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From staff reports COLLEGE BASEBALL Catawba College head coach Jim Gantt was named the American Baseball Coaches Association Southeast Region Coach of the Year.
Gantt earns the honor from the coaches association for the fifth time in his illustrious career.
In his 30th season at the helm of Catawba Baseball, Gantt led the Catawba Indians to a program-record 49 wins, which included the their third straight SAC regular season title and their fifth region championship.
Gantt also won SAC Coach of the Year honors for the third straight year and for a league-record 14th time.
*** Catawba graduate Casey Gouge (West Rowan) was named to the Division II Academic All-America team.
Gouge adds Academic All-America honors in his senior season along with South Atlantic Conference Pitcher of the Year honors and D2CCA Southeast Region Pitcher of the Year recognition.
As a senior, Gouge was 9-2 mark across 90.1 innings with 87 strikeouts to 41 walks.
In the classroom, Gouge recorded a 3.93 cumulative GPA in Sports Management.
*** Clemson pitcher Hayden Simmerson (Carson, Catawba) is projected as a potential mid-to-late round draft pick in July.
Simmerson (6-2, 205) is viewed as high-velocity, late-inning relief specialist.
His fastball consistently sits in the mid-90s and tops out in the 98-99 range.
His second-best pitch is a sweeper.
*** Texas lefty Haiden Leffew is projected as a mid-round selection in the MLB Draft.
Baseball America ranks him No.
213 for draft eligibles, while Perfect Game ranks him No.
367.
Leffew pitches in the 92-95 range and has been clocked as high as 97.
His changeup is viewed as one of the best in the draft.
LOCAL GOLF GARS members played at Winding Creek in Thomasville.
Low A Flight winner was Edgar Osborne with a net of 66.99.
Low B Flight player was Wayne Kluttz with a net of 66.45.
Low C Flight player was Brian Nicholson with a net of 60.95.
Low D Flight player was Keith Larsen with a net of 62.51.
Gene White and Frank Gobble shot 77s to tie for low gross.
Nicholson won low net score.
Jesse McBride was Super Senior with a net of 63.52.
Kluttz, 82, shot an 81 to beat his age.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL West Rowan defensive lineman Kayden Weeks, a rising junior, announced hes been offered by App State.
MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL CJ Gray (A.L.
Brown) has 10 strikeouts in 7.1 innings.
The teenager is still working to master command, but he throws 98 and is considered one of the Angels most talented pitching prospects.
*** Austin Love (West Rowan, UNC) had two strong relieft outings in his first two Triple-A appearances for Memphis.
*** Coy James (Davie) is viewed as one of the top prospects for Washington.
The teen-age shortstops batting average is still low, but hes shown a strong power/speed combination.
Hes hit eight homers.
*** South Bend Cub Kane Kepley (South Rowan, UNC) continues to get on base at a high rate and leads his entire classification (High A) in runs scored with 73.
Hes also shown elite speed (36 steals) and outfield defense and is now rated as one of the top 100 prospects in all of baseball.
*** Vance Honeycutt (Salisbury, UNC) dug a hole with a slump in April, but has been much better since then.
He had a decent May and hes had a productive June.
Hes had a few nagging injuries (thumb, quadriceps), but has finally gotten his batting average up to .200.
He has eight homers, including a three-run walk-off, and 18 steals.
*** Sidelined since mid-April by a shoulder injury, Cobb Hightower (East Rowan) is finally playing games again.
Hes playing some rehab games in Florida before he returns to the Delmarva Shorebirds roster.
He had one hit on Tuesday.
HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL Recent East Rowan graduate Harrison Ailshie is a potential early-round target in the July draft.
Because he is fully committed to a powerhouse program (UNC), professional organizations will have to balance his signability against his college commitment.
Scouts love Ailshies lefty swing and his left arm.
Hell have two-way potential if he becomes a Tar Heel.
MLB Corey Seager (NWC, Kannapolis Legion) has been struggling this season and is batting .186.
Its really the first time hes struggled in MLB when he was healthy, and at 32, he hasnt been healthy all that often this year.
The two-time World Series MVP and five-time All-Star missed three weeks with lower back inflammation, came back, played a few games and went on the concussion list after a June 11 collision at home plate.
Hes been out since then, although he appears to be close to returning.
Seager is in the middle of a 10-year, $325 million contract.
*** Coreys older brother, Kyle, will be on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time in 2027.
The criteria is playing at least 10 MLB seasons and being retired for five years.
Kyle and Corey are only pair of brothers in MLB history to each have 200-plus homers.
Kyle hit 242, while Corey is gaining slowly.
He has 230.
*** Davie grad Carson Whisenhunt recently won his season debut against Atlanta.
He allowed two runs in five innings, and the Giants won the game, 7-5.
His reward was being sent back to the Triple-A Sacramento the next day, but hell no doubt get the call again as soon as the Giants need another starter.
Giants manager Tony Vitello indicated he is the next man up.
LADY LEGION SOFTBALL The Rowan Junior Red team lost a doubleheader to Davidson County on Monday, 7-5 and 15-2.
Rowan is 4-4.
YOUTH TRACK Rowan Express athletes competed in the recent Jim Law Invitational in Charlotte.
Girls 8U Raquel Lyerly 100m 21.98 11-12 Girls Giselle Garrison Shot Put 23-0 4th Boys Brayden Ellis Long Jump 115.5 100m- 15.21 200m- 31.42 Braejohn Ellis Long Jump 130 Aero Javelin 659 1st 100m 14.67 13-14 Girls Sydney Gabriel 100mH 20.26 6th 200mH 33.88 10th Boys Braxton Ellis Javelin 812 1st ShotPut 2811 6th Discus 936 -3rd 15-16 Boys Dyllion Steele Javelin 746 5th.