Athletes Beyond Bartow: Updates on local collegiate and pro athletes across the nation

Charles Wilson, Bartow Sports Zone

This week's report on local professional and collegiate athletes across the country includes updates on 27 contributors in professional baseball, pro basketball, and collegiate softball, baseball, track and field, tennis, and golf.

MiLB

MASON BARNETT — Quad Cities River Bandits (Kansas City Royals High-A affiliate; 2nd yr. pro; Auburn University; Cartersville HS) … made a 4-⅓ inning start Sunday yielding a pair of earned runs on four hits and three walks. He struck out seven and received no decision but the Bandits eventually won the game 6-2. Quad Cities was 4-2 for the week against the Lansing Lugnuts. The Bandits (9-11) play a six-game series Tuesday through Sunday at the Great Lakes Loons — an L.A. Dodgers affiliate in Midland, Michigan.

ANTHONY SEIGLER — Somerset Patriots (NY Yankees Double-A affiliate; 6th-yr. pro; Cartersville HS) … in his only appearance of the week, the switch-hitting catcher was 1-for-4 and scored a run Saturday in a 9-5 loss at the Harrisburg Senators. Somerset (12-8) was 4-1 for the week. The Patriots are at home this week for a six-game series Tuesday through Sunday with the Binghamton Rumble Ponies.

PRO BASKETBALL

A.J. MOSBY — Sudbury Five (National Basketball League of Canada; 6th yr. pro; Alcorn State; Cartersville HS) … in a pair of road losses this past Friday and Saturday, Mosby totaled 26 points, 16 rebounds, 11 assists, and three steals as The Five lost at the Windsor Express and 100-78 in Kitchener to the KW Titans. Sudbury (22-8) closes out the regular season Tuesday at home agaist the first place London Lightning.

SOFTBALL

LAINEY BAKER — Samford University (Fr., Woodland HS) …. in her first pitching appearance in three weeks, Baker started and went four innings with no decision in an eventual 13 inning 8-4 home loss last Wednesday to Kennesaw State. Baker allowed three earned runs on seven hits with one walk and one strikeout. The Bulldogs (20-28, 9-6 Southern Conference) host Jacksonville State Tuesday and Mississippi State Thursday before visiting Chattanooga for a three-game conference series with the Mocs Saturday and Sunday.

COLBI BALLARD — Shorter University (Sr., Cartersville HS) … went 2-for-7 at the plate as the Hawks won two of three games Friday and Saturday at Lee University. Ballard also walked twice and had one RBI. Shorter (8-42, 3-26) did not qualify for the Gulf South Conference post season tournament. Ballard hit .231 with 14 RBIs in 58 games (48 starts) during her career with the Hawks.

PRESLY EDWARDS — Wesleyan College (Sr., Cartersville HS) … the Wolves beat Berea College but then lost to Belhaven and Covenant and was eliminated at the Collegiate Conference of the South tournament in Jackson, Mississippi. Edwards was 2-for-8 at the plate and scored one run in those three games. Edwards hit .261 with two home runs and 39 RBIs in four seasons at Wesleyan seeing action in 96 games. She had a .968 fielding percentage at catcher over her career in 408 total chances. Wesleyan finished the year with a 5-29 mark.

ANSLEY EVANS — Reinhardt University (So., Woodland HS) … seeing action in five of the Eagles’ six games last week, Evans was 5-for-12 at the plate with three walks, a double ,and two RBIs. She also added one stolen base. Reinhardt was 4-2 at the Appalachian Athletic Conference Championship Tournament in Kingsport, Tennessee with both losses coming to tournament champion Tennessee Wesleyan. The Eagles (35-11) have earned an NAIA national tournament bid by winning the AAC regular season title. Opening round pairings and sites will be announced this week.

ERYN LEE — Reinhardt University (Fr., Cass HS) … went 2-for-12, scored one run, and drove in one run in five Appalachian Athletic Conference tournament games last week in Kingsport, Tennessee. The Eagles finished 4-2 in the tournament and were runner-up to Tennessee Wesleyan. Reinhardt (35-11) awaits its NAIA National Tournament Opening Round assignment.

RACHAEL LEE — Gulf Coast State CC (Fr., Cass HS) … went 0-for-2 last Tuesday in the Commodores’ only game last week — a 9-2 home loss to Chipola CC. Gulf Coast State finished 29-21 overall and 10-10 in the Panhandle Conference but did not qualify for the FCSAA post-season tournament.

LAUREN McELHANEY — University of West Georgia (Jr., Cartersville HS) … in three home losses Friday and Saturday to Montevallo, McElhaney was 0-for-4 with a walk and one sac fly RBI. The Wolves’ season ends without qualifying for the Gulf South Conference tournament and with a 13-40 record.

ALEXA VARNER — Shorter University (Jr., Adairsville HS) … started twice and appeared in all three games as the Hawks won two of three games Friday and Saturday at Lee University. Varner was 2-for-5 at the plate and scored one run utilized as a pinch runner and a left fielder. Shorter (8-42, 3-26) did not qualify for the Gulf South Conference post season tournament.

BASEBALL

CURT BONNER — LaGrange College (Fr., Cartersville HS) … in four games last week, the Panthers’ catcher/outfielder was 8-for-17 at the plate and has now hit safely in eight straight games and 16 of his last 17 games. LaGrange lost at Emory and won two of three at home against Huntingdon College. Bonner’s week included a home run, two walks, and five RBIs as he raised his season batting average to .426. LaGrange will host the Collegiate Conference of the South tournament Wednesday through Sunday. The 19th-ranked Panthers (27-13) are the No. 1 seed and will play the Maryville College/Berea College winner in their first tournament game Thursday at 11 a.m.

KENNY JINKS — Wheeling University (Sr., Woodland HS) … made a five inning start and was saddled with the loss as the Cardinals fell 5-4 Saturday at Alderson Broaddus University. Jinks allowed three earned runs on seven hits and one walk. He struck out six facing 24 batters. Wheeling (24-19, 13-13) visits Salem University Wednesday and plays home-and-home doubleheaders Friday and Sunday with West Liberty University.

COLT McKIBBEN — Lee University (Fr., Cartersville HS) … made a two inning start and was saddled with the pitching loss last Tuesday in a 6-4 loss at Young Harris College despite not allowing an earned run. The southpaw allowed two unearned runs on three hits and had one strikeout. The Flames also dropped two of three games Friday and Saturday to visiting Shorter. Lee is the No. 7 seed in the eight-team Gulf South Conference tournament. They play the University of Montevallo in the first round of the double-elimination tournament at Choccolocco Park in Calhoun County, Alabama.

GUNNER MILLSAP — Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville (Fr., Cartersville HS) … the lefty made a one inning appearance last Wednesday as the Cougars lost an 8-3 decision at home to the Missouri Tigers. Millsap walked one batter in the seventh inning but got a double play to only face the minimum in a shutout frame. In a 12-5 home loss to Southern Indiana Saturday, Millsap retired just one out and was charged with three earned runs on a walk and two hit batsmen in a seventh inning appearance. SIU-E (24-19, 7-8 Ohio Valley Conference) plays a three-game conference series at Tennessee Tech Friday through Sunday.

DREW ROTHSCHILD — Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (Fr., Cartersville HS) … had a 10-game hitting streak snapped Saturday in a loss to South Georgia State but finished the week 2-for-9 at the plate with a solo home run and a double along with three walks and a pair of RBIs. The Stallions also lost to Georgia Highlands but beat Andrew College. ABAC (27-27, 13-10) is one game ahead of GHC for second place in the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association with conference games remaining this week at East Georgia and Gordon State.

SCOTTY SMITH — Covenant College (So., Woodland HS) … collected his second pitching win of the season Saturday in a 10-2 victory over visiting Berea College (Kentucky). Smith went six innings allowing two unearned runs on four hits with five strikeouts. He also had a no-decision, two-inning appearance last Tuesday in an eventual 6-5 win at Sewanee-University of the South. Smith faced the minimum across two innings and had a pair of strikeouts. The Scots (15-16, 7-9) are seeded fifth and will open the Collegiate Conference of the South tournament Thursday against 2-seed Belhaven Universitiy. The seven-team double-elimination tournament is being hosted by LaGrange College and continues through Sunday.

STEVEN SPELL — Young Harris College (Sr., Cass HS) … the Mountain Lions’ third baseman went 2-for-4 with one RBI and scored a run in his Senior Day game — a 6-4 win over Lee University. Young Harris (34-14, 21-9) will host one of two, four-team double-elimination portions of the Peach Belt Conference tournament Friday through Sunday. YHC opens the tournament Friday afternoon against North Georgia. USC-Aiken and Lander University are the other two teams in the Young Harris portion of the tournament. The two site winners will play a best-of-three championship series May 12-13.

