Category: Apprentice

Tournament Seedings Taking Shape with One Week to Go

WILSON, N.C. – With just a little over one week left in the 2025 NSAC baseball regular season, we’re seeing the seedings fall into place.

Prior to the season, league coaches voted to base the seedings on a weighted formula granting a 60 percent weight to conference games and 40 percent to non-conference matchups. Yet as of today, that calculation has made no difference: the results are the same. However, with a few series left and several positions in contention, that could change in the home stretch.

TeamNSAC Pct.Overall Pct.Weighted Pct.
1. John Melvin (LA).867.511.725
2. Apprentice.714.647.687
3. Atlantis.667.618.647
4. Mid-Atlantic Chr..571.526.553
5. John Melvin (FL).400.368.387
6. Virginia State.385.310.355
7. Lighthouse Chr..227.194.214

The tournament gets underway at Fleming Stadium in Wilson, North Carolina at 9:30 am on Thursday May 1.

Photo by Wade Austin Ellis on Unsplash

Apprentice Sweeps Virginia State in NSAC Action

ETTRICK, Va. – The Apprentice School baseball team took a pair of New South Athletic Conference matchups over Virginia State Thursday, sweeping the Trojans on their home field.

The Builders took game one by a 3-0 score with all the scoring coming in the middle two innings. In the third, Nate Yeary brought home a pair of runs off a Trojan error in the outfield before Camden Richardson got the third run of the game home on a double that plated Jett Winslow.

In game two, the Builders got the scoring started on a Richardson sacrifice fly in the second inning before a passed ball scored another to push the score to 2-0. After a VSU homer in the bottom of the second, Apprentice scored an insurance run in the fifth on an error to get to a 3-1 final score.

With the wins, the Builders go to 5-2 in league play and improve to 19-11 overall.

Story and image courtesy Apprentice Athletics

Apprentice Snaps Losing Skid with 20-3 Rout of MACU

HAMPTON, Va. – Apprentice snapped a four-game losing skid in a big way Friday afternoon, taking down MACU 20-3.

The Mustangs struck first in the top of the third inning with a single run, but the Builders answered with the next 20 runs, five of which came in the third. Jeremy Harmon started the scoring with a RBI double before Caleb Russell kept it going two batters later on a RBI single to give Apprentice a 2-1 lead. Hunter Johnson then doubled, setting the table for Mason Cox to clear the bases on a triple that made the score 5-1.

The Builders tacked on 14 more runs in the fourth inning, sending 20 batters to the plate in the frame. The inning was highlighted by a Jett Winslow two-run blast early in the frame before AS added 10 more runs after the homer to push the score to 19-1. Another Cox RBI single pushed the score to 20-1 after five innings of work. MACU pushed two more across in the sixth to get to the final score.

Johnson finished the game going 5-for-5 with a double, three runs scored and two RBI. Russell went 4-for-5, while Cam Weston, Cox and Harmon each had three hits.

Nick Redman (2-1) got the win, going five innings, allowing just one run off three hits.

Story and image courtesy Apprentice Athletics

Builders Score 12 in Second to Rout Bryant & Stratton (VA)

HAMPTON, Va. – The Apprentice School baseball team scored in each of the first five innings, including 12 in the second, as they run-ruled Bryant and Stratton Friday afternoon, 20-6.

The Builders wasted little time getting on the board, using a defensive miscue and a two-run bomb from Jeremy Harmon to take a 3-0 lead out of the first inning. The run parade started in the second inning for Apprentice as the home team sent 18 to the plate in the frame.

In the second, the Builders had just four hits, taking advantage of walks and four Bobcat errors. Apprentice loaded up the bases before a walk preceded another Harmon hit, this time a two RBI single that doubled the lead to 6-0. Two walks and two hit by pitches with the bases loaded came next to push the lead to 10-0, and, after an error scored another run, Nate Yeary came through with a two-run single that made the score 13-0.

After a pair of fielder’s choices finished off the 12-run frame, the Bobcats scratched a run across in the third before the Builders struck back again in the bottom of the inning. Harmon collected another RBI on a single to make the score 14-1 before Matt Phoebus hit a missile to left center in the fourth to push the lead even further out to 18-1. After four Bobcats runs came across in the fifth, Hunter Johnson got a pair back in the bottom of the inning to get to a 20-5 score.

Harmon finished the day 3-for-4 with six RBI and a pair of runs scored. Yeary was 2-for-2 with a pair of RBI and three runs scored, while Johnson was 2-for-4 with three RBI and a pair scored.

Zander Mizelle (4-0) got the win, going three innings of one-run and four-hit baseball.

Story courtesy Walker McCrary/Apprentice Athletics; Image courtesy Kaitlyn Olson @shotsbyk8lyn

Apprentice Sweeps MACU to Improve to 4-0

HAMPTON – The Apprentice School baseball team opened up New South Athletic Conference play Tuesday by sweeping MACU, 10-0 and 4-2.

In the opening game of the twinbill, the Builders pushed a run across in the second on a Jett Winslow RBI single before the wheels fell off for the Mustangs in the third. Apprentice scored nine runs in the frame, pushing them across on just three hits and two MACU errors. Winslow was the highlight of the frame with a bases-clearing double that pushed the score out to 5-0 at the time.

In game two, it was much more of a pitcher’s duel. The Builders struck in the bottom of the first on a Matt Phoebus RBI double followed by another Winslow RBI single to take the early 2-0 lead.

MACU answered in the fourth, getting runners on base and pushing two across off an RBI groundout and a single to tie the game at 2-2. After a scoreless fifth frame, Apprentice got the final word in the sixth as they found a pair of runs to get to the final score. Nate Yeary brought home Winslow on a single to take the lead before Mason Cox got a sacrifice fly to push Hunter Johnson across home plate.

Winslow finished the day 3-for-6 at the plate with five RBI and two runs scored.

Story courtesy Apprentice Athletics; image courtesy Kaitlyn Olson @shotsbyk8lyn

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