HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point Rockers have received the 2024 Outstanding Community Service Award from the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. The ALPB announced its year-end awards on Monday.

The Rockers and the High Point Downtown Stadium Foundation were recognized for their outstanding community service during the 2024 season. The Rockers raised over $10,000 for the Coy Williard Dugout Fund, named in honor of the Rockers late board chair, through a charity golf tournament. The Coy Williard Dugout Fund continues Coy’s legacy by educating youth on the game of baseball.

The Rockers’ Strikeout Cancer Night on June 28 allowed the Downtown Stadium Foundation to present a gift of over $43,000 to the Atrium Health Levine Cancer Hayworth Cancer Center to benefit the LoveLine fund, a philanthropic fund through the High Point Regional Health Foundation to benefit cancer patients at Hayworth Cancer Center at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist High Point Medical Center. Rockers assistant general manager Caroline Cooling is a classical Hodgkins Lymphoma survivor.

In addition, the Rockers and their front office staff hosted the Battle of the Badges Charity Softball Game to benefit local charities including the High Point Police Department’s Angels in Blue and the North Carolina Fallen Firefighters Foundation.

The Rockers also participated in the Adopt-A-Street Clean program and work diligently to keep Gatewood Avenue, outside of Truist Point, clean and free of trash. Other charitable initiatives include volunteering at numerous food pantries while also hosting special nights that offered free admission for canned food donations.

“To receive this award from the Atlantic League recognizes the many charitable and community service initiatives that we engage in throughout the year,” said Team President Pete Fisch. “The Rockers exist to benefit the High Point community and it makes every member of the organization feel appreciated that we are making positive contributions. High Point and the surrounding community is our home.”

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 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 25-year history, the ALPB has sent over 1,400 players to MLB organizations while drawing over 47 million fans to its family-friendly ballparks. Please visit www.AtlanticLeague.com

CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. – The High Point Rockers ended the season on Sunday by completing a rare six-game sweep of the Long Island Ducks, adding a 9-2 win at Fairfield Properties Ballpark.

The Rockers finished the second half of the season with a 38-25 record, tying the Charleston Dirty Birds for first place. However, the first tiebreaker in the Atlantic League is head-to-head competition in the second half of the season and Charleston won eight of the 13 second half games from the Rockers.

The Rockers ended the season with the third-best overall record in the league at 74-52, trailing only York (80-45) and Gastonia (83-43).

Sunday’s victory was the sixth straight for the Rockers, all at Long Island.

Evan Edwards hit his fifth home run of the series, taking Long Island starter Chris Ellis deep after Ryan Grotjohn had doubled to give the Rockers a 2-0 lead.

The Ducks tied the game with single runs in the second and third. Yoelquis Cespedes doubled off High Point starter Jeremy Rhoades (W, 5-3) in the second and came around to score on a sac fly by Alexis Pantoja. In the third, Leobaldo Cabrera singled home Nick Heath to knot the game at 2-2.

The Rockers tied the game in the sixth when Edwards hit an infield pop-up that first baseman Kendon Strachan was unable to catch. An errant pickoff throw to first allowed Edwards to move to second and he scored when Connor Owings lined a single just out of the reach of shortstop Alexis Pantoja.

High Point added multiple insurance runs in the eighth, sending 12 men to the plate and scoring six runs to increase its lead to 9-2. After Martin Figueroa singled to left, he moved to second on a wild pitch and then scored from second on another wild pitch by Ducks reliever Daniel Corcino. Following a walk to Ben Aklinski, he stole second and then scored on a double by Owings. Corcino, who previously walked Edwards, then hit Quincy Nieporte with a pitch to load the bases. A walk to Brian Parreira drove home another run before the Ducks went to the bullpen for Rolando Casihis. Michael Martinez lined a two-run single and Figueroa lined to left to plate Parreira.

Rhoades went five innings and allowed just four hits while walking four and striking out three. Austin Warner threw two scoreless innings and Jacob Edwards pitched around a leadoff single to throw another shutout inning in the eighth then retired the first two Ducks in the ninth before exiting. Kyle Halbohn came on for the Rockers to retire Kevin Higgins on a grounder to short for the final out of the game.

