Edwards joined the Rockers for spring training in 2024 after having reached Class AAA with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2023 where he hit .273. A fourth round pick of the Miami Marlins in the 2019 MLB Draft, Edwards starred at NC State for two seasons, earning All-ACC third team honors in 2019. Edwards led the Wolfpack with 60 RBI as a senior and ranked among the top 15 in the ACC in every offensive category. Prior to his time in Raleigh, Edwards, 26, was a four-year starter at Southern Guilford High and a first team all-conference selection. He played for the High Point American Legion post in 2016.
Luis Acevedo
Luis Acevedo
Acevedo enters his first season, not only with the Rockers, but of his professional career. The young infielder earned a spot on the High Point opening day roster after spending his final collegiate season at Webber International University. The Venezuela native was a career .306 hitter at the NAIA level, clubbing eight home runs and picking up 112 RBI.
Clayton Mehlbauer
Clayton Mehlbauer
STATUS
● Signed by the Rockers on March 6th, 2024
2023
• Started the ‘23 campaign with Spire City, playing seven games and going 0-for-16 . . . Released by the Ghost Hounds on 5/12/23 and signed with Charleston on 5/30/23 . . . Went one-for-2 with three runs scored in his first game as a Dirty Bird . . . Hit .256 in May and again in August before finishing the year by hitting .367 in September . . . Hit four of his six home runs in September . . . Finished the year with a .255 average with six homers and 28 RBI . . . Stole 16 bases and was caught just three times . . . Had three sac bunts, one more than the entire Rocker team in ‘23 . . . Had four three-hit games on the season and 17 mulit-hit games . . . Had a season-high four RBI in his second game with Charleston, a 13-7 win at Lexington on 5/31/23 . . . Saw the majority of his playing time at SS but also spent time at 3B, 2B, RF and as a pinch-runner . . .
2022
• Made his first appearance for the Kentucky Wild Health Genomes on 5/31/22, going one-for-three with a pair of runs scored . . . Played in 77 games for Kentucky, hitting .227 with four homers and 24 RBI . . . Had his best month of the season with a .273 average in September . . . Used at both SS and 3B . . . Joined the Genomes after finishing his career at Bellarmine in Louisville, Ky. . . . Hit .266 with seven homers and 28 RBI while leading the club with three triples . . . Was second on the team with 164 total bases . . . Stole eight bases in nine attempts . . . Ranks in the top five in Bellarmine history in career hits, home runs, doubles, triples, runs scored, stolen bases, total bases and assists . . . Hit two triples against SE Missouri (2.27.22) . . . Thrice named to the Atlantic Sun Honor Roll . . .
2021
• Hit .301 for Bellarmine with six homers and 26 RBI . . . Was successful on five of eight stolen base attempts . . . Slugged .458 and had an on-base percentage of .400.
2020
• Started all 14 games for Bellarmine during the Covid-shortened season . . .
2019
• Hit .326 while starting 50 games and adding four home runs and 33 RBI . . . Stole six bases in seven attempts . . . Had an on-base percentage of .436 . . .
2018
• Played in six games as a freshman at Bellarmine.
2017
• Took a year off after high school to work on improving his strength before heading to college . . .
2016
• Was the starting shortstop at Trinity High and helped the Shamrocks to a 32-6 record and an appearance in the Kentucky state tournament . . . Trinity led the state in scoring . . . Was an all-District 27 selection following his senior year . . .
Connor Owings
Connor Owings
STATUS
• Acquired in a trade from the Lexington Legends on 2/27/24.
CAREER NOTES
• In 2023, was one of just two players in the Atlantic League (joining Andretty Cordero of Lancaster) to rank in the top 10 in the league in RBI (92), hits (131) and doubles (34).
• Was a Dean’s List student at Coastal Carolina and a three-year member of the Big South Presidential Honor Roll . . .
2023
• Was traded from the Lake Erie Crushers to the Lexington Counter Clocks on 2/20/23 . . . Hit .272 with 22 homers and 92 RBI for Lexington… Ranked sixth in the ALPB with 92 RB and ninth with 131 hits . . . No. 3 in the Atlantic League with 34 doubles and T-3rd with five triples . . . Third with 61 extra base hits and fifth in the loop with 241 total bases… IHad a two-HR game vs. Charleston on 6/25/23… Drove in a season-high five runs at SMD on 8/26/23… Had eight 3-hit nights and 39-multi-hit games… Homered on opening day vs. York . . . Had an 11-game hitting streak from 5/6/23 until 5/18/23 . . . Had an on-base streak of 23 straight games between 6/21/23 and 7/15/23 . . . Signed with Culiacan of the Mexican Pacific Winter League, appearing in 10 games with a .194 average . . . Was Lexington’s everyday third baseman with occasional trips to left field . . .
