HAMLET — Getting a taste of the state tournament last July has only grown the Hamlet American Legion baseball program’s appetite for success this summer.
With the imminent close of another school year, the promise of Hamlet Post 49 baseball looms large on the near horizon for local baseball fans from Richmond and surrounding counties.
Memorial Park will be lit up for its fifth straight summer season as head coach Chip Gordon and the 49ers pursue a state championship.
Breaking through a two-year playoff wall last summer, Post 49 made it to Cherryville and the North Carolina state tournament for the first time since 1997.
On the heels of an Area 2 Conference championship, their first since their rebranding in 2021, and a 24-win season, the 49ers are looking to replicate last season’s historic run and do a lot more damage.
The ultimate goal, Gordon said, is to win the state championship that Hamlet finished a few victories shy of in 2024. In addition to that, Gordon wants a focus to be on continuing the program’s growth.
“I’m looking forward to this season,” Gordon said at Wednesday’s practice. “Last year’s team set the expectation that we plan to be in the state tournament every year.
“We have a group of guys this year who can do it. They’ve been together only a short time and they’re already meshing. By midseason, they’ll look like they’ve been playing as a team their whole lives.”
Starting practice this week, the 49ers are fielding an 18-player roster this summer that features nine returners, the most of any team the last five seasons.
Richmond Senior High School is well-represented on the roster again this summer with eight total players, four of whom return — Riley Brown (pitcher/infielder), Isaac Hinshaw (infielder), Evan Hodges (pitcher/utility) and Jason Walker (pitcher/utility).
All four were starters a season ago for Hamlet, with Brown and Walker combining to go 10-0 on the mound. Hodges added a 4-2 record while also being a staple at shortstop, with Hinshaw anchoring the corner infield slots.
Jacob Williams (Union Pines High School) is also back and will serve as the primary battery mate for the pitchers. John Carre (North Moore High School) returns as an outfielder and an option on the mound.
Another everyday starter in the middle infield will be Maddox Locklear (Scotland High School), along with high school teammate Dylan Tilson, who served as one of the team’s go-to relief pitchers last year. Brady Fowler (Montgomery Central High School) is also a pitcher who will be counted on this season.
Making the jump from the junior team to the senior team are two more Richmond players — Jabari Douglas (outfielder/catcher) and Conner Phifer (outfielder/pitcher).
Making their debut with the program this summer are Collin Hill (outfielder/pitcher) and Caden Nolan (pitcher/infielder), two more Raiders.
Other newcomers from out-of-county are Tyler Gordon (Cheraw High School), Briley Lewis and Garrett Manning (Scotland High School), and Easton Oxendine and Gavin Lewis (Purnell Swett High School).
This spring, Douglas, Hodges, Nolan and Walker were All-Conference contributors for the Raiders. Manning, Tilson and Williams were also All-SAC picks for their respective schools.
With no definitive everyday starting lineup set, Gordon does expect Hamlet to be successful regardless of who’s on the mound or what combination of nine players are in the lineup. Additionally, whoever is swinging the hot bat will remain in the lineup.
“Based on who’s hitting, that’s what will dictate our lineup,” Gordon said. “The good thing is a lot of these guys can play multiple positions and play them well. Whoever is swinging the hot bat will be the ones playing because our flexibility in the field will allow us to do so without worrying about who’s going to fill a spot.”
As baseball’s old cliche of “pitching wins championships” goes, that adage lines up well with the rotation the 49ers have at their disposal this season. Similar to last year and the success that followed, Hamlet’s platoon of pitchers brings a lot of firepower again this summer.
Gordon shared that 11 players on the lineup card have the ability to make appearances on the mound this summer. Likely starters will be Brown and Walker, with Tilson and Fowler working out of the bullpen.
Left-handed options to pitch include Carre, Hill and Gavin Lewis, all of whom give Hamlet and opposing batters a different look on the mound. Briley Lewis, Hodges, Manning and Nolan are the others who will likely rack up the innings this summer in various roles.
“One thing I’m not afraid of is putting anyone we’ve got out on the mound at any time,” Gordon explained. “Our pitchers limited the runs they allowed this past spring and that’s a good sign. I’m very confident in every single arm we have.
“We have 11 arms we can go to at any given point and that’s a great thing to have. Especially when we play so many games in a short amount of time. Many of our players have pitched in Legion ball before so they understand what’s required to win.
Hamlet will chase another conference championship this summer, but it will be in Area 3 for the first time. After playing four seasons in Area 2, the 49ers switched conferences. Gordon expects the competition to be more competitive, as five of the eight teams that made states last year are now in Area 3.
Following the state’s redistricting this offseason, Area 3 is the largest area in the state made up of nearly 20 teams. Broken down into what Gordon called “conference pods” Hamlet is in the North 2 Pod.
New Area 3 North 2 Pod conference opponents include Moore County Post 12, Randolph Post 45, Aberdeen Post 72, Eastern Randolph Post 81 and Chatham Post 292. These will be the teams Hamlet will try to win a division title against.
Last season in Area 2, Hamlet recorded a 24-7 overall record, 10 wins more than its previous best season since restarting the program. Against Area 2 teams, the 49ers were 8-0 and claimed their first West Division title.
““We’re in a premiere area of baseball talent and the competition is tough,” Gordon said. “This is a very, very strong conference that we’ll have to battle our way out of if we want to make the state tournament.
“But once we get into it, I think our schedule will help us because we’ll be battle tested and ready for the playoffs.”
With the start of the season less than a week away, Gordon is confident that the experience and deep bench on this year’s roster is more than enough to carry the team to a lot of victories.
“What we have again this year is depth,” Gordon said. “We’re deep on the mound and position wise and we’ll be able to move guys around and not skip a beat. That’s what it’s going to take for us to win a lot of ball games.
“I think we’ll swing the bats well and score a lot of runs, and defensively we’re pretty solid. We have three quality shortstops, which is always a good problem to have. We’re deep at first base and at catcher. The outfield is well covered by guys who have speed and can make plays. We’ll be able to move people around all season long and feel comfortable with our defense.”
Gordon was referring to Hodges, Manning and Nolan at shortstop. Brown, Hinshaw and Gavin Lewis are options at first base, while other infielders include Locklear and Walker.
Patrolling the outfield in front of the Wilbur Dome will be Carre, Douglas, Hill, Manning, Oxendine and Phifer. Williams, Hodges, Locklear and Douglas all have experience behind the plate.
When asked what area of the game Hamlet needs to up its intensity in this season, Gordon pointed to base running and the use of the team’s speed between the bags.
“What we need to focus on is doing the little things right like running the bases,” Gordon said. “Taking that extra base when we can, making smart reads in the dirt. Being aggressive on the base paths is something we’ll do more of this year because we have more speed than we’ve had in previous seasons.”
Returning to the dugout to assist Gordon on the coaching staff are Anthony Hailey, Chaz Sessoms and Kevin Wallace. Sessoms and Hailey have been assistants with Gordon all five seasons, while Wallace returns for his second summer.
Post 49 opens its season Sunday with a doubleheader on the road at non-conference Cherryville Post 100. The first game will start at 2 p.m. at Buck Fraley Field.
Hamlet’s much-anticipated home opener is set for Friday, May 23, against Anson Post 446.
Click here to read about the Hamlet Post 49 junior baseball team and view its schedule.
The Richmond Observer will continue its award-winning sports coverage of the Hamlet senior and junior baseball teams this summer.
Below is Hamlet Post 49’s summer schedule:
