HIGH POINT, N.C. (Aug. 27, 2024) – The High Point Rockers on Tuesday announced the signing of right-handed pitcher Mickey Jannis. Jannis, 36, is one of the few knuckleball pitchers in professional baseball. He has been added to the Rockers active roster.

Jannis has been pitching for Saltillo in the Mexican League this season where he went 2-0 with a 5.67 ERA in helping the Saraperos to a 44-48 record.

This will mark Jannis’ third stint with the Rockers. His 16 wins as a Rocker are tied for the most in club history along with Craig Stem (2019-23). Jannis went 14-5 with the Rockers in 2023, posting the most wins in a season of any player in club history. He struck out 117 batters in 128 innings while allowing just 72 hits.

Jannis also ranks second in Rockers history with 161 strikeouts.

The Rockers are in the thick of the Atlantic League’s South Division pennant race and play a doubleheader Tuesday at Gastonia. The Rockers return home on Tuesday, September 3 to face the Lexington Legends.

WALDORF, Md. – The High Point Rockers banged out 17 hits en route to a 10-4 win over Southern Maryland in the series finales on Sunday afternoon at Regency Furniture Stadium.

The win sets up the Rockers for what will be a decisive final stretch of the regular season. High Point (24-19) is in third place in the Atlantic League’s South Division with 20 games remaining. The Rockers visit second place Gastonia (26-17) for four games starting on Tuesday and then travel to Charleston (29-14) for four games next weekend.

On Sunday, the Rockers blistered four Blue Crab pitchers in taking the series two games to one. Gilberto Jimenez led the charge with three hits and a pair of runs scored while Ryan Grotjohn added three hits including a pair of doubles to go with two RBI.

Southern Maryland took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second when Anthony Brocato led off the winning against High Point starter Cam Bedrosian (W, 7-3) with a single. A single by Juan Kelly moved Brocato to third and he scored on a sac fly by Ian Yetsko.

The Rockers tied it in the top of the third with a pair of extra base hits. Jimenez tripled to start the frame and scored on a double to right by Grotjohn. Connor Owings followed with an RBI triple to score Grotjohn then came around to score on a single by Ben Aklinski.

Brocato hit a solo homer in the fourth to pull SMD to within a run at 3-2.

Southern Maryland tied the game in the fifth. Anthony Ray’s pop-up to shallow left was dropped by Grotjohn, allowing Ray to reach second. After a walk to Josh Broughton, Anthony Hill singled to score Ray and tie the game at 3-3.

The Rockers regained the lead in the sixth when Martin Figueroa led off with a single. Brian Parreira then doubled into the right field corner, allowing Figueroa to score from first. Parreira moved to third on a wild pitch from Southern Maryland reliever Hunter Schilperoort (L, 1-3). D.J. Burt then lined out to center, allowing Parreira to score on the sac fly and give the Rockers a 5-3 advantage.

In the top of the seventh, Evan Edwards singled and Quincy Nieporte blooped a double down the rightfield line to put runner at first and third. Figueroa drew a walk from reliever Cody Thompson to load the bases ahead of Burt grounding a single through the left side to score two and put the Rockers up 7-3. Grotjohn’s infield single plated Figueroa as High Point went up 8-3.

High Point added insurance runs in the eighth when Aklinski was hit by a pitch, stole second and scored on a single by Figueroa, and in the ninth on an Owings sac fly.

Brocato added a solo homer in the eighth, his second of the game.

The Rockers’ doubleheader at Gastonia on Tuesday is scheduled for a 3:30 p.m. start at CaroMont Health Park.

