4-21-26 roundup: Pro basketball, baseball, auto racing, soccer and rodeo, High school baseball, soccer and softball, Middle school baseball, girls soccer and track

By Richard Walker

After suffering a historic blow out defeat the last time the Charlotte Hornets were in the NBA play-in tournament in 2022, major changes followed for the franchise.

That doesn’t appear to be the case this time around as the organization is poised to build off the second-winningest team since the NBA returned to Charlotte in 2004.

Much of the optimism is borne of a youthful group of standout players – potential NBA rookie of the year Kon Knueppel is 20 years old, Brandon Miller and Sion James are 23, LaMelo Ball, Moussa Diabate and Ryan Kalkbrenner are 24, Coby White is 26, Grant Williams is 27 and Miles Bridges is 28.

Also, unlike the 2022 rebuild where head coach James Borrego was fired soon after the play-in loss, Kenny Atkinson accepted and then turned down the job before Steve Clifford agreed to return as head coach, it would be a shock if there in a coaching change.

In fact, second-year head Charles Lee is getting high marks from rival coaches, personnel directors, writers and others in NBA circles after leading a Hornets’ improvement from 19 wins to 44 for the largest win total increase in franchise history.

Lee’s postgame message to his team after last Friday’s 121-90 loss at the Orlando Magic for the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot – the largest play-in loss in history – was quite simple.

“Let this fuel you, but don’t take for granted the fact that you guys earned a ton of respect from everyone throughout the league with how hard you played, how well you played, and helped build another stepping stone for this organization,” Lee said.

Charlotte started 16-28 before winning 22 of its next 28 games and finishing with a 26-10 season-ending surge.

How impressive was the turnaround?

Based on regular-season point differential, the Hornets are the best team ever not to make the Eastern Conference playoffs – and the first team to finish in the Top 8 in point differential and not make the playoffs since 1982.

Their surge also energized a long-suffering fan base; Charlotte sold out 25 of its 41 regular season games including the last 15 to finish with its best attendance figure since 1998. (And that doesn’t even count the Spectrum Center-record crowd of 16,968 that attended the dramatic 127-126 overtime win over Miami Heat in the Hornets’ play-in tourney opener.)

Additionally, the team has two of the top 18 picks in an upcoming NBA Draft many scouts feel is one of the deepest in years.

“I’m very excited about this draft,” Hornets general manager Jeff Peterson said. “From an assets standpoint it allows us to be flexible. Whether we bring two players in or we consolidate, it allows us to be flexible.”

Ball, who was a rookie in the 2021-22 that saw so much offseason upheaval, says the recent loss should provide motivation for offseason drills – if for no other reason that the organization proved it is making progress this season.

Besides, the organization will be seeking to end one of the longest NBA playoff droughts in history next season; Charlotte’s current 11-year stretch without making the NBA playoff is fifth-longest in league history.

“Having that bad record at the first of the year, we could’ve quit but we banded together,” Ball said. “It was a lot of fun and it was a great group of guys.
“It hurts (to lose in the play-in tournament). But we just have to use all that as fuel for the offseason workouts.”

The Charlotte Hornets full 2025-26 regular season schedule:

