Category: Apprentice

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.

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.

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

Builders Take Weekend Series from Makos

HAMPTON, Va. – The Apprentice School baseball team improved to 32-7 on the season with a four-game sweep of Lighthouse Christian this weekend at War Memorial Stadium. With the four wins, the Builders improved to 10-2 in New South Athletic Conference action this season.

On Saturday, the Builders jumped on the Makos early and often, winning 22-2 and 11-1 in five and six innings, respectively. The Builders continued the onslaught on Sunday with an 11-1 six inning win before holding on for a 9-6 win in the series finale.

Nolan Edwards went 9-for-14 on the weekend with three homers and nine runs scored. He also brought in eight RBI on the weekend as well. Camden Weston went 6-for-10, and Jeremy Harmon hit two homers Sunday, the first of which ended game one of the twin bill by the run rule.

Story and image courtesy Apprentice Athletics

Builders, Trojans Split Twin Bill, Again

HAMPTON, Va. – After splitting a doubleheader last weekend, Virginia State and Apprentice repeated the feat Friday with the Builders taking the opener 12-2 and the Trojans winning the nightcap by the identical score.  

GAME 1: BUILDERS 12, TROJANS 2

  • After Jimmyll Williams got hit by the pitch he stole second before a double play ended the first inning. The Builders hit a triple and brought the runner in on a sac fly to score  
  • In the bottom of the second Newport News was the benefited from an opening walk before a two out double drove him home. A passed ball then let that runner move to third. Another double would put runners on second and third while also making the score 3-0 
  • An RBI ground out, let the third run of the inning come across for the Builders and in the fifth one more run came around to score making it 5-0 Newport News  
  • In the bottom of the fourth the Builders doubled down the line and then advanced on two wild pitches to score 
  • The Trojans answered with a Jaquan Tucker home run. Victor Johnson than tripled and Matthew May hit a sacrifice fly to get VSU on the board 
  • In the bottom of the sixth the Builders get three runs to have a 10-run advantage at 12-2 

GAME 2: TROJANS 12, BUILDERS 2 

  • The two opening batters got on and TJ McGowan hit a bunt single to get the runner on third across. Tucker walked to load the bases and then Jamari Pooler hit a double to score two. Daniel Smith then hit a sac fly to put four up in the first inning 
  • Avante Banks and Williams hit back-to-back singles in the second, McGowan then walked to load the bases with one out. Tucker was hit by a pitch to let a run in, and Pooler hit a 2 RBI single right after. Justus Crawley then hit an RBI single and Smith hit an RBI fielder’s choice 
  • The builders would score in the bottom of the inning, but in the top of the third the Trojans would put up their final three runs of the game with Tucker and Pooler picking up the RBI’s 
  • Apprentice picked up one more in the third, but Joesph Hastings would shut down the Builders for the rest of the game to pick up his second win 

Story courtesy VSU Athletics; image courtesy Chris Waugaman, VSU Athletics

Trojans Hand Builders First NSAC Loss in Twin Bill Split

ETTRICK, Va. – The Virginia State University baseball team split a doubleheader against the Apprentice School on Friday dropping game one 7-1 and winning game two 5-1. 

GAME 1: BUILDERS 7, VSU 1

  • The Builders would go down in order in the first and in the bottom of the inning Jimmyll Willams walked and Christian Henderson singled before both players stole to get runners on second and third. 
  • Then on a two out wild pitch both runners moved up 90 feet to get the Trojans on the board 
  • The Builders would add another run in the second and then in the fourth Apprentice then hung up three runs to widen their margin 
  • Apprentice then added a run in the fifth sixth and seventh innings while and Avante Banks walk and steal of second was the only time the Trojans would get a runner in scoring position 

GAME 2: VSU 5, BUILDERS 1 

  • Neither team would manage much in the first two innings with the only hits being by Williams and Victor Johnson for VSU 
  • Joesph Hastings started the game and was throwing a perfect game through three innings 
  • Banks and Williams hit back-to-back doubles to get runners on second and third with no outs. Henderson hit an RBI-ground out and an error by the 3b would get Jaquan Tucker to second and would score TJ McGowan who got on by a fielder’s choice 
  • The Builders only managed to get two batters on through the fourth and fifth innings via an error and a walk 
  • In the bottom of the sixth Jamari Pooler started the inning off with a double that was just feet from being a home run. Pooler then stole third and a Jody Morris double brought him in to score. Morris then advanced to third on an error by the catcher and Williams walked. Henderson then hit the third double of the inning to score both Morris and Williams 
  • The Builders managed to get a runner on second after a single and a wild pitch. A one-out single put runners on the corners before a two out walk loaded the bases 
  • A wild pitch advanced every runner to finally get the Builders on the board 
  • Hastings earned his first win of the season 
  • The Trojan win was their first NSAC victory of the season and the Builder’s first conference loss

Apprentice Edges Up in Latest Poll

The Apprentice School baseball team continues its tear through the season with an impressive 25-5 overall record (.833 winning percentage) and 4-0 in league play. This has not gone unnoticed by the USCAA pollsters who bumped the Builders up another notch to number two in the latest poll.

AS began the campaign as a preseason #5 and picked up two spots in the first regular season poll last week to third.

The red-hot Builders jump back into NSAC competition this Friday by traveling to Virginia State then hosting the Trojans on Friday April 5.

Mid-Atlantic Christian lost three spots this week and slips to number 11.