Gens Win Fourth Straight
Even though the Generals were facing one of the top arms in the league on Thursday night, they managed 10 runs on 15 hits to put up their 13th win of the season and fourth win in a row.
With Winchester’s Michael Anderson on the mound, the Gens figured to have a low scoring affair. Anderson was 3-0 with a 2.94 ERA coming into the ballgame with wins over some of the top teams in the league. However, when Winchester came out swinging, the Gens knew they needed to keep swinging the bats the way they have been the past 5 games.
The Royals scored two runs right out of the gate. An error, a walk, and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases with nobody out in the inning. After a strikeout recorded the first out of the inning, Winchester came up with a sacrifice fly to center field to score the game’s first run. The next batter hit a ground ball to short stop for what looked to be the third out of the inning. However, the throw across the infield was a low one and wasn’t able to be dug out. The first inning for Winchester included two runs on no hits and two errors by the Gens.
The Generals didn’t take long to bounce back in the bottom of the first. Kobe Lopez (Florida International) started things off with a single down the left field line. He took a big round and thought about heading for second, but decided against it. It ended up being a great decision because in an 0-2 count on the very next batter, Joey Kinker (Florida Gulf Coast) hammered a no-doubter into the pine trees in straight away left field for his second home run of the summer. It was also his second consecutive at-bat with a home run after hitting the game tying homer against Staunton the night before.
The Royals responded right away in the top of the second inning. A single by Will Long lead off the inning. He was moved to second base on a tapper back to the mound that the Generals fielded cleanly for out number one. Another single, this time by Trent Burgreen, put runners on the corners with one out in the inning. Mason Prososki then skied one to left to drive in their third run of the ball game.
The Gens would match the run total in the inning to tie the game again in the bottom of the second inning. Back-to-back singles by Jackson Tate (Alabama) and Jack Murphy (St. Mary’s) had things off and running. Jackson Greene (Florida State) rolled a grounder to the third baseman, but it was so well placed and slowly hit that Murphy was able to move into second, and Tate was able to score from third. The game was tied after 2 complete innings with a score of three to three.
The Royals scored for a third consecutive inning to start the ball game. Singles from Dyer and Palenski had runners at first and second with nobody away. After a strikeout for the first out, Will Long would come up huge with a double that perfectly directed the center and right fielders for a bases clearing double. The score going to the bottom of the third was now 5-3.
Finally in the bottom of the third, the Gens said enough is enough and would take the lead instead of just matching scores. Elijah Quiceno (Gannon University) would start the hitting with a one out single. Bryson Worrell (East Carolina) rolled into a fielder’s choice for the second out of the inning. However, he would steal second to put himself in scoring position for Seth Cannady (Florida International). Cannady wouldn’t waste the opportunity. He ripped a single to center field for an RBI single. A couple pitches later, Cannady would also steal second base. This time it was Jackson Tate who wouldn’t waste the opportunity. He hooked a line drive down the left field line for an RBI double. Finally, it was Jack Murphy with another 2-out RBI single to drive in Tate to take the lead 6-5.
After a scoreless fourth inning from both sides, the Royals would tie things up yet again in the 5th. Back-to-back one-out singles from Palenski and Barnett had runners at first and second. After a strikeout, it again looked like the Generals were going to get out of the inning unharmed with a ground ball to shortstop. However, the throw was low once again and not able to be dug out at first. The throw skipped away and allowed the Royals to tack on the tying run. Three out of the six runs that had score were unearned runs.
But the Generals did what they seemed to do all year when a team scores on them. They responded with more runs of their own. A walk to Eli Quiceno lead things off, but after two straight outs, it looked like the inning may stall. The good thing for the Generals is that they had Jackson Tate and Jack Murphy up, who went a combined 7 for 8. Tate kept the inning going with a single through the left side. Jack Murphy then doubled to left center field to drive in Quiceno. This gave the Gens the lead, but they weren’t done there. Jackson Greene drilled a single up the middle after a pitching change to put up two more runs. The Gens led 9-6 after 5 complete innings.
From there, things really calmed down. Zach Blankenship (Valdosta State) settled in and dealt a strong three innings to eventually pick up his third win of the season to lead the Generals in that category. The Generals would tack on an insurance run in the bottom of the 8th to make the score 10-6. Eli Quiceno ended up being the guy to start things again, this time with a two out single. He moved into second base on an error by the left fielder. Ethan Cady (East Tennessee State) then drilled a double to left center field to drive in Quiceno. That brought the score to its final tally of 10-6.
