Playoff Preview

Here is an account of the first Wilson-Edenton game.

Note: Walker Gourley has signed a contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates - or was it the Penguins? - and will be reporting to Florida. Gourley ends his Post 11 career tied for the lead in stolen bases with 45. His only "caught stealing" came when he was picked off first. Good luck, buddy, and don't forget us little people if you hit the big time.

When Wayne County Post 11 opens the Area I East playoffs today against Edenton Post 40 at Mount Olive College, it will begin what is frequently called the second season. All the participants start with a clean slate except for the teams that have earned the home field advantage. But it’s probably more accurate to say that coach Brad Reaves’ team will inaugurate a third season.

Wayne (9-6) played six games with a lineup that included one position player with significant senior American Legion experience. Many of the players were freshmen. That lineup acquitted itself well, posting a 3-3 mark against mostly older and more talented players. The task for this group was to make sure Wayne didn’t fall so far behind in the standings as to jeopardize its ability to make the postseason.

While Post 11 caught a break when New Bern offered to postpone both games until Eastern Wayne was through with the high school playoffs, it still had to face eventual division champion Kinston twice. Wayne led in both games but faltered late on the road and lost 4-3 after Kinston scored four runs in the eighth. Two nights later, Wayne bolted to a big lead and held on to win 8-6. That win helped to secure the team a first-round home field edge as the No. 2 team in the South.

What are Wayne’s chances the rest of the way? While Rocky Mount Post 58 cruised to a 7-1 record in the North, it did so against inferior competition compared to what the South had to offer. Rocky Mount hit 20 home runs and scored an average of 16 runs per game against its division opponents. New Bern and Kinston can make equally valid claims for being favorites to face off with the Area I West winner for the right to play in the state tournament in Greenville.

The Post 11 fortunes may very well lie with the ability of its pitching staff to turn itself around and provide a credible amount of support for an offense that has come to life with the addition of the Eastern Wayne players. A look at the numbers bears this out.

In the first six games, Wayne scored 28 runs while allowing 36. The opposition had an 18-8 advantage in extra base hits. Since then, Wayne has outscored its opponents 78-55 and holds a 26-14 edge in extra base hits.

Leading the way are two players Reaves was looking forward to getting as soon as possible: Cambric Moye and John Wooten. While Wooten is the more celebrated of the two, Moye has more than held his own in the lineup

The catcher/DH is averaging more than two RBI per game for a total of 18. Of course, it helps to have Tyler Edwards (.386), Wooten (.438) and Nick McGee (.364) batting ahead of you most of the time. Still, Moye has taken advantage of his opportunities.

The threats don’t end there. Cody Richards is batting .373 with seven extra base hits, and first baseman Scott Holloman is at the .300 mark.

While defense is a lot more than the number of errors committed, preventing miscues does make a difference at this level. In the first six games, Wayne had eight errors while in the past nine it was seven. Meanwhile, the opposition skyrocketed from nine to 20.

While the news is good on the offensive and defensive fronts, the same can’t be said for the pitching staff. The team ERA, already the highest of the past 20 years, rise slightly even with the addition of some of the more talented arms in the county.

Eric DuBose will get the starting nod in the opener. In his last start, against Pitt County Post 160, the left-hander threw a rare complete game, allowing six hits and five walks. His 2.14 ERA is the lowest on the team and by far the best of all the starters.

Reaves believes that Wayne’s fate will probably be determined by pitching. “We’ve got DuBose, Mozingo and Frederick. It’s going to come down to pitching, and we’re as deep as anybody.

“I like our chances because I believe we’re going to flip a switch Tuesday. It seems we’ve been in cruise control, and I know John Wooten’s going to do all he can to make them do it.”

It’s imperative that the other pitchers step it up if Wayne is to make a run to its third straight state tournament. Frederick needs to show more of the form that helped Eastern Wayne to its successful season. Mozingo could use a repeat performance of his outing in the state 3-A title series. Jesse Randolph has been effective for the most part, and Wooten should be able to provide solid late-inning relief.

Anything can happen in a short series, and Wayne could be out after one round, but even a mediocre run of starting pitching combined with a solid offense could propel one of the state’s best programs to yet another successful postseason run.