Rocky Mount All-Stars in Greensboro

Alexus Cooper, Terrill Hilliard and Tia Hudgins enjoy a banquet for the N.C. East-West All-Stars. 

       

Not only were the athletic talents of Alexus Cooper, Terrill Hilliard and Tia Hudgins on display last Monday night in the N.C. Coaches Association East-West All-Star Basketball Games in Greensboro, their academic accomplishments were honored as well.

Thanks to GPAs of over 3.0 for their final school year, each were named to the NCCA's All-Academic Team during team introductions prior to their respective games at the Greensboro Coliseum. 

As for their game performances, Cooper, a starter for the East at guard, led all scorers in the Women's All-Star Game with 16, but the East fell to West 82-65. Cooper also tallied four steals. Hudgins didn't have the offensive game she wanted as she failed to score - much in part because she got into early foul trouble and spent more time on the bench than she wanted.

She, however, ended up with five rebounds.

Hilliard showed more of his ability to face the basket in the Men's All-Star Game as a starter. He was second on his team in scoring with 16 points, including canning four of six 3-point attempts. 

But the East fell 107-97 to the West.

McClain honored at East-West All-Star Game

1982 Rocky Mount High School alum George McClain takes the court at the Greensboro Coliseum. (Photo/Alan Wooten)

GREENSBORO - Every time George McClain has stepped on the playing floor at the Greensboro Coliseum, good things have happened.

Monday evening, McClain and several others were honored as former MVPs of the N.C. Coaches Association East-West All-Star Men's Basketball Game.

In July of 1982, McClain helped the East claim victory over the West and he was named the game's MVP.

Four months earlier, the floor was good to McClain, too. He helped the Gryphons beat Chapel Hill to grab the 1982 NCHSAA 4-A State Championship.

Gryphons to invade Greensboro Coliseum Monday evening

Three Rocky Mount High School athletes will play their final prep event of their careers Monday evening at Greensboro Coliseum.

Basketballers Terrill Hilliard, Tia Hudgins and Alexus Cooper will be playing in the N.C. Coaches Association East-West All-Star Men's and Women's Basketball Games. The women will start at 6:30 p.m., while the men will take the court around 8:30.

Here are the bios of the Rocky Mount participants that will appear in the official program of the games. These three athletes are the 16th, 17th and 18th Rocky Mount students to play in the games since 2000 - more than any school in the Twin Counties or the Big East Conference. 

Terrill Hilliard

Terrill. . . Rocky Mount High. . .6-6, 189 lb. forward. . . coached by Michael Gainey. . . as a senior, averaged 19.4 points 7.5 rebounds. . . named NCPreps 3A All-State, District  3 Player of the Year, All-Conference, Conference Player of the Year, Telegram All-Area, team MVP and captain. . . NC-SC All-Star Game participant. . . played for 3A state championship team. . . as a junior, named All-Area, East Regional All-Tournament. . . as a sophomore, played on 3A state championship team. . . signed an athletic grant-in-aid with Wingate University. . . undecided about major. . . his parents are his role models. . . favorite college athlete is Harrison Barnes. . . favorite pro athlete is James Harden. . . says “I feel very proud to be considered one of the best in the East and be able to represent Rocky Mount.  I’m expecting to get better from playing against high competition and gain more knowledge from the coaches and players.” 

Tia Hudgins

Tia. . . Rocky Mount High. . . 5-8 guard. . . coached by Pamela Gainey. . .as senior, averaged 14 points, 9 rebounds, 3 steals. . . named All-Conference, 2012 Athlete of the Year. . . Leadership Award recipient. . . joined the “1,000 Point Club”. . . as junior, named All-Conference. . . Coaches Award recipient. . . as sophomore, named All-Conference. . . Coaches Award recipient. . . named Player of the Year and twice named team MVP in volleyball and also competed in track and soccer. . . member of National Honor Society, National Technical Honor Society, Project Hart. . . plans to attend Queens University where she will major in computer information systems. . . her siblings Tanika and Terrell are her role models. . . says  “I feel honored to play in the East-West All-Star game.  I am the third sibling to receive such an honor.  I’m expecting to win as well as to gain new friends and have this experience of playing in the all-star game.” 

