RMHS Graduation set for Saturday

Rocky Mount High School will hold its 57th Graduation Ceremony at its current campus Saturday at 10 a.m. in the main gym. 

Congrats to the Class of 2011's 228 graduates.

I just hope the person who reads the names of the graduates as they march across the stage will practice their names before taking to the microphone.

The last thing you want to hear on perhaps, to that point, the biggest day of your life, is your name mispronounced.

Since my name starts with an "A" and I sat on the front row, my few seconds in the sun went early and quick. But you got to feel bad for those guys in the "W's."

The poor man (a former superintendent) who was reading the graduates' names may have gone a bit brain dead after going through 400 names.

A male grad was standing at the base of the steps waiting for his name to be called. His first name was "Emile" pronounced, of course "e-mill". The gentleman called out "Emily W------."

The poor boy thought there was an Emily W------- that should have be ahead of him, so he just stood there. 

Perhaps the poor girl had missed her graduation night, he must have thought.

The gentleman repeated the name, and he just continued to stand there. Meanwhile, the entire class of 407 was in total laughter. We knew he was mispronouncing his name, but the gentleman didn't. After the second proclaim, Emile finally stepped up with even more laughter from his classmates, grabbed his diploma and walked briskly back to his seat at the back of the gym.

Yikes!

I never forgot that moment - and that was 35 years ago. 

I know poor Emile hasn't!

Mr. Goodwin goes to Washington

Former Rocky Mount baseball player and wrestler Nick Phillips and his dad made a trip to Washington to see the Nationals play on Opening Day.

That may become a tradition now that one of his teammates on Rocky Mount's 2008 state championship baseball team may be patrolling the outfield in D.C. in the very near future.

2009 Gryphon grad Brian Goodwin was selected as the first pick of the Compensation Round and the 34th overall pick in Major League Baseball's First-Year Player Draft held Monday evening in New York.

Of all the mock drafts on line, Washington was predicted to be Goodwin's destination by the majortiiy of them. In time he will be joining the last two No. 1 overall draft picks in Scott Strasburg in 2009 and Bryce Harper last year.

The event was carried live on MLB.com. He was the second native North Carolinian selected as his former UNC teammate Levi Michael was taken as the No. 30 pick of the first round to Minnesota.

But we have to wait to see if he signs with the Nationals. He couldn't be closer to home than the four-hour trip up I-95.

If he doesn't , then he'll be off to the University of South Carolina to play one season, then go back into the Draft.

CarolinaPreps.com picks RMAC in its Top 35 NC high school football stadiums

The 5,000-seat Rocky Mount Athletic Facility (Photo/David Hahula)
 (click on image to enlarge)

SANFORD - The Rocky Mount Athletic Facility, home of the Gryphons' football team the last 23 seasons, has been recently voted onto CarolinaPreps.com's list of the Top 35 high school football stadiums in the state. Not bad when you think that statewide, there are a little over 350 high school football stadiums.

The RMAC, which opened in 1988, was ranked No. 28 on the list. Click here to see the entire list. Each of the 35 stadiums is pictured. Amazingly, the RMAC is one of only two eastern North Carolina high school stadiums on the list. White Oak High School's football stadium in Jacksonville also made it.

Chris Hughes, who runs CarolinaPrep.com, used many variables in putting together this list. The size of the stadium (RMAC seats 5,000), how well the facility was maintained, concessions, field presence and the quality of the press box all went into placing stadiums on his list.

Ironically, the Gryphons got to see the transformation of the stadium that made No. 1 - the home of the Northern Durham Knights, Durham County Stadium.

Rocky Mount opened its 2009 season against the Knights at the 8,000-seat facility, which was still going under reconstruction.

Finally completed before the start of the 2010 season at a cost of $8 million, the stadium's facelift included adding four concession stands, updating and renovating rest rooms and adding additional handicapped seating. The expansions also included renovating the home and visitor coaches' box, media box, promenade area, manager office and press box. All the stadium seating was replaced and upgraded. The lighted field was upgraded with fieldturf and a new electronic digital scoreboard.

Also added were long jump and pole vault areas, and a brand new eight-lane running track.

Another irony is that Rocky Mount will be playing its final season at the RMAC this fall with the impending move to the school's new campus the fall of 2012.

Goodwin's big day is Monday

Former Gryphon Brian Goodwin

Monday will be a big day for former Rocky Mount High athlete Brian Goodwin.

Live coverage of the 2011 First-Year Player Major League Baseball Draft begins with a one-hour preview show at 6 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on MLB.com and the MLB Network, followed by the first round and supplemental compensation round.

Expect to hear Goodwin's name somewhere toward the end of the first round. 