NOTES: After a day off on Saturday, the Rockers returned catcher Brian Parreira, center fielder Ben Aklinski and DH Quincy Nieporte to the line-up with D.J. Burt returning to second base from CF… Gilberto Jimenez was seven-for-10 over the final two games of the series… He was four-for-six with a pair of doubles, a homer and three runs scored on Saturday and went three-for-four with a triple, two walks and two runs scored on Sunday… Aklinski has now been hit by a pitch 17 times this season, the second-most in the league… Aklinski has 98 hits on the season and is two shy of collecting 100 or more hits for the fourth consecutive season…

WALDORF, Md. (August 23, 2024) – The High Point Rockers dropped a 3-1 decision to Southern Maryland on Friday night at Regency Furniture Stadium.

After falling behind 3-1 after seven innings, the Rockers put two men aboard in the eighth but were unable to score. In the ninth, High Point loaded the bases but was again unable to push a run across the plate.

High Point starter Derrick Adams (L, 1-2) held the Blue Crabs to just one hit through the first five innings. In the sixth, Michael Baca singled to right and moved to second on a ground out to first by Isaias Quiroz. Josh Broughton fouled out as Evan Edwards stretched into the second row of the rightfield stands to snag the pop out. Aaron Hill then bounced a grounder to third that went under Connor Owings glove for an error that allowed Baca to score from second. Hill then stole second and scored on a single by Jomar Reyes to give the Blue Crabs a 2-0 lead.

In the top of the seventh, Ryan Grotjohn lined a first pitch single to right and stole second before scoring on a single back up the middle by Owings to cut the deficit to 2-1.

Adams allowed just three hits and two unearned runs over his six innings of work while striking out three and not allowing a walk.

Justin Lewis came on in the bottom of the seventh for the Rockers. Juan Kelly greeted him with a solo homer to right to put the Crabs up 3-1.

In the eighth, Southern Maryland closer Endrys Briceno walked Edwards and Michael Martinez to open the frame then struck out Brian Parreira, induced a ground out from D.J. Burt and then struck out Martin Figueroa to end the inning.

Grotjohn opened the ninth with a single to right and moved to second on a wild pitch. With one out, Owings drew a walk before Briceno struck out Ben Aklinski and Quincy Nieporte. Briceno walked Edwards to load the bases and Martinez struck out to end the game.

Grotjohn and Owings each finished with a pair of hits for the Rockers. Reliever Derek Casey (W, 3-4) three three hitless innings at the Rockers aftger reliever starter Shawn Semple in the fourth.

The loss leaves the Rockers at 22-19 in the second half, 5.5 games behind Charleston (28-14) which who beat Staten Island 3-1 on Friday. Gastonia, a 4-2 winner over Lexington on Friday, is in second place in the South at 24-17.

The three-game series with Southern Maryland continues on Saturday at Regency Furniture Stadium at 6:35 p.m.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point Rockers on Wednesday signed pitcher D.J. Johnson, a right-handed pitcher with Major League experience. Johnson joined the team today.

The 34-year-old right-hander appeared in 39 games at the MLB level with Colorado in 2018 and ’19, and Cleveland and Tampa Bay in 2021. Johnson has a 1-2 record with a 4.54 ERA in the big leagues with 38 strikeouts in 35.2 innings. He last played in the Majors in 2021 when the Rays placed him on the injured list with a right shoulder sprain.

The Portland, Oregon native played at Western Oregon University as a position player and signed with Tampa Bay as a free agent in 2010. After a stint in the Frontier League, Johnson worked his way through the Arizona, Minnesota, LA Angels and Colorado farm systems before making his Major League debut on September 9, 2017 with the Rockies. Johnson has also spent time playing in the Nippon Professional Baseball League in Japan.

In addition, the Rockers have released infielder Colin Moran and right-handed pitcher Neil Ramirez.

Moran, the former North Carolina All-American and All-ACC infielder, joined the Rockers on May 3 and was productive over his 51-game tenure, hitting .289 with eight homers, 15 doubles and 24 RBI. However, injuries slowed down the 31-year-old former Major Leaguer. He had not played since July 28 when he slammed three hits, including a pair of doubles, to lead the Rockers to a 10-5 win at Southern Maryland.