OCTOBER
Wednesday 22 BROOKLYN (W 136-117)
Saturday 25 at Philadelphia (L 121-125)
Sunday 26 at Washington (W 139-113)
Tuesday 28 at Miami (L 117-144)
Thursday 30 ORLANDO (L 107-123)
NOVEMBER
Saturday 1 MINNESOTA (L 105-122)
Sunday 2 UTAH (W 126-103)
Tuesday 4 at New Orleans (L 112-116)
Friday 7 at Miami* (L 108-126)
Monday 10 L.A. LAKERS (L 111-121)
Wed. 12 MILWAUKEE (W 111-100)
Friday 14 at Milwaukee* (L 134-147, OT)
Saturday 15 OKLAHOMA CITY (L 96-109)
Monday 17 at Toronto (L 108-110)
Wednesday 19 at Indiana (L 118-127)
Saturday 22 LA CLIPPERS (L 116-131)
Sunday 23 at Atlanta (L 110-113)
Wednesday 26 NEW YORK* (L 101-129)
Friday 28 CHICAGO* (W 123-116)
Saturday 29 TORONTO (W 118-111, OT)
DECEMBER
Monday 1 at Brooklyn (L 103-116)
Wednesday 3 at New York (L 104-119)
Friday 5 at Toronto (W 111-86 )
Sunday 7 DENVER (L 106-115)
Friday 12 CHICAGO (L 126-129)
Sunday 14 at Cleveland (W 119-111)
Thursday 18 ATLANTA (W 133-126)
Saturday 20 at Detroit (L 86-112)
Monday 22 at Cleveland (L 132-139)
Tuesday 23 WASHINGTON (W 126-109)
Friday 26 at Orlando (W 120-105)
Monday 29 MILWAUKEE (L 113-123)
Wednesday 31 GOLDEN STATE (L 125-132)
JANUARY
Friday 2 at Milwaukee (L 121-122)
Saturday 3 at Chicago (W 112-99 )
Monday 5 at Oklahoma City (W 124-97 )
Wednesday 7 TORONTO (L 96-97 )
Thursday 8 INDIANA (L 109-112)
Saturday 10 at Utah (W 150-95 )
Monday 12 at LA Clippers (L 109-117)
Thursday 15 at L.A. Lakers (W 135-117)
Saturday 17 at Golden State (L 116-136)
Sunday 18 at Denver (W 110-87 )
Wednesday 21 CLEVELAND (L 87-94 )
Thursday 22 at Orlando (W 124-97 )
Saturday 24 WASHINGTON (W 119-115)
Monday 26 PHILADELPHIA (W 130-93 )
Wednesday 28 at Memphis (W 112-97 )
Thursday 29 at Dallas (W 123-121)
Saturday 31 SAN ANTONIO (W 111-106)
FEBRUARY
Monday 2 NEW ORLEANS (W 102-95 )
Thursday 5 at Houston (W 109-99 )
Saturday 7 at Atlanta (W 126-119)
Monday 9 DETROIT (W 110-104)
Wednesday 11 ATLANTA (W 110-107)
Thursday 19 HOUSTON (L 101-105)
Friday 20 CLEVELAND (L 113-118)
Sunday 22 at Washington (W 129-112)
Tuesday 24 at Chicago (W 131-99 )
Thursday 26 at Indiana (W 133-109)
Saturday 28 PORTLAND (W 109-93 )
MARCH
Tuesday 3 DALLAS (W 117-90 )
Wednesday 4 at Boston (W 116-89 )
Friday 6 MIAMI (L 120-128)
Sunday 8 at Phoenix (L 99-111)
Tuesday 10 at Portland (W 103-101)
Wednesday 11 at Sacramento (W 117-109)
Saturday 14 at San Antonio (L 102-115)
Tuesday 17 MIAMI (W 136-106)
Thursday 19 ORLANDO (W 130-111)
Saturday 21 MEMPHIS (W 124-101)
Tuesday 24 SACRAMENTO (W 134-90 )
Thursday 26 NEW YORK (W 114-103)
Saturday 28 PHILADELPHIA (L 114-118)
Sunday 29 BOSTON (L 99-114)
Tuesday 31 at Brooklyn (W 117-86 )
APRIL
Thursday 2 PHOENIX (W 127-107)
Friday 3 INDIANA (W 129-108)
Sunday 5 at Minnesota (W 122-108)
Tuesday 7 at Boston (L 102-113)
Friday 10 DETROIT (L 100-118)
Sunday 12 at New York (W 110-96 )

(Play-in tournament)
Tuesday 14 MIAMI (W 127-126, OT)
Friday 17 at Orlando (L 90-121)

Home games in CAPS
All times listed are Eastern
* Denotes Emirates NBA Cup Group Play game
Schedule to be announced following Emirates NBA Cup Group Play: Dec. 9, 10, 13, 16- Emirates NBA Cup Knockout Rounds, Dec. 11, 12, 14, 15- Additional regular-season games for eliminated teams

The Charlotte Hornets 2025 preseason schedule:

Sunday, Oct. 5 Oklahoma City (at N. Charleston Col.) L 114-135
Thursday, Oct. 9 at Oklahoma City L 116-122
Saturday, Oct. 11 at Dallas W 120-116
Wednesday, Oct. 15 Memphis (at First Horizon Col., Gboro) W 145-116
Friday, Oct. 17 at New York L 108-113

 

(Eastern Conference play-in tournament)