The 6-foot-1, 190-pounder, who spent this past spring playing for Miami Dade Junior College, may go as high as No .23 to the Washington Nationals, which would be real close for area fans to go see him play. 

Expect my good friend Wes Bradshaw and myself, the biggest - literally - BIGGEST - Boston Red Sox fans I know of, to go crazy should he go at No. 26 to Boston. 

Goodwin has an interesting connection to the Boston area as he was a star of the Nash County 14-year-old Babe Ruth Baseball team that made the World Series there in nearby Quincy. And he played last summer in the Cape Cod League just southeast of the city.

He could go at No. 28 to the Atlanta Braves, the adopted team of so many area MLB fans.

Or he could join fellow North Carolina native and ex-Gatorade N.C. Player of the Year Madison Bumgarner in San Francisco if he goes 29th to the World Champion Giants. Bumgarner won the award in 2007, Goodwin in 2009.

It will be interesting to see where he ends up. Below are a few of the mock draft predictions for Goodwin's destinations and the Nationals outnumbered most as his landing pad. 

Should he go in the first round, he'd top where 1996 Gryphon alum Jeremy Ward went. Ward, as a junior at Long Beach State and a transfer from Wake Forest, was picked in 1999 in the second round by the Arizona Diamondbacks as the 71st overall pick.

Here are some of the predictions for his destination:

DraftSite.com - No. 23, Washington Nationals

MyMLBDraft.com - No. 23, Washington Nationals

Rivals.com - No. 26, Boston Red Sox

ProspectJunkies.com - No. 28, Atlanta Braves

MLB.com - No. 29, San Francisco Giants

DraftHype.com - No. 31, Tampa Bay Rays

MockDraftMania. com - No. 39, Philadelphia Phillies

 Below are Godwin's offensive numbers since leaving Rocky Mount.

GOODWIN'S POST PREP NUMBERS

YR	TEAM	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	BB	SO	SB	CS	BA	OBP	SLG
2010	UNC	227	66	13	8	7	45	49	7	2	.291	.411	.511
2010	CapeCod	114	32	4	1	1	14	20	15	4	.281
2011	Miami Dade	157	60	11	2	8			16

Pinecrest's Maples vs. Rocky Mount's Moss

This past Thursday, Gatorade announced its 50 state winners for High School Baseball Player of the Year.

I was so hoping that Rocky Mount's Benton Moss, who I nominated for the award a few weeks ago, would become the Gryphons' third recipient of the coveted title. He'd be following in the footsteps of Rocky Mount greats Carter Harrell (2001) and Brian Goodwin (2008).

But the award went to senior pitcher/third baseman Dillon Maples from Southern Pines Pinecrest.

I have no idea how the voting went, but Moss had to have been a close second.

Check out below how their numbers compare! 

Both have signed with North Carolina and both are All-Americans, but Maples is a possible first-round Major League Draft pick. Moss, of course, also won the Morehead-Cain Scholarship at UNC and might get drafted late as scouts will expect he'll pretty much head to Chapel Hill in the fall and will be fairly unsignable.

Benton Moss		Dillon Maples
9-1	Record	9-1
148	Ks	143
0.87	ERA	0.93
64.1	Inn. Pitched	68.2
.395	Batting Avg.	.431
21	Runs scored	19
31	RBI	31
6	HRs            7

Summer Fun Tennis 2011

Summer Fun Tennis 2011 will take place from July 4 until Aug. 26 at Sunset Park and it will be a free program for all boys and girls. This is an effort to improved the feeder programs that provide players for teams at Rocky Mount High School and Edwards Middle School.

Beginning to advanced players attending Edwards next school year are also welcome to attend. 

Players will supply their own rackets, shoes and refreshments. 

For players from the elementary level, the Quick Start Tennis format will be used - a smaller court, low pressure balls and age-appropriated rackets.

For more information on the program, contact Buck Young at 937-2439, 904-8716 or email him at cbuckyoung@excite.com. You may write to him at: 3516 Hawthorne Rd., Rocky Mount, N.C. 27804.

Congrats Tom on 40 great years

Rocky Mount native Tom Suiter may have retired from everyday sports reporting for WRAL-TV5 in Raleigh, but he is still putting in time at its Western Boulevard studios.

This past Thursday, Suiter celebrated his 40th anniversary at the station. This coming on the heels of fellow WRAL personality and meteorologist Greg Fishel spending the past month relishing in his 30th year at the station.

I had the chance to talk to Tom during the 2008 GlaxoSmithKline Invitational basketball tournament for about 20 minutes and he imparted to me that he was just tired .. period. He was ready for retirement, but he said the station was still wooing him to at least host Football Friday and continue his presentations of his Extra Effort Award for high school athletes.

