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Six more Watauga athletes celebrated for commitments to ‘play at the next level’

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Six more Watauga athletes celebrated for commitments to ‘play at the next level’

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — There were several common themes expressed by the six Watauga High School student-athletes recognized on March 10 for their commitment to play football at the college level. Some thanked God, but all expressed appreciation for their parents and family members, their coaches, the team athletic trainers, their teammates, and the High Country area community members who supported the team during the young men’s participation at Watauga.

But one number shared by head coach Ryan Habich during his introductory remarks stood out — and deservedly drew the most raucous applause from the parents, teachers, friends and fellow students packing the north grandstands in Lentz-Eggers Gym: 4.17.

That was the aggregated GPA of all six athletes combined, 4.17.

Former App State head coach Jerry Moore stood for a photo op with Trey Thompson and his famlly. Photographic image by David Rogers

In offering his introductory observations, Habich said he appreciated all of the great contributions to the Watauga football team from the guys as football players, “…but they are even better young men.”

Habich added, “As they did in high school, we know these players will continue to represent Watauga County in a positive way.”

Habich called each player to the podium to speak, but he provided some highlights for each one before they took to the microphone.

Will Curtis

“Will has committed to Wheaton College (Wheaton, Illinois) to play running back. Will was a two-year starter at running back and cornerback and was a two-time, First Team all-Northwestern Conference selection. This year, Will had a major role not only on offense but was also a starter at the corner on defense. On offense, Will rushed for 1,323 yards and scored 26 touchdowns. On defense, Will had 24 total tackles, 1 sack, 3 pass breakups, and one interception. We are excited about Will’s future at Wheaton College.”

Will Curtis and family. Photographic image by David Rogers

Carlton Horine

“Carlton has committed to East Tennessee State University to play linebacker and strong safety. Carlton was a 3-year starter at multiple positions on offense and defense. He was a 3-time all-Conference player. He was our starting QB his sophomore year and helped lead the team to a conference championship during the COVID-19 season. This year, as a senior on defense he had 54 total tackles, two tackles for loss, 3 pass breakups, and four interceptions. On offense, Carlton rushed for 186 yards and two TDs, and had two pass receptions for 42 yards and one TD. We are excited about Carlton’s future at ETSU.”

Isaiah Shirley

“Isaiah has committed to North Carolina State University to play defensive end. He was a 3-year starter at defensive end and tight end and a 3-time all-Conference player. As a freshman, he had an interception against Weddington in the 2019 NCHSAA 4A West championship game. This year, as a senior on defense he had 51 total tackles, 7 sacks and 16 tackles for loss, even with opposing teams running away from him. On offense, he had six receptions for 60 yards and one TD along with being the primary blocker on our run plays. We are excited about Isaiah’s future at NC State. He is actually attending classes there now and practiced with the NC State football team this morning before driving back up her to participate in this ceremony.”

Levi Temple and Isaiah Shirley, (third and fourth from left, are both committed to NC State, with family members. Photographic image by David Rogers

Trey Thompson

“Trey has committed to Davidson College to play running back. He was a 3-year varsity player and starter at the running back position. He was a two-time First Team all-Conference selection. He played both the B-back and wing-back positions in our offense. Trey led the team in rushing his junior year. Despite missing some games his senior year due to injuries, he was able to still rush for over 1,400 yards and 12 TDs during his junior and senior seasons. We are excited about Trey’s future at Davidson College.”

Cole Horine

“Cole has committed to East Tennessee State University to play linebacker and strong safety. He was a 3-year starter at wing-back and defensive back and a two-time First Team all-Northwestern Conference selection. Cole played a lot of football, going both ways for three straight seasons. This year, as a senior on defense Cole had 42 total tackles, one tackle for loss, 8 pass breakups, and four pass interceptions. On offense, he rushed for 229 yards and one TD, and had nine pass receptions for 140 yards and four touchdowns. We are excited about Cole’s future at ETSU.”

Cole and Carlton Horine celebrated with family members, including their mother Mary, in center. Photographic image by David Rogers

Levi Temple

“Levi has committed to NC State University to play linebacker. Levi was a 3-year varsity athlete playing multiple positions on offense and linebacker on defense. He was First Team all-Conference his junior season. During his junior season, he had 35 tackles, 3 quarterback sacks, and five tackles for loss. Levi worked very hard in the offseason and was going to be one of the top linebackers in the Northwestern Conference his senior year. Unfortunately, he suffered a torn ACL in the first game of the season and was not able to play on the field. But Levi was still a huge part of our success this year, leading his team and being the team’s vocal leader throughout his senior year. We are excited about Levi’s future at NC State University.”

