Up & Coming Weekly

October 24, 2017

Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.

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OCTOBER 25 - 31, 2017 UCW 29 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM Longstanding tradi- tion in American Legion baseball will finally change this summer. After years of playing by American League rules, the ruling body of the American Legion will let teams decide if they play seven or nine- inning games in regular season, but all postsea- son play will be seven innings. In addition, the sport will adopt familiar high school baseball rules including use of courtesy runners for catchers and pitchers and allowing re- entry of starters taken out of the game. The changes are geared toward making the game more fan- and player-friendly and hopefully draw- ing more high school players back to the game. But some purists aren't excited about the changes. Mark Kahlenberg is coach of the Hope Mills Boosters American Legion team, the last one left in Cumberland County. Kahlenberg doesn't see a point in playing nine- inning games during the season if all postseason games will be seven innings. "You're looking at wasting pitching and longer baseball games,'' he said of nine innings. "If you're going to change, stick with seven and make it a rule for everybody.'' Kahlenberg liked nine innings because he felt it helped prepare high school players for the col- lege game. But he understands national American Legion leaders trying to change the game to increase participation. "I hope it works,'' he said. Austin Warren starred for Hope Hills before moving on to play at Wake Tech and now UNC- Wilmington. He doesn't think switching to seven innings from nine will discourage college players still eligible for American Legion play not to want to participate. "I thought Legion ball was a pretty good transi- tion for me going to play college ball,'' Warren said. He also thinks the re- entry and courtesy run- ner rules will encourage more participation. "I remember when I played: once kids were taken out they were putting on tennis shoes because they knew they wouldn't re-enter,'' he said. "Knowing they can re-enter, they'll stay in the game, stay more motivated.'' Veteran Methodist University baseball coach Tom Austin, who coached Legion baseball 15 to 20 years ago, sees the change to seven innings as a benefit for players. His son, Jacob, and one of his Methodist players, Matthias Carter, played for the Hope Mills team this past season. "I remember driving to Wilmington with Jacob,'' Austin said. "We wouldn't get back until after 1 a.m.'' For players with summer jobs, Austin can see where nine-inning road games on weeknights could cause a problem getting to work the following day. "I don't have a problem with them going to seven innings,'' Austin said. He thinks the courtesy runner and re-entry rules could pose challenges for Legion coaches. "The courtesy runner is an interesting animal,'' he said. "Now you can specialize your subs and have a kid on the bench who flies. That can change the game.'' Re-entry also gives the coach the chance to put a good hitter in the lineup at any point during the contest. "It's a bookkeeping nightmare, but it certainly has its merits in keeping more kids involved,'' he said. American Legion baseball braces for major rules change by EARL VAUGHAN JR. Scholar Athletes of the Week Yomar Machin Seventy-First • Soccer • Junior Machin has a grade point average of 3.36 for Seventy-First. A member of the Falcon soccer team, he has also been a wrestler for the past three seasons. Jade Wilds Gray's Creek • Golf • Senior Wilds has a 3.88 grade point average. A member of the golf team, she is active in Future Business Leaders, National Honor Society, Girls Expecting More Success, Academy of Information Scholars and Academically or Intellectually Gifted. Mark Kahlenberg Austin Warren Tom Austin & PRESENT OUR WEEKLY LINE UP 6-8pm WCLN 107.3 CAPE FEAR HIGH SCHOOL COACH'S SHOW 7-8pm @ 301 Wingz, 407 Eastern Blvd Airing on WGQR 105.7FM Bill Boyette w/ Coach Jacob Thomas TERRY SANFORD HIGH SCHOOL COACH'S SHOW 8-9pm @ Spinners, 2805 Raeford Rd Airing on WCLN 107.3FM Trey Edge w/ Coach Bruce McClellan MONDAY 10 20 30 40 40 30 20 10 50 10 20 30 40 40 30 20 10 50 10 20 30 40 40 30 20 10 50 10 20 30 40 40 30 20 10 50 10 20 30 40 40 30 20 10 50 10 20 30 40 40 30 20 10 50 FRIDAY 10 20 30 40 40 30 20 10 50 10 20 30 40 40 30 20 10 50 WEDNESDAY Coaches Corner w/ Don Koonce Airing on105.7FM/107.3FM/WFNC AM640 all starting @ 6:00pm Followed by LIVE to The Fields E.E. Smith HS @ Cape Fear HS on 105.7FM Kick off @ 7:30pm Pine Forest HS @ Terry Sanford HS on 107.3FM Kick off @ 7:30pm 71st HS @ Richmond Sr HS on WFNC AM640 Kick off at 7:30pm Ending with Postgame Scoreboard w/ Sonny Jones September Athlete of the Month: Justice Galloway-Velazquez, QB-Cape Fear HS

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