At that time, he was indecisive. But lucky for us all, he stayed on for those special projects - including marking his 30th season of Football Friday last fall.

Congrats on 40 wonderful years, Tom! Can't believe that early interview with coaching legend John Wooden at then-Campbell College was that long ago!

RMHS rewards its athletes; Capps to retire

Rocky Mount High School paid tribute to its student athletes last Thursday with its annual athletic banquet held in the school’s main gym.

Top honors for Athlete of the Year went to Exzavier Cooper (Male) and there was a tie for the top female award. It was shared by Zikeena Parker and Lauren Campbell. Scholar Athlete of the Year went to Macauley Fish (Female) and Matt Williams (Male).

The coveted Juan Chesson Award, given to the athlete who best exudes the qualities and character of late Gryphon athlete Juan Chesson who passed away in 1999, went to Benton Moss.

At the proceedings, it was revealed that Bernie Capps, who has been head trainer at the school for 39 years, would be retiring after this school year.

But his allegiance to Rocky Mount High School goes back further than that.

Capps, a member of the RMHS Class of 1963, was also a student trainer for the famed Rocky Mount teams that won the state titles in football, basketball and baseball in the same academic year.

Former Rocky Mount High principal and county-wide athletic director Wayne Doll made the announcement.

2010-11 Rocky Mount Sports Award Winners

Varsity Baseball

• Benton Moss -- Best All-Around

• Matthew Berry -- Offensive Award

• Thomas Berry -- Mr. Consistency

• Taylor Clontz -- Most Improved

JV Baseball

• Micah Varnell -- Most Valuable

• Gardner Noble -- Coaches Award

• James Martin -- Most Improved

• Dylan Matthews -- Most Consistent

Girls Soccer

• Lauren Campbell -- Most Valuable Player

• Holly Fryar -- The Blue and Gold Award

• Caroline Bell -- Coaches Award

Varsity Softball

• Clyteshia Garner -- Most Valuable

• Kushunn Seabreeze --Best Defensive Award

• Brittney Battle -- Team Spirit Award

JV Softball

• Haley Coppedge -- Most Valuable

• Daiza Brown -- Coaches Award

Boys Tennis

• Mason Holt -- Most Valuable Player

• Caleb Butler -- Coaches Award

Boys Track

• Exzavier Cooper --Most Valuable Player

• Paul Lilley -- Gryphon Award

• Danny Simmons -- Most Improved

Girls’ Track

• Zi’keena Parker -- Co-Most Valuable Performer

• Fantacy Bryant -- Co-Most Valuable Performer

• Marquita Hines -- Gryphon Pride Award

Varsity Cheerleading

• Atiya Clark -- Coaches Award

• Aerostata Brown -- Coaches Award

• Victoria Viverette -- Coaches Award

• Shantell Chance -- Coaches Award

JV Cheerleading

• Myisha McCoy -- Coaches Award

Athlete of the Year

• Exzavier Cooper (Male)

• Zi’keena Parker (Female)

• Lauren Campbell (Female)

Scholar Athlete of the Year

• McAuley Fish (Female)

• Matthew Williams (Male)

Juan Chesson Award

• Benton Moss

Varsity Boys Basketball

• Kenyatta Bulluck -- Coaches Award

• Exzavier Cooper -- Coaches Award

• Terrill Hilliard -- Coaches Award

JV Boys Basketball

• Michael Hines -- Most Valuable Player

• Tyler Harmanson -- Most Improved

Varsity Girls Basketball

• Timisha Walker -- Coaches Award

• Tia Hudgins -- Most Improved

• J’Kyra Brown -- Best Offensive Player

JV Girls Basketball

• Takia Draughn -- Most Improved

• Taquiyah Battle -- Most Determined

Swimming (Boys)

• Zachary Vestal -- Most Valuable Player

• Sam Haynes -- Coaches Award

• Colin Amos -- Most Improved

Swimming (Girls)

• Lauren Campbell -- Most Valuable Player

• Kathryn Greisinger -- Most Improved

• Allison Raper -- Coaches Award

Indoor Track (Boys)

• Paul Lilley -- Most Valuable Player

• Zachary Shea -- Coaches Award

• Joe Bell -- Outstanding Contributions

Indoor Track (Girls)