Tuesday, April 14: Miami at Charlotte – Charlotte 127-126 in OT

Wednesday, April 15: Orlando at Philadelphia – Philadelphia 109-97

Friday, April 17: Charlotte at Orlando – Orlando 121-90

(Eastern Conference quarterfinals)
*-if necessary

No. 1 Detroit vs. No. 8 Orlando
Game 1: Orlando at Detroit- Sunday April 19 – Orlando 112-101
Game 2: Orlando at Detroit- Wednesday, April 22 (7 ET, ESPN)
Game 3: Detroit at Orlando- Saturday, April 25 (1 ET, Peacock)
Game 4: Detroit at Orlando- Monday, April 27 (8 ET, NBC)
Game 5: Orlando at Detroit*- Wednesday, April 29 (TBD, TBD)
Game 6: Detroit at Orlando*- Friday, May 1 (TBD, TBD)
Game 7: Orlando at Detroit*- Sunday, May 3 (TBD, TBD)

No. 2 Boston vs. No. 7 Philadelphia
Game 1: Philadelphia at Boston- Sunday April 19 – Boston 123-91
Game 2: Philadelphia at Boston- Tuesday, April 21 – Philadelphia 101-97
Game 3: Boston at Philadelphia- Friday, April 24 (7 ET, Prime)
Game 4: Boston at Philadelphia- Sunday, April 26 (7 ET, NBC)
Game 5: Philadelphia at Boston*- Tuesday, April 28 (TBD, TBD)
Game 6: Boston at Philadelphia*- Thursday, April 30 (TBD, TBD)
Game 7: Philadelphia at Boston*- Saturday, May 2 (TBD, TBD)

No. 3 New York vs. No. 6 Atlanta
Game 1: Atlanta at New York- Saturday April 18 – New York 113-102
Game 2: Atlanta at New York- Monday, April 20 – Atlanta 107-106
Game 3: New York at Atlanta- Thursday, April 23 (7 ET, Prime Video)
Game 4: New York at Atlanta- Saturday, April 25 (6 ET, NBC)
Game 5: Atlanta at New York*- Tuesday, April 28 (TBD, TBD)
Game 6: New York at Atlanta*- Thursday, April 30 (TBD, TBD)
Game 7: Atlanta at New York*- Saturday, May 2 (TBD, TBD)

No. 4 Cleveland vs. No. 5 Toronto
Game 1: Toronto at Cleveland- Saturday April 18 – Cleveland 126-113
Game 2: Toronto at Cleveland- Monday, April 20 – Cleveland 115-105
Game 3: Cleveland at Toronto- Thursday, April 23 (8 ET, Prime Video)
Game 4: Cleveland at Toronto- Sunday, April 26 (1 ET, ESPN)
Game 5: Toronto at Cleveland*- Wednesday, April 29 (TBD, TBD)
Game 6: Cleveland at Toronto*- Friday, May 1 (TBD, TBD)
Game 7: Toronto at Cleveland*- Sunday, May 3 (TBD, TBD)

(Eastern Conference semifinals)
No. 1-8 winner vs. No. 4-5 winner
No. 2-7 winner vs. No. 3-6 winner

(Eastern Conference finals)
TBD

(Western Conference play-in tournament)

Tuesday, April 14: Portland at Phoenix – Portland 114-110

Wednesday, April 15: Golden State at L.A. Clippers – Golden State 126-121

Friday, April 17: Golden State at Phoenix – Phoenix 111-96

(Western Conference quarterfinals)
*-if necessary

No. 1 Oklahoma City vs. No. 8 Phoenix
Game 1: Phoenix at Oklahoma City- Sunday April 19 – Oklahoma City 119-84
Game 2: Phoenix at Oklahoma City- Wednesday, April 22 (9:30 ET, ESPN)
Game 3: Oklahoma City at Phoenix- Saturday, April 25 (3:30 ET, NBC)
Game 4: Oklahoma City at Phoenix- Monday, April 27 (9:30 ET, Peacock/NBCSN)
Game 5: Phoenix at Oklahoma City*- Wednesday, April 29 (TBD, TBD)
Game 6: Oklahoma City at Phoenix*- Friday, May 1 (TBD, TBD)
Game 7: Phoenix at Oklahoma City*- Sunday, May 3 (TBD, TBD)

No. 2 San Antonio vs. No. 7 Portland
Game 1: Portland at San Antonio- Sunday April 19 – San Antonio 111-98
Game 2: Portland at San Antonio- Tuesday, April 21 – Portland 106-103
Game 3: San Antonio at Portland- Friday, April 24 (10:30 ET, Prime Video)
Game 4: San Antonio at Portland- Sunday, April 26 (3:30 ET, ESPN)
Game 5: Portland at San Antonio*- Tuesday, April 28 (TBD, TBD)
Game 6: San Antonio at Portland*- Thursday, April 30 (TBD, TBD)
Game 7: Portland at San Antonio*- Saturday, May 2 (TBD, TBD)

