Rowan County American Legion Baseball: More than just a game

When you walk into Newman Park, whether it's for the first time or the thousandth, you get the sense that this is one special place. You can't exactly explain why, well maybe you can if this is your thousandth time, but even if it's your first time, you sense it.

Newman Park is an icon to many baseball players, coaches and fans. It has a certain mystique and atmosphere that cannot be matched. Some other ballparks may come close, but Newman owns the number one spot.

Rowan County is a baseball hotbed, always has been and always will be. There is a lot of talented baseball players in Rowan and even some that have made it to the major leagues.

When those players who are lucky enough to play for Rowan slip on that red uniform, something happens that is almost magical. They become almost like local celebrities. They may not feel that way, but where else can you see little kids asking for autographs from their favorite players?

I've heard many people, who have been coming to legion games their whole life say that when they were little, they thought they were at a professional game.

How is that? Don't we know that we are just watching a bunch of high school kids and maybe a few college players? Why does it feel that way?

I'll tell you why it doesn't feel that way, it's because what Rowan legion has built is the model or ideal legion program, not just in the state of North Carolina, but the United States as well. Rowan has it all: loyal fans, a beautiful home ballpark, enormous half 'n half drawings, great newspaper coverage, two radio stations (yes two), chartered buses for road trips and then of course Cheerwine slushies and fresh roasted peanuts!

Every little leaguer grows up dreaming of playing in that environment and putting on that Rowan uniform, and is there any wonder why?

Many great players have doned the Rowan uniform over the years such as Cal Hayes Jr., Buck Hamrick, Bobby Parnell, Justin Roland, Aaron Rimer, and I could go on and on. I know I am missing some of the program's players from the past, but you would be reading this all day.

Bottom line is, there is nothing like Rowan County American Legion baseball, and the only thing that will come close to it, is Rowan County American Legion baseball.

Let's play ball.

Blogspot status update?

Well apparently I have not "blogged" since May 3, even though it doesn't seem that long ago, so I'm just going to let you know what is going on in my life at the current place in time.

The summer is starting off very well for me. I just recently started my internship at The Salisbury Post and my first article (I would call it a blurb) was in Saturday's edition of the Post (in the Area section).

My first assignment was covering the Apple Ugly eating contest over at East Rowan High School. This was supposedly the 50th anniversary of East's yearbook and so the yearbook staff threw a carnival to celebrate the occasion.

I was admittedly nervous because this was my first time going on a "real" coverage of an event. I definitely learned from my first experience and will hopefully not be as nervous the next time and just do my thing.

Other than that, the usual sign of summer is beginning to heat up. That would be Rowan County's favorite pastime, baseball. East Rowan's baseball team was not devouring Apple Uglies, but was nearly devouring their season right down the drain when they trailed the Piedmont Panthers by two runs heading into the 7th inning on Friday night.

I thought I had seen some crazy things last year, but apparently I had not seen anything yet with the amazing comeback put on by the Manic Mustangs. Zach Smith alertly stole home after David Ijames had hit the game tying single to win the game for East.

So East really did "steal" one literally and figuratively. The Mustangs move on to to face the Mustangs, Parkland that is, on Tuesday.

I say now that I really have seen it all, but judging by Friday's craziness, this may just be the beginning of the May maddness?!

Rowan County Legion is scheduled to start their season Tuesday at Randolph County. The majority of the legion team is comprised of East Rowan, so they will be missing some faces for a while.

Returning are veterans Trey Holmes and Billy Veal, fresh off their first years of college, should provide that veteran leadership to the team when needed. West Rowan's baseball season ended with a 6-2 setback at the hands of T.C. Roberson, so the players from West will be ready come Tuesday.

This summer looks to be an exciting one, so I guess you should stay tuned.

Carrie Prejean: Majority Ambassador

Most years the Miss America Beauty Pageant comes and goes and little is made over who even wins, which happend again this year. The story this year of course if you haven't heard was the controversy sparked by runner-up Carrie Prejean from California.

Prejean was asked by judge Perez Hilton if every state should legalize same sex-marriage and Prejean responded with a surprising politically incorrect response that really ruffled Hilton's feathers in a later blogged video.

Prejean stated "I think it's great that Americans are able to choose one or the other. We live in a land that you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite marriage and, you know what, in my country and my family I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anyone out there but that's how I was raised and that's how I think it should be between a man and a woman."

As I was wittnessing what she said, I felt an overwhelming since of pride that finally someone stood up for what most believe in this country. She was simply answering what was asked and she answered truthfully instead of giving that minority opinion shared by few in this country, she remembered how her parents raised her and expressed herself much to the begrudge of Hilton.

