Chris Whitesell, Author at High Point Rockers Baseball

Rockers Return 6 Veterans from 2021

March 16, 2022 by Chris Whitesell

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point Rockers today announced that six veteran players from the 2021 club have signed contracts to return to High Point this season. The six include catchers Logan Moore and Mike Gulino, outfielders Jay Gonzalez and Quincy Latimore, infielder J.R. DiSarcina and pitcher Cooper Casad.

The six returning veterans give the Rockers a total of 11 players under contract thus far for the 2022 campaign which will open on April 21 at Truist Point against the Kentucky Wild Health Genomes. . They join pitcher Junior Rincon, infielders Michael Martinez and Diego Goris, first baseman Zander Wiel and infielder/outfielder Ben Aklinski.

Moore and Gulino are both catchers and will provide the Rockers with a solid backstop corps. Gonzalez and Latimore are eachj outfielders while DiSarcina is a versatile infielder and Casad was one of the mainstays of High Point’s starting rotation in 2021.

Casad went 7-4 in 2021 and led the Rockers pitching staff with a 4.73 ERA while being named the Atlantic League Pitcher of the Month in July. Moore was High Point’s starting catcher prior to having his contract was purchased by the Philadelphia Phillies in June but he returned to the club later in the season. Gulino was signed to fill Moore’s vacancy and proved to be a solid defensive catcher. Latimore is an original Rocker, having been with the club since its on-field inception in April 2019. The Rockers traded for Gonzalez in August 2021 and he helped solidify the outfield through the remainder of the 2021 campaign. DiSarcina was a professional rookie last year and developed into a quality utility infielder over the course of the season.

Cooper Casad

Casad returns for his second year as a Rocker after leading the team in ERA and finishing second in wins in 2021. Casad, 25, was 7-4 last season with a 4.73 ERA. He made 19 starts and was named the Atlantic League Pitcher of the Month in July after going 4-0 with a 2.89 ERA that month.

Jamie Keefe on Casad:

“Cooper came into last year wanting to make the team as a starter and he did just that. He came in at the back end of the rotation at the start of the year and wound up being one of the top arms on the team. He had a great first year with us and I think he learned a lot. I’ve been able to watch him all winter (in Florida) as he gets ready for this season. He is really throwing the ball well right now and I look forward to getting him back in a Rockers uniform.”

J.R. DiSarcina

DiSarcina joined the Rockers at the start of training camp after completing his collegiate career at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth. Throughout the year, he proved to be a versatile middle infielder who saw action at both second base and shortstop while filling in on occasion at third base. DiSarcina hit .257 on the year with five home runs and 57 RBI. He became a starter after Michael Russell suffered a broken jaw on July 28.

Jamie Keefe on DiSarcina:

“J.R. was a bit green when he got here last year but his eyes were wide open. He didn’t know the competition would be as good as it was. He proved us correct by going out there each and every day and competing the way he did. To come in as a true rookie from a Division III (UMass-Dartmouth) school and go out there and hit .257 with five homers and 28 RBI, and get the job done defensively, was a credit to him. He was just fantastic as a utility guy for us. Any time he was called on offensively, he was able to get the job done. I’m excited to see what he can bring to us this year.”

Jay Gonzalez

The Rockers acquired Gonzalez in a trade from Winnipeg of the American Association on August 6. The lefthanded-hitting outfielder batted .267 over the final 46 games of the season while hitting two home runs and driving in 12. He had a season-best four hits on Aug. 22 in an 8-5 win over Lexington. He tied for the team lead with three sacrifices and stole seven bases.

Jamie Keefe on Gonzalez:

“Jay didn’t get a chance to play every day with us last year until towards the end of the year. Players put up good numbers when they get a chance to play every day and Jay did just that. I think the world of him, he can play center field and left field as well as anybody. He runs really well, and he is one of the best teammates you will ever have. Whenever he was called on, he was ready to play and he produced. You can’t replace a guy like Jay.”

Mike Gulino

Gulino signed with the Rockers on June 22, 2021 and hit .229 in 40 games with two home runs and 17 RBI. A solid defensive catcher, Gulino made his Atlantic League debut last season after playing parts of three seasons in the Frontier League and the American Association. The 2021 season was a comeback year for Gulino who missed the 2020 campaign while rehabbing from a traumatic injury suffered in a baseline collision in 2019.

Jamie Keefe on Gulino:

“Michael did everything and more of what we asked him to do last year. He continually got better throughout the year and learned a lot from Logan (Moore) when he came back late in the year. Michael knows he’s going to catch a couple times a week and anytime there is a doubleheader, he’s going to catch one of those games as well. He’s going to get some playing time and he’s going to get leaned on quite a bit. He had some big hits for us last year and he just kept getting better every time he went out on the field.”

