EAST 1A BASEBALL: Eagles ready to face MLB prospect MacKenzie Gore

By Justin Hayes
Published in Sports on May 24, 2017 11:11 AM

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Something wicked this way comes.

Such is the reality for Rosewood High's varsity baseball outfit, which begins its quest for the N.C. High School Athletic Association 1-A state championship series tonight versus Whiteville High -- a team fluent in postseason success, and yes, a sure-fire first-round draft pick.

From in-depth scouting memorandums posted on widely-respected forums such as Baseball America, to slicked-up, all-star video footage housed at Perfect Game, such is the word on Whiteville senior ace MacKenzie Gore.

A qualified prospect since the ninth grade -- let that notion resonate for a second -- the 6-foot-2, 170-pound lefty is athletic, cagey and more than capable of seating one's lineup in a variety of ways.

To begin, there's the fastball, which runs into and away from opposing hitters with a comfortable working velocity of 90 mph, but with flare potential in the 94 mph range. What's more, there is also the senior's cache of secondary pills, which he deals in the form of a changeup, slider and a true 12-6 curve ball.

This spring, his starts have been economical and tightly supervised, as evidenced by an efficient, if not eye-popping number of pitches thrown per inning -- just 14.39.

The truth, as the kids say.

So much so, in fact, that many draft board experts and pundits have Gore penciled in as the No. 6 selection overall when the national amateur draft convenes on June 12.

But there are miles to keep before then -- starting with the Eagles, a team that should not, in any fashion, be considered an underdog.

To be blunt, Rosewood (23-4 overall) is something Gore and Co. have yet to see this spring -- a patient, contact-hitting nine that manages plate approaches the way Felix Ungar used to oversee the folding of his weekly laundry detail.

In a word, nuanced.

To date, RHS has amassed a team batting average of .348, with nine of its 14 rotation regulars hitting at least .305 -- a number defined by all portions of the lineup, not just the top third of its order.

Further, there is the matter of on-base percentage, which, at .435, is 102 points higher than what Whiteville (21-6) faced on average this season. Rosewood's prolific axework also includes 264 base hits, 158 RBI, 71 doubles and 10 triples this season -- marks that dwarf significantly the totals produced by opponents on the Wolfpack's schedule.

So, what gives?

Will great pitching and defense define the series, as it often does, or will a gang of purple-and-gold upstarts crash Gore's run to a fourth consecutive title series appearance?

Weather permitting, we'll know soon enough.

First pitch is 7 p.m.