A table was setup near the podium with memorabilia from the players high school careers and the colleges they will be attending. Photographic image by David Rogers

In his closing remarks, Habich said, “They say when your best athletes are your hardest working players, you have a chance to be good. There is no doubt these six athletes were among the hardest-working players. They allowed us to have another successful football season on and off the field.”

Habich underlined the “blue collar” work ethic that his program aspires to instill in all of the student-athletes who participate in the Watauga football program. “They are not primadonnas and understand the importance of putting the team first, ready to play wherever they are need to help the team succeed.”

App State falls just short in slugfest vs. Fighting Camels

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App State falls just short in slugfest vs. Fighting Camels

By Matt Present for App State Sports. BOONE, N.C. – After trailing by as much as eight runs in the middle innings, App State put the winning run on base in the ninth, but ultimately was unable to deliver the final blow, as the Mountaineers fell to Campbell, 16-15, March 10, at Smith Stadium.

Trailing by five runs heading to the bottom of the ninth inning, App State sent nine men to the plate in the frame, plating four runs. The scoring was highlighted RBI singles from Hayden Cross and Austin St. Laurent, with Dylan Rogers coming through with a two-run single to pull App State to within a run. After a walk to Hunter Wilder put the winning run on base, Alex Reed worked the count full before swinging and missing at the payoff pitch to end the ballgame.

The Mountaineers (8-4) and 24th ranked Camels (11-2) combined for 36 hits and eight home runs on the day.

App State held a pair of early leads, going ahead 2-0 in the first inning, and 4-2 in the third inning, before tying the ballgame at five runs apiece in the fifth.

Campbell batted around in the sixth inning, scoring six runs, on a pair of two-run home runs to go in front, 11-5.

Trailing 13-5 in the seventh inning, the Mountaineers scored three runs to begin their comeback, on a three-run home run from Rogers, his third of the season.

After Campbell answered with two runs in the eighth, the Mountaineers responded with a three-run eighth, highlighted by a Golston Gillespie two-run home run, his second home run of the year, over the wall in right field to make it 15-11.

St. Laurent led the offense with a career-high five hits and five RBIs, including a third inning homer which made it 4-2 App State. Luke Drumheller also enjoyed a four-hit game for App State, while Cross and Rogers also tallied three hits apiece.

Jake Beaty turned in a scoreless ninth for the Mountaineers out of the bullpen, and has not allowed an earned run through the first five outings of his career.

Game two of the series is set for Saturday at 3 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+.

A Remarkable Sporting Life: A lost team contribution

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By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — When I was growing up in Bakersfield, Calif., the concept of team was not lost on me but playing sports was personal. That’s because I didn’t have a chance to participate in school sports other than in recess.

It wasn’t that I was devoid of athletic ability. No, it was just because we lived 15 miles out in the middle of the oilfields where my father worked. I had to take the big yellow bus back and forth to school.

When I broached the idea of riding a bicycle the 15 miles each way, my parents simply said “no.” They said it was too dangerous with the heavy oilfield truck traffic, narrow two-lane highways, and the frequent foggy mornings and nights when “tule fog” enveloped the Central Valley and you couldn’t see the hood ornament on your car, much less a crazy kid up ahead, riding a bicycle on a state or county highway.

Looking back, they were probably right even if the athlete in me felt deprived — and I hated being “economically disadvantaged” and resented where we lived just that much more. Frankly, it was pretty selfish of me to resent what we didn’t have and not appreciate what we did have. As a kid, I didn’t know or understand the significance of my being only one generation removed from the Dust Bowl migration that my parents and their siblings somehow survived by migrating from Oklahoma and Texas to Central California as farm and oilfield laborers. They had virtually nothing upon arrival except hopes for something better.

So when I graduated from high school I wanted in the worst way to get out of the area and go to a small college where I might have an opportunity to play sports, if I proved good enough.

I chose an experimental college, Johnston College at the University of Redlands, a private institution about 60 miles directly east of Los Angeles. I remember Redlands as being one of the last outposts of civilization before you got into the Mojave Desert.

From an academic standpoint, Johnston was an intriguing educational model. I was the first freshman admitted to the school and we were even written up in Time magazine (Oct. 3, 1969 issue) as “the most radical experiment in higher education” of the time. It was all about “the living-learning experience.” Looking back, it was radical inasmuch as we designed our own curriculum and students fashioned many of the classes. One of the first mature decisions I made was to transfer after a year, to Claremont McKenna College, because I knew I wasn’t ready for Johnston’s lack of structure.

At Johnston, though, we were able to go out for the larger, University of Redlands athletic teams. One of my first friends in college was a fellow named “Jim” and he was an accomplished high school wrestler. Of course, he encouraged me to join the Redlands varsity team. Me, the wide-eyed freshman who knew little or nothing about wrestling — much less the difference between “riding time” and a “whizzer,” said “yes.”

