7-26-21 roundup: Legion baseball, College football, Pro baseball

By Richard Walker

Cherryville American Legion Post 100’s baseball program has long been successful.

On Monday around 5 p.m., Post 100’s Junior American Legion team added to that history by wrapping up its first N.C. state title.

Cherryville rallied from deficits of 2-1 and 3-2 with an eight-run top of the sixth inning as it knocked off fellow Area IV team Matthews 11-4 at High Point’s Finch Field to take its historic victory.

Coach Stan Haynes’ team finished the season with a 19-4 overall record and became the sixth Area IV team to win a state championship in the last eight tournaments.

Relief pitcher Kanon Willis of Cherryville High got the pitching victory for Post 100, whose roster also included Cherryville High’s Brayden Reynolds, Eli Newsome, Talon Dalton, Chase Miller, Noah Hollingsworth, Logan Hendrick and Tobias Miller, Kings Mountain High’s Ethan Guy, Lincolnton High’s Will Blackburn and Easton Dellinger and West Lincoln High’s Houston Jenkins, Grayson Gilbert, Evan Hartsoe, Collin Huss and Zander Harrelson.

Haynes’ assistant coaches were Blake McLeymore and Jeff Williams.

Cherryville now has seven N.C. Senior Legion state titles and one Junior Legion state title in addition to 1,595 all-time victories dating back to 1937 entering Wednesday’s N.C. state tournament Cherryville is hosting at Fraley Field.

Cherryville’s Junior Legion program had previously made three other state tournament appearances – finishing fourth in 2005, seventh in 2007 and third in 2008.

This year, Post 100 went 2-1 in pool play then 2-0 in the single-elimination semifinals and finals. Cherryville lost 11-9 to host High Point last Thursday, then beat Davidson County (18-8), Kinston (7-3), Carson (10-4) and Matthews the next four days.

Here is an updated list of N.C. Junior Legion state championship results:

2001 Fuquay-Varina 8, Wayne County 0
2002 Cary d. Wayne County
2003 Snow Hill d. unknown
2004 Cary 8, Surry County 1
2005 South Caldwell 4, Kinston 0
2006 Cary 3-3-4, Southern Alamance 7-0-0
2007 Kernersville 5, Cary 4
2008 Cary 5, Mooresville 2
2009 Mooresville 7, Rutherford County 1
2010 West Johnston 9, Mooresville 2
2011 West Johnston 1, South Caldwell 0
2012 Cary 8, Mooresville 1
2013 Mint Hill Army 9, Kernersville 3
2014 South Caldwell 8, Swansboro 1
2015 Davidson County 7, South Caldwell 6
2016 Rutherford County 8, Bear Grass 7
2017 South Caldwell 4, Concord 2
2018 Windsor 10, Mocksville 0 (5 innings)
2019 R-S Central 4, South Rowan 3
2020 no season/coronavirus
2021 Cherryville 11, Matthews 4

 

 

Senior Legion baseball

Here is the full tournament schedule for the 2021 state championship that will be held at Cherryville’s Fraley Field:

Wednesday, July 28
Port City vs. Rowan County, 10 a.m.
Rutherford County vs. Wilmington, 1 p.m.
Kannapolis vs. Fuquay-Varina, 4 p.m.
Wayne County vs. Cherryville, 7 p.m.

Thursday, July 29
Kannapolis vs. Rutherford County, 10 a.m.
Wayne County vs. Port City, 1 p.m.
Wilmington vs. Fuquay-Varina, 4 p.m.
Rowan County vs. Cherryville, 7 p.m.

Friday, July 30
Rutherford County vs. Fuquay-Varina, 10 a.m.
Wayne County vs. Rowan County, 1 p.m.
Port City vs. Cherryville, 4 p.m.
Kannapolis vs. Wilmington, 7 p.m.

Saturday, July 31
Semifinals at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 1
Championship game at time to be determined

Ticket prices are the following:

Wednesday-Friday: $15 per session (2 sessions per day) or $20 day pass

Saturday: $15

Sunday: $10

All-tournament pass: $50

 

 

 

 

College football

Six-time defending ACC champion Clemson is the overwhelming favorite to repeat in voting done by media members at last week’s ACC Kickoff event in Charlotte.

The Tigers, who have won every league championship game since 2015, were picked as the overall champion on 125 of 147 votes cast.

North Carolina, with 16 votes, is second. Others receiving championship votes were Miami (3), Georgia Tech (1), N.C. State (1) and Virginia (1).

Clemson received 146 of 147 votes to win its seventh straight Atlantic Division; N.C. State received the other vote.

North Carolina was picked first on 109 of 147 ballots to win the Coastal Division. Other teams receiving first-place votes were Miami (28), Georgia Tech (4), Virginia Tech (3), Virginia (2) and Pittsburgh (1).

Here’s the preseason picks for the ACC divisional finishes:

Atlantic Division
1. Clemson
2. N.C. State
3. Boston College
4. Florida State
5. Wake Forest
6. Louisville
7. Syracuse

Coastal Division
1. North Carolina
2. Miami
3. Virginia Tech
4. Pittsburgh
5. Virginia
6. Georgia Tech
7. Duke

 

 

 

 

Pro baseball

The Gastonia Honey Hunters had a day off on Monday before returning to Atlantic League of Professional Baseball action on Tuesday with a three-game home series against the High Point Rockers.

The Honey Hunter Hunters (23-29) host the Rockers at 6:50 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.