It is my hope that God has instilled in Carrie, the guts to finally step up and let everyone know that the Christians in this country are tired of all the crap that we have taken from the minorites that have taken away prayer in schools, and the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance.

Christians must take initiative and be willing to show their colors to others and be a wittness to those who have doubted Christ or who just don't know Him. The Lord is trying to tell us something, I just hope that we are all listening.

The End Is Near

I guess when we hear that statement, we all think of that cartoon where the guy is holding or wearing a sign walking down the sidewalk telling everyone that the "end is near."

But if you're a college student, you know exactly what I'm talking about and hearing that the end is near is sweet music to your ears.

Another semester of college is over, and for some, graduation is on the horizon and the quote on quote "real world" (because we all live in a fake world now) is about to rear its' ugly head.

Others, like myself, have one more college semester to stress, pull all-nighters, write ten page papers at the last minute, go to games and yell till your lungs can't stand it, and simply have unrestricted and unlimitted amounts of fun.

Although we all are praying that we do great on our finals and get these last minute projects and papers turned in. We are really glad to see the semester come to an end. It might be cliche, but time certainly does fly, even when you're not having fun.

We will cherish our summers, as we should, because they will not last long. Another semester of college will be back to haunt, I mean enrich our lives before we know it. So enjoy your summer all you college students, cause as Darius Rucker says, "It won't be like this for long."

Round 2 goes to............

The West Rowan Falcons. Forgive me if this is all I have to say for the time being, but that is how the game went from the very beginning, all West, all the time.

A shell-shocked East Rowan team and crowd watched as West took advantage of 5 uncharacteristic Mustang errors. East starter Preston Troutman had to leave the game due to leg cramps and reliever Cody Laws was roughed up to say the least by the Falcon onslaught.

Hernan Bautista helped West draw first blood with a solo shot in the top of the 2nd inning and the Falcons never looked back building a 7-0 lead before East got on the board with a Casey Little homer.

Randy Shepherd, inserted into the game in the 4th inning, was nearly untouchable with his hard slider and fastball. Mustang fans pleaded and growned to their team to start a rally, but there was little that could be done to stop the Falcon momentum.

When all was said and done, the 9-1 drubbing had West's NPC record at 4-4 following a surpring loss at the hands of North Iredell, and East had dropped to 7-2, two games back of league leading Lake Norman.

The North Piedmont Conference is living up to its' billing as the year progresses, proving that no team is a pushover.


Garrett White held East to three singles in the first three innings but was relieved by Shepherd after two walks in the 4th inning.

Every Falcon recorded a hit except second baseman Tyler King.

Falcons vs. Mustangs Round 2

High expectations usually accompany the baseball hotbed that is Rowan County, but West Rowan's Baseball team came into the season with unusually higher than normal expectations.

The Falcons were preseason ranked # 3 in the Impact Baseball poll. After starting the season 0-6, West is on a roll recently winning the Wilmington-Ashley Easter Tournament defeating some top notch competition.

With a North Piedmont Conference (NPC) victory on Monday, the Falcons have squared their conference record at 3-3.

High expectations are always on the tradition-rich East Rowan Mustangs whose only blip on the conference radar so far is a loss at the hands of Nick Lomascola and Lake Norman.

Both teams will have to play back to back nights thanks to Mother Nature's "kindness" on Tuesday. Both teams also figure to counter with good arms in this highly anticipated match-up Friday night in Granite Quarry.

A West Rowan win would surely shake up the conference standings and a East Rowan win would keep the Mustangs at pace with Lake Norman.

So with all the high expectations aside (yeah right), it should be a hotly contested game Friday night.

West Rowan Baseball off the Schneid

An old baseball adage, "off the schneid" is completely appropriate when talking about the West Rowan High School Baseball team after their 8-5 victory over the South Rowan High School Raiders Tuesday night in Mt. Ulla. After zero wins in six trys, the Falcons finally broke through the win column with a strong relief performance from pitcher D.J. Webb.
West Rowan starting pitcher Zack Simpson was ineffective and Webb entered the game in the top of the third inning with bases loaded and a 4-4 tie. Webb proceeded to fan Jacob Dietz leaving the bases loaded.
West led early 4-0 but South rallied to tie the score at 4-4 with a four-run third inning thanks to two run scoring wild pitches and a bases loaded walk. But instead of maybe panicking and folding in the clutch, the Falcons responded and got the big hits when they needed them to pull out their first North Piedmont Conference (NPC) win of the season. West took the lead for good in the fifth on a Jon Crucitti double to right-center.
It may be hard for West Rowan to win the NPC this year with East Rowan and Lake Norman still undefeated, but the Falcons are going to be no pushover for any of the opponents left on the schedule.