SALISBURY - Baseball coach Jim Gantt, the Joe Ferebee of this generation, has 1,068 head-coaching wins at Catawba College now.
Gantt has been the head coach since 1996.
The Catawba Indians, ranked third in Division II, are bearing down on their straight South Atlantic Conference regular-season title. That's not a routine accomplishment, not something that can be taken for granted in a league that includes 2021 national champ Wingate and 2025 national semifinalist Lenoir-Rhyne.
With two series (six games) left to go in the SAC, the Indians lead Wingate by three games.
Catawba has been deeper on the mound and more awesome at the plate than it is this season, but Catawba is really solid and finds ways to win a high percentage of the time. The Indians (32-8, 23-4) never lose a SAC series.
This team draws heavily from the strong local high school talent pool.
There's an unbeaten pitcher and home run hitter from West Rowan, a savvy double-play combination from South Rowan and an on-base machine and closer from East Rowan.
South's Nathan Chismon and Ty Hubbard (2022) and East's Logan Dyer and Joe Burleyson (2024) played for super high school teams that won 3A state championships, so they naturally expect to come out on top every time they take the field.
Chrismon and Hubbard contribute quite a bit offensively and even more defensively to the Indians. Hubbard is batting .333. Chrismon is batting .285. Not surprisingly, their stats as far as runs scored and RBIs are very good and almost identical.
Dyer has been nothing shot of amazing as a sophomore, with a .412 batting average, a .514 OBP and 47 runs scored. Burleyson has been a dependable finisher out of the pen with three wins and nine saves.
Former West left-hander Casey Gouge is 6-0 on the mound this season with a 2.67 ERA - Gouge usually starts the seven-inning second game of a Saturday doubleheader. Former West slugger Matthew Connolly has the lowest batting average in Catawba's standard starting lineup, but he also has the most homers (10) and RBIs (43). Obviously, Connolly comes through often with men on base.
Backing up Connolly at catcher is another local - Carson graduate Cameron Burleyson, He's a cousin of Joe Burleyson.
Key Indians who aren't local include starting pitcher Colt Wilkins (6-2), the reigning SAC Pitcher of the Week, and Brandon Crabtree (.432, 18 doubles, 7 homers, 39 RBIs), who probably has been Catawba’s most dynamic offensive player as he combines power with impressive percentages.
Jake Dunlap is a solid .400 hitter. Sam Hunter (.369) has been a terrific outfielder for quite a while. Hunter and newcomer Malachi Cloud have combined for 42 steals and can be headaches for opponents when they get on base. Cloud is 23-for-24 on steal attempts.
Catawba plays at Newberry this weekend (Friday night, plus a Saturday doubleheader). The Wolves are a good team (24-19, 17-10), tied for fourth in the SAC. They'll give Catawba their best shot. Every opponent does.
Catawba plays at UNC Pembroke next Tuesday . Dyer and Joe Burleyson will be playing against former high school teammate Morgan Padgett.
Then Catawba will close the regular season at Newman Park with a weekend series against Emory & Henry. Chrismon and Hubbard's high school teammate J.D. James is the first baseman for the Wasps.
After that, it will be time to see what the Indians can do in the postseason. Maybe this is the year the ball bounces Catawba's way.