place in the Appalachian League’s West Division with a 26-22 record, six-and-a-half games behind the Greenville Flyboys, who captured the league championship with a 9-8 win over the Pulaski River Turtles in Greenville, TN. Berger will start his junior season at Division III William Peace University in Raleigh next week.

Joey Berini: The Asheboro Copperheads of the Coastal Plain League ended its season on July 30 with a 18-9 loss to the High Point-Thomasville HiToms at Finch Field in Thomasville. In 20 games, Berini hit .290 for the Copperheads with 20 hits and eleven RBIs. In a 9-7 win over the Forest City Owls on July 29, Berini went 2-for-4 and scored Asheboro’s final run off an error. Berini also had a single in the second inning and scored off a double by Will Stewart. On July 24 against the Holly Springs Salamanders, Berini went 2-for-5 with an RBI. Asheboro finished the second half of the season 12-10, five games behind the West Division champion, the Savannah Bananas. Savannah swept both halves of the West Division and captured the Pettit Cup with a 13-3 win over the Morehead City Marlins in game three of the best-of-three Coastal Plain League Championship Series.

Bryse Wilson: On Saturday, Wilson started his third game with the Pittsburgh Pirates. At PNC Park, Wilson got a no-decision in the opening game of a doubleheader against the Milwaukee Brewers. Over four innings, Wilson surrendered four runs on seven hits. Kolten Wong and Tyrone Taylor homered off Wilson. After Wilson left the game, the Pirates exploded for eight runs over the course of the fifth and sixth innings to win 14-4. In Wilson’s second start with Pittsburgh, Cincinnati edged the Pirates 3-2 at the Great American Ball Park. In six innings, Wilson struck out seven with one walk. He gave up six hits and three runs. Wilson is 0-2 with a 4.80 ERA.

Payton Wilson: Entering his redshirt sophomore season at N.C. State, Wilson was named to the Butkus Award watch list. The Butkus Award goes to the nation’s top linebacker. Last season, Wilson was named first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference. He ranked fourth in the Football Bowl Subdivision in overall tackles and 13th in tackles per game. Wilson was named ACC Linebacker of the Week three times. Semifinalists for the Butkus Award will be named November 1, with finalists named on November 22. N.C. State starts its season against South Florida on September 2 at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh. The Wolfpack will then journey to Mississippi State on September 11.

Trey Grizzle: Grizzle, who graduated from Orange in June, committed to Averett University, where he will play defensive end. Last season, Grizzle played defense and tight end. He has announced plans to major in biology. Averett is a Division III school out of Danville, VA.

Bryse Wilson: The last time Bryse Wilson started a game in Durham, he admitted that his fastball wasn’t working for him.

On Wednesday night, it was.

In front of 4,205 fans at Durham Bulls Athletic Park, Wilson threw seven scoreless innings for the Gwinnett Stripers. Wilson left the game in the eighth inning with the Stripers leading 1-0. Reliever Dylan Lee surrendered a solo homer to Durham’s Ryan Boldt, which cost Wilson a chance to win the game. Gwinnett’s Cristian Pache singled home Terrance Gore in the ninth inning for the winning run as Gwinnett prevailed 2-1.

Orlando Arcia homered in the third inning for Gwinnett.

On the night, Wilson allowed only three hits and a walk over seven shutout innings with seven strikeouts. At one point, Wilson retired 12 consecutive batters. Wilson threw 91 pitches, 58 of which were strikes. As usual when Wilson pitches in Durham, many Hillsborough residents and some of Wilson’s previous coaches were on hand to watch.

Dating back to July 21, 2019, Wilson is 10-2 with a 2.53 ERA and a .247 batting average allowed over his last 14 starts with Gwinnett.

This season with the Stripers, Wilson is 4-2 with a 3.97 ERA through eight starts. In 45 innings pitched this season, Wilson has 39 strikeouts and 14 walks.

Gwinnett improved to 23-26. Durham fell to 32-17. The Stripers start a homestead against the Nashville Sounds next Tuesday.

Phillip Berger: Berger made his latest appearance out of the bullpen for the Elizabethton River Riders last Saturday against the Danville Otterbots at American Legion Field in Danville, VA. The Otterbots defeated the River Riders 6-5. Berger suffered his first loss of the season. He threw the sixth and seventh innings for the River Riders and surrendered three runs off three hits. Only one of the three runs were earned. Berger walked one and struck out two.

Since then, Elizabethton has won three in a row, including a 9-2 victory over the Johnson City Doughboys on Wednesday night. Berger still leads Elizabethton with three wins. In seven pitching appearances, Elizabethton is 3-1 with a 3.46 ERA. He has thrown 13 innings and has 12 strikeouts with four walks. Elizabethton is 12-10 and in third place in the Appalachian League’s Western Division. The River Riders are two games behind the Greenville Flyboys for first place.

Joey Berini: Berini continues to play regularly for the Asheboro Copperheads of the Coastal Plain League. On June 25, Berini started at 2nd base for the Copperheads as they defeated the Forest City Owls 4-3 at McCrary Park in Asheboro. Berini went 0-for-4, but had two assists at second base. On June 26, the Florence RedWolves defeated Asheboro 4-2 at Cormell Field in Florence, SC. Berini started at shortstop but finished 0-for-4. On June 27, the High Point-Thomasville HiTome edged Asheboro 10-9 in ten innings. Berini, who started at second base, finished 1-for-5.

The Coastal Plain League crowns it champions over two halves of the season, similar to how the lower levels of minor leagues used to crown champions. Asheboro finished the first half in third place in the Western Division with an 11-11 record, eight games behind the division champions, the Savannah Bananas. Asheboro has opened the second half 2-0 with wins over the Martinsville Mustangs and High Point-Thomasville.