The North Duplin 10-Under Dixie Youth baseball team finished fourth overall during the 2024 NC Dixie Youth Baseball AAA D2 State Tournament recently contested in Lockwood Folly on the North Carolina coast. The 11-player, three-coach squad earned the team sportsmanship award. Members of the team, front row, left to right are: Axl Goodman, Gray Herring, John Matthew Hoffman, Johnson Ivey and Ian Quintanilla. Middle row, left to right: Brice Albritton, Gannon Betts, Brooks Lee, Wyeth Williams, Eli Grady and Jolen Langston. Back row, left to right: Head coach Blake Herring, assistant coach Matt Hoffman and assistant coach Noe Quintanilla.
LOCKWOOD FOLLY — Season-ending losses are painful in the moment, but should not overshadow an otherwise successful campaign on the baseball diamond.
Solemn players with sweat-stained faces listened as head North Duplin baseball coach Blake Herring delivered that heartfelt — and emotional — message.
The Rebels bounced back from an opening-day loss in the 2024 NC Dixie Youth Baseball State AAA D2 tournament and finished fourth overall in the 12-team, double-elimination event. Anson County knocked out North Duplin, 8-3.
Herring praised his players’ effort.
“I was proud of them and told them not to get discouraged from getting knocked out of the state tournament,” he said. “Anson was the best team there [and] you had a great season.”
Shallotte slipped past North Duplin, 7-6, in round one.
That set up a battle with in-county District 7 rival Wallace-Rose Hill. The Rebels took the field in business-like fashion and walked away victorious, 11-7.
“They didn’t carry that loss into the next game, continued to play to their ability and didn’t get down on themselves,” Herring said. “Wallace … all of our boys know their boys [and] every time we play each other, it’s a good game. We were able to take care of business with them.
“I was glad to get that one because of bragging rights.”
North Duplin remained alive in consolation-round play with back-to-back conquests of Lockwood Folly (5-2) and Dunn (9-7).
“Lockwood Folly had a very good baseball team,” Herring said. “Against Dunn, we were going through some [lineup] changes because of [pitching] restrictions. We had several players step up and take care of business in that game.
“Versatility is important in a tournament like this. There’s ebb and flow. All of the boys, you could put them anywhere [on the field] and we’d be just fine. I think a lot of that goes to how much they love the game of baseball. I think me and my assistant coaches instill in that in them.”
North Duplin received the team sportsmanship award.
The gritty, determined group consisted of 11 nine- and 10-year-olds who attend ND Elementary School. They’re all good friends and often get together for pick-up games in each other’s backyards.
That camaraderie has existed for three years and been the driving force behind the program’s recent success, according to Herring.
A majority played on the 2022 coach-pitch team that advanced to the NCYB State AAA D2 tournament and ended up fifth. Last summer, nearly the same group earned fourth-place honors in the NCYB State AAA D2 tournament contested in Lumberton.
Team members were Axl Goodman, Gray Herring, John Matthew Hoffman, Johnson Ivey, Ian Quintanilla, Brice Albritton, Gannon Betts, Brooks Lee, Wyeth Williams, Eli Grady and Jolen Langston.
Noe Quintanilla and Matt Hoffman served as assistant coaches.
“Just some good ‘ole country boys who enjoy playing baseball when it’s that time of year,” Herring said. “I had all the confidence in them. Several of them, their baseball IQ is very high and they know what to without our coaches having to say anything.
“They enjoy the game. We’ve got a great community folks because it takes everybody to make it happen. We’ll get together and try to do it again next year.”
2024 NC Dixie Youth Baseball
AAA Division II
State Tournament
(at Lockwood Folly, NC)
Day 1
Shallotte 7, North Duplin 6
Towncreek 9, Wallace-Rose Hill 8
Lockwood Folly 12, Red Springs 0
South Brunswick 7, Dunn 4
Anson County 11, Gastonia 1
Whiteville 14, Kings Mountain 3
Day 2
North Duplin 11, Wallace-Rose Hill 7 (Wallace-Rose Hill eliminated)
Dunn 17, Red Springs 0 (Red Springs eliminated)
Kings Mountain 15, Gastonia 5 (Gastonia eliminated)
Anson County 12, Whiteville 2
South Brunswick 9, Lockwood Folly 5
Shallotte 5, Towncreek 3
Day 3
Dunn 15, Kings Mountain 1 (Kings Mountain eliminated)
North Duplin 5, Lockwood Folly 2 (Lockwood Folly eliminated)
Whiteville 15, Towncreek 4 (Towncreek eliminated)
Shallotte 9, South Brunswick 3
Day 4
North Duplin 9, Dunn 7 (Dunn eliminated)
Whiteville 11, South Brunswick 1 (South Brunswick eliminated)
Anson County 11, Shallotte 4
Day 5
Anson County 8, North Duplin 3 (North Duplin eliminated)
Whiteville 15, Shallotte 9 (Shallotte eliminated)
Day 6
Anson County 16, Whiteville 1 (Whiteville eliminated)
*Anson County wins state tournament
You may reach Mount Olive Tribune sports writer Rudy Coggins at prepswriter2@gmail.com or call 919-709-9257.