• Zi'keena Parker -- Most Valuable Player

• Alexis Bryant -- Coaches Award

• Ashley Bryant -- Most Improved

Wrestling

• Janicento Williamson -- Most Outstanding Wrestler

• Mason Holt -- Most Improved

• Alex Knight -- Coaches Award

Varsity Football

• Damien Strickland -- Outstanding QB/Receiver

• Clinton Morning -- Outstanding DL

• Rodquez Greene -- Outstanding RB

• Nah’jerrelle Graves -- Outstanding LB

• Da’Cor Wiggins -- Outstanding DB

• Connor Daughtridge -- Billy Smith Award

JV Volleyball

• Madison Sides -- Most Valuable Player

• Destini Parker -- Best Offensive Player

Varsity Volleyball

• Lauren Campbell -- Coaches Award

• Tia Hudgins -- Co-MVP

• Timisha Walker -- Co-MVP

Varsity Girls Tennis

• Lindsay Thomas -- Most Valuable Player

• Caroline Nelson -- Coaches Award

Cross Country/Boys

• James Bonds -- Most Valuable Player

• Daniel Hannon -- Outstanding Performer

• Mason Holt -- Coaches Award

Cross Country/Girls

• Kaitlyn Jacob -- Most Valuable Player

• Zi'keena Parker -- Outstanding Performer

• Marquita Hines -- Coaches Award

Boys Soccer

• Matt Williams -- Offensive Player of the Year

• Robert Chambless -- Defensive Player of the Year

• Andrew Morales -- Most Valuable Player

Girls Golf

• Chelsey Wiggins -- Most Improved

• Marqueahuan Whitehead -- Coaches Award

Gryphon quartet named All-Conference in girls soccer

Four Rocky Mount athletes were named to the 2011 Big East Girls Soccer All-Conference team.  Sophomore Casey Cooke, sophomore Sydney Browder, senior Lauren Campbell and junior Caroline Bell were voted to the first team. 

Senior Allison Raper was an honorable mention selection.

Cooke, Browder, Campbell and Bell were also selected to the N.C. Soccer Coaches Association 3-A All-District 3 team.

BIG EAST GIRLS SOCCER ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM

First Team

• Casey Cooke, Rocky Mount
• Sydney Browder, Rocky Mount
• Lauren Campbell, Rocky Mount
• Caroline Bell, Rocky Mount

• Ally Glover, Northern Nash

• Haley Claytor, Northern Nash

• Natalie DePalma, Northern Nash

• Hannah Brock, Southern Nash

• Tori Parker, Southern Nash

• Scarlett Salter, Nash Central

• Alex Hall, Wilson Hunt

• Ashley Batchelor, Wilson Hunt

• Lizzie Madden, Wilson Hunt

• Taylor Dail, Wilson Hunt

• Kaitlyn Saunders, Wilson Hunt

• Madison Blackwell, Wilson Hunt

• Meredith Pruden, Wilson Fike

• Emily Rhyne, Wilson Fike

• Gilli Dillard, Wilson Fike

• Sophia Carter, Wilson Fike

• Kelly Sigmon, Wilson Fike

• Emma Jane Proctor, Wilson Fike

Honorable Mention

• McKenzie Blackwell, Wilson Hunt

• Allison Raper, Rocky Mount

• Brooke Hendricks, Nash Central

• Beth Hanson, Wilson Fike

• Jessica Winstead, Southern Nash

• Caroline Johnson, Northern Nash

Top Honors

• Offensive Player of the Year -- Ashley Batchelor, Wilson Hunt

• Defensive Player of the Year -- Ally Glover, Northern Nash

• Co-Coaches of the Year -- Trent Dorough, Wilson Hunt and Toni Varacchi, Wilson Fike

2011 Rocky Mount baseball statistical leaders

Here are Rocky Mount's top hitters and pitchers for the 2011 baseball season. Listed are the top five players in each category.

HITTING

Batting Avg.

.455 - Matthew Berry

.392 - Benton Moss

.382 - Thomas Berry

.308 - Taylor Clontz

.284 - Spenser Ramsey

Hits

35 - Matthew Berry

31 - Benton Moss
29 - Thomas Berry
24 - Jeremy Johnson
24 - Taylor Clontz

Doubles

12 - Matthew Berry
11 - Thomas Berry
6 - Collin Watson
5 - Taylor Clontz
4 - Jeremy Johnson
4 - Spenser Ramsey

Triples

1 - Thomas Berry

Home Runs

6 - Benton Moss
3 - Thomas Berry
2 - Taylor Clontz
1 - Matthew Berry
1 - Collin Watson

RBI

32 - Thomas Berry
31 - Matthew Berry
31 - Benton Moss
16 - Andy Morris
12 - Spenser Ramsey

Runs Scored

28 - Jeremy Johnson
28 - Matthew Berry
22 - Thomas Berry
21 - Spenser Ramsey
21 - Benton Moss