NOTES: High Point’s 74 overall wins are tied for the second-most in club history. The 2023 team won 78 games… The Rockers have now won or tied for the South Division title in three of the last four half-seasons… OF Ben Aklinski led all ALPB players with 125 games played… SS Ryan Grotjohn tied for the league lead with seven triples… Connor Owings led all ALPB players with 12 sacrifice flies on the season with 12… Jonah Scolaro led all ALPB pitchers with two complete games… Charleston and Gastonia will play for the ALPB South Division Championship starting on Tuesday while York and Lancaster will battle for the North title. The two winners will meet in the League Championship Series that is slated to start September 24.

by Alexix Taylor

HIGH POINT, N.C.— Jameson McGrane his second consecutive save as the High Point Rockers closed out a 5-3 victory over the Lexington Legends Friday night at Truist Point in front of a crowd of 2,559. A standout night from Ben Aklinski, featuring a go-ahead home run and a highlight-reel diving catch, fueled the Rockers to their second straight win to tie the series with Lexington at two games apiece.

The Rockers jumped on the board in the bottom of the third inning after DJ Burt was hit by a pitch, followed by a Martin Figueroa walk. Aklinski came through with an RBI single to center, scoring Burt. Two more runs crossed the plate on an Evan Edwards ground out an a Lexington error to give High Point a 3-0 lead.

Lexington responded in the top of the fourth. Korry Howell doubled and came home on Kole Cottam’s sac fly. Pedro Gonzalez then launched a solo home run to left field, narrowing the gap to 3-2. But Aklinski turned heads again with an impressive diving catch in foul territory to end the inning and stop the Legends’ momentum.

The Legends tied it in the fifth with Austin Bates’ solo homer, but Aklinski answered back immediately in the bottom half, smashing a solo homer—his second in two games and 27^th of the year— to restore High Point’s lead, 4-3.

The Rockers added an insurance run in the sixth after a costly balk from Gerald Ogando allowed Connor Owings to score, pushing the lead to 5-3. High Point’s bullpen took over from there. Justin Lewis and Dakota Chalmers combined to retire seven straight Legends, and McGrane slammed the door in the ninth with a 1-2-3 inning, notching his second save in as many nights to seal the win.

With the victory, the Rockers (32-23) will aim to keep building on their momentum in the last two games of the Rockers’ final homestand on Saturday night at 6:35 p.m.

The Rockers moved into a tie for second in the South Division as Gastonia lost 2-1 at Southern Maryland. Charleston (36-18) was losing to Long Island in the ninth inning on Friday.

by Alexis Taylor

HIGH POINT, N.C.- For the second consecutive night, Lexington Legends closer Nick Gardewine slammed the door on a High Point Rockers comeback, sealing a 2-1 victory at Truist Point on Wednesday. Gardewine’s lights-out performance stifled the Rockers’ offense in the final frame, giving Lexington back-to-back wins and handing the Rockers another frustrating loss.

The Rockers struck first in the bottom of the second inning. Ben Aklinski drew a walk, followed by an Evan Edwards single, putting runners in scoring position. Brian Parreira grounded out to first, but not before Aklinski crossed the plate, giving the Rockers a 1-0 lead.

Rockers’ starting pitcher Jeremy Rhoades was in command early, racking up five strikeouts through seven innings and keeping Lexington scoreless until the seventh. However, Lexington’s Jacob Barfield hit a solo shot to right field, tying the game at 1-1.

The turning point came in the top of the eighth. After Korry Howell stole second and third, Pedro Gonzalez knocked a single to center, driving in Howell and giving the Legends a 2-1 lead. Despite High Point’s attempts to rally, they couldn’t find a way past Gardewine, who struck out Parreira to end the game, just as he had the night before.

The Rockers will look to recover when they face Lexington at Truist Point in game three of the six game series. Thursday’s game, with a 6:35 p.m. first pitch, will be First Responders Night with all area first responders receiving up to four complimentary tickets to the game.