Key Performers for Winchester:
Will Long: 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI, R
Aaron Palensky: 2-4, RBI, 2 R
Jordan Barnett: 2-5
John Dyer: 2-5, R
Key Performers for Waynesboro:
Joey Kinker (Florida Gulf Coast): 2-5, HR, 2 RBI, R
Jackson Tate (Alabama): 3-4, 2B, RBI, 3 R
Jack Murphy (St. Mary’s): 4-4, 2B, 2 RBI, R
Elijah Quiceno (Gannon U): 2-4, 2 R
Jackson Greene (Florida State): 1-3, 3 RBI
Zach Blankenship (Valdosta State): W (3-0), 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
The Generals (13-7) will be back in action Friday night at home vs the Covington Lumberjacks in a South division matchup. First pitch at Integrity Home Mortgage Park at Kate Collins Field is set for 7 pm. The Gens look to win their fifth in a row.
Generals Move to 4-1 With Win Over New Market
A pair of four run innings broke things open in the early going for Waynesboro and they never really looked back. The Gens managed to score in six out of their nine offensive frames.
The first four run inning came in the very first frame. Kobe Lopez (Florida International) would get things started with a walk. Elijah Quiceno (Gannon U) would follow it up with a walk of his own, and Seth Cannady (Florida International) would load the bases with an infield single with nobody out in the inning. Wes Clarke (South Carolina) would get the scoring underway with an RBI single up the middle that the second baseman made a diving stab on but wasn’t able to come up with it cleanly. After a passed ball scored the second run of the inning, Jack Murphy (St. Mary’s) drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to left field to drive in Cannady. Ethan Cady (East Tennessee State) would drive in the final run of the first inning to make the score 4-0.
After a quiet couple of innings, Waynesboro would get their second four run inning in the fourth. After a strikeout, single, and a fielder’s choice, the Gens had a runner on first and two outs. Christian Proffitt (Florida Gulf Coast) would single, Kobe Lopez would walk, and Elijah Quiceno would also draw a walk to bring in the first run of the inning. It also kept the bases loaded for Seth Cannady. Cannady drove one deep into the right centerfield gap to bring in all three runners to make the score 8-0 in favor of the Gens.
The outburst of runs would cause a pitching change for the Rebels, who wouldn’t completely lay down. In fact, they’d respond with a run in the bottom of the 4th inning. After a single and an error, by Brady Harju, Alvaro Valdez would drive in a run for the Rebels to make the score 8-1.
The top of the 5th came around and Waynesboro would make it 3 of the first 5 innings with runs scored. Jackson Tate (Alabama) would start things off with a 0ne-out double and a steal of third. That’s all Jackson Greene (Florida State) would need. He would hit a deep fly ball to left field for a sacrifice fly to get the Generals’ lead back to eight runs.
The Rebels answered once again in the bottom of the 5th. After a leadoff single and then two quick outs, they were able to put together a nice rally. The Generals would walk a batter, hit another with a pitch, and finally give up a run on an error. Alvaro Valdez would then be hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring in the second run of the inning. After 5 complete innings, the Generals held a 9-3 lead.
In the 6th inning, the Gens remained relentless. After two walks to lead off the inning, Wes Clarke (South Carolina) would drive in a run with another single. Later in that inning, Joe Kinker (Florida Gulf Coast) would pick up another run with an RBI groundout to shortstop. The score after 6 read 11-3.
The 7th inning would prove to be another inning with a run for the Generals. Christian Proffitt would pick up a one-out double down the right field line and would be moved to third later in the inning on a fielder’s choice. He was brought in by Seth Cannady’s second double of the ball game to make the score 12-3 in Rebel Field.
The 8th inning would mark the fifth straight inning that the Generals would score. After two walks and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases with nobody out, Jackson Greene hit his second sacrifice fly of the ball game to get the Generals to the 13-3 mark. The Rebels would add two in the bottom of the 9th to make the score a bit more respectable, but it just seemed to be the Generals’ night.
Key Performers for New Market:
Alvaro Valdez: 1-2, HBP, 2 RBI
David Smith: 1-2, 2 BB, 2 R
Ramon Machado: 1-4, 2B, RBI, R
Key Performers for Waynesboro:
Seth Cannady (Florida International): 3-4, 2 2B, 4 RBI, 2 R
Wes Clarke (South Carolina): 3-5, 2 RBI, R
Christian Proffitt (Florida Gulf Coast): 3-4, 2B, 2 R
Jackson Tate (Alabama): 2-4, 2B, SB
Christian Dearman (Florida International): 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
The Generals move to 4-1 on the season and will be back in action Friday night when they travel to Charlottesville to take on the TomSox at C-VILLE Weekly Ballpark. First pitch is set for 7 PM.
