By Mike London
mike.london@salisburypost.com

College baseball roundup …

GREENSBORO — Tuesday’s sports headlines were all about UNC Greensboro’s stunning, 4-3 upset of No. 1-ranked Wake Forest  — and rightfully so — but Wake freshman lefty Haiden Leffew, who helped South Rowan win a state championship two years ago, quietly had a very solid debut for the Demon Deacons.

Leffew started and hurled four innings, throwing 67 pitches. He struck out eight, walked two and allowed two hits and one run. It was 1-all after four, so there was no decision for Leffew.

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Jake Hunter (East Rowan) had a great first start for East Carolina and is set to be one of the weekend starters.

Hunter (1-0) pitched five shutout innings against Rider, allowing one hit and three walks and striking out six.

• Nathan Chrismon (South Rowan) is 1-for-1 with two RBIs for the Pirates. The hit and one of the RBIs came on a perfectly executed squeeze bunt. The other RBI was on a sacrifice fly. He’s also stolen a base. He helps the Pirates in a variety of roles.

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The most celebrated and most watched Rowan County player in the college ranks is UNC center fielder Vance Honeycutt (Salisbury), who is expected to be a high draft pick this summer.

Honeycutt is off to an impactful start with three homers and three steals in the Tar Heels’ first four games.

Honeycutt’s opposite-field grand slam on Tuesday keyed an 8-7 win against Elon.

Honeycutt, a preseason All-America, recently became only the second Tar Heel to reach 40 career homers and 50 career steals.

• Cameron Padgett (East Rowan) has pitched twice and has had great stuff. In 2 2/3 innings, he’s struck out seven batters.

• East Rowan senior shortstop Cobb Hightower, a UNC recruit, recently was named as a Student-Athlete Community Service Network Leadership Award winner.

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JT Taylor, a Salisbury youngster who made a splash with Rowan County American Legion last summer, is starting at second base for North Carolina A&T as a freshman.

Taylor had a double in Tuesday’s 9-2 win against Gardner-Webb.

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Liberty’s Kane Kepley (South Rowan) got off to a sensational start, batting .583 in the Flames’ first three games and making diving plays in the outfield.

Kepley was 7-for-12, walked five times, smacked two doubles and scored eight runs.

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UNC Pembroke’s Morgan Padgett (East Rowan) is 7-for-17 (.412) with three RBIs for the Braves, who started 11-0.

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Catawba has even more local players than usual and most play prominent roles for the Indians, who are off to an 8-3 start.

Right fielder Dylan Driver (Carson) was off to a great start, batting .389 with five RBIs, but he suffered a quad injury that has sidelined him the last seven games.

Bo Rusher (Salisbury) has been one of the top run-producers for the Indians. The starting catcher has a homer and 11 RBIs.

Ty Hubbard (South Rowan) has started at second base and is batting .205 with six RBIs.

Logan Rogers (Carson) has two homers and four RBIs. Zeb Burns (Carson) is 1-for-2 with one RBI.

Cole Hales (Carson) starts at third base and is batting .293 with eight RBIs. Hales is also a key member of the relief corps and is 2-0 with no runs allowed in three appearances,

Payne Stolsworth (West Rowan) and Hayden Simmerson (Carson) are key starters. Both are 2-1 with 13 strikeouts.

Casey Gouge (West Rowan) has a save and six strikeouts.

Catawba’s First Pitch Dinner raised $115,000.

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Steven Smith (West Rowan) is off to a 4-for-23 start for Emory & Henry.

Bryson Wagner (East Rowan) is one of the key pitchers for Emory & Henry. He’s 0-2, but he has pitched a complete game and has 19 strikeouts in 16 innings.

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Jackson Deal (South Rowan) is off to a 5-for-10 start for Methodist.

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Cameron “CP” Pyle (Carson) is starting in the outfield for Brevard. Pyle is off to a 4-for-18 start.

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Bryson Bebber (South Rowan) is the starting first baseman for St. Andrews and has been hitting very well.

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Aiden Schenck (East Rowan) is batting .256 with 11 RBIs for Cleveland Community College.

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Surry Community College is off to a 10-0 start, with a lot of help from Rowan players and A.L. Brown’s Jalan Chambers.

Chambers has been special — 3-0 on the mound with 10 steals and 13 RBIs offensively.

As usual, Lucas Graham (West Rowan) is smacking singles and drawing walks. He’s batting .357 with a .500 on-base percentage.

Matthew Connolly (West Rowan) is providing some power. He’s batting .421 with two homers, three doubles and eight RBIs.

Emory Taylor (Carson) is batting .353 with seven RBIs.

Elijah Palmer (West Rowan) is batting .333 with two RBIs. Zach McNeely (West Rowan) has one RBI.

JD Basinger (East Rowan) and Mikey Beasley (Carson) are 2-0 on the mound.