The Rocky Mount Gryphon baseball team knows a thing or two about playing under pressure.The spring of 2008 proved that.The Gryphons' parlayed the No. 2 seed out of the NEW 6 Conference into the school's fifth state championship by sweeping through the Eastern 3A bracket and then taking two of three games from East Rowan.Those two days at Zebulon's Five County Stadium will live in the hearts and minds of Gryphon fans forever. And the piece of jewelry you see to your left is just a little reminder of those days.
The 2008 team solved the puzzle.
The 2009 team will do their darndest to figure it out for themselves. And they started the season as the hunted. Pre-Season polls had Rocky Mount ranked No. 1 in the state 3-A ranks (Impact Baseball) and ranked No. 33 nationally (PGCrossChecker.com). Through six games, the Gryphons have lived up to the hype. The only blip is a 5-4 nine-inning loss to 4-A power JH Rose. The Gryphons hold wins over South Granville (2), Roanoke Rapids (2) and Independent power Wesleyan Christian.
The Gryphons return five starters from the '08 squad that set school records for games played (33), wins (27), runs (239), hits (nearly 300), and batting average (.324). But the four they lost were major contributors.
Gone are stalwarts Jim Leggett, Grant Johnson, Chris Berry, and William Barringer. Leggett (an All-State selection) holds the school record for wins (28) and Berry is tied for the school record in RBI (66-tied with Jeremy Ward). Barringer's knack for the big hit will be sorely missed, as will Johnson's penchant for always making the right play. These guys were all three and four year starters that as seniors led their team to a 27-6 record and of course the 3A State Championship.
But as we all know, time goes on, and a new band of Gryphons' will look to make their mark on the Rocky Mount record book.
L to R: Ben Fish, Brian Goodwin
The Gryphons will be led by senior CF Brian Goodwin. Brian, who has signed a letter of intent to the University of North Carolina, is not only one of the top players in the state, but one of the top players in the country. Impact Baseball has him rated the No. 2 player in North Carolina while Baseball America ranks him No. 10 nationally. Perfect Game USA has him No. 15 nationally. In 2008, Brian batted .473 with 15 doubles and 4 triples. He stole 21 bases and scored an amazing 45 runs. That was enough to garner him All-Conference and All-State honors as well as NEW 6 Conference Player of the Year. He set single season school records for hits, doubles, and runs scored. Over the summer, Brian kept busy by playing in the AFLAC All-American Game at Los Angeles' Dodger Stadium (where he took home MVP honors) and the Under Armour All-American Game at Chicago's Wrigley Field. Brian is on pace to set six school career records and has started the season well. A player like Brian Goodwin is a once in a lifetime treat for fans. Come out and see him this season and maybe someday you'll tell your grandkids that you saw greatness.
Senior Catcher Ben Fish returns from his All-Conference performance last season to guide the Gryphon pitching staff. In his junior campaign, Ben batted .402 with 5 home runs, 11 doubles and 38 RBI. One of the top uncommitted seniors in the state, Impact Baseball ranks him the #37 prospect in the 2009 senior class. Ben hit his first home run of the season against South Granville a couple of days ago and has really been ripping the cover off the ball early on for Rocky Mount. While Ben has not yet committed to a college, he is getting plenty of looks and has some offers on the table.
The Gryphon pitching staff was a big question mark with the loss of Jim Leggett. But I think they have a pretty good answer with junior left hander Hobbs Johnson coming into the fold. 
Hobbs and his family made the decision to transfer to Rocky Mount after two successful seasons at Rocky Mount Academy. Hobbs led the Eagles deep into the NCISAA 2A playoffs last spring and over the summer committed to pitch for the University of North Carolina. He was a member of Post 58 and was the best pitcher on that club over the summer. Hobbs also pitches for the highly competitive Dirtbag program in which many of the top players (including Brian Goodwin, Ben Fish, and Northern Nash's Tyler Joyner) participate. Hobbs already has 2 wins on the season as well as a save for the Gryphons. The sky is the limit for the future of Hobbs Johnson.
Rocky Mount's pitching staff also includes returning sophomore Benton Moss who notched seven wins as a freshman in 2008. Those wins included the second game of the Eastern Finals over DH Conley and the clinching third game of the state championship series vs East Rowan. Benton has already racked up a win and a save on the season and has been solid playing some left field for the Gryphons. Other pitchers who will see time are Sr. Dillon Cockrell and Sr. Nick Hahula. Both of these guys have one victory apiece on the mound and will be counted on heavily to provide pitching depth. Jr. Parker Helms could also see time on the bump after being one of the top pitchers on the JV team last spring.
