The schedule and the roster are the largest in the five seasons Matt Ballance has been at the helm of the Wilson American Legion Post 13 baseball team.
The Robert B. Anderson nine begins Ballance’s fifth season Friday night at 7 in Fleming Stadium against the Game Time Prospects’ 17-U National team. Post 13 was originally scheduled to open against Pitt County. However, South Central High’s involvement in the NCHSAA 4-A playoffs will result in Pitt County delaying the start of its season.
Thus, Wilson launches a schedule of 25 games in 37 days with a roster of 24 hopefuls. Ballance said the roster must be trimmed to 18 players before the start of division play or June 12.
The meshing process will benefit from five home games next week and seven contests in the next eight days. Ballance expects to utilize all 24 players in Friday’s opener.
FROM 11 SCHOOLS
“The good thing is, outside of a handful, most of the guys (from 11 different schools) know each other,” Ballance said. “I think, for being so spread out (in representation), we’re doing relatively well in meshing.
“We are not going to have a choice but to mesh with six games next week. Obviously, we’ve got to have chemistry. When you start meshing and come together as a group, you start playing better baseball.”
Equally important, Ballance emphasizes, is a commitment to show up for every game. The Post 13 head coach reports the players have bought into that expectation — especially after being informed the 2023 team, after a promising regular season (13-7), lost in the opening round of the Area I East Division playoffs because of an insufficient number of players.
“Everybody has to understand that you don’t help us when you are not here,” Ballance commented. “We are not playing ‘me’ baseball; we are playing ‘we’ baseball. Each one brings a special tool to the table. They have to understand each player has a special role. When everybody plays their role, we can be pretty good.”
Boosting optimism, Ballance declares, is the best depth of a Wilson Legion team since the 2015 squad advanced into the state playoffs.
The roster includes 12 returnees and eight players who have received releases from East Division rivals.
TWO DOZEN TO START
Thirteen hopefuls are ticketed for mound duty.
Returning are Carter Batts of D.H. Conley High, J.D. Graziani of Brunswick Community College by way of Fike, Brady Jenkins of Northern Nash, the Hunt quartet of Seth Evans, Ryan Bass, Barnes Willoughby and Tyson Foster; Fike’s Jake Flowers, Greenfield’s Tristan Stancil, Austin Watson of Eastern Wayne, Peyton Clay of Northern Nash and Mason Sasser of North Lenoir.
Graziani will be playing for Ballance for the third season, after starting the first two. Ballance looks to Graziani, after a season at Brunswick, to assume a leadership role.
Newcomers are the North Johnston quartet of Tyler Coates, Seth Scott, Maurice Love and Reid Willoughby; the Conley trio of Landon Coleman, Ayden Gooding and Sutton McDonald; Daniel Edwards of Greenville Christian, Justin Kirby of Beddingfield, Gage Lockhart of Wilson Prep, Dominic Robbins of Northern Nash and Nick Worrell of Hunt.
Releases were granted to Batts, Coleman, Gooding, McDonald, and Edwards by Pitt County; Watson by Wayne County and Sasser by Kinston.
FOSTER SIDELINED
Post 13 will open with 23 players. Ballance said Foster could be shelved as long as two weeks with an injured right knee, but added: “He is trending in the right direction.”
The mound staff consists of four left-handers and nine right-handers.
Lockhart and Edwards are considered power left-handers.
Among the right-handers, Batts and Coates are hard throwers. Coleman, Ballance noted, has been a big surprise at tryouts. Worrell is being groomed as the closer. Evans and Flowers rely upon the splitter and Sasser, said Ballance, throws a “lights-out slider.” Sasser and Foster proved effective in relief roles last season.
Coleman has signed with William Peace, while Batts and Lockhart are headed to Catawba Valley. Brunswick will be Worrell’s next destination, while Patrick Henry Community College in Virginia has landed Edwards.
INFIELD ANCHOR
Graziani is considered the infield anchor from the shortstop position. Love and Stancil could see action at shortstop.
Bass and Scott loom as the two mainstays behind the plate, where Watson and Sasser are also available. Batts, Coleman, Kirby and Jenkins are battling for playing time at first base. Flowers, Willoughby and Jenkins are top candidates at second base. Evans, Stancil and Sasser seek the nod at third base.
Clay started in left field last season. He’s a power hitter and the possible outfield anchor. Gooding, reports the coaching staff, is the fastest Post 13 player.
“He can flat pick ‘em up and put ‘em down,” Ballance remarked. “He also has a pretty good arm”. Gooding could patrol center field, while Worrell, a seasoned outfielder, could be stationed in center or right field.
McDonald, Love and Foster enhance the outfield depth.