Alexus Cooper

Alexus. . .Rocky Mount High. . .5-8 guard. . .coached by Pamela Gainey. . .as a senior, averaged 12.6 points, 3.1 assists, 4.2 rebounds, 2.5 steals. . .named All-Area…High School Invitational Basketball All-Tournament Team. . .participated in the North/South All-Star Game. . .as junior, did not play due to injury. . . as sophomore, averaged 12.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2 assists, 2.3 steals. . .named All-Area Player of the Year. . .also competed in cross country and track and field. . .received honors chord and NC Scholar chord. . . signed an athletic grant-in-aid with Eastern Kentucky University where she will major in criminal justice. . .her mother is her role model. . .favorite pro athlete is Derrick Rose. . . says  “I feel honored and excited to be able to participate in the all-star game.  I’m expecting to again a good experience from the game.”

Post 58 hosts New Bern in playoff opener

Click on photo to enlarge!

Rocky Mount Coleman-Pitt Post 58’s baseball team will open postseason action Thursday evening at Gryphon Stadium when its hosts the No. 4 seed from Area I East - Southern Conference member New Bern Post 24. Post 58 (18-6)  is the No. 1 seed from Area I East - Northern Conference. The best-of-three series will move to New Bern High School’s Boykin Field for game 2 Friday evening. If a game 3 is needed, play will resume in Rocky Mount Saturday night. The second round will also be a best 2-of-3 series beginning Monday, July 16, weather permitting. Should Post 58 advance, it will face either Pitt County Post 39 or Ahoskie Post 102 in round 2. New Bern may have a reputation of being unheralded the past few seasons, but Post 24 can’t be overlooked. However, it has had its problems this summer, as a 2-11 record might indicate. Many of the players that helped New Bern High win the Mideastern 4-A Conference regular season championship this past spring have either graduated, are injured or opted to play showcase baseball this summer. New Bern High head coach Gary Smith, who is also coaches Post 24, has youth all over the place. West Craven Post 539 had a senior Legion baseball team at the beginning of the season, but by mid-June, a lack of players caused the program to disband. Post 24 had the similar problems last summer when it didn’t have enough players to participate in the playoffs. Post 58, its scheduled first-round opponent in 2011, was issued a bye into the second round. Three of those Post 539 players joined Post 24’s squad to give it some instant depth. Also Smith’s young players in the program have progressed. One player Post 58 may have to watch out for is Game 1 starter Trevor Pence. The right hander, who graduated last June, helped guide the New Bern Bears to that conference title after posting an 8-1 record and an ERA of 0.84. He earned All- Conference honors and was recently named to the N.C. Baseball Coaches Association All-State Team. Post 58, under head coach Hank Jones, will need to get Pence, who is headed to Wake Tech next fall, out of the lineup and into Post 24’s inexperienced bullpen to insure a possible series win. Area I East Division Playoffs First Round (best-of-three games) (1) Rocky Mount Post 58 (18-6) vs. (4) New Bern Post 24 (2-11) (2) Pitt County Post 39 (12-5) vs. (3) Ahoskie Post 102 (6-14) (1) Wayne County Post 11 (11-6) vs. (4) Edenton Post 40 (5-9) (2) Wilson Post 13 (11-9) vs. (3) Kinston Post 43 (9-6) Winners in the first-round series begin play in the second round, also best 2-of-3, on Monday, July 16. Area I West Division Playoffs First Round   (best-of-three games) (1) Raleigh Post 1 (12-5) vs. (4) Pittsboro (3-9) (2) Apex Post 124 (9-5) vs. (3) Durham Post 7 (8-10) (1) Johnston County Post 71 (16-4) vs. (4) Creedmoor (3-10) (2) Cary Post 67 (8-9) vs. (3) Garner Post 232 (19-8) Winners in the first-round series begin play in the second round, also best 2-of-3, on Monday, July 16

Greenville sports store has ties to NCWC national title

If you were in town in June of 1989, you have to remember North Carolina Wesleyan's baseball team winning the NCAA Div. III national championship in Bristol, Ct. in the wee hours of that special Monday morning.

