HIGH POINT, N.C. – Left-handed pitcher Jacob Edwards, one of the mainstays of the High Point Rockers bullpen, has had his contract purchased by the Cincinnati Reds. He will report to the Reds spring training facility in Goodyear, Arizona immediately.

“They don’t make a better person than Jacob,” said Rockers manager Jamie Keefe. “He’s one of a kind. I haven’t met many people who work as hard on and off the field at his pitching craft. It’s nice to see that his hard work has paid off and he’s getting another opportunity.”

Edwards, 24, made the Rockers’ Opening Day roster in 2024 and tied for the team lead with seven wins. He appeared in 42 games in 2024 and struck out 63 with just 19 walks in his 69.1 innings of work.

This season, Edwards is 2-1 in 11.2 innings of work with four walks and 11 strikeouts while yielding just seven hits.

Edwards attended Southwest Guilford High School where he shattered the school single season strikeout record with 132 and set a mark for wins with 12. He also hit .494 and was named the conference Pitcher of the Year while also earning all-state and all-area honors.

At UNC Asheville, Edwards was a first team All-Big South selection, going 8-3 with a 2.24 ERA in 88.1 innings. He finished among UNC Asheville’s all-time top 10 in innings, wins and strikeouts.

Undrafted out of UNC Asheville, he was with the Minnesota Twins organization in 2022 before joining the Rockers in 2024.

Edwards becomes the second pitcher to have his contract acquired by an MLB organization this year, joining RHP Peter Solomon who went to the Chicago Cubs. Now in its sixth year, High Point has had 41 player contracts transferred to MLB clubs or foreign leagues.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The High Point Rockers unleased their most furious offensive attack of the season on Thursday night, posting an 18-8 win over Lexington at Legends Field.

The Rockers scored a season-high 18 runs, pounded out 17 hits and hit three home runs.

DH Nick Longhi and right fielder Ben Aklinski accounted for nine RBI. Longhi was five-for-six with five RBIs while Aklinski drove in four runs and scored four times. Jordan Luplow added a three-run homer.

The Rockers now own the best record in the Atlantic League at 13-5 and own a one-game lead in the South Division over 12-6 Lexington.

Lexington tallied a solo run in the second when Xane Washington’s sac fly scored Brian Fuentes who had led off the inning with a single.

The Rockers posted their highest scoring inning of the season with eight runs in the third. D.J. Burt contributed a sac fly, Aklinkski, Drew Mendoza  and Longhi each had an RBI single, Aidan Brewer stole home and Luplow hit his first homer as a Rocker, a three-run shot, that put the Rockers up 8-1.

Lexington clawed back a pair of runs in the bottom of the third on an RBI single by Fuentes and an RBI infield ground out by Ryan McCarthy.

Longhi added another RBI single in the fourth as High Point’s lead grew to 9-3. Washington’s homer in the bottom half made it a 9-4 game.

Gonzalez singled in the fifth and scored on a Fuentes double to put Lexington within four at 9-5.

The Rockers tallied their 10^th run in the sixth when Luis Gonzalez singled, moved to second and then third on a pair wild pitches and scored on another Longhi single, his third RBI of the night.

High Point starter Kent Emanuel (W, 2-0) left after five innings, having allowed five runs on 10 hits, a walk and two strikeouts. Lexington’s Colton Eastman (L, 2-2) lasted 2.1 innings and yielded six runs on six hits with two walks and a pair of strikeouts.

High Point’s Kyle Halbohn allowed a run in the sixth inning on a single by Brady Whalen and an RBI double from Curtis Terry to make it 10-6.

Zach Vennaro came on in the seventh for the Rockers and gave up a solo homer to Ryan McCarthy as the Legends pulled within three at 10-7.

The Rockers added three more runs in the eighth when Aklinski walked and scored on a double by Evan Edwards. After Dalton Ross replaced Christian Edwards on the mound for Lexington, Longhi greeted him with a two-run shot to left, lifting the Rockers to a 13-7 lead. A five-run outburst in the ninth, featuring an RBI double from Brewer, a sack fly from Luis Gonzalez and a three-run homer from Aklinski sealed the win.

Lexington’s final run came in the bottom of the ninth off a wild pitch from Rockers reliever Jonah Scolaro.

High Point returns home to face the Legends in a three-game series starting Friday night at 6:35 p.m. at Truist Point. A fireworks show will be held following the game.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The Gastonia Ghost Peppers tallied four runs in the first inning and scored in each of the first five innings in taking a 14-8 decision from the High Point Rockers in front of a matinee crowd of 3,432 on Tuesday afternoon at Truist Point.

