GREENSBORO — For two local baseball players, the grind seemingly never stops. And neither does their representation of the Raider Diamond.
Evan Hodges and Caden Nolan, both rising seniors at Richmond Senior High School, have been on a baseball diamond daily since the first months of the new year.
Whether playing for Richmond in the spring, or Hamlet Post 49 during the summer, the will and determination to get better by both players is evident.
Last month, Hodges and Nolan upped their game to another level by playing in the BodyArmor State Games in Greensboro.
Hosted by the North Carolina Coaches Association, the 2025 State Games was a four-day showcase event that put Hodges and Nolan in front of dozens of college and professional scouts and against some of the top talent in the state.
Playing for the Region 4 team, the two All-Conference Raiders played in four games and finished seventh out of eight teams. They also participated in a pro-style workout to start the week.
Going 2-2 overall, Region 4 started with a 1-2 record in Pool B play. The team earned a 4-3 win over Region 1 in its first game before falling 4-0 to Region 3 and 11-10 to Region 2.
In their final game of the week, played at UNC Greensboro, Hodges and Nolan helped Region 4 defeat Region 1 by a final score of 4-2 in the seventh-place game.
Region 6 earned a 3-2 victory over Region 8 in the Gold Medal game.
Across the four games played, Hodges served as Region 4’s catcher and also pitched. He batted 3-for-7 at the plate (.429) with a double and three runs batted in.
On the mound, Hodges pitched two innings and didn’t allow a run. He gave up one hit and struck out four batters.
“I enjoyed the whole thing, from playing on the field to hanging in the hotel room with my buddies,” Hodges said.
“This experience made me a better player because there were a lot of good players out there and the only way to show myself to colleges is by outperforming the people around me. So that gave me a mindset to do better.”
Wearing the Raider Diamond on his hat, Hodges noted, was something much bigger than just he or Nolan as individual players.
“It felt great to represent the County and the Diamond in a big event like that,” he explained. “It’s important to me because it gave me a good experience and it helped me learn how to showcase my skills. It got the Raider baseball program out there for sure, and I’d like to see future Raiders participate in the state games.”
Evan Hodges catches during a game for Region 4 at the BodyArmor State Games.
Photo contributed by Madison Dixon.
Primarily playing shortstop during the week, Nolan also made an appearance on the mound for Region 4. He finished the tournament with a .500 batting average (3-for-6) with one RBI.
Nolan pitched 2.1 innings and struck out three batters. He limited opposing teams to just one hit and allowed two runs.
“Being able to go play in the State Games was an awesome experience,” Nolan recalled. “I think competing against other high-caliber players who were there is what really made me a better player and made it a better experience.”
Sharing the big stage with a familiar face and teammate in Hodges also amplified Nolan’s week in Greensboro.
“Having Evan with me was fun,” Nolan shared. “It was nice having him as a roommate for the week and you could see our chemistry on the field. We’ve played together all of our lives and there’s not a better pitcher-catcher duo.”
Caden Nolan prepares to throw a pitch for Region 4 at the BodyArmor State Games.
Photo contributed by Madison Dixon.
Upon their return from the State Games, Hodges and Nolan finished the rest of the summer season with Hamlet Post 49. The team was second in the North Pod 2 Division standings and made the Area 3 Conference tournament.
Nolan (.380) and Hodges (.358) were first and second, respectively, to lead the team in batting average. Both players had 19 hits and combined for 17 RBI.