Quincy Latimore

Latimore is an original Rocker, having started in left field on the franchise’s Opening Night on April 26, 2019. He hit .264 in 111 games in his first season with 21 home runs and 72 RBI. In 2021, Latimore signed with an Italian professional team and did not return to the Rockers until August 27. He hit .297 with six home runs and 21 RBI over the final 39 games of the year. Over the course of his 14-year professional career, Latimore has hit 225 home runs and driven in 957 runs.

Jamie Keefe on Latimore:

“The 2019 season was a fantastic year for Quincy. The first half of last year he spent playing in Italy and was excited to come back. He just didn’t have what he felt was his best swing when he came back but that has driven him to go back and put in the work this offseason. He will report to camp in in the best shape of his life and I am looking for big things from Q this year. We’re going to lean on him a lot. He’s coming up on 250 career home runs and 1,000 RBI and I’m glad he’s going to do it in a Rockers uniform. He may be one of those guys who slides into an organization as well and puts some numbers up.”

Logan Moore

Moore was the Rockers’ opening day catcher in 2021 and remained the starter until his contract was purchased by the Philadelphia Phillies on June 20. He returned to the Rockers on Sept. 23 and hit .257 over his final 11 games of the season. He ended the season with seven RBI in his final four games and homered in two of the last three games of the year. Moore was a standout at New Britain in the Atlantic League before joining the Rockers, earning 2019 ALPB All-Defensive honors at catcher.

Jamie Keefe on Moore:

“We know what Logan can do behind the plate and that is call the best game of any catcher in an MLB Partner league. It doesn’t get any better than what he can do behind the plate. He has proven himself at the AAA level for six years and we look forward to having him take this staff to where it needs to be. He didn’t have a great year offensively in 2021 but this year, with him in the lineup regularly, we’ll see his offense come back to what it was in 2019.”

About High Point Baseball, Inc.

High Point Baseball, AKA The High Point Rockers, will begin their third season in the Atlantic League in 2022 in a state-of-the-art, $36M downtown ballpark, Truist Point. High Point Baseball is part of the fastest growing family sport in America and is committed to providing superior customer service and quality, affordable family entertainment for the Triad of North Carolina. The Rockers have built a fun and competitive atmosphere in both High Point and the Atlantic League while playing in the 2019 Ballpark of the Year.

About the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB)

With teams throughout the Mid-Atlantic, the ALPB is a leader in baseball innovation and a player gateway to Major League Baseball. Through its exclusive partnership with MLB, the Atlantic League tests Major League Baseball rules and equipment initiatives. The Atlantic League has sent over 1,000 players to MLB organizations while drawing more than 44 million fans to its affordable, family-friendly ballparks throughout its 24-year history. For more information, please visit www.AtlanticLeague.com.

Rockers Add Four to Front Office Staff

March 9, 2022 by Chris Whitesell

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point Rockers have grown their front office staff with the addition of four recent hires.

The Rockers have added Sherrie Poplin as business manager, J.P. Rooney as a ticket sales account executive, Alicia Marcotte as coordinator of promotions and fan experience, and Alex Mendenhall as coordinator of special events.

“The events of the last two years made it more challenging to expand our staff during the pandemic,” said Rockers President Pete Fisch. “Like every professional team and venue, it took a lot of creativity to keep the ship afloat. As we get ready to start a new season and in anticipation of a great season, it is imperative to expand our staff to best suit the needs of our fans.”

Poplin will handle all of the Rockers’ business affairs including accounting, payroll, invoicing, and human resources. She is a cum laude graduate of High Point University with a degree in business administration and economics. She has previously worked in the furniture industry where she is the former owner of Dell, Inc,. a furniture manufacturer in Thomasville, N.C.

Rooney is a native of Gastonia, N.C. and a graduate of Samford University in Birmingham, Ala. where he majored in sport administration and sport ministry. A former intern for the Rockers, Rooney has previous experience in sales and will focus on season, group and individual game ticket sales.

Mendenhall, a 2021 graduate of High Point University, has been appointed special events coordinator. She will work with the operation of Truist Point’s Catalyst Club and outside groups that use Truist Point for events. Alex is a member of the Professional Convention Management Association and Alpha Phi Omega, the national service fraternity. Alex has also participated with the High Point University club softball team and the HPU Community Orchestra.

Marcotte will coordinate all promotional and fan experience activities including on-field in-game events. She joins the Rockers staff after working with the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour, the largest junior golf tour in the world. Alicia is a 2021 graduate of James Madison University where she worked with the athletic marketing department and interned in the athletics marketing department at Monmouth University.