Redbird Freshman to Waynesboro After Post-Season Play
Waynesboro, Virginia
The Illinois State University Redbirds played well enough this season to earn an at-large regional bid. They are currently the third seed in the Louisville regional along with Indiana University, University of Illinois Chicago, and obviously the host University of Louisville. Illinois State joins ECU and Duke as the only three schools that the Generals have players coming late from. When eliminated, Gunner Peterson will make his way to Waynesboro.
Gunner Peterson – Outfielder
Gunner is the son of Debborah and Todd Peterson. He’s listed at 6’1 190 pounds from Salem, Wisconsin. He’s had an immediate impact for the Redbirds in his freshman season. He’s played in 48 games while making 41 starts. To this point, Gunner has a .265 batting average with 11 doubles and six home runs. His .265 batting average is a solid one, but at one point late in the season, Gunner had his average at .303. Maybe due to a freshman wall, his average has dipped a bit. He’s hoping for a strong regional and beyond for his Redbirds. He may also be looking forward to a nice fresh start with the Generals this summer. Welcome to Waynesboro, Gunner Peterson!
Alabama Commit Brings Big Numbers to Waynesboro
Waynesboro, Virginia
Lawson State Community College standout and Alabama commit, Jackson Tate, will be playing for the Gens this summer. Coach Zac Cole had very high praise for Jackson, calling him “one of the very best players in Alabama junior college baseball and all the coaches and scouts we spoke to raved about this kid and the way he plays the game.” Waynesboro is lucky to have him and should look for Jackson to provide a lot of excitement this summer.
Jackson Tate – Outfielder
Jackson is the Jackie Ceman and Robert Tate. The sophomore is from Montgomery, Alabama and just finished up at Lawson State, which is located in Birmingham and Bessemer, Alabama. Though Jackson grew up a fan of Auburn athletics, he decided to commit to the University of Alabama. As we mentioned above, one of the top JUCO players in the state had impressive numbers this past season. In 55 games played, Jackson recorded a .377 batting average with 14 home runs, 41 RBI, 61 runs scored, and 26 stolen bases. Defensively, he had a clean record last season with Lawson. He had two assists, 119 putouts, and zero errors. Jackson brings a 5-tool game to Waynesboro this summer. Jackson has already impressed at the Meet the Generals Night with his batting practice he put forth as well as his manners off the field. We’re excited to see Jackson play this summer. Welcome to Waynesboro, Jackson Tate!
Florida Gulf Coast Eagles Spotlight
Waynesboro, Virginia
Florida Gulf Coast University will send three players that were key in their success this past season. The Eagles were 34-21 this season but unfortunately were two and done in their conference tournament. FGCU has sent some of their top players to Waynesboro before. The one that comes to mind is Alex Brait last summer. This season is no different because the Eagles are sending Tyler Shuck, Joe Kinker, and Christian Proffitt.
Tyler Shuck – Right-Handed Pitcher
Tyler is the son of Kirsten and Bill Shuck. The 6’3 210 pound righty from Cape Coral, Florida and Canterbury High School will be a junior next season. Tyler was the team leader in wins for the Eagles this season as he compiled a 7-1 record over his 52 innings of work. Over that time, he brought home a 4.01 ERA and made a save. In the 52 innings, he allowed just 49 hits and 23 earned runs while striking out 38 batters. While Tyler has played some time in the field in his collegiate career, he’ll most likely spend all his time on the mound this summer. Welcome to Waynesboro, Tyler Shuck!
Joe Kinker – Utility
Joe is the son of Jennifer and Joe Kinker. Joe is listed as a 6’1 220 pound freshman utility player from Northport, Florida and Venice High School. Joe is very comparable to former Gen Alex Brait. Both hit for good average, good pop, and could play multiple positions. Brait played catcher, first base, left field and right field for the Generals last summer. Joe will play both first and third base as well as the corner outfield spots for the Gens this summer. For the Eagles this spring, Joe hit .324 with 58 hits, 9 doubles, and 7 home runs with 40 RBI. He also is very disciplined at the plate as he walked 42 times this season. That helped him to a strong on-base percentage of .461. We look forward to watching Joe this summer. Welcome to Waynesboro, Joe Kinker!
