By Bob Sutton
Special to The Alamance News
Eastern Alamance alum Kasen McCawley became a professional baseball pitcher last week when he threw in an Atlantic League game for the High Point Rockers.
McCawley’s first game with the Rockers was a bit rough, but there were a few notables. High Point rallied for a 20-13 victory against Hagerstown Flying Boxcars to push its winning streak to eight games.
Atlantic League rosters are made up of a variety of players, including those with major league experience.
The Rockers had McCawley, who completed his college career for UNC Pembroke in the spring, in for a workout earlier last week. High Point pitching coach Frank Viola, a former major league pitcher, told staff members that he was impressed with the “tightness” of McCawley’s slider.
When the Rockers needed a fill-in starting pitcher, they turned to McCawley. He had a rough first inning by giving up eight runs and surrendered two more in the second – allowing a total of four home runs. He recorded the first out of the third inning and a single before he was taken out of the game.
“Give Kasen credit, he gutted it out,” Rockers manager Jamie Keefe said. “He got us into the third inning and gave us a chance to win.”
McCawley, who’s from Haw River, allowed nine hits and one walk while striking out four across 2 1/3 innings.
High Point overcame the 10-run deficit for the biggest comeback victory in franchise history. Rockers infielder D.J. Burt, who played early in his professional career for the Burlington Royals and has been a staple for the High Point team in recent seasons, smacked a two-run home run and scored two runs during the rally against Hagerstown.
Keefe said in postgame comments that McCawley’s 92 mile per hour fastball alone might not work at the Atlantic League level, but didn’t dismiss the potential for the right-hander.
McCawley made his second start for the Rockers with a two-inning stint in Tuesday night’s 11-10 road victory against the Lexington Legends in Kentucky.
There’s also a possibility that he might be used out of the Rockers’ bullpen.
McCawley’s career with UNC Pembroke included 47 appearances with a 15-6 record (including 9-3 this year) and a 3.82 earned run average. He struck out 158 batters in 155 2/3 innings.
McCawley played for parts of the 2022 and 2023 seasons with the Burlington Sock Puppets in the summer collegiate Appalachian League.
The Atlantic League stretches from North Carolina to Long Island in New York, with teams in six states. Players from Atlantic League teams frequently are signed by big-league organizations to fill roster spots in their systems.
High Point outfielder Braxton Davison is a former first-round draft pick of the Atlanta Braves. Among the Rockers’ ex-big leaguers is former University of North Carolina pitcher Kent Emanuel.
The Atlantic League also has been used as a partner league by Major League Baseball to test experimental rules such as those involving pitch clocks, pitch challenges, pickoff attempts, base sizes and designated pinch runners in recent years.