Walks

17 - Thomas Berry
14 - Spenser Ramsey
10 - Taylor Clontz
10 - Matthew Berry
8 - Benton Moss


PITCHING


Wins

9 - (9-1) Benton Moss
6 - (6-4) Jeremy Johnson
1- (1-0) Sam Lilley
1 - (1-1) Matthew Berry
1 - (1-2) Spenser Ramsey
0 - (0-1) Andy Morris

Strikeouts

148 - Benton Moss (currently leads the state)

53 - Jeremy Johnson

19 - Spenser Ramsey

17 - Sam Lilley

7 - Matthew Berry

ERA

0.87 - Benton Moss

2.74 - Andy Morris

2.93 - Sam Lilley

3.38 - Jeremy Johnson

5.10 - Spenser Ramsey

Innings Pitched

64.33 - Benton Moss

47.67 - Jeremy Johnson

22.00 - Spenser Ramsey

15.00 - Matthew Berry

14.33 - Sam Lilley

RM's junior and senior girls, come to the baseball game in your prom gown!

For the dates of Rocky Mount's baseball team members who are headed to this year's prom, be prepared to have your pre-prom meal at Gryphon Stadium, to take your couple pictures on the field's infield and sitting in your prom dresses on aluminum bleachers.

Instead of a steak at Outback, or a lobster platter at the Red Lobster for that meal, the bill of fare will likely include a hot dog all the way and nachos.

For the first time that I can remember, Rocky Mount will be playing an athletic event as the prelude to its annual Junior-Senior Prom.

Rocky Mount (18-8) will host North Lenoir (18-7) Friday at 6 p.m. at Gryphon Stadium in a NCHSAA 3-A state playoff baseball third-round matchup. Neither team has ever faced each other before. 

Rocky Mount officials, wanting to stay away from a Thursday meeting, were hoping to play the contest Saturday evening. But North Lenoir claimed it didn't want to play Saturday because should it rain, the two would be forced to play on Monday - a day before round 4 begins.

With both Berrys, Thomas and Matthew, now suffering from hamstring pulls, an extra day of rest would have helped them as RM's bench is wearing thin. For example, Matthew's pitching efforts are out and freshman Sam Lilley is recovering from facial surgery earlier in the week.

So an unhappy medium was struck. We are stuck with playing the Hawks on Prom Night. A 10-run mercy-rule Gryphon win would be in order and God help them if it goes into extra innings!

And when was the last time RMHS played an extra-inning playoff game?

The year was 1996 in a 6-5 eight-inning win over Anson County at Gryphon Stadium.

Nash County's top performers at the NCHSAA 3-A Track and Field Championships

GREENSBORO - Here are Nash County's best performers at last weekend's NCHSAA 3-A State Track and Field Championships held at Irwin Belk Track on the campus of N.C. A&T University. Nash Central's Xaviera Bass was the only athlete to come away with a state championship medal, thanks to her winning effort in the 100 meter hurdles.

Rocky Mount's athletes are listed in bold.

Boys

• Shot Put -- Kieffer Griffen, Nash Central (6th at 50-07.50) and Johvone Smith, Rocky Mount (13th at 44-07.25)

• Discus -- Aaron McFarland, Southern Nash (4th at 143-06)

• Long Jump -- Justin Hines, Northern Nash (10th at 20-09.50) and Devonte Jenkins, Rocky Mount (12th at 20-08)

• Triple Jump -- Chris Yarborough, Southern Nash (8th at 43-04) and Devonte Jenkins, Rocky Mount (11th at 42-10.25)

• Pole Vault -- Russell Langley, Nash Central (9th at 12-06); Will Smith, Southern Nash (9th at 12-06) and Josh Taylor, Nash Central (no height)

• 3200 Relay -- Nash Central (7th at 8:11.93) and Rocky Mount (12th at 8:26.31)

• 110 Hurdles -- Exzavier Cooper, Rocky Mount (3rd at 14.55) and Danny Simmons, Rocky Mount (6th at 14.94)

• 800 Relay -- Rocky Mount (6th at 1:30.41) and Southern Nash (10th at 1:32.11)

• 1600 -- Jeremy Judd, Nash Central (12th at 4:42.15); Andrew Nguyen, Nash Central (15th at 4:42.15) and Paul Lilley, Rocky Mount (DNF)

• 400 Relay -- Southern Nash (3rd at 43.00) and Rocky Mount (6th at 43.33)

• 300 Hurdles -- Alkeem Thomas, Southern Nash (6th at 41.24) and Dominique Allen (7th at 41.93)