The Rockers had invited Guilford County school children and Asheboro City school children to attend the game.

High Point starting pitcher Matt Solter (L, 1-1) could not regain the magic that helped him throw a one-hitter at Gastonia last week. On Tuesday, the Ghost Peppers opened with a pair of singles followed by back-to-back walks to score their first run of the game. A sac fly from Patrick Mazeika and a two-run double from Dalton Guthrie staked Gastonia to a 4-0 lead after one.

Four straight walks from Gastonia starter Kevin Smith netted the Rockers their first run of the game in the bottom of the first. But Gastonia added a run in the top of the second on a triple by Kevin Watson, Jr. and a sac fly from Richie Martin to take a 5-1 advantage. An RBI double from Luis Gonzalez made it a 5-2 game after two.

Gastonia added a run in the third on a double by Mazeika and an RBI single from Guthrie then tacked on six more runs in the fourth to go ahead 12-3.

Gastonia reliever Tanner Wyatt (W, 1-1) earned the win with 2.1 innings of one-hit pitching while walking two and striking out three.

The Rockers worked their way back into the game late, scoring four times in the eighth. Luke Napleton had a two-run double while Gonzalez and Ben Aklinski each drove in a run.

The Rockers now stand at 7-3 on the season while Gastonia improved to 4-6.

Gonzalez finished the day with four hits and three RBI for the Rockers while Napleton hit safely in his sixth straight game and collected two RBI.

High Point will be back under the lights on Wednesday, hosting Gastonia at 6:35 pm at Truist Point.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – April 30 is National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day and the High Point Rockers are thrilled that they were early volunteers. For the last six months, the Rockers team and front office staff has welcomed Ruby, an evacuee from Asheville who was airlifted to Winston-Salem by the Bissell Pet Foundation after Hurricane Helene.

Ruby was recently featured in National Public Radio’s “Up First Newsletter” which selected the 12 best adopted shelter pet stories out of over 600 nominations. The story, titled “Workplace Joy” celebrates the positive impact Ruby has had on the Rockers’ 15 front office staff members and over 30 team personnel.

Link to NPR story:

Rockers team president Pete Fisch and his wife Melissa were contacted about serving as foster parents by the Forsyth Humane Society. They met Ruby, a mixed breed who had been rescued from flood waters in Western North Carolina. The fostering did not last long before they decided to make Ruby a part of their permanent family, joining Chip, Cooper, and Millie.

Ruby commutes daily with Pete from their home in Winston-Salem. A heartwarming presence in the Rockers front office, Ruby greets all visitors with tail wags and a welcoming demeanor. She has found her favorite resting places, determined which staff member has the best treats and anxiously awaits the arrival of the USPS mail delivery which results in additional treats. And she takes multiple walks each day with different staff members. Her daily presence offers a mental health boost to every member of the staff.

“Ruby has been a great addition to our staff and our home,” said Fisch. “Her sweet personality makes her a great ambassador for the team. Our staff has grown to love her and she, in turn, has provided great jot to every member of the team.”

Ruby will make regular appearances at Rockers games and will continue to thrive in her role as team canine ambassador.

For the Rockers, adopting a shelter pet has proven to be a life-saving decision. Ruby’s adoption has allowed her to live her best life in the loving arms of a dedicated group environment.

About High Point Baseball, Inc.

The High Point Rockers, operated by the non-profit High Point Baseball, play their home games at Truist Point, a state-of-the-art $36 million ballpark which serves as a catalyst to the rejuvenation of downtown High Point. The Rockers have reached the Atlantic League playoffs in three of four years after winning the South Division title in both halves of the 2023 season. The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, an MLB Partner League, has 10 clubs from New York to North Carolina. For more, visit HighPointRockers.com.

About the High Point Downtown Stadium Foundation

The High Point Downtown Stadium Foundation, a 501c3 exists for the public benefit, providing sports, entertainment and community events at Truist Point in Downtown High Point. The non-profit serves as the anchor of a larger development initiative including private development in the Downtown area. The Foundation operates Truist Point, a state-of-the-art $36 million ballpark which serves as the home stadium for the High Point Rockers and Carolina Core FC.

About the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB)

Celebrating its third decade, the Atlantic League is Major League Baseball’s first Professional Partner League, a player gateway to the major leagues, and a leader in baseball innovation. Over its 26-year history, the ALPB has sent over 1,400 players to MLB organizations while drawing over 47 million fans to its 10 family-friendly ballparks that stretch from New York to North Carolina. Please visit www.AtlanticLeague.com.