I bring this up now because in covering the SoCon Wrestling Championships this past weekend hosted at the Holmes Convocation Center, my active mind started reflecting back on my own brief experience in the sport, at the college level, no less. Of course, the guys from Appalachian State, Chattanooga, Campbell, Davidson, Gardner-Webb and the like were far better athletes and much better skilled than the 1969 Redlands team, except for maybe one guy.

Our 142-pounder, Bobby Morrison, was an NAIA All-American all four years while competing for Redlands. He was the captain of our small team. Even though I was brand new to the sport and had no match experience of any kind, I quickly became the No. 2 guy for Redlands in the 157 lb. weight class. That’s only because there was no No. 3 or No. 4.

From time to time, I was pitted against Bobby, the All-American, in our practice bouts. Bobby told me at the end of the season that the thing he hated most about practices that year was when he had to wrestle against me. Now that may seem like a compliment, but it wasn’t really. I had little to no skill, but what I did have was a large wingspan and I was pretty strong. As much as he tried every trick in the book, I never once remember him turning me over for a pin, or what the scorekeepers this Saturday recorded as a “fall.”

Making weight is often a challenge for wrestlers. My normal weight was 165 back then, so getting down to 157 took at least an effort for the lean young man that I now wistfully remember I was. Every week before a meet or tournament, I always made weight — even though there was not a ghost of a chance that I would ever see the mat in competition.

And that is where this life lesson reaches a critical turn. All my Redlands teammates did pretty well at the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference meet and the next team competition for us was the larger regional competition, the “District” tournament. The NAIA was the larger national organization for the small school athletic conferences back then. The NCAA Division III wasn’t organized for another few years, in 1973. So, for the small colleges and universities, a team qualifying for an NAIA District-level competition was pretty heady stuff.

All of our Redlands team members weighed in successfully for the District meet, except one: “John,” at (you guessed it) the 157 lb. weight class. We scrambled to do everything we could to get his weight down that morning. He did jumping jacks and crunches until he worked up a sweat. He sat in a sauna.  And the whole team worked him over with towels, trying to get every speck of water weight off his body.

Our efforts failed. He was still half a pound over when the final weigh-ins came.

And there begins my tale of early regret.

The head coach came to me almost apologetically and said, “Well, David, it is up to you whether you want to take John’s place at 157 lbs. None of us expect you to.” Boy, talk about a confidence builder!

In short, I was paralyzed by the opportunity as well as the coach’s words. He knew damn well that I was nowhere close to being ready for District-level competition. I hadn’t even wrestled in a dual match. I was the tackling dummy for our team practices. It would have been insane for me to go out there and what would surely be an embarrassing first competitive outing.

None of my teammates said a word. No one pressured me because I might deliver a team point or two in someone’s wildest dreams. They also knew it would be like throwing lambs to hungry wolves.

So I declined. Not as a teammate, but as an individual I said “no.” I put my potential individual embarrassment, even if it was certain, ahead of the team’s interests.

Here we are, 54 years later, and I have learned a thing or two about putting personal pride over team goals. Watching the individual App State athletes exult in their individual efforts toward the Mountaineers’ team victory this past Saturday kind of rubbed it in for me. In 1969, I made the wrong choice.

I should have put the potential for individual embarrassment aside.  I should have wrestled. I should have competed. That’s what sports is all about. That is what I had trained for. Perhaps a miracle would have happened and I earned the team a point or two. You just never know in sports. That’s why they play the games and don’t let the seedings or reputations determine the winners or losers. If an All-American couldn’t pin me, maybe another guy would have trouble, too.

In retrospect, I lost an opportunity for being the champion of an individual effort for a larger cause. Nobody but me will remember that I chose not to compete at the District tournament. I was an afterthought, at best. But oh, if I had won a round or even two and helped put the team on the victory stand, a few gray-haired old men might still have their tongues a-waggin’ about it.

Bombs away! Greene, Salinas, Ray lead Pioneers in 17-0 win over Allegheny

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Bombs away! Greene, Salinas, Ray lead Pioneers in 17-0 win over Allegheny

By David Rogers. WILKESBORO, N.C. — Asked to choose the most impactful play in Watauga baseball’s 17-0 win over Allegheny in the third round of the non-conference tournament at West Wilkes, the answer might be one of several. And, truth be told, the Pioneers’ Maddox Greene likely was involved, directly or indirectly.

Was it Greene’s fielding a sharply hit ground ball and throw to first to get a third out in the first inning, with Allegheny having the bases loaded? Instead, they left three men stranded on base.