Christian Proffitt – Middle Infielder
Christian is the son of Patricia and Christopher Proffitt. He, like Tyler Shuck, is from Cape Coral, Florida, but Christian is from Ida Baker High School. He’s listed as a 6’0 155 pound sophomore middle infielder. While Proffitt struggled a bit this spring, he’s shown he can be a huge impact for a team. He was named as the Freshman of the Year in the ASUN conference after his freshman campaign. He hit .284 last year with 25 RBI that year to bring home the award. This season he played in 47 games for the Eagles. His numbers dipped a bit, but Christian is fired up and ready to roll this summer for the Gens. He will look to get back to his freshman year ways. Welcome to Waynesboro, Christian Proffitt!
Young Harris Loads Up General Roster
Waynesboro, Virginia
Young Harris College will send four players to Waynesboro this summer. The connection between the two sparks from the former head coach of the Generals, Matt Williams. Williams just finished his second season as an assistant coach at Young Harris. He served on the Generals coaching staff for a number of years while he was an assistant at Valdosta State, but now sends us Dylan Nix, McClain Harris, Logan Worley, and Cole Jackson.
Dylan Nix – Right-Handed Pitcher
Dylan is the son of Rachel and Brian Nix. The 6’2 175 pound sophomore is from Lula, Georgia and Banks County High School. After making just six appearances his freshman year, Dylan put together a strong season. He made 15 appearances and earned and ERA of 2.40 with a 3-1 record. Over his 30 innings, he allowed just 28 hits, eight earned runs, and struck out 25 batters. His outings included long relief stints out of the bullpen. In 10 out of his 15 appearances, he worked more than just one inning with his season high being 4.2 innings against Southern Indiana. Dylan will look to continue what has been a strong 2019 campaign to this point. Welcome to Waynesboro, Dylan Nix!
McClain Harris – Right-Handed Pitcher
McClain is the son of Robin and Ted Harris. He’s listed at 6’0 220 pounds from Griffin, Georgia and Spalding High School. McClain just finished his junior year where he continued to be the closer for the Mountain Lions. After picking up five saves his sophomore season, he bettered all his numbers by picking up seven saves this season. He also boasted a sub-four ERA over 24 appearances and 41 innings. He was another arm for the Mountain Lions that was used to going more than one inning in an outing. How ever he gets used this summer, it’s always good to have a guy that is used to handling the final three outs of the ball game. Welcome to Waynesboro, McClain Harris!
Logan Worley – Infielder
Logan is the son of Dawn and Thad Worley. He, like McClain, is from Griffin, Georgia, but Logan played at Griffin High School. Griffin and Spalding High Schools are big crosstown rivals. Logan is listed at 6’2 175 pounds. Since arriving at Young Harris, Logan has played a big role in the success of the Mountain Lions. As a freshman, he started all 50 games and batted .271 with 31 RBI and 39 runs scored. This year, he batted .263 with 20 hits on the season. The right-handed hitter is a good contact man at the plate. He only struck out six times on the year in 83 plate appearances. Welcome to Waynesboro, Logan Worley!
Cole Jackson – Catcher
Cole Jackson is the son of Regina and Andrew Jackson. Cole is listed at 6’2 260 pounds from Tyrone, Georgia. He’s in his first season with Young Harris after going to Spartansburg Methodist College out of high school. For Spartansburg, Cole played in 43 games over his two years and hit around .290 with three homers, five doubles, and 23 RBI. With Young Harris, Cole really found a home. He was one of just three players on the roster to start and play all 57 games for the Mountain Lions. Cole hit .293 with some good power numbers to go with it. He hit 18 doubles and seven homers with 33 RBI and 49 runs scored. Cole will look to compete as a backstop in Waynesboro this summer with two other very talented catchers. Welcome to Waynesboro, Cole Jackson!
FIU Sends Four
Waynesboro, Virginia
Florida International University will help fill the roster this summer by sending the maximum four players to Waynesboro. The Panthers finished the season at 23-32 and 12-18 in Conference USA. Two of the four players that FIU will send to Waynesboro are Valley League Champions with the New Market Rebels from just last summer. Kobe Lopez and Jan Figueroa were instrumental in the Rebels’ championship run, and will be key to the Generals success this summer as well. Seth Cannady and Christian Dearman will also make their way north from Miami.