Ramirez, another former MLB pitcher, had a 5-4 record with High Point in 2024 with a 4.82 ERA. The 35-year-old Virginia Beach native spent parts of six seasons in the Majors, compiling a 4-8 record and a 4.46 ERA in 185 career appearances.

The Rockers host game two of a three-game series with the Gastonia Baseball Club on Wednesday at 6:35 p.m. at Truist Point.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point Rockers on Saturday re-signed shortstop Ryan Grotjohn. The Rockers opening day starting shortstop in 2023 and 2024 had spent the last six weeks playing in Mexico with Olmecas de Tabasco.

Grotjohn last played for the Rockers on July 3. He was riding a five-game hitting streak at the time and was leading the Rockers with a .316 batting average.

In 19 games with Tabasco, Grotjohn hit .226 with one homer and a pair of RBI. Tabasco’s season ended on August 1.

In his career with the Rockers, Grotjohn is a .303 hitter with 22 home runs and 89 RBI.

High Point is in the midst of the Atlantic League pennant race to secure a playoff berth for the fourth time in five seasons. The Rockers are currently in second place in the South Division with an 18-10 second half record. Charleston, whom the Rockers host tonight and tomorrow, have a one-game lead at 19-9 but the remainder of this series could result in a change in division leadership. Gastonia is currently in third place in the South Division at 16-13.

The Rockers host Charleston at 6:35 p.m. on Saturday night with the series finale slated for a 4:05 p.m. start on Sunday, August 11.

HIGH POINT, N.C. – The High Point Rockers continue to evolve as they battle for the Atlantic League’s South Division title for the second half of the season. The Rockers are in second place in the South, 1.5 games behind the Charleston Dirty Birds. The Rockers are contending for an ALPB playoff berth which they can earn by winning the South Division second half title or by earning a wild card berth.

Manager Jamie Keefe has made a number of roster moves in recent days to help the Rockers as they enter the final month of the regular season.

Two faces familiar to Rockers fans returned this week in infielders Michael Martinez and Quincy Nieporte. Martinez was late in his return to the Rockers this year due to a delay in obtaining a visa from his native Dominican Republic. Martinez first joined the Rockers in 2021 and is in High Point for a fourth season. The 41-year-old is a .276 career hitter for the Rockers and came to High Point after a seven-year Major League career in which he appeared in the 2016 World Series with Cleveland.

Nieporte played for the Rockers briefly at the end of the 2021 season before having his contract purchased by the Detroit Tigers. The Florida State alum was the MVP of the Eastern League in 2022 while playing at Erie, Pa. where he hit .270 while leading the league with 31 home runs and 91 RBI. He has twice been named to a season-ending All-Star team. He was the Frontier League MVP in 2021.

Also joining the Rockers on Tuesday is RHP Justin Lewis, a former pitcher at the University of Kentucky who pitched at Class AAA Reno in the Arizona Diamondbacks system in 2022. At Kentucky from 2016-18, Lewis was a Freshman All-American in 2016 and was named SEC Pitcher of the Week in 2018. He was selected to the SEC Academic Honor Roll in 2017 and 2018 and his 2.08 ERA in 2016 is the second-lowest in Wildcat history.

Another new face to the Rockers rotation is lefty Derrick Adams who joined the team on August 7 and will make his first start tonight. Adams is an Atlantic League veteran, having won 13 games over two seasons with the Charleston Dirty Birds. Adams was 7-9 during the 2022 season and posted a 6-9 mark in 2023. He last pitched in the Caribbean World Series for Puerto Rico earlier this year after spending the regular season with Caguas.

The Rockers put two starting pitchers on the Injured List on Tuesday in Stephen Ridings (blister) and Neil Ramirez (shoulder).

Departing the Rockers is broadcaster Sam Sinder. The Indiana University undergrad spent much of the 2024 season in the Rockers broadcast booth along with Brendan Howe. Sinder will return to his home in New York City and then head to Bloomington, Ind. for the start of his junior year in the coming weeks.