The Rockers will open their 2022 season on Thursday, April 21 against the Kentucky Wild Health Genomes at Truist Point.

About High Point Baseball, Inc.

About the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB)

Rockers Add Two More Veterans to 2022 Roster

March 9, 2022 by Chris Whitesell

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point Rockers have added a pair of newcomers to their roster as the 2022 season rapidly approaches. The Rockers have signed Atlantic League veteran reliever Junior Rincon and versatile infielder Diego Goris.

Rincon will play a vital role in the Rockers’ bullpen this season. The righthander spent the 2021 season in the Atlantic League with Lancaster and Charleston. He started the year in Lancaster where he struggled to an 0-2 record and a 7.67 ERA in 21 appearances. Rincon, 30, was traded to Charleston on August 1 where he flourished and helped the Dirty Birds to the playoffs in their first season in the ALPB. Rincon went 6-0 with a 2.48 ERA and recorded three saves in 28 appearances with the Dirty Birds. Rincon finished fourth in the ALPB with 49 appearances last year.

“Watching what Junior did last year, the body of work he put on the table, especially against us, was special,” said Keefe. “He really threw the ball well. He’s a plus power arm with a 12-6 breaking ball. He had a lot of success against us and it will be really nice to have him on the back end of our bullpen. He’s a guy who has shown he can go back-to-back innings when he’s ready.”

The Rockers represent the fifth ALPB team that Rincon has played for after starting with York in 2018, moving to Somerset in 2019 and playing with Lancaster and Charleston in 2021. His professional career began with the Miami Marlins’ entry in the Dominican Summer League in 2011. He spent time in the Milwaukee and Atlanta organizations until 2017, reaching as high as Class AA Biloxi in the Southern League with the Brewers in 2016.

A versatile infielder who has played all four infield positions as well as catcher, Goris will be playing in the United States for the first time since 2018. He began his career as a 17-year old, playing with the Pittsburgh team in the Dominican Summer League. A native of Santiago, Dominican Republic, Goris has also spent time in the Kansas City and San Diego organizations. The 31-year-old has logged over 1,100 games as a professional and has over 4,000 career at-bats while compiling a career .279 average.

“We are really excited to get Diego,” said Keefe. “He played in Mexico last year but he’s looking at being able to come back to the states and get re-signed. We were able to have 12 players sign with Major League organizations last year and we think we can have the same success with Diego. He’s a guy who has proven himself at the AAA level. He can play anywhere internationally but I think he wants to get back to the Atlantic League and give himself a legitimate shot to be signed by a big league organization. Defensively he’s phenomenal. He has proven himself as a player and we look for good things from him.”

The addition of Rincon and Goris brings the number of players under contract to the Rockers for the 2022 season to five, joining infielder Michael Martinez, first baseman Zander Wiel and infielder/outfielder Ben Aklinski.

The Rockers will open the 2022 season at home with the Kentucky Wild Health Genomes at Truist Point on Thursday, April 21. The Rockers’ initial homestand will include playing their first 13 games at Truist Point.

About High Point Baseball, Inc.

About the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB)

Truist Point to Host College Baseball in 2022

February 22, 2022 by Chris Whitesell

HIGH POINT, N.C. – Truist Point and the High Point Rockers will host a full schedule of college baseball games during the 2022 season including home games for UNCG, High Point University, Greensboro College and GTCC.

The highlight of the schedule will be on Wednesday, April 20 when the High Point Panthers play host to national-ranked NC State. The Wolfpack reached the semifinals of the 2021 College World Series.

Truist Point will also be the destination site for the Ingles Big South Conference Championship set for May 25-28 and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference which will hold its championship from May 13-15.

“In keeping with the spirit of our commitment to the community and the revitalization of downtown High Point, being able to host so many different college teams at Truist Point will be a benefit to everybody,” said Rockers’ President Pete Fisch.

No less than eight regular college games will take place at 4,500-seat Truist Point which opened in 2019 and has won numerous awards including 2019 Atlantic League Ballpark of the Year.

Greensboro College, High Point University, GTCC and UNCG will all host games at Truist Point this season.

“We are excited about our upcoming game at Truist Point,” said High Point University head coach Joey Hammond. “The Rockers are a first-class organization with great people and our players are fortunate to have the opportunity.”

Greensboro College will play Guilford College at Truist Point on March 9 at 4 p.m. and entertain Lynchburg on March 15 at 4 p.m.

The first NCAA Division I game of the season will be UNCG vs. Davidson on Sunday, March 27 at 2 p.m. High Point will entertain Elon on Tuesday March 29 at 6 p.m. prior to hosting NC State on Wednesday, April 20.

GTCC will play home games at Truist Point on Wednesday, April 6 and Wednesday, April 13 against Catawba Valley Community College.

