Each week throughout the high school season the staff at PBR will compile some of the top performances from across the state of North Carolina for Diamond Notes.  Many of these players have been considered for the PBR Player of the Week, but only one can win the award.  Diamond Notes allows the staff at PBR to recognize players that have played at a high level.

High school coaches, pro scouts, college coaches, and PBR's scouting staff are able to turn players in for recognition.  Each player is highlighted with notes from the last week, and from the entire season where warranted.

 

Diamond Notes: April 15 - 21

 

Jacob Cozart, INF/C/RHP, Wesleyan Christian Academy, 2021

• NC State commit
• PBR Player of the Week: April 22 - 28
• Helped lead WCA to the 2019 Farm Bureau Greensboro Grasshopper Invitational championship, going 3-0 on the week
• Won the championship game on the mound – 7IP, 5H, 0R, 0BB, 5K
• In 3 games vs. Watauga, Rockingham County, and Southeast Guilford, hit .600 with a homerun, 3 runs scored, and 5 RBI
• On base percentage for the tournament of .636
• Game 1 homer off the middle of the Greensboro Grasshopper scoreboard, broke open a 0-0 game in the 3^rd, leading to a 9-0 win to start the tournament

Dante DeFranco, 2B, Orange HS, 2019

• Hit .667 in 3 games last week
• 3 HR, 2 Doubles, 9 RBI, and 5 Runs scored
• Stole 3 bases

Lyle Holland, SS/RHP, Freedom HS, 2019

• Randolph-Macon commit
• Solid week during Freedom’s Spring Break Easter Tournament
• Hit .700, going 7-10 with 2 doubles and a triple. 
• 7 RBI in total for the week
• Complete Game effort on the mound.  Win, 5IP, 2H, 1R, 0ER, 10K
• For the year:  50.1IP, 2.50 ERA, 64K, 11BB… And hitting .342, 24 RBI, 20 Runs Scored in 20 Games. 

Carson Whisenhunt, LHP, Davie County HS, 2019 

• East Carolina commit
• Big CG win over Reagan as part of a 2 game sweep to secure the conference championship for Davie
• 7 IP, 2H, 1R, 1ER, 8K
• On the year:  7-0, 82 K's, 13 hits, 3 ER, in 43 IP

Matt Willadsen, RHP/SS, Holly Springs HS, 2019

• NC State commit
• 5 IP no hitter, second consecutive no hitter.
• 5 IP, 0 hits, 1 BB. 11 Ks.
• Offensively in 2 games: 4-7, 4 doubles and 7 RBIs.

Aaron Williams, C, Davie County HS, 2020

• .600 BA on the week
• 3-5, 1 double, 2 walks vs Reagan in 2-1 win and 9-5 win
• The 2 wins secured the regular season conference championship
• For the year, hitting .414 with 21 RBI

Joey Berini, SS, Orange HS, 2020

• Hit .538 in 3 games last week
• 3 Doubles and a HR
• Produced 6 RBI and 5 Runs scored

Walker Case, Pitcher, Brevard HS, 2020

• ND in a start vs. Franklin HS
• 8IP surrendering 3 earned runs with 1BB and 8 strikeouts. 

Cam Verrier, SS, Cleveland HS, 2020

• Named Offensive MVP at the Johnston County Easter Tournament
• Hit .636 for the week, going 7-11 with 2 doubles
• Produced 4 RBI and stole 3 bases
• For the year:  .490 Ave(30-61), .590 OBP, 17 SB, 25 runs, .982 Fielding pct at SS  

Parker LaPlant, RHP/SS, SW Randolph HS, 2020

• At the plate 6-11 .545 AVG, 2RBI, 4R, 1BB
• On the mound: 1-0 7.0 CG, 5H, 1R, 2BB, 9Ks 

Danny Fish, IF, East Forsyth, 2019

• Gardner-Webb commit
• Hit .600 on the week with 3 doubles, 3RBI's, 4SB, and 5 runs.
• Also made 2 appearances pitching, throwing 2 innings total with 1 save while striking out 2 batters and allowing 0 hits and 0 runs in a 3-0 week

Xavier Isaac, IF/OF, East Forsyth, 2022

• East Carolina commit
• Hit .375 on the week with 2 doubles, 4RBI's, 1SB, and 2 runs in a 3-0 week

Kameron Evans, RHP, East Forsyth, 2019

• Catawba Valley CC commit
• 1-0 on the week. 7IP, 5H, 1R, 0ER, 2BB, 5K in a conference win vs RJ Reynolds

Ick Cirino, INF, Hickory Ridge HS, 2021

• Hit .700 on the week
• 7-10, 4 doubles, 6 RBI and 4 Runs Scored

Nolan DeVos, RHP, Hickory Ridge HS, 2019

• Davidson commit
• CG Win over Cox Mill
• 7IP, 1ER, 0BB, 9K
• Also hit 556 on the week, going 5-9, 2 doubles, 1 triple, 1 HR, and 3 runs scored
• For the year on the mound: 6-1 with a 1.85 ERA in 45 IP.  Totaled 99 strikeouts

Adam Wilkerson, OF/RHP, Hickory Ridge HS, 2021

• Hit .444 on the week
• 4-9, 3 RBI, 1 double, 1 triple, 5 runs scored, and 5 bb on the week.

Josh Harlow, RHP, West Johnston HS, 2019

• Radford commit
• Struck out nine batters and allowed only one hit in 6.2 innings pitched as he would earn the win against Hunt this week.
• Named the Earl Boykin Most Outstanding Pitcher Award for the Golden Leaf Tournament.

Jake Stroud, LHP, Ledford HS, 2019 

• Completed an undefeated (6-0) regular season on the mound with a conference championship clinching performance vs. North Davidson
• 6.1IP, 2H, 1R, 1ER, 7K

Jacob Edens, INF/OF, Princeton HS, 2020

• Slugged .714 during the week with one double and four RBI
• Also scored five runs to help lead the Bulldogs to a 2-0 record this week.

Caleb Clapp, OF, SW Randolph HS, 2020

• For the week: 6-10 .600 AVG, 2RBI, 5R, 1BB

Mitchell Johnson, Pitcher, Brevard HS, 2019

• Closed vs. Franklin in a tie game in the 9^th.  Faced 4 hitters and punched 2 in earning the win
• Closed vs. Smoky Mountain, earning a save

Nick Bumgarner, 3B, Brevard HS, 2019

• Nick was 3 for 4 with 2 RBI against Franklin High,  1 RBI was the game tying run to force extra innings.  The other was a walk off single in the 9^th
• For the week, hit .571, going 4-7 with 3 RBI