PLAYOFF CAPSULES: Baseball

By Justin Hayes
Published in Sports on May 10, 2016 1:48 PM

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Spring Creek

Location: Seven Springs

Head Coach: Doyle Whitfield

Record: 16-6 overall, 13-1 Carolina 1A

Key Performers: Levi Miller, Hunter Walker, Sawyer Smith and Kaden Geelen... quartet has combined to hit .339 with 69 hits and 46 RBI... Gators also have a high motor, stealing 61 bases in 65 attempts this season -- a conversion rate of .938... Senior Will Rouse leads the Seven Springs staff in strikeouts (38), earned run average (.91) and innings pitched (46).

Coach Doyle Whitfield: "We are not going to go out and overpower anybody," Whitfield said, "so for us to be successful, we will have to grind... have to do the little things -- pitching, defense -- that have gotten us to where we are."

Playoff opponent: Tuesday versus (27) Pinetown Northside.

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Rosewood

Location: Goldsboro

Head Coach: Jason King

Record: 15-8, 11-3 Carolina 1A

Key Performers: Hayden Amodeo, Ethan Chapin, Boone Moody and Derek Neal... Led by Rockingham CC signee Amodeo, the Eagles are volume producers at the plate... have scored 171 runs, cranked out 201 hits, 116 RBI and 38 extra-base hits in 663 at-bats this season... feature a committee-based pitching outfit, but will lean on Nick Neal in crunch time... savvy senior is 5-1 in eight appearances with an ERA of 1.45.

Coach Jason King: "We are excited about the opportunity to play (in the state playoffs)," the coach said, "we feel like the competitiveness of our conference this year has prepared us well for the playoff atmosphere."

Playoff oppoent: North Duplin

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Princeton

Location: Princeton

Head Coach: Bruce Proctor

Record: 18-6, 10-4 Carolina 1A

Key Performers: The Bulldogs are bullish offensively, with four players hitting .300 or better -- Nick Phillips, Tyler Ricks, Matt Daughtry and Tanner Flowers... their season-long total of 130 RBI is the most of any playoff-bound team from Wayne County... They are led on the hill by Flowers, who is 2-2 in 14 appearances with an ERA of .22... solid defensive unit boasts a total fielding percentage of .914.

Coach Bruce Proctor: "Just want to emphasize the urgency in their approach -- there is NO tomorrow," the skipper said last week. "Execution is extremely important and (we want to) make the most of every opportunity."

Playoff opponent: South Creek

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Charles B. Aycock

Location: Pikeville

Head Coach: Charles Davis

Record: 20-4, 8-4 Eastern Carolina 3A/4A

Key Performers: Ashton McGee, Cameron Kornegay, Chandler Matthews, Bryce Anders and Kyle Davis... team stumbled through April, batting just .263 and compiling a 4-4 record... revolving door of arm talent on the bump, led by Pitt CC signee Davis... the senior is 9-2 this year with a 1.75 ERA... Head coach Charles Davis -- just 8 victories shy of 500 -- owns a 16-8 mark in NCHSAA playoff competition since 2010.

Coach Charles Davis: "(We) need to be focused every day and play one pitch at a time," Davis said of his team's postseason approach, "survive and advance."

Playoff opponent: South Brunsick

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Eastern Wayne

Location: Goldsboro

Head Coach: Jabo Fulghum

Record: 13-9, 6-6 Eastern Carolina 3A/4A

Key Performers: Zack Smith, Lee Daniels, Tanner Wells and Carlyle Smith... UNCC signee Smith has registered a solid campaign, batting .303 in 83 plate appearances... EW is led on the bump by Wells, who is 5-1 on the season with an earned run average of 2.73... Fulghum, now in his 28th year at New Hope, will retire at season's end.

Coach Jabo Fulghum: Ever succinct, the veteran skipper noted "it will take a team effort from top to bottom" for his team to make a sustained run through the postseason.

Playoff matchup: Orange HS

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Wayne Country Day School

Location: Goldsboro

Head Coach: Michael Taylor

Record: 11-7-1, 1-2 Coastal Plains 1A

Key Performers: John Strickland, Patrick Hall, Amane Godo and Mitch Turnage... the Chargers, a lively offensive bunch who won via the mercy rule five times in 19 outings, had nine players hit over .300 this spring... Turnage, an explosive righthanded pitcher, was limited by Country Day throughout the spring in lieu of a postseason run.

Coach Michael Taylor: "We have to have timely hits," Taylor noted, "we cannot leave 10 runners on base and expect to win... (conversely), our pitchers are going to have to throw strikes and let the defense do their job... we are going to have to play fundamental baseball."

Playoff opponent: First-round bye

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Wayne Christian School

Location: Goldsboro

Head Coach: Dustin Dupre

Record: 6-7 overall, 3-0 NCISAA Carolina 1-A Christian Conference

Key Performers: Holden Foster, Seth Harrell, Hunter Burt and Mason White... contact hitting lineup hit .370 as a team... senior laden pitching staff features variety, specifically the livewire buzz of Foster and the offspeed curiosity of Harrell... finished conference play unblemished, outscoring opponents 41-13 in three games.

Coach Dustin Dupre: "It's going to take someone who hasn't necessarily carried us this year -- a role player -- to make a series of key hits, defensive plays (or) a solid start," the first-year skipper noted, " We are challenging each other to be that guy."

Playoff Matchup: Statesville Christian

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North Duplin High School

Location: Calypso

Head Coach: Charles Crumpler

Record: 10-10, 7-7 Carolina 1A

Key Performers: Dustin Carter, Ricky Cameron, Colby Bass, DJ Morrisey and Dylan Jones... mixture of youth and senior leadership has the Rebels rounding into form as playoffs loom... band-of-brothers approach has generated timely hits and defensive stops all season... won four of seven ball games to close the regular season.

Coach Charles Crumpler: "Rosewood has about eight pitchers they can run to the mound," the coach said. "And they're playing with a purpose -- but we are, too. We just have to put the ball in play with runners in scoring position."

Playoff Matchup: Rosewood