Was it Greene ripping a triple down the left field line at the start of the bottom half of the third inning? The ball rolled under the left fielder’s stab at it and rolled all the way to the fence. There might have been a temptation for Greene to try for an inside-the-park home run, but instead he was smartly satisfied with the 3-bagger.

Perhaps it was Greene scoring on teammate Tristan Salinas’ home run over the centerfield fence in the bottom of the fourth inning — on his first at-bat during the stanza. That put the Pioneers ahead 10-0 and the game subject to the high school “mercy rule” if only they could keep Allegheny from scoring in the top of the fifth.

Whit Shellman pitched three innings of 2-hit, no runs ball on March 9 vs. Allegheny at West Wilkes field. Three Watauga pitchers, including David Pastusic and Jameson Hodges combined for a 2-hit, 17-0 shutout. Photographic image by David Rogers

Then again, maybe it was Greene’s second at-bat in the bottom of the fourth inning as the team batted around.  That is when the sophomore shortstop sent a fly ball sailing over the centerfield fence for a grand slam home run, giving Watauga a 17-0 lead.

Finally, maybe it was when relief pitcher Jameson Hodges fielded a ground ball back to the mound, whirling 180 degrees and throwing to Greene for the force out at second, and Greene whipping the ball to first, completing a game-ending double play.  Game-ending, of course, because a 17-run deficit by the assigned home team (Watauga) after Allegheny had gone to the plate for the top half of the fifth inning had definitely triggered the high school “mercy rule.”

Greene, of course, was not the only Pioneer making an impact on this game. Watauga got home runs from Greene, Salinas, and Johnny Ray. In addition to Greene’s triple, the Pioneers saw doubles banged against the outfield fences by Hank Matthews, Cooper Riddle and freshman David Pastusic.

Not that the Pioneer runners had many opportunities with all the hitting behind them, but Jameson Hodges and Ray each had a stolen base.

In short, the Pioneers scored 17 runs on 9 hits, so there were a large number of walks and guys reaching base on errors, as well as one hit by pitch.

Seventeen runs scored, in and of itself, is pretty impressive but when you look at the other half of the final score, a zero, you also want to know that Watauga used three pitchers to obtain a 2-hit shutout. Senior Whit Shellman was the starter and pitched three full innings, giving up the two hits while walking two and striking out five. David Pastusic followed by pitching the fourth inning (no runs, no hits, 1 strikeout. And Jameson Hodges closed it out in the 5th inning (no runs, no hits, and two walks).

With the win, Watauga moves to 6-0 on the young season and currently ranked No. 4 in the state behind East Rutherford, Burns, and East Forsyth. They are ranked No. 2 in the NCHSAA 4A West region.

The Pioneers will host Mitchell on Monday, March 13 (6:30 p.m.) in the team’s first home game of the season, then Murphy will visit Pioneer Field  on March 15 (4 p.m.).

NOTABLE WATAUGA BATTING PERFORMANCES

  • Maddox Greene: 2-for-3, 3 runs scored, 4 RBIs, 1 walk, 1 HR (grand slam), 1 triple
  • Tristan Salinas: 1-for-4, 2 runs scored, 4 RBIs, 1 HR
  • Jameson Hodges: 1-for-3, 2 runs scored, 1 RBI, 1 stolen base
  • Johnny Ray: 1-for-3, 2 runs scored, 2 RBIs, 1 HR, 1 walk, 1 stolen base
  • David Pastusic: 1-for-2, 2 runs scored, 1 RBI, 1 walk
  • Cooper Riddle: 1-for-2, 2 runs scored, 1 RBI, 1 walk
  • Hank Matthews: 1-for-3, 3 RBIs

Seeds released for NCAA Championships, Mountaineers with two ‘top 10’seeds

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BOONE, N.C. — The NCAA Championships selection show on Wednesday revealed the seeds and first-round opponents for App State Wrestling’s five national qualifiers, highlighted by top-10 seeds for Caleb Smith and Jon Jon Millner.

Smith is seeded No. 5 in his 33-wrestler bracket at 125 pounds. Millner, a two-time All-American, is seeded No. 9 at 149 pounds.

Tommy Askey is seeded No. 24 at 157 pounds, at-large qualifier Will Formato is No. 27 at 165 pounds, and Will Miller is No. 32 at 174 pounds.

Ethan Oakley will travel to Tulsa, Okla., as an alternate at 133 pounds. If any wrestlers aren’t able to compete due to injuries or failing to make weight, Oakley would compete in Tulsa.

The NCAA Championships run from March 16-18 (Thursday-Saturday) at the BOK Center. The top eight finishers in each weight class earn All-America recognition.

Below are the first-round matchups, which are subject to change if any wrestlers drop out.