DEVIN WARNER — Georgia Gwinnett College (Jr., Cartersville HS) … in a four-game sweep of Fisher College (Massachusetts) this past Friday and Saturday in Buies Creek, North Carolina, Warner was 3-for-14 at the plate with a homer, double, two walks, one hit by pitch, four runs scored, and five RBIs. The Grizzlies (44-5) and ranked No. 4 nationally host the four-team, double-elimination Continental Athletic Conference tournament this Saturday through Monday. GGC will open play Saturday against Iowa Wesleyan.

PRESTON WELCHEL — Tennessee Wesleyan University (So., Cartersville HS) … in three wins at St. Andrew University last Thursday and Friday, Welchel was inserted defensively in the outfield in Game 1. He started as designated hitter in Game 2 and was 1-for-2 with a stolen base. In Game 3 he had a pinch hitting appearance in the eighth inning. The 3rd-ranked Bulldogs are the top-seed this week in the Appalachian Athletic Conference tournament. The ten-team double-elimination event starts Tuesday and continues through Saturday in Kingsport, Tennessee. TWU (40-7) will play the St. Andrews/Milligan winner Wednesday night in the second round.

COHEN WILBANKS — Georgia Gwinnett College (Jr., Cartersville HS) … in two starts last weekend against Fisher College (Massachusetts) in Buies Creek, North Carolina, the Grizzlies’ catcher was 3-for-7 at the plate including one double, one triple, and four RBIs. Georgia Gwinnett (44-5) and ranked No. 4 nationally hosts the four-team, double-elimination Continental Athletic Conference tournament this Saturday through Monday in Lawrenceville. GGC opens play against Iowa Wesleyan on Saturday.

JORDAN WILKIE — Augusta University (Sr., Cartersville HS) … In four wins last week, Wilkie was 6-for-15 at the plate including one home run, a sac fly, three walks, six runs scored, and seven RBIs. The Jaguars won at Emmanuel College and swept a three-game home conference series with USC-Beaufort. Augusta (25-22, 14-15) qualified for the Peach Belt Conference tournament and will begin play in the double-elimination event this Friday against top-seed and host Georgia Southwestern State in Americus.

TENNIS

BRYCE VAN ORDER — Piedmont University (Jr., Woodland HS) … was trailing 6-2, 5-2 and his match was halted against his Line 2 singles opponent when the Lions clinched a 5-0 team win over Belhaven University during the semifinal round of the Collegiate Conference of the South tournament. In the conference finals, he dropped his Line 2 singles match 6-4, 6-3 as Piedmont fell to Covenant College, 5-2. Van Order was 11-6 in singles and 5-4 in doubles matches this season as the Lions finished with a 15-6 mark.

TRACK AND FIELD

STEPHEN SMITH — Kennesaw State University (Jr., Cass HS) … placed tenth in pole vault at the University of North Florida East Coast Relays this past weekend clearing 4.75 meters (15 feet, 6 inches). The Owls now prepare for the Atlantic Sun Conference Championships May 11-13 in Jacksonville, Florida.

ERIC TOVIAVE — Belmont University (Fr., Cartersville HS) … placed seventh in the 400 meter hurdles finals (56.80) and did not reach the finals of the 110 meter hurdles (15.80) this past weekend at the Vanderbilt University Music City Challenge in Nashville. Next for the Bruins will be the Missouri Valley Conference Championship May 12-14 in Normal, Illinois.

GOLF

DALTON HENSON — Reinhardt University (Jr., Cartersville HS) … carded 78 and 83 in the final two rounds of the Appalachian Athletic Conference tournament April 25 at the 6,801-yard, par-72 Cross Creek Plantation course in Seneca, South Carolina. As a team, Reinhardt finished 14 shots behind winner Truett-McConnell University and just one shot behind second place Point University at the 13-team 54-hole event.

CHANC WILLIS — Reinhardt Univeristy (Jr., Cartersville HS) … shot 86 in the opening round of the Appalachian Athletic Conference tournament April 24 at the 6,801-yard, par-72 Cross Creek Plantation course in Seneca, South Carolina. As a team, Reinhardt finished 14 shots behind winner Truett-McConnell University and just one shot behind second place Point University at the 13-team 54-hole event.