Rockers Add Versatile Aklinski to 2022 Roster

February 15, 2022 by Chris Whitesell

HIGH POINT, N.C. – Ben Aklinski, who clubbed 28 homers and drove in 105 runs last year for Lexington, has signed with the High Point Rockers for the 2022 season.

Aklinski was one of just two players in the Atlantic League in 2021, along with Lancaster’s Caleb Gindl, to rank in the top four in the Atlantic League in home runs, RBI, runs scored and extra base hits.

Aklinski, 25, hit .290 with 28 home runs and 105 RBI for the Lexington Legends in 2021, his first year in the Atlantic League. He was fourth in the league in home runs and his 105 RBI were second only to Lexington teammate Tilman Pugh. Aklinski had 123 base hits and a .552 slugging percentage while ranking third in the ALPB in total bases with 234, second in runs scored (105) and fourth with 52 extra base hits. He was a key ingredient in the Legends winning the Atlantic League championship last season.

“Ben had a heckuva year last season,” said Rockers manager Jamie Keefe. “When you hit 28 homers and drive in 105 runs, that’s getting it done. Ben is a freak athlete who has the ability to play multiple positions. Offensively, he hit at the top of the line-up and was a real catalyst for that club. Between scoring 105 runs and driving in another 105 runs, Ben generated over 200 runs last year. If he can do that for us, he could be an MVP candidate at the end of the year.”

A versatile ballplayer, Aklinski last season played second base in 44 games, third base in 25, eight games at shortstop and 33 games in the outfield.

Aklinski, a native of Phoenix, Arizona, spent two seasons at Phoenix College where he was a first team All-Arizona Community College Athletic Conference selection in 2017 and the state player of the year. He was named the National Junior College defensive player of the year while earning second team JUCO All-America honors.

Aklinski hit .304 as a junior at the University of Kentucky in 2018, starting all 56 games while swatting six home runs and driving in 42 runs. He was selected in the 32nd round of the 2018 MLB Draft by the Philadelphia Phillies and started his professional career at the Phillies’ Gulf Coast League team in Clearwater.

The Rockers will open the 2022 campaign at home at Truist Point on Thursday, April 21 against the Kentucky Wild Health Genomes. Season tickets for the 2022 Rockers season are on sale at https://bit.ly/3HSNTOZ.

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About High Point Baseball, Inc.

About the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB)

The Atlantic League is a leader in baseball innovation and a player gateway to Major League Baseball. Through its exclusive partnership with MLB, the Atlantic League tests Major League Baseball rules and equipment initiatives. The Atlantic League has sent over 1,000 players to MLB organizations while drawing more than 44 million fans to its affordable, family-friendly ballparks throughout its 24-year history. For more information, please visit www.AtlanticLeague.com.

Michael Martinez Returning to Rockers

February 8, 2022 by Chris Whitesell

HIGH POINT, N.C. – Michael Martinez, a Major League veteran and World Series participant, will return to the High Point Rockers this year. Martinez recently signed a contract that will put him back in a Rockers uniform for the 2022 season.

“I couldn’t be happier to have Michael back again,” said manager Jamie Keefe who will be entering his third season at the helm of the Rockers. “He has tremendous knowledge of the game and is a joy to be around. Having Michael on the field and in the line-up every day is like having another coach on the field.”

Martinez, 39, had a very productive 2021 season in High Point. He joined the club on August 6 and played in 51 games, hitting .286 with four home runs and 30 RBI. Martinez’s .286 batting average was the highest in club history for a switch hitter. Along with his offense, Martinez helped solidify the Rockers’ infield with his outstanding defense.

A seven-year Major League veteran, Martinez has played with five different MLB teams and made four trips to the playoffs. He played his first season in the Atlantic League with the Lancaster Barnstormers in 2019 before joining the Rockers in 2021.

A native of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Martinez last played in the Major Leagues with Cleveland and Tampa Bay during the 2017 season. Martinez spent 2018 at Cleveland’s AAA club in Columbus, Ohio.

Originally signed by the Washington Nationals organization in 2006, Martinez advanced through their system before reaching the Major Leagues with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2011. He continued with the Phillies through 2013 before joining the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2014. Martinez was with the Indians (now Guardians) in 2015 and 2016, helping the club reach the World Series in 2016 vs. the Chicago Cubs. Martinez split the 2017 season between Cleveland and Tampa Bay.

The Rockers will open the 2022 season at home on April 21 with the Wild Health Genomes, a new entry for this season in the Atlantic League. High Point will play its first 14 games at Truist Point through May 5. The 2022 schedule includes 132 games with 66 contests at Truist Point.

About High Point Baseball, Inc.

About the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB)