6-24-22 roundup: Pro basketball, baseball and soccer, Legion baseball, College baseball and athletics
By Richard Walker
Gastonia’s Isaiah Whaley has agreed to an Exhibit 10 contract with the Charlotte Hornets after he went undrafted in Thursday’s 2022 NBA Draft.
A former Grier Middle School and Ashbrook High School standout, Whaley just completed a five-year career at Connecticut with averages of 6.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.5 blocked shots in 138 games (72 starts).
By signing an Exhibit 10 deal, Whaley essentially has a one-year, non-guaranteed contract with built-in clauses that would enable the Hornets to convert his deal into a two-way contract with time likely spent between playing for the Hornets and the franchise’s G-League affiliate the Greensboro Swarm.
The Hornets brought in Whaley for two workout sessions during their 97 pre-NBA draft workouts from late May into mid June.
On Friday, the Hornets introduced their two Thursday draft selections – No. 15 overall pick of Mark Williams from Duke and No. 40 overall pick Bryce McGowens from Nebraska. Williams will wear jersey No. 5 and McGowens No. 7, meaning 2021 first round pick James Bouknight will be changing his jersey number from No. 5 to something else.
Legion baseball
Cleveland County 12, Davidson County 3: Colby Humphries (pitching win, 5 strikeouts, 2 hits), Boone Cartee (2 hits), Tyler Smart (2 hits), Colby Putnam (2 hits, home run) led Cleveland County.
Gastonia 5, Matthews 4: Nate Williams (game-winning RBI in 7th inning), Chandler Meeks (2 hits, 2 RBIs) and Parker Curell (2 innings, pitching win in relief) led Gastonia.
Mint Hill 11, Gaston Braves 2: Caleb Burr (2 hits, 1 RBI) and Gavin Blackwood (1 hit, 1 RBI) led the Braves.
NORTH-SOUTH CHALLENGE (at Fraley Field, Cherryville)
Rutherford County 6, Fort Mill, S.C. 5 (8 innings)
Cherryville vs. Fort Mill, S.C., 7:30 p.m.
Junior Legion baseball
Area IV East Division standings (through Friday):
Matthews 9-1
Burns 9-1
Shelby 5-4
Dallas 6-5
Belmont 5-7
Cherryville 4-6
Stuart Cramer 2-8
Gaston Christian 1-9
(Friday’s game)
Cherryville 22, Belmont 16
(Saturday’s game)
Matthews at Burns
Pro football
Former East Lincoln and Lincolnton standout Sage Surratt and the Birmingham Stallions begin their pursuit of a United States Football League title on Saturday with a semifinal playoff game.
A receiver for the Birmingham Stallions, Surratt has helped his team to a 9-1 record and the No. 1 seed in the South Division entering Saturday’s 8 p.m. nationally-televised NBC contest against meet No. 2 North Division seed New Orleans (6-4).
The other USFL semifinal pits No. 1 North Division seed New Jersey (9-1) against No. 2 South Division seed Philadelphia (6-4) at 3 p.m. nationally-televised FOX contest on Saturday.
Saturday’s winner advance to a 7:30 p.m. nationally-televised FOX contest on July 3.
A 2017 Lincolnton High graduate who played three of his four years of high school athletics at East Lincoln, Surratt has caught 11 passes for 148 yards this season.
Pro baseball
Gastonia’s scheduled game at Southern Maryland was postponed by weather on Friday and will be made up as part of a 5 p.m. Saturday doubleheader.
Gastonia (38-17) remains atop the South Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. Southern Maryland (42-14) has already clinched the North Division first half title and has the ALPB’s best record.
The full Gastonia Honey Hunters’ 2022 schedule (Games times 6:15 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 4:15 on Sunday):
April (8-1)
21 Lancaster, Pa. (L 2-5)
22 Lancaster, Pa. (W 4-3)
23 Lancaster, Pa. (W 8-1)
24 Lancaster, Pa. (W 13-4)
26 Wild Health, Ky. (W 12-1)
27 Wild Health, Ky. (W 17-4)
28 Wild Health, Ky. (W 6-4)
29 Staten Island (W 5-4)
30 Staten Island (W 6-5)
May (16-10)
1 Staten Island (W 10-5)
3 at York, Pa. (W 3-1)
4 at York, Pa. (L 4-5 in 10)
5 at York, Pa. (W 12-7)
6 at Staten Island (ppd.)
7 at Staten Island (ppd.)
8 at Staten Island (W 4-1)
8 at Staten Island (W 7-2)
10 at So. Maryland (W 2-0)
11 at So. Maryland (L 0-4)
12 at So. Maryland (L 2-4)
13 at Staten Island (ppd.)
14 at Staten Island (ppd.)
15 at Staten Island (L 1-2)
15 at Staten Island (W 1-0)
16 at Staten Island (W 8-3)
17 So. Maryland (L 4-5)
18 So. Maryland (L 6-8)
19 So. Maryland (W 13-1)
20 Charleston, W.Va.(W 12-10)
21 Charleston, W.Va.(W 6-4)
22 Charleston, W.Va.(L 1-8)
24 at Lancaster, Pa.(W 2-1)
25 at Lancaster, Pa.(L 3-13)
26 at Lancaster, Pa.(L 1-4)
27 at Long Island (W 5-3)
28 at Long Island (W 10-3)
29 at Long Island (W 3-2)
30 at Long Island (W 5-2)
31 Long Island (L 7-8)
June (14-6)
1 Long Island (L 9-10 in 11)
2 Long Island (L 0-5)
3 at High Point (W 5-4)
4 at High Point (W 8-3)
5 at High Point (W 8-3)
7 at Charleston,W.Va.(L 5-7)
8 at Charleston,W.Va.(W 6-0)
9 at Charleston,W.Va.(W 3-2)
10 High Point (W 7-6)
11 High Point (W 6-4)
12 High Point (W 9-5)
14 Charleston, W.Va. (L 4-6)
15 Charleston, W.Va. (W 14-7)
16 Charleston, W.Va. (W 2-0)
17 at Lexington, Ky. (W 6-1)
18 at Lexington, Ky. (L 2-3 in 10)
19 at Lexington, Ky. (W 4-0 in 11)
21 Charleston, W.Va. (W 8-7)
22 Charleston, W.Va. (L 1-4)
23 Charleston, W.Va. (W 5-4)
24 at So. Maryland (ppd.)
25 at So. Maryland
25 at So. Maryland
26 at So. Maryland
28 Wild Health, Ky.
29 Wild Health, Ky.
30 Wild Health, Ky.
July
1 at Lexington, Ky.
2 at Lexington, Ky.
3 at Lexington, Ky.
4 High Point
–end of 1st half of season
5 High Point
6 at High Point
7 at High Point
8 High Point
9 High Point
10 High Point
12 at Wild Health, Ky.
13 at Wild Health, Ky.
14 at Wild Health, Ky.
15 Lexington, Ky.
16 Lexington, Ky.
17 Lexington, Ky.
19 at York, Pa.
20 at York, Pa.
21 at York, Pa.
22 at High Point
23 at High Point
24 at High Point-
26 Lexington, Ky.
27 Lexington, Ky.
28 Lexington, Ky.
29 York, Pa.
30 York, Pa.
31 York, Pa.
August
2 at Lexington, Ky.
3 at Lexington, Ky.
4 at Lexington, Ky.
5 High Point
6 High Point
7 High Point
9 Staten Island
10 Staten Island
11 Staten Island
12 at High Point
13 at High Point
14 at High Point
16 So. Maryland
17 So. Maryland
18 So. Maryland
19 High Point
20 High Point
21 High Point
23 at Charleston,W.Va.
24 at Charleston,W.Va.
25 at Charleston,W.Va.
26 at High Point
27 at High Point
28 at High Point
30 High Point
31 High Point
September
1 High Point
2 Wild Health, Ky.
3 Wild Health, Ky.
4 Wild Health, Ky.
6 at Wild Health, Ky.
7 at Wild Health, Ky.
8 at Wild Health, Ky.
9 Lexington, Ky.
10 Lexington, Ky.
11 Lexington, Ky.
13 at High Point
14 at High Point
15 at High Point
16 at Charleston,W.Va.
17 at Charleston,W.Va.
18 at Charleston,W.Va.
Pro soccer
Here’s the full Charlotte FC MLS schedule for the 2022 season (with results):
(6-8-2 record)
Feb. 26 at D.C. (L 0-3)
March 5, L.A. (L 0-1)
March 13, at Atlanta (L 1-2)
March 19, New England (W 3-1)
March 26, Cincinnati (W 2-0)
April 2, at Philadelphia (L 0-2)
April 10, Atlanta (W 1-0)
April 16, at New England (L 1-2)
April 23, at Colorado (T 0-0)
April 30, at Orlando (L 1-2)
May 7, Miami (W 1-0)
May 14, Montreal (L 0-2)
May 22, Vancouver (W 2-1)
May 29, at Seattle (L 1-2)
June 11, New York (W 2-0)
June 18, at Columbus (T 1-1)
June 25, at Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
June 30, Austin, 7 p.m.
July 3, at Houston, 8:30 p.m.
July 9, Nashville, 7 p.m.
July 16, at Miami, 8 p.m.
July 23, at Toronto, 7:30 p.m.
July 30, Columbus, 7 p.m.
August 3, D.C., 7 p.m.
August 6, Chicago, 7 p.m.
August 13, at LAFC, 10:30 p.m.
August 17, at New York City, TBD
August 21, Orlando, 7 p.m.
August 27, Toronto, 7 p.m.
September 3, at Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m.
September 10, New York City, 7 p.m.
September 17, at Chicago, 8 p.m.
October 1, Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
October 9, at New York, TBD
Auto racing
The 2022 NASCAR cup schedule (with winners):
Feb. 6 Busch Light Clash (Joey Logano)
Feb. 17 Bluegreen Vacations Duel 1 (Brad Keselowski)
Feb. 17 Bluegreen Vacations Duel 2 (Chris Buescher)
Feb. 20 Daytona 500 (Austin Cindric)
Feb. 27 Wise Power 400 (Kyle Larson)
Mar. 6 Pennzoil 400 (Alex Bowman)
Mar. 13 Ruoff Mortgage (Chase Briscoe)
Mar. 20 Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 (William Byron)
Mar. 27 EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix (Ross Chastain)
Apr. 3 Toyota Owners (Denny Hamlin)
Apr. 9 Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 400 (William Byron-2)
Apr. 17 Food City Dirt Race (Kyle Busch)
Apr. 24 Geico 500 (Ross Chastain-2)
May 2 DuraMAX Drydene 400 (Chase Elliott)
May 8 Goodyear 400 (Joey Logano)
May 15 AdventHealth 400 (Kurt Busch)
May 22 NASCAR All-Star Open (Daniel Suarez)
May 22 NASCAR All-Star (Ryan Blaney)
May 29 Coca-Cola 600 (Denny Hamlin-2)
June 5 Enjoy Illinois 300 (Joey Logano-2)
June 12 Toyota/Save Mart 350 (Daniel Suarez)
June 26 Ally 400
July 3 Kwik Trip 250
July 10 Quaker State 400
July 17 Ambetter 301
July 24 NASCAR Cup Series at Pocono
July 31 Verizon 200 at the Brickyard
Aug. 7 FireKeepers Casino 400
Aug. 14 Federated Auto Parts 400
Aug. 21 Go Bowling at The Glen
Aug. 27 Coke Zero Sugar 400
Sept. 4 Cook Out Southern 500
Sept. 11 Hollywood Casino 400
Sept. 17 Bass Pro Shops Night Race
Sept. 24 AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 500
Oct. 2 YellaWood 500
Oct. 9 Bank of America ROVAL 400
Oct. 16 South Point 400
Oct. 23 Dixie Vodka 400
Oct. 30 Xfinity 500
Nov. 6 NASCAR Cup Series Championship
College baseball
College World Series Finals at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Neb.
(Best-of-three series)
Game 1 (June 25) Oklahoma vs. Mississippi, 7 p.m. on ESPN
Game 2 (June 26) Oklahoma vs. Mississippi, 7 p.m. on ESPN
Game 3 (June 27 if necessary) Oklahoma vs. Mississippi, 7 p.m. on ESPN