  • 125: #5 Caleb Smith vs. #28 Killian Cardenale (West Virginia)
  • 149: #9 Jon Jon Millner vs. #24 Victor Voinovich (Oklahoma State)
  • 157: #24 Tommy Askey vs. #9 Will Lewan (Michigan)
  • 165: #27 Will Formato vs. #6 Patrick Kennedy (Iowa)
  • 174: #32 Will Miller vs. #33 John Worthing (Clarion)*

* Pigtail match for opportunity to face #1 Carter Starocci (Penn State)

Smith (26-5) and Askey (30-11) both enter the NCAAs with 14-match winning streaks. Another SoCon champion, Millner is 121-24 in his career and 29-3 this season with his only losses coming in close matches to wrestlers seeded No. 3, No. 4 and No. 7 in their NCAA bracket.

Formato has a career record of 90-35, including a 28-7 mark this season, and Miller is 24-10 this season with an 18-5 mark since he took the mat before a win against returning All-American Clay Lautt from North Carolina.

Last year, Smith made his NCAA debut as a No. 25 seed that upset No. 8 seed Patrick McKee of Minnesota. Now, he’ll arrive as a single-digit seed with a talented first-round opponent — Cardenale is a four-time national qualifier who was an All-American in 2021 and a Round of 12 finisher in 2022.

Voinovich is 15-11 this season, and Lewan’s 21-6 record includes a win by decision against Askey in Las Vegas. Formato beat Kennedy (19-3) in overtime during the 2022 season at the Southern Scuffle, and Worthing has a 19-9 record this season.

Watauga softball finishes sweep of Wilkes Central, 11-1

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Watauga softball finishes sweep of Wilkes Central, 11-1

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — A five-run scoring outburst in the first inning was just a prelude for things to come for Watauga High School’s softball team on March 8 vs. Wilkes Central. Combined with strong defense (and pitching) that kept the visiting Eagles off-balance, limiting them to just one run, the Pioneers’ offensive production over four innings triggered the high school “mercy rule,”  an 11-1 win in just four and a half innings.

BONUS PHOTOS at bottom of article.

After squandering a huge lead in the previous night’s game against North Surry, losing in the last inning, 23-22, the Pioneers seemed determined not to let that fate befall them on this night against the Eagles of Wilkes Central.

In her four innings pitching, Watauga sophomore Jordin Greene had a big night in the circle. She struck out five, walked three, hit one batter, and allowed just two hits, both singles, for her night’s work.

Greene also was instrumental in the Pioneers’ offensive production. At bat, she laced two singles and drew a walk, scored two runs and stole two bases.

Junior designated player Elise Presnell also had a productive night at the plate, smacking a single and a double, stealing two bases, scoring 3 runs, and pushing across a runner ahead of her to earn an RBI.

Sophomore shortstop Julie Matheson hit a hard line drive to her Eagle counterpart in the first inning, but that “out” didn’t spoil her night. She followed up with a double, a single, a run scored and had 2 RBIs.

Getting around the base paths didn’t seem much of a problem for the Pioneers, who scattered six stolen bases across the four innings and advanced runners on four passed balls by the Eagle pitchers and catchers. The Pioneer base stealers included Greene (2), Kara Brooks, Chloe Wilson, and Elise Presnell (2).

“We certainly have speed when we get on base,” Watauga head coach April Yandle said after the game, “and that is something we want to take advantage of.”

Watauga also demonstrated a degree of roster depth. When inserted into the lineup in the fourth inning as a replacement second baseman, sophomore Elizabeth Watson promptly ripped a bases-emptying triple down the right field line.

For the 2-3 Pioneers, so far it has been either win big or lose big in the early 2023 season. They have defeated Wilkes Central twice (19-6 on Feb. 28 and 11-1 on March 8), and lost to Surry Central (7-1 on March 1 and 23-22 on March 7) and to Starmount (14-4 on March 6).

Next up is another home encounter, this time vs. Allegheny on March 15, then a final non-conference home tilt against Polk County on March 17. The Pioneers open Northwestern Conference play on March 21, at South Caldwell.

BONUS PHOTOS

‘Icy Hot’ for Watauga in drumming up 12-7 win over West Wilkes

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‘Icy Hot’ for Watauga in drumming up 12-7 win over West Wilkes

By David Rogers. WILKESBORO, N.C. — An Arctic cold front may have swept across the West Wilkes Blackhawks’ baseball field on March 7, but the Watauga offense was hot, hot, hot in a 12-7, seven inning win.

The visiting Pioneers scored in every inning except the third frame and saved the best for last, scoring four runs in the top half of the seventh inning. Watauga scored their 12 runs on 12 hits and just one Blackhawk error.