The guy who propelled the Battling Bishops to that 8-7 win over California State -Stanislaus with his 13th-inning home run, then-senior Eric Jarman, now is in the sports equipment business in his hometown of Greenville.

Jarman, who played baseball for Ron Vincent at Greenville Rose, now owns Stadium Sports in Greenville which is located at the corner of 14th Street and Charles Blvd,  just down from Minges Coliseum and Clark-LeClair Stadium.

The store specializes in equipment for baseball, fast pitch softball and volleyball, while carrying other sports equipment as well. Half of the store is an East Carolina University Spirit Store and it is an official ECU Licensed Retail Champion.

Some of our brands it carries include Easton, Wilson, DeMarini, Mizuno, Louisville Slugger, Combat, Marucci, Russell, The Game, Cutter & Buck, Asics, Under Armour and Hurley.

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Rocky Mount Coleman-Pitt Post 58 Statistical Leaders - 23 games

(Top 5 in each category)

 

HITTING

Aparicio

Batting Avg.

                                                                                               

.452 - Jay Aparicio                      

.421 - Jeremy Lucas

.400 - Andy Morris

.377 - Spiers Miller

.373 - Khalil Macklin

Doubles

10 - Khalil Macklin

8 - Spiers Miller

8 - Matthew Berry

Macklin

5 - Jay Aparicio

3 - Colton Vaughn

3 - Jordan Taylor

Triples

1 - Khalil Macklin

1 - Jay Aparicio

1 - Spencer Ramsey

Home Runs

2 - Jay Aparicio

1 - Spiers Miller

Berry

1 - Jeremy Sloop

RBI

20 - Jay Aparicio

19 - Matthew Berry

16 - Khalil Macklin

16 - Tyler Wooten

15 - Spiers Miller

Runs Scored

30 - Spiers Miller

21 - Khalil Macklin

19 - Jay Aparicio

19 - Matthew Berry

18 - Kyle Pratt 

PITCHING

Lucas

Victories

4 - (4-0) Jeremy Lucas

4 - (4-1) Cam Webb

3 - (3-0) Jeremy Trevathan

2 - (2-2) Tyler King

1 - (1-0) Dillon Moore

1 - (1-0) Aron Crumb

1 - (1-0) Jeremy Sloop
1 - (1-0) Chase Johnson

ERA

2.45 - Jeremy Trevathan

2.97 – Jeremy Lucas

Trevathan

3.86 - Tyler King

5.80 - Cam Webb   

7.36 - Dillon Moore

Strikeouts

30 - Jeremy Lucas

30 - Cam Webb

14 - Jeremy Trevathan

11 - Tyler King

8 - Spenser Ramsey

Innings Pitched

Webb

35.7 - Cam Webb

30.3 - Jeremy Lucas

22.0 - Jeremy Trevathan

21.0 - Tyler King

16.3 - Spenser Ramsey

Aparicio grand slam sends Pitt County packing

Jay Aparicio

Ever since Jay Aparicio moved into Rocky Mount Post 58's starting lineup, he's been getting extra-base hits.

Tuesday evening, he went even deeper.

Aparicio slammed a walk-off grand slam to left off reliever Brock Rouse to send Pitt County Post 39 back down N.C. 43 with a 10-0 loss.

It was the climax to a seven-run seventh inning that gave Post 58 a 10-run rule victory.