Cockrell is in his fourth season as Rocky Mount's starting shortstop. He had a fantastic playoff run last season, especially with his glove. Dillon has showed improvement every season since starting as a freshman. He has started the 2009 season on a hitting tear, already with multiple multi-hit games. Dylan and returning starter Sr. Gabe Brown form a nice double team duo in the middle of the infield and provide a punch at the bottom of the Gryphon batting order. You look for these two guys to score a lot of runs, especially with someone like Goodwin batting lead off.
The final returning starter is Jr. third baseman Collins Cuthrell. Cuthrell solidified the hot corner midway through the '08 season and provided great glove work on the state title run. Cuthrell has shown a lot of improvement over the summer and into the spring at the plate. He is currently batting third in the order and is getting into a nice groove. With guys like Goodwin on base ahead of him and a stick like Ben Fish hitting behind him, Cuthrell will have ample opportunities to come up big this spring.
With the loss of Chris Berry, the Gryphons needed a big bat to fill the middle of the order. They didn't have to look far as Sophomore Thomas Berry has stepped right in where his older brother left off. A big left handed batter, Thomas has a great knack for making HARD contact with the ball. He is one of those guys who you don't want to miss an at-bat. Look for big things to come as Thomas continues the family tradition.
Other names you will hear this season include Senior Chris Pittman, Juniors Carter Varnell, Michael Whitehead, Spencer Bell and Brandon Amerson. Pittman has been in the DH/LF rotation and has a lot of potential as a batter. Varnell started the season in RF and remains in the mix for the starting job. Whitehead, Bell and Amerson all provide depth while Whitehead and Bell both got the start against Roanoke Rapids Thursday and played well.
What really sets Rocky Mount apart from other teams in the area and the state in the man wearing the No. 20 on his back. Gryphon head coach Pat Smith is one of the most successful coaches to ever put on the uniform in this state. Before coming to Rocky Mount, Coach Smith won a state title as a player at Robersonville High School in 1967. He won a state title as head coach at South Johnston in 1990. In his sixth season at the helm of the Gryphons, he brought Rocky Mount it's fifth state championship (1963, 1967, 1973, 1980). Coach Smith is a stickler for the fundamentals of the game, but has a unique way of communicating with this generation of ballplayers.
In the off season, assistant coach Jason Battle stepped down from his post. Hank and Tom Jones are filling the roles of assistants for the '09 team with a blend of knowledge, excitement, and an all around love of the program. Without a doubt, we are lucky to have these guys in the dugout.
Thus far, the Gryphons are off to a good start at 5-1. A big win over Roanoke Rapids Thursday (11-1 in 5 innings) has the Gryphons living up to the lofty expectations. Rocky Mount will play this Saturday (3/21) at Wilson Hunt. The game is scheduled for 2:00. My personal computer has been messed up for the past couple of months and therefore the blog has suffered. I'm hoping to have it back working in the very near future and hopefully we can get back to some of the things that had you, the readers, excited about getting online. E-mail me with any questions or comments you might have (blackbirdxpress@yahoo.com).
I look forward to seeing everyone at the ballpark this spring. Stop by the press box and say hello to the AM 1390 Sports Dog, Bella the Bulldog. She is the official Press Box Dog of Rocky Mount Baseball (one of her many roles).
Have a great weekend everyone...
Unless you have been under a rock - or counting on my blog to supply you with all your Rocky Mount news (my bad) - then you know BW Holt retired and Dickie Shock is the new head coach of the Gryphon football team.
Back for another season is our Pizza Inn Player of the Game award. We would like to give a big thank you to Craig Johnson at the Pizza Inn on Hunter Hill Rd. for his support of the program. This week's winner is Marquavis Alston. Marquavis led the Gryphon ground attack with 22 carries for 123 yards. He found the end zone 3 times. The three TD's added to Alston's school record for touchdowns scored. That record now stands at 45. This week against Northampton-East, Alston should break the school's career rushing record. He needs 22 yards to accomplish that record. Congratulations to Marquavis Alston, our Week 1 Pizza Inn Player of the Game.