2022
• Started the 2022 season with Gastonia with a one-for-11 performance before moving to the Lake Erie Crushers of the Frontier League where he hit .321 with 18 homes and 64 RBI in 87 games . . . Signed with Perth in the Australian League for the 2022-23 season, appearing in 11 games with a .267 average, 1 homer and three RBI . . .
2021
• Returned to baseball with Gateway, hitting .190 with 10 homers and 38 RBI . . .
2019
• Joined the Gateway Grizzlies in 2019 and hit .265 with 12 homers and 52 RBI
2018
• Missed the 2018 season after undergoing kidney transplant surgery on 2/28/18 . . . Received a kidney from his mother, Sherri . . . Suffered from focal segmental glomerulosclerosis which caused his left kidney to never develp and overworked his right kidney . . . NBA players Sean Elliott and Alonzo Mourning also suffered from the same condition
2017
• Split the season between Arizona’s A- Hillsboro and A Kane County, hitting a combined .202 with one HR and 11 RBI . . .
2016
• As a senior at Coastal Carolina, hit .352 with 16 homers and 57 RBI . . . Helped the Chanticleers win the College World Series . . . After dropping the Championship Series opener to Arizona, Coastal battled back to win the next two games including a 4-3 win the the final . . . Also posted wins over Texas Tech and TCU in the College World Series . . . Advanced to the CWS by winning the LSU Super Regional with a 2-0 sweep of the Tigers . . . Named All-Big South for the third time . . .
Began is provessional at A- Hillsboro, hitting .175 with a homer and eight RBI in 26 games . . .
2015
• Second team All-Big South pick as a utility player . . . Led the Big South with 45 walks . . . Named Big South Player of the Week during a stretch in which Coastal defeated #28 Georgia Tech, NC State, Canisius and Albany . . .
2014
• Was first team All-Big South as a sophomore and a member of the Big South All-Tournament team aftger batting .538 with five RBI, four runs scored and two doubles… Was the only Chanticleer to play all 57 games in 2014 . . . Led the team with a .326 batting average, 14 doubles, four homers and 34 RBI . . .
2013
• Played in 37 games as a freshman at Coastal Carolina
2011
• Named Class 2A All-State as a junior after hitting .415 with 27 stolen bases and a .510 on-base percentage
2009
• Played quarterback for the Gilbert Indians as a sophomore
PERSONAL
• Has an older brother Chris who has played in the Major Leagues since 2013 . . . Has spent time with Arizona, Kansas City, Boston, Colorado, Baltimore and was in Pittsburgh in 2023 . . .
Ryan Grotjohn
Ryan Grotjohn
STATUS
• Signed with Rockers in 2023 off-season
CAREER NOTES
• Played at Cal State Bakersfield before being drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks
• Played at AA Northwest Arkansas (Royals) in 2022
2022
• Spent 24 games with the Kansas City Monarchs in the American Association
• Hit .298 with five homers and 25 RBI
• Also drew 24 walks while striking out only 18 times
• Also suited up in 38 games for AA-Northwest Arkansas (KC Royals)
• Signed by Kansas City Royals to a minor league contract February 24
2021
• Played 91 games with the Kansas City Monarchs and hit .329
• Both of those marks were the second most in his career in each respective category
• Racked up 109 hits, a career-best
• Just one AB shy of 400 on the year
• Had 12 stolen bases, a career-high (doubled previous high of 6)
2019
• Moved between A+ Visalia and AA-Jackson (Arizona)
• 107 total games played, swung .231 on the campaign
2018
• Navigated through three levels of the minors A-Kane County, A+ Visalia, and AA-Jackson
• Played 90 games and hit .287
• Of his 96 hits, 22 of them were doubles, and 36 were XBH
• 334 AB was a career-high
2017
• Taken in the 10th Round of the draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks
• Split time between RK-Missoula and A- Hillsboro, only played in 44 games, hit .256 on the season
• Had the best year of his college career, hitting .390 and slugging .512
2013
• Named to the All-City Boys Soccer team by the Arizona Republic as a midfielder for Brophy Prep
Zander Wiel
Zander Wiel
COLLEGE: Vanderbilt
HIGH SCHOOL: Blackman HS, Murfreesboro, TN
STATUS
• Signed by the Rockers as a free agent on 2/16/2022.