No. 3 Denver vs. No. 6 Minnesota
Game 1: Minnesota at Denver- Saturday April 18 – Denver 116-105
Game 2: Minnesota at Denver- Monday, April 20 – Minnesota 119-114
Game 3: Denver at Minnesota- Thursday, April 23 (9:30 ET, Prime Video)
Game 4: Denver at Minnesota- Saturday, April 25 (8:30 ET, ABC)
Game 5: Minnesota at Denver*- Monday, April 27 (10:30 ET, NBC)
Game 6: Denver at Minnesota*- Thursday, April 30 (TBD, TBD)
Game 7: Minnesota at Denver*- Saturday, May 2 (TBD, TBD)

No. 4 L.A. Lakers vs. No. 5 Houston
Game 1: Houston at Los Angeles- Saturday April 18 – L.A. Lakers 107-98
Game 2: Houston at Los Angeles- Tuesday, April 21 (10:30 ET, NBC)
Game 3: Los Angeles at Houston- Friday, April 24 (8 ET, Prime Video)
Game 4: Los Angeles at Houston- Sunday, April 26 (9:30 ET, NBC)
Game 5: Houston at Los Angeles*- Wednesday, April 29 (TBD, TBD)
Game 6: Los Angeles at Houston*- Friday, May 1 (TBD, TBD)
Game 7: Houston at Los Angeles*- Sunday, May 3 (TBD, TBD)

(Western Conference semifinals)
No. 1-8 winner vs. No. 4-5 winner
No. 2-7 winner vs. No. 3-6 winner

(Western Conference finals)
TBD

(NBA finals)
TBD

 

 

 

 

 

 

High school baseball

Here are the area’s results/schedule:

(Monday, April 13)
SouthLake Christian 13, Gaston Day 3 (6 innings)
Mountain Island Charter 18, Queen’s Grant 3 (5 innings)
Bessemer City 11, Piedmont Community Charter 10

(Tuesday, April 14)
North Gaston 13, Forestview 3 (6 innings)
Ashbrook 10, Huss 0 (5 innings)
Crest 3, Kings Mountain 0
Burns 7, Cherryville 0
Cramer 12, Lincolnton 1 (6 innings)
East Gaston 9, Shelby 1
Highland Tech 4, West Lincoln 3
East Lincoln 5, North Lincoln 1
Lincoln Charter 7, Christ the King 2
Mountain Island Charter 12, Thomas Jefferson 0 (5 innings)
Concord Academy 10, Gaston Day 6
Gaston Christian 10, Metrolina Christian 9

(Wednesday, April 15)
Ashbrook 11, Misenheimer Gray Stone Day 10
North Gaston 7, Cramer 6
Forestview 13, Bessemer City 2 (9 innings)
Kell 11, Lincoln Charter 6
Newton-Conover 14, West Lincoln 9
South Point 8, North Lincoln 4
Corvian Community 10, Piedmont Community 4

(Thursday, April 16)
Gaston Christian 16, Gaston Day 1 (3 innings)
North Gaston 17, Huss 0 (3 innings)
Burns 10, Cherryville 3
Lincoln Charter 14, Christ the King 0 (5 innings)
Cramer 10, Lincolnton 2
Crest 7, Chase 3

(Friday, April 17)
South Point 12, Ashbrook 2 (6 innings)
Kings Mountain 17, Forestview 2 (5 innings)
East Gaston 11, Shelby 3
West Lincoln 4, Highland Tech 0
East Lincoln 16, West Iredell 6 (5 innings)
North Lincoln 11, Newton-Conover 0 (5 innings)
Piedmont Community Charter 26, Sugar Creek Charter 3
Gaston Christian 10, Covenant Day 2

(Monday, April 20)
Ashbrook 14, Huss 12
Burns 11, Highland Tech 3
Cherryville 13, East Gaston 0 (5 innings)
North Lincoln 15, Bandys 2
South Point 7, Palisades 3
Piedmont Community Charter 12, Bessemer City Community Christian 4

(Tuesday, April 21)
North Gaston 13, Ashbrook 3 (5 innings): Reliever and winner Connor Bates (3 1/3 innings, 5 strikeouts as pitcher, 2 hits as batter) and Carter Mason (2 hits, double, 2 RBIs) led North Gaston.

Crest 15, Forestview 1 (5 innings)
South Point at Huss
East Gaston at West Lincoln
Shelby 13, Bessemer City 1 (5 innings)
Foard at East Lincoln
Lake Norman Charter 2, Lincoln Charter 0
Mountain Island Charter 5, Queen’s Grant 0
SouthLake Christian at Gaston Day
Hickory Christian Academy at Gaston Christian

(Wednesday, April 22)
Burns at Polk County
Charlotte Stampede at Mountain Island Charter
Forestview at Lincolnton
Lincoln Charter at North Lincoln
Highland Tech at Piedmont Community Charter
North Gaston at East Lincoln

(Thursday, April 23)
Crest at South Point
Cherryville at Cramer
Highland Tech at Burns
Lake Norman Charter at Lincoln Charter
Gaston Christian at SouthLake Christian
Gaston Day at Metrolina Christian

(Friday, April 24)
Ashbrook at Chambers
Huss at Forestview
Kings Mountain at North Gaston
Bessemer City at Shelby
Cramer at Cherryville
West Lincoln at East Gaston
East Lincoln at Hickory
Carolina International at Piedmont Community Charter
Mountain Island Charter at Jackson Day
Pinnacle Classical at Gaston Day

(Monday, April 27)
East Gaston at Cramer
Concord Academy at Gaston Christian
Highland Tech at Pinnacle Classical

(Tuesday, April 28)
Ashbrook at Kings Mountain
Crest at Huss
North Gaston at South Point
Bessemer City at Cherryville
Shelby at Burns
West Lincoln at Lincolnton
Bunker Hill at North Lincoln
East Lincoln at Maiden
Westminster Catawba at Gaston Day

(Wednesday, April 29)
Highland Tech at East Gaston
Burns at Crest
Cramer at Forestview
East Lincoln at Cherryville

(Thursday, April 30)
Crest at North Gaston
North Lincoln at Foard
Gaston Christian at Metrolina Christian
Gaston Day at Concord Academy

(Friday, May 1)
Forestview at Ashbrook
South Point at Kings Mountain
Burns at Shelby
Cherryville at Bessemer City
Cramer at East Gaston
Lincolnton at West Lincoln
Pinnacle Classical at Highland Tech

 

 

 

 

High school girls soccer

(Tuesday, April 21)
East Gaston 3, Lincolnton 2: Keegan Carpenter and Mia Goodson scored goals for East Gaston.

 

 

 

 

 

Pro soccer

The 2026 Charlotte FC schedule:

(4-2-2 record)
Saturday, Feb. 21 at St. Louis (T 1-1)
Saturday, Feb. 28 at L.A. Galaxy (L 0-3)
Saturday, March 7 Austin (W 3-1)
Saturday, March 14 Miami (T 0-0)
Saturday, March 21 New York Red Bulls (W 6-1)
Saturday, Apr. 4 Philadelphia (W 2-1)
Saturday, Apr. 11 Nashville (L 1-2)
Saturday, Apr. 18 at New York (W 2-1)
Wednesday, Apr. 22 at Orlando, 7:30 PM
Saturday, Apr. 25 at Nashville, 8:30 PM
Saturday, May 2 at New England, 7:30 PM
Saturday, May 9 Cincinnati, 7:30 PM
Wednesday, May 13 New York, 7:00 PM
Saturday, May 16 Toronto, 7:30 PM
Saturday, May 23 New England, 7:30 PM
Wednesday, July 22 Atlanta, 8:00 PM
Saturday, July 25 at New York Red Bulls, 7:30 PM
Saturday, Aug. 1 at Chicago, 8:30 PM
Saturday, Aug. 15 Columbus, 7:30 PM
Wednesday, Aug. 19 at Toronto, 7:30 PM
Saturday, Aug. 22 DC, 7:30 PM
Saturday, Aug. 29 at Atlanta, 7:30 PM
Saturday, Sept. 5 Houston, 7:30 PM
Wednesday, Sept. 9 at Montreal, 7:30 PM
Saturday, Sept. 12 at Cincinnati, 7:30 PM
Saturday, Sept. 19 at DC, 7:30 PM
Saturday, Sept. 26 Chicago, 7:30 PM
Saturday, Oct. 10 Dallas, 7:30 PM
Wednesday, Oct. 14 at Columbus, 7:30 PM
Saturday, Oct. 17 at Philadelphia, 2:30 PM
Saturday, Oct. 24 at Portland, 10:30 PM
Wednesday, Oct. 28 Montreal, 7:30 PM
Saturday, Oct. 31 Orlando, 1:00 PM
Saturday, Nov. 7 at Miami, 4:00 PM

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pro hockey

NHL playoff results/schedule for Carolina Hurricanes and Stanley Cup playoff pairings (*-if necessary):

(Eastern Conference Round 1)
-No. 1 Carolina Hurricanes vs. Wild Card No. 2 Ottawa Senators
Game 1: Saturday, April 18- at Carolina – Carolina 2-0
Game 2: Monday, April 20- at Carolina – Carolina 3-2 in 2 OT
Game 3: Thursday, April 23- at Ottawa (7:30 p.m., TBS)
Game 4: Saturday, April 25- at Ottawa (3 p.m., TBS/truTV)
*Game 5: Monday, April 27- at Carolina (TBD, TBD)
*Game 6: Thursday, April 30- at Ottawa (TBD, TBD)
*Game 7: Saturday, May 2- at Carolina (TBD, TBD)

-No. 2 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. No. 3 Philadelphia Flyers
-No. 1 Buffalo Sabres vs. Wild Card No. 1 Boston Bruins
-No. 2 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. No. 3 Montreal Canadiens

(Western Conference Round 1)
-No. 1 Colorado Avalanche vs. Wild Card No. 2 Los Angeles Kings
-No. 2 Dallas Stars vs. No. 3 Minnesota Wild
– -No. 1 Vegas Golden Knights vs. Wild Card No. 1 Utah Mammoth
-No. 2 Edmonton Oilers vs. No. 3 Anaheim Ducks

Calder Cup playoff results/schedule for Charlotte Checkers (*-if necessary):

(Atlantic Division First Round)
-No. 3 Charlotte vs. No. 6 Springfield
Game 1: Wednesday, April 22- at Charlotte (7 p.m.)
Game 2: Friday, April 24- at Charlotte (7 p.m.)
*Game 3: Saturday, April 25- at Charlotte (7 p.m.)

 

 

 

 

 

Middle school baseball

Gaston County Conference standings through April 20:

Stanley 8-0
Mount Holly 7-1
Belmont 7-2
Chavis 6-2
Cramerton 5-3
W.C. Friday 4-4
Bessemer City 4-5
Holbrook 2-6
York Chester 2-6
Grier 0-8
Southwest 0-8

The Gaston County Conference schedule:

(Monday, April 20)
Cramerton 8, Bessemer City 4
Belmont 5, W.C. Friday 2
York Chester 14, Grier 2
Stanley 15, Holbrook 0 (4 innings)
Mount Holly 21, Southwest 0 (3 innings)
BYE – Chavis

(Thursday, April 23)
Belmont at Chavis
York Chester at Cramerton
Stanley at W.C. Friday
Southwest at Grier
Mount Holly at Holbrook
BYE – Bessemer City
(Monday, April 27)
Bessemer City at York Chester
Chavis at Stanley
Cramerton at Southwest
W.C. Friday at Mount Holly
Grier at Holbrook
BYE – Belmont
(Thursday, April 30)
Semifinals: No. 4 at No. 1, No. 3 at No. 2
(Wednesday, May 6)
Baseball finals: Semifinal winners at highest remaining seed

 

 

 

 

 

 

Middle school girls soccer

Gaston County Conference standings through April 23:

Belmont 9-0
Cramerton 7-1
Mount Holly 6-2
W.C. Friday 6-2
Stanley 5-3
Chavis 4-4
Holbrook 3-5
York Chester 3-5
Bessemer City 2-7
Grier 0-8
Southwest 0-8

The Gaston County Conference schedule:

(Monday, April 20)
Cramerton 7, Bessemer City 0
Belmont 7, W.C. Friday 0
York Chester 6, Grier 1
Stanley 5, Holbrook 1
Mount Holly 3, Southwest 0
BYE – Chavis

(Thursday, April 23)
Belmont at Chavis
York Chester at Cramerton
Stanley at W.C. Friday
Southwest at Grier
Mount Holly at Holbrook
BYE – Bessemer City
(Monday, April 27)
Bessemer City at York Chester
Chavis at Stanley
Cramerton at Southwest
W.C. Friday at Mount Holly
Grier at Holbrook
BYE – Belmont
(Thursday, April 30)
Semifinals: No. 4 at No. 1, No. 3 at No. 2
(Wednesday, May 6)
Baseball finals: Semifinal winners at highest remaining seed

 

 

 

 

 

 

Middle school track

The Gaston County schedule

(Wednesday, March 18)
Bessemer City, Chavis, York Chester, Stanley at Stanley, ppd., no date
Grier, Belmont, Holbrook, Cramerton at Belmont

(Monday, March 23)
Cramerton, Grier, Chavis at Stuart Cramer

(Wednesday, March 25)
Stanley, Bessemer City, Holbrook, Southwest at Stanley: Stanley won both meets as the boys had 75 points and the girls 70. The boys finished ahead of Holbrook (58 1/2), Southwest (43 1/2) and Bessemer City (7) with the girls finishing ahead of Holbrook (69), Southwest (40) and Bessemer City (5).