While Aparicio was guiding the offense, Rocky Mount's pitching was sublime. Post 58 starter Jeremy Sloop had his best outing of the season in throwing a three-hit shutout.

Jeremy Sloop

Sloop (1-0) walked one battler, hit one batter and struck out five. In getting his first win of the season, he even worked his way out of a bases-loaded jam in the second inning. 

How impressive has Aparicio been this season? 

He's only played in 11 of Post 58's 23 games, yet he leads the team in RBI with 20. He is also the team leader with a .452 batting average. Tuesday evening he was 2-for-4 with a double and four RBI.

Andy Morris, who was just added to the lineup, was 1-for-3 with three RBI. Khalil Macklin was 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored.

ADDITIONAL GAMES -  With the loss of two games on its schedule this week, two more games have been added to Post 58's schedule to round out the regular season.

Post 58 will travel to Apex High School Saturday (7 p.m.) to face Area I West member Apex Post 124. Apex will come to Rocky Mount Monday at 7 p.m.

Rocky Mount Post 58 10

Pitt County Post 39 0

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E	L
Pitt County Post 39	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			0	3	0	7
Coleman-Pitt Post 58	0	3	0	0	0	0	7			10	9	2	8

WP: Jeremy Sloop (1-0, 7IP, 3H, 0R, 0ER, 1BB, 1HB, 5K)
LP: Damien Jenkins (5IP, 6H, 3R, 3ER, 1BB, 3HB, 6K)
 
Leading hitters: Post 39 - Thomas Conlon 1-1, Walker Gaddis 1-3, Gary Dixon 1-3.

Post 58 - Jay Aparicio 2-4, 2B, grand slam HR, 4 RBI, 2R; Khalil Macklin 3-4, 2B, 2R; Jeremy Lucas 2-3, 2R; Andy Morris 1-2, 3 RBI, R; Kyle Pratt 1-3, 2 RBI, R

Records: Pitt County Post 39 11-5, Rocky Mount Post 58 18-5.

Post 58's regular season ends Tuesday evening

Rocky Mount Coleman-Pitt Post 58's baseball team will end its regular season Tuesday evening when Pitt County Post 39 comes to visit. 

Post 58 is coming off a doubleheader win at Elizabeth City (10-2, 15-0) Sunday.

But it wasn't originally supposed to be the Rocky Mount's last regular season game.

Post 58 was scheduled to end its regular season Thursday evening with Area 1 East Southern Conference member Wayne County Post 11 making a visit.

But Post 11 has two makeup games with New Bern Post 24 left on its calendar, so it was forced to cancel.

Monday night, Post 58 was scheduled to host Edenton Post 37, but only seven Post 37 players showed up and it was forced to forfeit - moving Post 58 to 18-5 overall and it closed its Northern Conference title run with a 14-1 mark.

It's also hard to believe that Rocky Mount has played 22 games, while teams like New Bern and Kinston Post 43 in the Southern Conference have played less than 15.

Things have been really rocky in the Southern Conference since West Craven (Whitehurst-Ware) Post 539's team was disbanded the weekend of June 16 for a lack of participation.

Of course, it wasn't that long ago when New Bern had to cancel its season because of a lack of players.

Let's hope playing more games helps Post 58 come playoff time - which starts on Thursday, July 12.

STATE TOURNAMENT -  While this year's American Legion State Tournament will be held in Lenoir, it was announced Monday that the 2013 State Tournament will be held in Wilson at Fleming Stadium. 

With an Area I squad as a host team, Wilson Post 13 will get an automatic bid to the tournament, and any other Area I team would have to win the Area I playoffs next season to advance. Normally, the Area winner and its runner-up move on to the State Tournament.

That was the case when Pitt Co. hosted the State Tournament three summers ago at East Carolina's Clark-LeClair Stadium and Post 58 won the Area I title - beating Area I West winner Cary Post 67.