The night was cold on March 7, but there were spectators aplenty on the hill above the baseball West Wilkes baseball field as they played Watauga. Photographic image by David Rogers

The teams traded single runs in the first inning, but the Pioneers broke things open and secured the lead for good in the second with a 3-run outburst. With one out, Watauga starting pitcher Johnny Ray helped his cause at the plate by rapping a single through the infield and into center field. Catcher Cooper Critcher followed by striking out, setting up what turned out to be a 2-out scoring barrage. A walk to David Pastusic put runners on first and second, then Jameson Hodges lined a single to right, scoring Ray. Shortstop Maddox Greene kept the rally going with a single to center, scoring Pastusic, and moving Hodges to third.

It didn’t take long for Greene to take advantage of a runner on third with second base empty. On a 1-1 count with Jacob Dilley at bat, Greene stole second easily. Perhaps the Blackhawks’ starting pitcher, Carson Edmiston was a bit rattled by the activity, but a wild pitch on a 2-1 count sent Hodges to the plate, sliding head first with the dirt flying around him and West Wilkes catcher, Eli Johnson — and under the versatile freshman’s tag attempt. Greene took third on the play but was left stranded when Dilley grounded out to second. The damage had been done, however, with Watauga leading, 4-1.

Edmiston seemed to settle down for the Blackhawks, retiring the side with no damage by Watauga in the third inning and striking out the first two batters in the top of the 4th. But the Pioneers managed a 2-out, 2-run rally in the top of the 4th, added another run in the top of the fifth to give the Boone boys a 7-2 lead.

Although Watauga added another run in the top of the 6th when senior rightfielder Tristan Salinas hammered a 2-out home run over the center field fence, expanding the lead to 8-4, West Wilkes manufactured three runs in the bottom of the inning to tighten the deficit to a single run, 8-7.

The Pioneers were far from petered out, however. In the top of the 7th, they responded with a one-out double to right by Ray, a single on a pop fly by Critcher, a single by junior leftfielder Jake Henderson, a walk to Hodges (scoring Ray), and another walk to Greene (scoring Critcher) to load the bases. Dilley then lined a single to left, scoring Hodges from third and Henderson racing from second. With Salinas now pitching, the Blackhawks were unable to make anything happen in the bottom of the 7th.

Watauga lefthander Johnny Ray was the winning pitcher of record on March 7 at West Wilkes. Photographic image by David Rogers

Although Salinas rapped the big home run, the Pioneer offensive production was solid up and down the roster with a number of contributors. Ray had a double, as well as three stolen bases on the night, going 2-for-4 with 2 runs scored and an RBI. Dilley banged out three hits in five at bats and was credited with 5 RBIs as well as a stolen base. Leadoff hitter Hodges went 2-for-4, scoring 4 runs and 2 RBIs. Greene was credited with a stolen base, too, with one walk while going 1-fo-3, scoring a run and recording a pair of RBIs.

All totaled, the Pioneers poached seven stolen bases, one each by Dilley, Salinas, Greene, and Henderson to go along with Ray’s three.

With the win, Watauga moves to 5-0 on the young season. The scheduled tournament opponent for Friday has been moved up to Thursday, March 9. First home game is March 13, vs. Mitchell.

BONUS PHOTOS

 

 

Three Duke hurlers quiet Mountaineer bats in 5-0 Blue Devils’ win

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Three Duke hurlers quiet Mountaineer bats in 5-0 Blue Devils’ win

By Matt Present for App State Sports. DURHAM, N.C. – The App State offense was held in check March 7, as the Mountaineers were limited to just one hit in a 5-0 loss to Duke at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

After allowing two runs in the first inning, Mountaineers’ starter Trey Tujetsch settled in, putting up zeros in each of his next three innings of work.

Dante Chirico was able to follow with a scoreless fifth inning, but the Blue Devils got on the board again with a two-run single in the sixth to push their advantage to 4-0.

Skylar Brooks took over from Chirico on the mound, stranding two runners in the sixth inning to minimize damage.

Freshman Jackson Steensma retired the side in order in the ninth, picking up a strikeout. He has yet to allow a run in five outings this season.

The Mountaineers best scoring opportunity came in the fourth. Xavier Moronta doubled with one out in the inning, and advanced to third base on a groundout, but the Mountaineers were unable to score him.

App State put two runners on in the seventh inning on a hit by pitch and a walk, but were unable to advance them past second base. The Mountaineers also drew a pair of walks in the eighth.

The Blue Devils delivered the final blow with a solo home run in the seventh to make it 5-0.

App State will welcome the 24th ranked Campbell Camels to Smith Stadium for a three-game series. Friday and Saturday’s games will begin at 3 p.m. with the finale set for 1 p.m. on Sunday. All three games will be broadcast on ESPN+.