Belmont, Mount Holly, W.C. Friday, York Chester at Belmont: Belmont won both meets as the boys had 111 points and the girls 76.7. The boys finished ahead of Mount Holly (40), W.C. Friday (22) and York Chester (11) with the girls finishing ahead of Mount Holly (73.8), W.C. Friday (31 1/2) and York Chester (2).

(Tuesday, March 31)
W.C. Friday, Mount Holly, Southwest at North Gaston

(Wednesday, April 1)
Holbrook, Stanley, Chavis, W.C. Friday at Bessemer City HS: Holbrook won both meets as the boys had 88 points and girls 72. The boys finished ahead of Stanley (72), W.C. Friday (15) and Chavis (9) with the girls finishing ahead of Stanley (62), W.C. Friday (31) and Chavis (16).

Mount Holly, York Chester, Southwest, Cramerton at Stanley

Belmont, Bessemer City, Grier at Belmont: Belmont won both meets as the boys had 98 points and the girls 77. The boys finished ahead of Grier (20) and Bessemer City (8) with the girls finishing ahead of Grier (40) and Bessemer City (9).

(Tuesday, April 14)
York Chester, Holbrook, Cramerton at Bessemer City HS: Cramerton won both meets as the boys had 68 points and the girls 65. The boys finished ahead of Holbrook (53) and York Chester (5) with the girls finishing ahead of Holbrook (61).

(Wednesday, April 15)
Southwest, Belmont, Grier, W.C. Friday at Belmont
Chavis, Mount Holly, Stanley, Bessemer City at Stanley

(Wednesday, April 22)
Division 1 Meet – Host: Southwest at Bessemer City HS
Division 2 Meet – Host: Stanley at Bessemer City HS

(Wednesday, April 29)
County Championship – Host: Cramerton at Stuart Cramer

 

 

 

 

 

Pro baseball

Nashville 5, Charlotte 1: The visiting Sounds snapped a scoreless tie with two runs in the seventh inning and three in the eighth to win the first game of a seven-game series. The second game is 6:35 p.m. on Wednesday.

Here is the full Charlotte Knights’ 2026 schedule:

(8-12 record 1st half)
March 27-29 Durham 3-0 (W 19-2, W 2-1 in 11, W 4-3)
March 31-April 5 at Nashville 1-4 (L 3-7, W 9-3, L 0-4, L 6-7, ppd, L 5-7)
April 7-12 Memphis 3-3 (L 4-9, W 7-3, L 1-4, W 9-8 in 10, L 4-6, W 13-4)
April 14-19 at Jacksonville 2-4 (L 0-3, L 2-3, L 3-5, L 1-4, W 2-0, W 9-4)
April 21-26 Nashville 0-1 (L 1-5)
April 28-May 3 Gwinnett
May 5-10 at Jacksonville
May 12-17 Norfolk
May 19-24 at Gwinnett
May 26-31 Jacksonville
June 2-7 at Durham
June 9-14 Oklahoma City
June 16-21 at Buffalo
June 23-28 Rochester
June 30-July 5 at Memphis
July 7-12 Nashville
July 17-19 at Durham
July 21-26 Norfolk
July 28-August 2 at Nashville
August 4-9 Durham
August 11-16 at Rochester
August 18-23 at Scranton-WB
August 25-30 Memphis
September 1-6 at Gwinnett
September 8-13 Buffalo
September 15-20 at Norfolk

Here is the full Gastonia Ghost Peppers’ 2026 schedule:

(0-0 record, 0-0 1st half, 0-0 2nd half)