• 800 -- Tevin Richardson, Nash Central (3rd at 1:54.58) and Paul Lliley, Rocky Mount (5th at 1:56.20)

• 200 -- Exzavier Cooper, Rocky Mount (8th at 22.82)

• 3200 -- Nepolian Patel, Southern Nash (14th at 10:16.91)

• 1600 Relay -- Nash Central (2nd at 3:26.64) and Northern Nash (13th at 3:30.48)

Girls

• Long Jump -- Aerostata Brown, Rocky Mount (11th at 16-0)

• Triple Jump -- Aerostata Brown, Rocky Mount (5th at 36-02) and Danaisha Pitchford, Nash Central (8th at 35-09)

• High Jump -- Xaviera Bass, Nash Central (4th at 5-02) and Takeyra Thomas, Rocky Mount (13th at 4-08)

• 3200 Relay -- Rocky Mount (11th at 10:42.92)

• 100 Hurdles -- Xaviera Bass, Nash Central (1st at 14.89)

• 800 Relay -- Rocky Mount (13th at 1:54.02)

• 1600 -- Michaela Williams, Nash Central (DNF)

• 400 -- Zikeena Parker, Rocky Mount (4th at 57.33)

• 200 -- Zikeena Parker, Rocky Mount (5th at 25.53)

• 3200 -- Michaela Wiliams, Nash Central (11th at 12:00.06) and Kaitlyn Jacob, Rocky Mount (13:31.72)

• 1600 Relay -- Rocky Mount (6th at 4:09.27)

USA South Conference announces partnership with the City of Rocky Mount

FAYETTEVILLE - The USA South Athletic Conference has announced a partnership with the city of Rocky Mount, North Carolina to host the 2013 and 2014 USA South Spring Sports Festivals. The festival features the tournaments of all six Conference spring sports.

The upcoming 2012 spring tournaments will be hosted by the city of Burlington, North Carolina. Burlington has played host to the USA South Spring Sports Festival for the past six years.

“I am delighted that the USA South has elected to bring their spring athletic championships to Rocky Mount in 2013,” said Rocky Mount Mayor David W. Combs. “Rocky Mount has been fortunate to host a number of conferences, tournaments, and other events for large groups in recent years, and we have proven ourselves to the state and to the region to be a hospitable community with ample resources to accommodate their needs.”

"On behalf of the Rocky Mount Parks and Recreation Department, I would like to say that am very excited at the opportunity for the City of Rocky Mount to host the USA South Spring Championships in 2013,” shared Dale Smith, Rocky Mount Parks and Recreation Director. “The Parks and Recreation department prides itself on outstanding staff and facilities. We look forward to providing the highest level of service to the Conference and its athletes."

Rocky Mount's city limits fall within Edgecombe and Nash Counties. The city, named an All-America City in 1970 and 1999, is located halfway between New York and Florida directly on I-95 and US 64. Rocky Mount has played host to numerous collegiate events as well as regional and national recreation tournaments. The city is also home to USA South member North Carolina Wesleyan College.

"We look forward to partnering with Rocky Mount as we plan for future USA South Sports Festivals," stated Rita Wiggs, USA South Commissioner. "This is a huge event for our student-athletes and coaches and our continued challenge will be to make it a valued event in the student-athlete experience. The bar has been set high in the past six years and the Rocky Mount contingency has committed its personnel, venues and community support to ensuring that the student-athletes of the USA South will have a superior tournament experience in the years to come."

The baseball tournament will be the only competition not played within the city limits of Rocky Mount. The tournament will split time between Fleming Stadium in Wilson, North Carolina and Five County Stadium, home of the current minor league (Double-A) affiliate Carolina Mudcats, in Zebulon, North Carolina. The number of games played at each stadium has yet to be determined.

The softball tournament will be held at the Rocky Mount Sports Complex. This facility contains four softball fields with two 2,000 square foot concession areas with restrooms. This facility has hosted numerous national recreation softball tournaments.

The women's lacrosse tournament will be held at City Stadium which is within the Rocky Mount Sports Complex. The stadium is located adjacent from the softball fields and has a 5,000-seat capacity. The venue has hosted Elizabeth City State's “Down East Viking Football Classic” for the past 13 years.

The men's golf tournament will take place at Benvenue County Club. The 6,635-yard, par 72 course was designed by Donald Ross and has a course rating of 72.0 with a slope rating of 120. The facility also contains full locker rooms for each team.

The men's and women's tennis facility will be in its first year of existence once tournament play begins. Construction on the facility, which will be on the campus of N.C. Wesleyan, has begun and it will feature 12 lighted hard surface courts with ample spectator seating, locker rooms and restrooms.

