Greene Central’s baseball team clinched their sixth state championship with an 8-5 victory over Burns High School, showcasing a mix of senior leadership and underclassman heroics, highlighted by standout performances from Braden Burress and Riley Radford.
Austin Hardy’s legendary pitching performance led Greene Central to a 2-0 victory over defending champions Burns High School in game one of the NCHSAA 2A State Championship series.
Greene Central High School’s baseball team, led by coach Ben Brann with the support of his father Russell Brann, aims for another state championship, continuing a rich legacy of family and tradition.
The 2023 2A Defending State Champions, Burns High School Bulldogs, under Coach Alex Leonhardt, are the top-ranked West 2A Baseball team, boasting a stellar 81-9 record over the past three years and featuring standout performances from key players like Colby Putnam and Marshall McGowan; they are Greene Central’s opponent in the state championships, representing the West.
As Greene Central heads into the 2A NCHSAA State Championship this upcoming weekend in Burlington against the #1 seed from the West, Burns High School, we take a deeper dive into the team stats for the Rams.
Greene Central Rams clinch their ninth state championship berth and first in 22 years with a dominant 9-1 victory over Whiteville, led by sophomore Riley Radford’s outstanding pitching and hitting performance.
Facing elimination after dropping game one, Greene Central’s resilient Rams, led by Braden Burress’s streak of 23 shutout innings in the playoffs, delivered a stunning 4-0 victory over Whiteville, setting the stage for an electrifying game three where the winner advances to the state championship.
Greene Central’s 25-game winning streak ended with a 4-3 extra-innings loss to Whiteville in Game 1 of the NCHSAA 2A Eastern Regional Finals, marked by defensive errors and timely hits from both teams.
Undefeated Greene Central advanced to the NCHSAA 2A Eastern Regional Finals with a dramatic 1-0 victory over Midway, thanks to clutch performances from Braden Burress, Noah Uzzell and the Rams defense.
The Greene Central Rams advanced to the fourth round of the playoffs with a 5-1 win over the Bunn Wildcats, led by Austin Hardy’s standout pitching performance. Hardy pitched a complete game only giving up three hits, one earned run and striking out 13 batters.
Greene Central’s Braden Burress and South Lenoir’s Matthew Rhodes showcased a pitching duel to remenber. Rams pulled away late to win 5-0 from multiple key plays from different players. Greene Central advances to round three of the NCHSAA Playoffs.