Previewing Gaston County Middle School baseball and girls soccer season
By Richard Walker
The 2021 baseball and girls soccer season begins on Monday. Here’s a look at the teams:
Baseball previews
Belmont
Head coach: Sam Pruitt (11th year)
Assistant coaches: Doug Waters, Ron Ensley
Returning players: Gavin Gibson, Patrick Blee, Landon King, Carsten Green, Ty Detweiler, Zeke Pruitt, Brody Crawford, Walker Spargo, Aydan Bradley, Blake Hartness, Chris Wurster
Newcomers: none listed
Cramerton
Head coach: Jason Cabe (2nd year)
Assistant coaches: Steven Craft, Ryan Magill
Returning players: P/IF Brock Bumgardner, P/IF Camden Tarbush, P/OF Isaac Aycock, IF/C Ashton Owenby
Newcomers: P/IF Braden Cunningham, OF Matthew De La Cruz, IF Graham Martin, P/IF Seth Artzner, P/IF Brock Windham, P/OF Coleman Schafer, IF/C Grayson Lunsford, C/IF Caden Browning, P/IF Owen Kelly, OF Jesse Ledford
W.C. Friday
Head coach: Max Fletcher (5th year)
Assistant coach: Adam Sellers
Returning players: IF/P Wyatt McSwain, C/3B Preston Martin, P/1B Caleb Cloninger, OF Carter Mason, 3B Andrew Hardy, OF Elijah Cunningham
Newcomers: OF-P Jackson Livingston, 3B/C Chandler Wooten, 2B Blake Mitchell
Holbrook
Head coach: Alex Wallace (2nd year)
Assistant coaches: Jake Stahl, Brandon Bridges, Garrison McDowell, Dylan Green
Returning players: Brayden Auten, Rylan Barber, Michael Bradbury, Brayden Cragnolin, Makylin Hinton, Dylan Jennings, Anthony McClain, Drew McCuen, Christian Meeks, Jordan Miller, David Proulx, Gavin Robinson
Newcomers: none listed
Mount Holly
Head coach: Mike Nixon (1st year)
Assistant coach Bill Biggs
Returning players: OF/P Mason Price, 1B Dylan Wright, IF/OF Mark O’Dell, C Cooper Collier
Newcomers: IF Dylan Rodkin, OF Kingston Womack
Southwest
Head coach: Scott Yamanashi (3rd year)
Assistant coach: Angela Harrell-Papworth
Returning players: OF Daniel Diaz-Rodriguez, OF/IF Paul Love, P/C/IF Jacob White, P/C/OF Jayden Onativia
Newcomers: none listed
Stanley
Head coach: Tyler Radford (7th year)
Assistant coaches: Richard Hawley, Scott Young
Returning players: Dylan Howell, Destry Ballard, Payton Matthews, Houston Summey, Nah Taylor, Parker Stafford, Nic Stutsman, Zane Dodd, Jackson Messer, Dillon Burch, Carter Hilderbran
Newcomers: Cameron Barnette, Nathan Lewis, Caleb Smith, Blake Wilkerson, Seth Massey, Jack Scholz, Luke Bryant
York Chester
Head coach: Jason Huffstetler (4th year)
Assistant coach: Matt Florence
Returning players: SS Brandon Rice, RF Apollo Fisher, 1B Johnny Lumine
Newcomers: Zamarrius Gladden, Lamarion Adams, Ayden Bates, Zacchaus Lynch, Jameson Nelson, Chrishon Williams
No information submitted from: Bessemer City, Chavis, Grier
Girls soccer previews
Belmont
Head coach: Jennifer del Castillo (5th year)
Assistant coaches: none
Returning players: F Grace Maynard, D Lana Fayed, D Natalie Peabody
Newcomers: MF Mackenzie Crill, GK Bella Goodwin, D Karsyn Lowman, D Madison Pruden
Cramerton
Head coach: Ray Cloyd (1st year)
Assistant coach: Joe Devine
Returning players: F Reegan Racz, MF Londyn Maitra, MF Katie Fangman, MF Alayna Janik, F Lilly West
Newcomers: MF Ava Cabe, MF Jyi’Yanna Watkins
Holbrook
Head coach: Del Barajas (1st year)
Assistant coaches: none
Returning players: Ellia Barajas, Alyssa Carson, Jocelyn DaRosa, Brianna Espinosa, Abby Fallin, Tupelo Guzauskas, Makayla Hill, Dawt Hniang, Cadence Horne, Miliani Juan Callejas, Amani Neely, Isis Perez Ayala, Reece Williams, Marley Wise
Newcomers: none listed
Mount Holly
Head coach: Daniel Poole (5th year)
Assistant coaches: none
Returning players: F Camryn Clawson, CAM Olivia Michael, CB Lily Price, FB Kasey Anthony, GK Alex Ferens
Newcomers: CDM Mallory Hall, W Sara Pawlish, FB Ella Wise
Southwest
Head coach: Michelle Kennedy (3rd year)
Assistant coach: Andrea Thompson
Returning players: MF Neveah Pena
Newcomers: none listed
Stanley
Head coach: Emily Mullins (4th year)
Assistant coach: Brooke Scoggins
Returning players: Patience Shaw, Tessa Self, Sasha Harrelson, Gracie Hullett, Halle Rodney, Macy Miller, Makayla Deal, Laney Clark, Mattie Queen, Ella Queen, Giovana Andrade
Newcomers: Breanna Love, Kayla Maiers, Lanie Alexa Mitchell, Brandy Layne, Lily King, Alannah Chaney, Payton Lenox
No information submitted from: Bessemer City, Chavis, W.C. Friday, Grier, York Chester