Specific details and game schedules of each tournament have yet to be finalized. Once official schedules have been determined, they will be available on the USA South website. Finally, it is the USA South's goal to continue providing live statistics and video of tournament contests when available.

2011 Rocky Mount Coleman-Pitt Post 58 American Legion Baseball schedule released

Coleman-Pitt Post 58 athletic officer Joe Bell has released its 23-game 2011 American Legion baseball schedule.

Play will open on Monday, May 23 against Cary Post 67 at home at 7 p.m. It will be the first of 11 games Post 58 will play at their new home, Nash Central High School's Dawg Pound. Its third different home in three seasons. It spent last season at Rocky Mount's Gryphon Stadium, and the season before at Northern Nash's Death Valley. 

Head coach Hank Jones, an alum of Post 58 during his playing days at Rocky Mount (Class of '86), returns for his second season. Another Rocky Mount alum, Britt Johnson ('02), will assist him. He comes back to town after serving his first season as an assistant baseball coach at Lander University in Greenwood, S.C.

I hope to have the final roster posted in the coming days. That season-opening roster will depend on how long Rocky Mount and Nash Central stay alive in the NCHSAA 3-A playoffs.

Just a note. Although it's a long way off, American Legion officials have moved its the permanent home of its World Series to Shelby.  

2011 Rocky Mount Coleman-Pitt Post 58 American Legion Baseball Schedule

Home games played at Nash Central HS and listed in bold

Mon., May 23 - Cary Post 67, 7 p.m.
Tue., May 24 - @ Pitt County Post 39 (Guy Smith Stadium), 7 p.m.
Wed., May 25 - Durham Post 7, 7 p.m.
Fri., May 27 - Pitt County Post 39, 7 p.m.
Sat., May 28 - @ Durham Post 7 Showcase (Durham Athletic Park), TBA
Sun., May 29 - @ Durham Post 7 Showcase (Durham Athletic Park), TBA
Tue., May 31 - @ Ahoskie Post 102 (Hertford Co. HS), 7 p.m.**
Thu., June 2 - Ahoskie Post 102, 7 p.m.**
Fri., June 3 - @ N. Raleigh Post 297 (Millbrook HS),  7 p.m.
Sun., June 5 -  @ Rowan County Post 342 (Salisbury), TBA
Mon., June 6 - @ Ahoskie Post 102 (HCHS), 7 p.m.**
Tue., June 7 -  N. Raleigh Post 297, 7 p.m.
Wed., June 15 - @ Wilson Post 13 (Fleming Stadium), 7 p.m.**
Thu., June 16 - @ Wayne County Post 11 (Mt. Olive College),  7pm
Sat., June 18 - Edenton Post 40, 3 p.m.** (DH)
Mon., June 20 - Cary Post 67, 7 p.m.
Wed., June 22 - Wilson Post 13, 7 p.m.**
Thu., June 23 -  Wayne County Post 11, 7 p.m.
Fri., June 24 - @ Edenton Post 40 (Historic Hicks Field), 7 p.m.**

Sun., June 26 - Wilson Post 13, 7 p.m.**

Fri., July 1 - Wilson Post 13 Showcase (Fleming Stadium), TBA

Sat., July 2 - Wilson Post 13 Showcase (Fleming Stadium), TBA

** Conference Games

Home games are listed in bold and will be played at Nash Central High School

(DH) – Doubleheader (two 7-inning games)

PLAYOFF SCHEDULE

July 3-5 - Area 1, East/West Quarterfinals (Best of Three series)

July 7-9 - Area 1, East/West Semifinals (Best of Three series)

July 11-15 - Area 1, East/West Finals (Best of Five series) ***

July 17-19 - Area 1, Finals (Best of Three series)

July 21-25 - State Championship Tournament (Puck O'Neil Field at Big Rock Stadium,

Morehead City)

*** Both the Area 1 East champion and Area 1 West champion qualify for the State Championship Tournament

N.C. Baseball Musuem to host Celebrity Golf Tournament fundraiser

I am always glad to give golf fundraisers some pub. And when it comes to the North Carolina Baseball Museum in Wilson, it was a no-brainer.

Two former Cy Young Award winners will be part of the lineup at the North Carolina Baseball Museum’s ninth annual Celebrity Superball Golf Tournament on Tuesday, May 17, at Wedgewood Public Golf Course in Wilson.

Williamston native Jim Perry, the 1970 American League Cy Young winner for the Minnesota Twins, and Mike McCormick, the 1967 National League Cy Young recipient from the San Francisco Giants, will be joined by 11 former major league baseball players and one former manager will, along with three former NFL players and a host of former minor league and collegiate players and coaches.

