Apprentice Sweeps Championship Saturday to Claim First NSAC Baseball Title

WILSON, N.C. – After being shut out by Lighthouse Christian in the opening round, The Apprentice School came back with a vengeance on Saturday to win both games against the Makos and claim its first New South Conference baseball title.

A deeper bullpen proved the difference with both games being decided by the 10-run rule, 19-9 in the first and 15-3 in the second.

Apprentice (39-8) came into the tournament ranked eighth in the final USCAA regular season baseball poll and now awaits to see its opponent in next week’s Small College World Series.

Lighthouse (5-29) stunned the Builders 5-0 on Thursday, holding Apprentice scoreless for the first time this season. The Makos then followed that with an 11-9 win over Virginia State on Friday, only the fifth win for the first-year baseball program from Pensacola, Florida. The Builders advanced to the championship round by downing VSU 11-1 in Friday’s elimination game.

But Lighthouse’s magical run was to end there as the Builders, already touting the best record in school history, pulled away from the Makos in both games on Saturday.

Builders Roll Over Trojans, Advance to Saturday’s Finals

WILSON, N.C. – Top-seed Apprentice School kept third-seed Virginia State off the plate until the eighth inning while keeping their own bats humming enroute to an 11-1 win Friday at Historic Fleming Stadium.

The victory launches the Builders (37-8) into Saturday’s NSAC championship against upstart Lighthouse Christian (5-27). The Makos stunned AS 5-0 on Thursday before slipping past VSU Friday afternoon 11-9, marking the first winning streak in the first-year program’s short history.

The first pitch is set for 12:00 noon on Saturday. Should Apprentice win, the second winner-take-all contest will begin at 3:30 pm.

Lighthouse Bolts into Championship Game with Win over VSU

WILSON, N.C. – Lighthouse Christian pushed across eight runs between the fifth and seventh innings to down Virginia State 11-9 and advance to Saturday’s championship at Historic Fleming Stadium.

It was the Makos’ second tournament win and only the fifth win of the season for the first-year program with a lineup of all freshmen.

The Trojans drop into the losers bracket and take on Apprentice in an elimination game at 4:00 pm today.

Winslow Leads Builders over Mustangs in Elimination Game

WILSON, N.C. – Apprentice infielder Jett Winslow had the big bat for the Builders Thursday night with a homer in the third inning and a walk-off RBI in the ninth to lift top-seed Apprentice to a 3-2 win over second-seed Mid-Atlantic Christian at Historic Fleming Stadium.

The win keeps the Builders’ (36-8) hopes for their first NSAC baseball championship alive after falling to Lighthouse 5-0 in the tourney opener. Meanwhile the Mustangs (23-22) have to wait until Tuesday to see if they will receive a bid to the USCAA Small College World Series. Only eight teams are invited, and MACU is ranked 8th in the final regular season USCAA poll released before Thursday’s two losses.

The Builders will face the loser of Friday’s noon contest between Lighthouse and Virginia State, both upset winners on Thursday. That elimination game is set for first pitch at 4:00 pm Eastern time.

Trojans Down Mustangs 5-2 to Advance

WILSON, N.C. – Gavin Stevens threw a complete-game 5-hitter and third-seed Virginia State held off second-seed Mid-Atlantic Christian 5-2 in the NSAC Baseball Tournament Thursday afternoon at Historic Fleming Stadium.

The freshman rightie kept the Mustangs (23-21) off the board until the ninth inning.

VSU (15-31) advances to face Lighthouse, which stunned top-seed Apprentice 5-0, in the noon game on Friday. MACU and Apprentice meet in an elimination game tonight at 6:30 pm.

Lighthouse Shocks Apprentice 5-0 in NSAC Opener

WILSON, N.C. – Eli Lowery pitched 5-hit ball in a complete game as fourth-seed Lighthouse Christian shocked top-seeded Apprentice 5-0 in the opening game of the 2024 NSAC Baseball Tournament on Thursday.

The win advances the Makos (4-27) to Friday’s second round to face the winner of the Mid-Atlantic Christian-Virginia State game.

The loss is the first shutout of the year for the Builders (35-8), who drop into an elimination game at 6:30 tonight against the MACU-VSU loser.

Redman, Lee Head 2024 All-Conference Selections

Nick Redman of Apprentice and Jalyn Lee of Mid-Atlantic Christian lead a stellar group of 19 players which have been selected by the league coaches as the 2024 NSAC All-Conference Team.