Gooding’s speed deems him a strong candidate for the lead-off position in the batting order. Worrell, who sprays the ball all over the diamond and is disciplined at the plate, will probably be penciled in near the top of the lineup. Worrell also joins the power hitter group that includes Clay, Evans and McDonald. Scott impressed with the bat in late workouts. The designated hitter will be influenced by the defensive look and the starting pitcher.
PLUG AND PLAY
Post 13 depends upon four practices and an intrasquad came to be ready for a daunting start.
Versatility joins depth as huge pluses.
“It will be plug and play,” expressed Ballance, who is assisted by veteran coach Tom Riddle and 2023 assistants Spencer Skinner and Jacob Harrison. “It’s going to be hard to fill out a lineup. All 24 can contribute something. We will probably throw out a plethora of lineups.”
The Wilson staff anticipates a couple of early goals providing incentive. But the hectic first-week schedule is hectic.
“We will see some really tough competition,” Ballance warned. “It will be a tough little week for us. It will definitely be a tone-setter and the busiest part of the schedule.”
Post 13 is again grouped in the East Division with Pitt County, Wayne County, Kinston, Ahoskie and Roanoke (Martin County). The West lists Fuquay-Varina, Chatham County, Durham and Wake Forest. Louisburg has already folded.
Fuquay-Varina emerged the 2023 area champion and, in the state tournament, Wayne County finished the runner-up and Fuquay-Varina played in the third-place game.
Ballance forecasts that Wayne County will be strong and notes Pitt County and Kinston are always competitive. He contends the East is the stronger division.
MOST DEPTH YET
“We have the most depth since I have been here,” Wilson’s head coach said. “We’ve got a team that could win every single game as not; but if we don’t show up, we just as certainly could lose them.”
The staff is challenging the large group to show up for every game and strive to play well. Ballance insists: “If we make the routine plays, throw strikes and show discipline at the plate, we can be really good. I am excited, extremely optimistic and eager to get out there and see what we can do.”
2024 Roster
No. Name Pos. Class School
1 Barnes Willoughby 2B-P Jr. Hunt
2 Tristan Stancil IF Jr. Greenfield
3 Adyn Gooding 2B-OF Sr. D.H. Conley
4 Brady Jenkins 2B-SS Jr. Northern Nash
5 Seth Scott C So. North Johnston
6 Dom Robbins OF Jr. Northern Nash
7 Mason Sasser Util. Jr. North Lenoir
8 Seth Evans 3B-P Jr. Hunt
9 Peyton Clay OF Sr. Northern Nash
10 Tyson Foster P-OF Jr. Hunt
11 J.D. Graziani SS Fr. Brunswick C.C.
12 Jake Flowers IF-P Sr. Fike
13 Carter Batts P-1B Sr. D.H. Conley
14 Austin Watson C Jr. Eastern Wayne
15 Ryan Bass C Jr. Hunt
16 Gage Lockhart P-OF Sr. Wilson Prep
17 Justin Kirby 1B Jr. Beddingfield
18 Maurice Love OF-SS Jr. North Johnston
19 Daniel Edwards P Sr. Greenville Christian
20 Sutton McDonald OF Sr. D.H. Conley
21 Nick Worrell P-OF Sr. Hunt
22 Landon Coleman P-1B Sr. D.H. Conley
23 Reid Willoughby P-1B So. North Johnston
24 Tyler Coates P-3B So. North Johnston
2024 Schedule
All home games are at Fleming Stadium unless othewise noted. All start times are 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted.
DATE OPPONENT
May 24 Game Time Prospects 17U National Team
May 27 Louisburg Post 105 (C35 Complex, Goldsboro)
May 29 Fuquay-Varina Post 116
May 30 Ahoskie Post 105 (Beddingfield High)
May 31 Wayne County Post 11
June 2 Jacksonville Post 265
June 3 at Wayne County Post 11 (C35 Complex)
June 5 at Fuquay-Varina Post 116 (Campbell University, Buies Creek)
June 10 at Wake Forest Post 187 (Flaherty Park)
June 12 at Roanoke Post 37 (Riverside High)*
June 14 Wake Forest Post 187 (Beddingfield)
June 15 at Ahoskie Post 105 (Hertford County High), 4 p.m.*
June 16 High Point Post 87, 2 p.m.
June 16 Roanoke Post 37*
June 18 at Kinston Post 43 (Kinston High)*
June 19 Pitt County Post 39*
June 20 at Jacksonville Post 265 (Jack Amyette Park)
June 21 Kinston Post 43*
June 22 Wayne County Post 11*
June 24 Ahoskie Post 105*
June 26 Roanoke Post 37*
June 27 at Pitt County Post 39 (Pitt Community College)*
June 28 at Wayne County Post 11 (C35 Complex)*
July 2 Area I East Division playoffs begin
* Area I East Division games