Kobe Lopez – Middle Infielder
Kobe is the son of Arnaldo Lopez and Leida Gonzalez. The junior from Orlando, Florida and Archbishop McCarthy High School is listed at 5’4 and 152 pounds. While small in stature, Kobe can cause big problems for opposing teams. Last year in the Valley League, Kobe was named to the All-Star team and finished the season with a .307 batting average while playing the majority of his time at second base for the Rebs. While he’s struggled a bit at FIU, Kobe is revered for his work ethic, attitude, and love for the game and it payed off last summer. While it can be tough to keep players all the way through the playoffs in summer ball, Kobe was a big part in winning the championship as he drove in 4 runs from the leadoff spot. Welcome to Waynesboro, Kobe Lopez!
Seth Cannady – Outfielder
Seth is the son of Craig and Tanya Cannady. The sophomore from Sebring, Florida and Sebring High School is listed at 6’2, 201 pounds. While Seth is an extremely capable ball player, he’s also extremely studious. He graduated high school with a 4.32 GPA and was named to the C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll in 2018. As for his baseball side, Seth had an immediate impact in his freshman campaign. He played in 42 games and hit .200 with three doubles and nine runs driven in. This season, Seth took a bit of a step back this season. He played in 31 games and made 15 starts. He picked up his first collegiate home run this season and drove in 11 runs. While he had a lower batting average, Seth still worked his way on base at a decent clip. His on-base percentage was at .311, which was about .150 points higher than his average. Seth will be looking to improve this summer and will play a strong defensive outfield.
Christian Dearman – Right-Handed Pitcher
Christian is the son of Bill and Lilli Dearman. The junior from Pembroke Pines, Florida and West Broward High School is listed at 6’0 and 195 pounds. Christian just finished up his first season with the Panthers after transferring from Tallahassee Community College. He was one of the top guys out of the bullpen for FIU. He made 20 appearances on the season, all out of the bullpen. He was 2-1 with a 3.91 ERA. Christian is a strike-thrower. He only walked 8 people in a little over 25 innings. Over that time he struck out 15 batters and gave up just 11 earned runs. We look forward to Christian making his way to Waynesboro this summer!
Jan Figueroa – Right-Handed Pitcher
Jan is the son of Ruben Figueroa and Magda Francisco. He’s a native of Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico. The sophomore was a member of the Valley League Champion New Market Rebels last summer. While his numbers look rough on the surface, he showed spirts last summer of dominance. After the summer, Jan figured some things out for the Panthers this season. He picked up 5 saves with a 4.03 ERA over 22.1 innings pitched. This year was a nice step up for Jan after a freshman year that saw him pitch in nine games with a 4.50 ERA. Jan will look to continue his momentum into this summer. Welcome to the Generals, Jan Figueroa!
Nationally Ranked ECU Pirates Send Two
Waynesboro, Virginia
East Carolina University is one of the premier baseball schools in the country and recently were named as an NCAA Regional Host. The Pirates are currently 43-15 and 20-4 in the American Athletic Conference. They were recently bounced from their conference tournament but look poised to make a run to Omaha. After the completion of their season, they plan to send a couple of position players to Waynesboro. Our newest Gens from ECU are Bryson Worrell and Connor Norby!
Bryson Worrell – Outfielder
Bryson Worrell is the son of Dawn and Greg Worrell. The sophomore is listed at 6’2 204 pounds from Sims, North Carolina and Hunt High School. The highly accomplished Worrell came to ECU and immediately made an impact. He played in 31 games for the Pirates in his freshman campaign and hit .256. In those 31 games, he picked up four doubles, a triple, and a home run. He had 10 rbi on the season and a highlight of a multi-hit game in the conference tournament. Last summer, he played for the Edenton Steamers of the Coastal Plains League where he hit .288 with four doubles, five homers and 20 rbi. This year, he increased his playing time by playing in 43 ball games and making 18 starts. He hit .226 with three doubles and three homers. Bryson will look to increase his skill set and hopefully move into a full time starting role with the Pirates next season after improving his game in Waynesboro this summer. Welcome to Waynesboro, Bryson Worrell!
Connor Norby – Infielder
Connor Norby is the son of Jill and Dave Norby. The freshman is listed at 5-10 177 pounds from Kernersville, North Carolina and East Forsyth High School. The All-state selection has done a nice job for the Pirates this season. Most of his playing time has been later in the season and he has picked up his play as of late. His .231 batting average has been buoyed by his lates ball game where he had two hits vs Wichita State in the conference tournament. His first collegiate home run was off of Memphis pitcher and future teammate for the Gens this summer, Bailey Wimberley. When Connor arrives, that should be a fun conversation between the two. Welcome to Waynesboro, Connor Norby!