Redman, the Pitcher of the Year, led the Builder pitching staff with a sparkling 2.39 ERA with eight wins against no losses on the season. In 49 innings pitched, the sophomore lefty from New Kent, Virginia gave up only 36 hits and 13 earned runs.

Lee was named Player of the Year by virtue of a team-leading .391 batting average with 40 RBI. The 6-2 senior from Smithfield, North Carolina finished the regular season with seven homers and a .461 OBP.

Congratulations to Redman, Lee, and all the members of the 2024 NSAC All-Conference Team!

The Apprentice School

  • Nolan Edwards, INF
  • Jeremy Harmon, C
  • Isaac McAllister, P
  • Caleb Russell, C
  • Nick Redman, P
  • Camden Weston, IF
  • Nate Yeary, OF

Mid-Atlantic Christian University

  • Dakota Jacobsen, P
  • Colin Langley, P
  • Jalyn Lee, 1B
  • Adam Schell, INF
  • Travis Snell, OF

Virginia State University

  • Joe Hastings, P
  • Chris Henderson, 3B
  • Norman Jackson, 2B
  • Victor Johnson, OF
  • TJ McGowan, 1B
  • Jamari Pooler, SS
  • Jimmyll Williams, UTIL

Images courtesy Apprentice Athletics and MACU Athletics

Builders’ Jones Named Coach of the Year

After leading Apprentice to the most wins in program history, the Builders’ Ben Jones has been named the New South Athletic Conference Baseball Coach of the Year.

Jones, in his third season at the helm, guided the Builders to a 35-7 record in just the regular season, surpassing the 34-14 mark set by the 2018 team which finished second in the USCAA.

A native of Lawrenceville, VA, Jones graduated as an outside machinist apprentice and played baseball for The Apprentice School from 2003 to 2006. During Jones’ career, he was named a three-time USCAA All-American. He is the winningest pitcher in the modern era of Apprentice School baseball with 39 wins and a Virginia College Division record of 501 strikeouts. Jones was selected to the 2006 USCAA National All-Academic Team and the CoSIDA Academic All-District. He was also selected VaSID All-State Division II-III in 2004 and 2006 and was honored as Apprentice School Athlete of the Year in 2006 when he went 13-3 with 166 strikeouts.

Jones led the Builders to the USCAA Small College World Series title in 2022, the year he won the inaugural NSAC Coach of the Year award.

Congratulations, Ben!

Image courtesy Apprentice Athletics

Trojans Win Lighthouse Series, Claim Tourney Third Seed

ETTRICK, Va. – After dropping the series opener on Saturday, Virginia State bounced back to sweep a tripleheader against Lighthouse Christian on Sunday and clinch the third seed in the upcoming NSAC baseball tournament.

The teams were originally scheduled to play doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday, but transportation troubles for the Makos allowed time for just one game Saturday. The teams decided to make up the missed game on Sunday.

Lighthouse pounced on the Trojans for nine runs in the sixth inning to break a 2-2 tie and pull away for a 12-5 win on Saturday.

In Sunday’s opener, it was the Trojans’ turn for an offensive display, exploding for 11 runs in the fifth to force the run rule and win 12-1 in six.

The middle game saw the Makos plating five runs in the first and carrying a 7-5 lead into the bottom of the seventh. VSU pushed three runs across in the home half of the inning to get the walk-off win 8-7. With that win, the Trojans clinched the third seed in the conference tournament beginning Thursday. LCC will be the fourth seed.

In the final regular season game for both teams, the Trojans broke a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the 7th to take their second walk-off win in a row 4-3.

Thus the brackets are now set for the NSAC Baseball Tournament as top seed Apprentice will face #4 Lighthouse in the opener Thursday at 11:00 am. Mid-Atlantic Christian, the second seed, will take on #3 Virginia State at 3:00 pm.

All games will take place at Historic Fleming Stadium in Wilson, North Carolina.

Image courtesy Chris Waugaman/VSU Athletics

Mustangs Clinch 2nd Seed with Doubleheader Sweep of Trojans

ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. – Mid-Atlantic Christian wrapped up its New South Conference schedule on Wednesday with a twin-bill sweep of Virginia State 6-3 and 6-5. With the pair of victories at Knobb’s Creek, the Mustangs (23-18 overall, 9-5 NSAC) lock up the second seed in next week’s conference tournament.

The Trojans (11-30, 2-6) conclude their schedule against conference foe Lighthouse Christian this weekend in a four-game slate. VSU can clinch the third seed with two wins against the Makos.

Apprentice has already clinched the top spot in the tournament, which will begin Thursday, May 2 in Wilson, North Carolina.

Image courtesy MACU Athletics