-1st half
April 21-23 at High Point
April 24-26 High Point
April 28-May 3 at York
May 5-10 Southern Maryland
May 12-17 at Long Island
May 19-20 Charleston, W.Va.
May 22-24 at Charleston, W.Va.
May 26-28 at Lexington
May 29-31 Charleston, W.Va.
June 2-7 Lancaster
June 9-14 at Lexington
June 16-21 Staten Island
June 23-28 at Lexington
June 30-July 2 Lexington
-2nd half
July 3-5 Charleston, W.Va.
July 7-12 at Hagerstown
July 14-19 Lexington
July 21-26 at Charleston, W.Va.
July 28, 30-31-Aug. 2 Hagerstown
Aug. 4-6 Southern Maryland
Aug. 7-9 at Lexington
Aug. 11-16 at High Point
Aug. 18-23 Charleston, W.Va.
Aug. 25-30 at Southern Maryland
Sept. 1-6 High Point
Sept. 8-10 Lexington
Sept. 11-13 at High Point

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Auto racing

Here is the full 2026 NASCAR Cup Series schedule with race winners in parentheses:

Feb. 4 — Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium (Ryan Preece)
Feb. 15 — Daytona 500 (Tyler Reddick)
Feb. 22 — Atlanta (Reddick-2)
March 1 — Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas (Reddick-3)
March 8 — Phoenix (Ryan Blaney)
March 15 — Las Vegas (Denny Hamlin)
March 22 — Darlington, South Carolina (Reddick-4)
March 29 — Martinsville, Virginia (Chase Elliott)
April 5 — off weekend
April 12 — Bristol, Tennessee (Ty Gibbs)
April 19 — Kansas (Reddick-5)
April 26 — Talladega, Alabama
May 3 — Texas
May 10 — Watkins Glen, New York
May 17 — All-Star Race (Dover)
May 24 — Coca-Cola 600 (Charlotte)
May 31 — Nashville, Tennessee
June 7 — Michigan
June 14 — Pocono in Long Pond, Pennsylvania
June 21 — San Diego
June 28 — Sonoma, California
July 5 — Chicagoland
July 12 — Atlanta
July 19 — North Wilkesboro
July 26 — Brickyard 400 (Indianapolis)
Aug. 2 — off weekend
Aug. 9 — Iowa
Aug. 15 — Richmond, Virginia
Aug. 23 — New Hampshire
Aug. 29 — Daytona, Florida
Sept. 6 — Darlington
Sept. 13 — Gateway in Madison, Illinois
Sept. 19 — Bristol
Sept. 27 — Kansas
Oct. 4 — Las Vegas
Oct. 11 — Charlotte Roval
Oct. 18 — Phoenix
Oct. 25 — Talladega
Nov. 1 — Martinsville
Nov. 8 — Homestead, Florida

 

 

 

 

Rodeo

Professional Bull Riding Unleash the Beast tour schedule for Greensboro-based Carolina Cowboys:

Feb. 1 – Golden 1 Center Sacramento- Austin Gamblers (L 173.90-256.90)
Feb. 21 – Progressive PBR Jacksonville- Florida Freedom (L 158.70-169.25)
March 22 – Ram Trucks PBR Indianapolis- Nashville Stampede (W 88.70- 0.00)
(DNQ for playoffs)

Team Challenge playoff results
March 29 at Albuquerque: Semifinal- (No. 1 Missouri Thunder def. No. 4 Florida Freedom 83.65-0.00)
April 17 at Billings: Semifinal- (No. 2 Austin Gamblers def. No. 3 Kansas City Outlaws 87.10-84.50)
April 26 at Tacoma: Championship- (No. 1 Missouri Thunder vs. No. 2 Austin Gamblers)

Upcoming events:
April 26 – Cooper Tires PBR Tacoma
May 10 – PBR World Finals at Cowtown Coliseum
Sept. 18-20 – Greensboro First Horizon Coliseum Complex

 

 

Golf

The Rutherford County Sports Hall Of Fame (RCSHOF), presented by Hardin’s Drug, in conjunction with Golf Sponsors Forest City Honda and Chick-fil-A of Forest City, is pleased to announce that registration is now open for the 2026 T. Max Champion Memorial Golf Tournament.

The tournament will be held on Friday, July 31 at the Apple Vally Golf Course in Lake Luke, with a shotgun start at 9 a.m. Registration fee is $100.00 per player or $400.00 for a team of four and covers the green fee, cart usage and lunch.

First prize for Gross and Net Winners is $600.00 per team. Other prizes will be awarded based on the number of entries. Proceeds from the event go to support the RCSHOF Scholarship Fund and registration deadline is July 21.

For information or to register, please visit the RCSHOF website: https://www.rcshof.org/ or call Randy Page at 828-429-7773.