• Returns for his third season in 2024
CAREER NOTES
• Set High Point season records in home runs (32), slugging percentage (.576) and multi-HR games (6) in 2022
• Played 1B on Vanderbilt’s College World Series Championship team in 2014
• Is the Rockers all-time leader in career home runs (61)
2023
• Hit .276 with 29 home runs and 96 RBI in 113 games
• Played 1B, LF, RF , but majority of his games were at DH
• Finished fifth in the ALPB in home runs (29) and RBI (96)
2022
• Led the Rockers with 32 homers, 98 RBI and 221 total bases while hitting .260 in 115 games.
• Set club season records in home runs, slugging percentage, multi-HR games (6), RBI
• Saw action at multiple positions including RF (37 games), 1B (15), 3B (19), LF (28) and DH (19).
• Finished second in the ALPB in home runs (32), T-3rd in RBI (98), 3rd in slugging (.576), 9th in OPS (.920), T-6th in total bases (221) and 7th in extra base hits (54).
• Set the club record by homering in four consecutive games from 6/29/22 through 7/2/22
• Had season-high six RBI at Charleston 6/17/22 including a grand slam
• Added an inside-the-park homer vs. Lancaster on 4/27/22
2021
- Spent the season between St. Paul (AAA) and Minnesota’s Florida Complex League team … Was limited to 11 games and 33 at-bats while rehabbing from injury … Played two games in early May at St. Paul and did not return until starting rehab in mid-August.
2020
- Season canceled due to Covid-19.
2019
- Played 126 games at Minnesota’s AAA club in Rochester, NY where he hit .254 with a career-best 24 homers and 78 RBI … Added 40 doubles and five triples … Had an 11-game hitting streak in August, 2019 that included three homers and 11 RBI …
2018
- Split the season between Minnesota’s AA Chattanooga club and AAA Rochester … Hit .311 with seven homers and 58 RBI in 101 games at Chattanooga . . . Played 15 contests at Rochester.
2017
- Played the full season at A+ Fort Myers in the Florida State League, hitting .250 with 13 HR and 67 RBI.
2016
- Played 128 games at Class A Cedar Rapids (Midwest) with a .260 batting average, 19 homers and career-high 86 RBI.
2015
- Drafted in the 12th round of the 2015 MLB June Amateur Draft out of Vanderbilt . . . Started his professional career at Rookie League Elizabethton (Appalachian) where he played 13 games and logged 36 at-bats . . . Posted a .316 average at Vanderbilt in 72 games, leading the team with 15 home runs and 68 RBI … His .571 slugging percentage was second only to teammate Dansby Swanson (Braves) … had 13 stolen bases in 16 attempts … Vandy lost to Virginia in the College World Series championship game.
2014
- Hit .260 with five home runs and was third on the team with 44 RBI … Teammate of P Walker Buehler (Dodgers), Dansby Swanson (Braves) … Commodores went 51-21 overall and 17-13 in the SEC . . . Helped Vanderbilt to the College World Series Championship with a Game 3 win over Virginia …
2013
- Named to the All-SEC Freshman team … Became an offensive threat for the Commodores late in the season and finished with a .305 average, five home runs and 27 RBI … Teammate of SS Dansby Swanson (Braves), OF Mike Yastrzemski (Giants) and 2B Tony Kemp (A’s) … Commodores went 54-12 and won the SEC regular season championship while reaching the NCAA Super Regional.
2012
- Redshirted in his first season at Vanderbilt.
2011
- First team all-district, all-region, all-Mid-State and all-state pick at Blackman High as a senior where he was a first baseman and catcher… Was joined in the Class AA all-state team by Mookie Betts of Nashville OvertonHit .426 with five homers, eight doubles and 26 RBI for the Blaze to earn first team Murfreesboro (Tenn.)Daily News-Journal All-Area honors . . . Helped the Murfreesboro Diamondbacks qualify for the Connie Mack World Series.
2010
- As a high school junior, hit .406 with eight home runs and 47 RBI.
PERSONAL
- Alexander McBrayer Wiel … Majored in communication studies at Vanderbilt … Parents are Connie and Randy Wiel . . . Father played and coached basketball at North Carolina and is former head basketball coach at UNC Asheville and Middle Tennessee State … Randy Wiel competed in the 1968 Summer Olympics for the Netherlands Antilles before moving to the U.S. and playing basketball for Dean Smith at North Carolina … Became an assistant to Smith and eventually landed head coaching jobs at UNC Asheville and Middle Tennessee State.