Staff report
Rowan’s County Junior Legion team has qualified for the state tournament that begins in Kinston on Wednesday.
Mooresville will join Rowan (23-4) in the event.
Rowan was 12-1 at Newman Park, outscored opponents 225-93, committed only 36 errors for the season and is batting .333 as a team.
“What’s making us a pretty good team is our pitching staff doesn’t walk many people, we’ve had some amazing fielding, and now we’re starting to hit it some,” coach Brian Hightower said.
Thomas Allen (5-1, 1.86 ERA) leads the pitching staff with 35 strikeouts.
Other top hurlers include Justin Morris (4-0, 1.42), Will Johnson (4-1, 2.12, 25 Ks), Jamey Blalock (3-1), Alex Litaker (2-1).
Blalock allowed 16 hits in a recent playoff victory, but Rowan won 13-10.
“We had no errors and he had no walks,” Hightower said. “Blalock did his job. He threw strikes.”
Allen (.353 batting average) and Litaker (.327) share first base, while Blalock (.348) and Morris are second basemen.
Shortstop Preston Troutman is hitting .417, and third baseman Tyler King checks in at .333.
The starting outfield is usually Nathan Fulbright (.324) in left, Chris Jacobs (.304) in center and Will Sapp (.370) in right.
Luke Thomas (.364) is the regular catcher.
Other options for Hightower include Avery Rogers, Thomas Hester and Alex Morgan.
Rowan is batting .333 as a team. Thomas has three homers, while King, Litaker and Sapp have one each.
Troutman has scored 25 runs, while Jacobs has 24.
King leads in RBIs with 24, while Thomas has knocked in 20 runs.
Jacobs has 20 steals.
Blalock has a .538 on-base percentage.