And now five: Formato added to NCAAs with an at-large berth

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And now five: Formato added to NCAAs with an at-large berth

By Bret Strelow for App State Sports. BOONE, N.C. — The at-large selections for the NCAA Championships announced March 7 included App State’s Will Formato, making him a three-time national qualifier.

Formato (165 pounds) joins automatic qualifiers Caleb Smith (SoCon champion at 125 pounds), Jon Jon Millner (SoCon champion at 149 pounds), Tommy Askey (SoCon champion at 157 pounds) and Will Miller (SoCon finalist at 174 pounds) to give the 20th-ranked Mountaineers at least five qualifiers for the fourth straight season.

The NCAA Championships run from March 16-18 at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Okla., and seeding will be announced Wednesday during the NCAA selection show at 8 p.m. on NCAA.com.

Formato has a career record of 90-35, including a 28-7 mark this season with three ranked victories. He reached the SoCon final before dropping a 3-1 decision against another ranked wrestler, but the SoCon was allocated only one automatic qualifier at 165 pounds.

Smith (26-5) and Askey (30-11) both enter the NCAAs with 14-match winning streaks. With a 121-24 career record, Millner is 29-3 this season with his only losses coming in close matches to wrestlers ranked No. 3, No. 4 and No. 7 nationally.

Miller is 24-10 this season with an 18-5 mark since he took the mat before a win against returning All-American Clay Lautt from North Carolina. App State’s 19-16 dual victory over the Tar Heels propelled the Mountaineers into the top 25.

Ethan Oakley (20-11) is among the highest-ranked wrestlers in the 133-pound weight class who wasn’t chosen for an at-large berth. It’s unclear at this point if he will be named an alternate and travel to Tulsa in case any wrestlers drop out of the 133-pound bracket.

Another slugfest, but Mountaineers bitten by Bulldogs, 19-6

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Another slugfest, but Mountaineers bitten by Bulldogs, 19-6

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State only needed to score two late touchdowns to defeat Gardner-Webb on March 5. If only they were playing football instead of baseball.

The visiting Bulldogs scored runs in every inning except the 3rd and the 8th but they saved the best for last, scoring six runs in the top of the 9th for a runaway, 19-6 win over the Mountaineers to split the weekend series.

3B Andrew Terrell (3) just beats out a single on March 5 against Gardner-Webb, in a 19-6 loss. Photographic image by David Rogers

If folks thought Gardner-Webb was productive, offensively, in the 12-11 loss on March 4, the Bulldogs put an exclamation point on that thinking a day later — and all but kept App State’s bats at bay in the process. GW’s starting pitcher, Tyler Switalski, pitched five scoreless innings before back-to-back, 2-out doubles by the Mountaineers’ Golston Gillespie and Dylan Rogers put a run on the scoreboard for the home team in the bottom of the sixth inning.

It was just a nibble into GWU’s 12-1 lead as the two in-state adversaries finished the sixth inning. More offensive production was to come. The visitors’ second baseman, Pete Capobianco homered to lead off the top of the 7th, but with a change in Bulldog pitchers (Phil Fox replacing Switalski on the mound), the Mountaineers manufactured five runs in the bottom half of the inning.

It might have been too much for the almost 700 mostly Mountaineer fans in attendance to hope for another comeback miracle, but the five-run outburst started with a single by shortstop Jonathan Xuereb, leading off from the bottom of the batting order. Third baseman and leadoff batter Andrew Terrell was promptly hit by a Fox pitch that was a bit too far inside. Designated hitter Xavier Moronta popped up to short for the first out, but leftfield Austin St. Laurent drew a walk to load the bases.

App State redshirt senior first baseman beats a throw from the outfield to third base on March 5 vs. Gardner Webb on Smith Field. Photographic image by David Rogers

In one of the more interesting personnel moves of the afternoon, head coach Kermit Smith brought North Wilkesboro native and sophomore catcher Braxton Church on to hit for senior catcher Hayden Cross, the previous day’s hero in bringing home the winning runs with a 2-out, 2-RBI double in the bottom of the 9th to produce a 12-11, walk-off victory. On the first pitch to Church, Fox was again too far inside, hitting Church, advancing the runners and forcing Xuereb home in the process.

Next up was Mountaineer second baseman Luke Drumheller. He fouled off the first pitch, but on an 0-1 count ripped the ball to left field, all the way to the fence, scoring St. Laurent and Terrell.

App State wasn’t done and the energy in Smith Stadium was building. With runners now on second and third, leaving first base open, Gillespie walked to again load the bases. Rogers fouled off three pitches before facing a full count, then watched ball four sail wide of the plate to force in another run in the form of Church.

It was a 19-6 loss, but at least one Mountaineer fan was having fun in the sun on balmy baseball day. He was among the almost 700 fans attending the Sunday afternoon game. Photographic image by David Rogers

That was enough for Gardner-Webb head coach Jim Chester, who brought in the Bulldogs’ third reliever of the afternoon, Connor Maggi. The sophomore hurler from Virginia didn’t help his cause by throwing wild on a pickoff attempt, scoring Drumheller on the error, but settled down to get the remaining two outs and produced a three-up, three-down inning the App State half of the 8th inning.

For the Bulldogs, a six-run outburst in the top of the 9th inning was just icing on the proverbial cake. They scored the half dozen runs on little more than “small ball,” including four singles, an error-producing bunt, two walks and an RBI-producing fielder’s choice before the Mountaineers’ sixth pitcher, Jake Beaty, was able to get the final two outs.

App State didn’t threaten in the bottom of the 9th, only sending four batters to the plate.

An interesting perspective of Austin St. Laurent taking a swing on March 5, App State vs. Gardner-Webb. Photographic image by David Rogers

For Gardner-Webb, designated hitter Humberto Torres was arguably the offensive hero for the Bulldogs, with two home runs. He hit 2-for-5, but the two hits were big ones. His day included three runs scored and 5 RBIs. Third baseman Trevor Mattson also had a productive day at the plate, rapping out two doubles while going 4-for-5, scoring three runs and knocking in 4 RBIs. First baseman Alec Burns only hit 1-for-4 on the day, but was credited with 1 run scored and 4 RBIs thanks to forcing in a run with a bases loaded walk, a run producing Mountaineer error that allowed him to reach base. His 2-RBI single in the top of the 9th inning helped put the game fully out of reach for the Mountaineers.

On the mound, GWU’s Switalski gave up only a walk and one single in the first three innings before having to wiggle out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the 4th inning. He gave up two more singles in the bottom of the 5th, but no runs. He finally gave up a run in the bottom of the 6th inning on those back-to-back doubles by Gillespie and Rogers, but escaped major damage before being pulled.

Most of App State’s offensive damage came after Switalski’s exit. On the day, they left 10 runners stranded while producing six runs on seven hits and two Bulldog errors. Gardner-Webb countered with 19 runs on 17 hits and one Mountaineer error, stranding 5 runners.

“Our hitting coach, Anthony Morris, had a great plan going into this weekend and our guys executed at a high level, with quality at-bats,” said Gardner-Webb head coach Jim Chester after the game. “We had multiple extra-base hits and took advantage of mistakes made by the App State pitchers. It all led to a great weekend that we had, offensively.”

Chester also had high praise for his starting pitcher.

“Switalski also did an outstanding job against an App State offense that was on fire, yesterday,” said Chester. “He came in today and had their bats pretty well silenced for his whole time in there, on the mound for us.”

Asked about how fast Switalski worked between pitches, Chester noted his hurler’s development from last year to this year.

“As a freshman, he was pretty slow between pitches. Now, with the new college rules (limiting pitchers to no more than 20 seconds between pitches) and our efforts to get him to move quicker, it has allowed him to be more effective,” said Chester.

Now in his third year at the helm of the Bulldog program, Chester said his team is looking to play North Carolina A&T on Tuesday (March 7) before facing St. Bonaventure next weekend in a 4-game series, then UMass on March 15 as they prepare for the start of Big South Conference play vs. Longwood. After consecutive wins most recently against the Big 10 Conference members Northwestern and Michigan State, as well as non-conference wins over Toledo and Western Carolina before splitting the weekend series with Appalachian State, the Bulldogs are 6-5 on the young season.

“The great thing is that Boone showed up this weekend for these two games,” said Mountaineer head coach Kermit Smith, obviously disappointed in the Sunday result but enthusiastic about the local support. “Both Saturday and today we had great crowds. It was awesome, so a big thank-you for our community for coming out to support these guys. We could feel the energy.”

Smith had a lot of praise for the Bulldogs.

“Their starting pitcher, Switalski, did a really good job. We waited a little too long to get adjusted to him,” said Smith. “And while he was doing that, they were doing a really good job, offensively, too. We simply weren’t doing a very good job on the mound and we weren’t doing a very good job offensively. He kept us at bay. When you have an (opposing) team putting up some runs and having a guy filling up the strike zone with some pretty good stuff, it usually doesn’t go your way.”

Winning pitcher was Switalski (2-1), while Mountaineer starter Ryan Sleeper (0-1) was credited as the losing pitcher of record.

Now 8-2 on the season, Appalachian travels to Durham on March 7 to face the Duke Blue Devils. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. They return to Boone for two more back-to-back non-conference series, including three games vs. Campbell (March 10-12), then two games vs. West Virginia (March 14-15), before opening their Sun Belt Conference slate at Marshall for three games, March 17-19.

 

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