Athletes Beyond Bartow: Post-season action highlights this week's updates
Charles Wilson / Bartow Sports Zone
This week’s edition of Athletes Beyond Bartow includes updates on three local professional athletes and a dozen local collegiate athletes in track and field, golf, softball, and baseball.
MiLB
MASON BARNETT — Quad Cities River Bandits (Kansas City Royals High-A affiliate; 2nd yr. pro; Auburn University; Cartersville HS) … suffered a pitching loss Saturday as the River Bandits fell 4-2 at home to the Cedar Rapids Kernels. Barnett went 3-⅓ innings in his start and allowed four earned runs on five hits and four walks. He struck out five. Quad Cities (12-21) went 2-5 last week against Cedar Rapids. This week the River Bandits play a six-game series at the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.
ANTHONY SEIGLER — Somerset Patriots (NY Yankees Double-A affiliate; 6th-yr. pro; Cartersville HS) … saw action at catcher and as DH in four games last week as the Patriots split six games at the Portland Sea Dogs. The 23-year-old was 2-for-11 at the plate including six walks, two runs scored, one RBI, and a pair of stolen bases. Somerset (20-12) has a six-game home series Tuesday through Saturday against the Reading Fightin Phils.
PRO BASKETBALL
A.J. MOSBY — Sudbury Five (National Basketball League of Canada; 6th yr. pro; Alcorn State; Cartersville HS) … averaged 26 points, six rebounds, five assists, and two steals in three playoff games last week but The Five lost Games 3 and 5 of their best-of-five NBL-C semifinal series and were eliminated. Mosby, 27, averaged more than 20 points, four rebounds, and four assists per game in the 2022-23 season.
TRACK AND FIELD
STEPHEN SMITH — Kennesaw State University (Jr., Cass HS) … the Owls’ pole vaulter placed second at the eight-team Atlantic Sun Conference Championship in Jacksonville, Florida May 11-13 behind teammate Simon Seid. Smith cleared 4.73m (15 feet, 6-¼ inches). Kennesaw State finished second as a team behind Liberty University.
ERIC TOVIAVE — Belmont University (Fr., Cartersville HS) … placed third in the 400 meter hurdles (54.59) and was part of a pair of scoring relay teams as the Bruins finished seventh at the 10-team Ohio Valley Conference Championship in Normal, Illinois this past weekend. Toviave was on Belmont’s fifth place 4x100 meter relay team (42.18) and sixth place 4x400 meter relay team (3;22.68).
GOLF
BUCK BRUMLOW — University of Georgia (So., Cartersville HS) … fired an opening round 68 (3-under-par) Monday as the Bulldogs took an early lead at the NCAA Bath, Michigan Regional. Georgia’s first round team score of 18-under-par leads Michigan State and Illinois by six shots with two more rounds remaining in the 54-hole regional. The top five of thirteen teams at the regional will advance to the NCAA Championship May 26-31 in Scottsdale, Arizona. The Bath Regional is being conducted through Wednesday at the 7,090-yard, par-71 Eagle Eye Golf Club.
SOFTBALL
SKYLAR CHAPPELL — Cottey College (Sr., Woodland HS) … Chappell and the Comets (34-19) had their NAIA Opening Round tournament game with the University of Mobile (Alabama) postponed on Monday. The double-elimination bracket will begin Tuesday in Chickasha, Oklahoma.
ANSLEY EVANS — Reinhardt University (So., Woodland HS) … in Monday’s first game at the NAIA Opening Round tournament in Ashland, Oregon, Evans was 1-for-3 at the plate in an Eagles’ 6-4 win over Southeastern University (Florida). Reinhardt (36-11) plays Tuesday against the University of Vanguard (California) . A win Tuesday sends the Eagles to the four-team Opening Round bracket finals on Wednesday. A loss means an elimination game Tuesday evening.
ERYN LEE — Reinhardt University (Fr., Cass HS) … in Monday’s first game at the NAIA Opening Round tournament in Ashland, Oregon, Lee was 0-for-3 at the plate but scored a run in a 6-4 win over Southeastern University (Florida). Reinhardt (36-11) plays Tuesday against the University of Vanguard (California). A win Tuesday sends the Eagles to the four-team Opening Round bracket finals on Wednesday. A loss means an elimination game Tuesday evening.
BASEBALL
CURT BONNER — LaGrange College (Fr., Cartersville HS) … finished his freshman season with a .400 batting average utilized as a catcher, DH, and left fielder. In 36 games (32 starts), Bonner had 52 hits including six doubles, two triples, and three home runs with 33 RBIs. Defensively, he finished with a .984 fielding percentage in 123 total chances. The Panthers, who were upset at their conference tournament, finished the year with a 27-15 record and did not receive an at-large bid Monday for the NCAA D-III national tournament.
KENNY JINKS — Wheeling University (Sr., Woodland HS) … made a pair of relief appearances last week at the Mountain East Conference tournament in Charleston, West Virginia. The southpaw did not receive a pitching decision in either appearance — both Cardinals’ losses. In the two outings, Jinks worked 4-⅔ innings allowing seven runs (four earned) on five hits and four walks. He hit one batter and struck out five. Wheeling has a win over West Liberty in the tournament and losses to Concord University and University of Charleston (West Virginia). The Cardinals finished the season with a 29-22 record.
DREW ROTHSCHILD — Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (Fr., Cartersville HS) … in five GCAA conference tournament games last week, Rothschild was 10-for-20 at the plate with a pair of doubles. He walked five times, scored eight runs, and drove in eight. ABAC (31-30) reached the conference tournament finals but lost to Andrew College. Rothschild completed his freshman season with a .351 batting average. He hit three homers and drove in 46 runs in 154 at-bats across 48 games played.
STEVEN SPELL — Young Harris College (Sr., Cass HS) … went 1-for-7 at the plate with one walk, one run scored, and one stolen base as the Mountain Lions lost two straight in the Peach Belt Conference best-of-three championship series at Georgia Southwestern State. The Hurricanes won 5-4 and 9-2 Saturday to secure the conference’s automatic bid in the NCAA D2 tournament. Young Harris (38-17) did not receive an at-large bid Sunday night so their season comes to an end. Spell, a Peach Belt Conference All-Conference third baseman, completed his senior season with a .315 batting average, four homers, and 36 RBIs in 55 starts at third base. In three active seasons with the Mountain Lions, he hit .315 with eight home runs, 70 RBIs, and an on-base percentage of .442. He also had a .911 fielding percentage on defense in 258 total chances.
COHEN WILBANKS — Georgia Gwinnett College (Jr., Cartersville HS) … in the host Grizzlies first game of an NAIA Opening Round double-elimination bracket in Lawrenceville, Wilbanks was 2-for-4 at the plate including a double. He was also hit by a pitch and scored one run as Georgia Gwinnett blew out Midway University (Kentucky) 18-1. The Grizzlies face Freed-Hardeman (Tennessee) Tuesday afternoon in the second round. The tournament continues through Thursday.
DAVIS WILLIAMS — Birmingham-Southern College (So., Cartersville HS) … the Panthers learned Monday afternoon that they will be the No. 1 seed and host the four-team Birmingham Regional Friday through Sunday. BSC plays Lewis & Clark College (Oregon) Friday in the first round. The other two teams in the bracket are the University of La Verne (California) and Franklin College (Kentucky).