Perry, who pitched for four AL teams, was a three-time All-Star and compiled 215 career victories and 1,576 strikeouts in 17 major league seasons. McCormick was a member of five teams in his 16-year career that began with the New York Giants in 1956.

Among the other celebrities expected to attend are former MLB players Billy Harris, Monty Montgomery, Fred Valentine, Mike McCormick, Floyd Wicker, Marion Talton, John Donaldson, Bob Perry, Carl Long, Hubert Wooten and Ken Free; former MLB manager Grady Little; former NFL players Milt Plum, Tony Collins and Johnny Evans; former minor league baseball players Jimmy Tyer and Johnny Ellen; former collegiate standouts Alex Cheek, Earl Boykin, Leander Green, Wayne Dunn, Freddie Combs, Francis Combs, Clay Johnson and Vic Sorrell.

The tournament, a fundraiser for the N.C. Baseball Museum, will begin with lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45. A celebrity photo opportunity will be held at 1 p.m. with a shotgun start at 1:15 p.m.

The cost per foursome is $200 with one celebrity added and teams are wanted. Mulligans are available. Tee sponsorships are $100. Forms are available at Wedgewood, N.C. Baseball Museum and Dick’s Hot Dog Stand.

For more information, telephone Kent Montgomery at 252-299-4312. Thanks to the Wilson Times for the information.

Rocky Mount, Nash Central, Northern Nash baseball playoff-bound

Three Nash County high school baseball teams have earned a berth in the 2011 NCHSAA 3-A state playoffs and their play will begin Thursday evening.

Rocky Mount, which earned the No. 2 seed from the Big East Conference, will host Hertford County Thursday at 7 p.m. at Gryphon Stadium. The Bears (14-7) are the No. 2 seed from the Northeastern Carolina Conference.

The Gryphons will have senior hurler Benton Moss (7-1) on the hill as he attempts to break the Twin Counties' record for career pitching victories. He is currently tied with former Northern Nash star Tyler Joyner with 30 (Moss 30-3, Joyner 30-7).

Nash Central head coach Jeff Mizzell expected that his team would finish at least third in the Big East, and that's exactly what happened.

The Bulldogs (16-7), by virtue of their regular season win Monday over Northern Nash, claimed that No. 3 seed and they will travel to Jacksonville for a date with the Cardinals, the No. 2 seed from the Coastal Conference. The game is set for Friday at 7 p.m.

Jacksonville (19-3), which started the season with a 13-game winning streak, ended the regular season going 2-2, including an 8-1 loss in its regular season finale to West Carteret to fall out of first place tie with D.H. Conley in the league.

The Bulldogs will go with either seniors Jeremy Sloop or Trellis Ashley as pitching starters.

Northern Nash (12-7), the No. 4 seed from the Big East, will travel to Sanford Friday for a matchup with Southern Lee, the No. 1 seed out of the Cape Fear Valley Conference. Game time is 7 p.m. The Cavaliers (15-9) edged out Union Pines for the top spot in that league.

Senior Jeremy Lucas is expected to start on the mound for the Knights.

Gryphons making first-ever trip to golf state tournament

2011 RMHS boys golf team (Contributed photo - click on picture to enlarge)

When Chris Lee left Rocky Mount to become the head football coach at Louisburg High School in the winter of 2009, he not only left a void on the football coaching squad, but his absence left the school without a boys golf coach, too.

In stepped Ken Cox, retired Tarboro athletic director and father of Gryphon head baseball coach Kent Cox, as head coach.

In three seasons, the Gryphons have gone from just being competitive to qualifying for the NCHSAA state tournament for the first time ever in the program's history.

Rocky Mount pulled off the feat via its third place finish at the NCHSAA 3-A East Regionals held Monday at Reedy Creek Golf Course outside Four Oaks. The Gryphons shot a combined 333 at the par 72 course. Big East Conference champion Wilson Fike claimed its eight regional title in nine years by firing a 308 - led by medalist Bailey Rose with a 2-under par 70.

West Carteret was second with a 316. Big East member Southern Nash placed fifth with a 342.

Rocky Mount, which finished a surprising second in the Big East regular season race, got a 79 from Dylan Matthews (eighth place), an 82 from James Martin, and 86's from Gardner Noble and Tyler Howard. Dean Leonard (90) and Clark Covolo (104) round out the team roster. The team's top four scores count toward the team total.

Rocky Mount, along with 11 other teams and several individual players from across the state, will now decend onto Pinehurst and Foxfire Golf and Country Club (par 72, 6,742 yds.) for a practice round Sunday then two rounds of championship tournament play Monday and Tuesday.