NCHSAA 2A State Championship Baseball Preview: #6 seed South Lenoir versus #1 seed East Rutherford
🏆 2025 NCHSAA 2A Baseball State Championship Preview
South Lenoir Blue Devils vs. East Rutherford Cavaliers
Location: Burlington Athletic Stadium, Burlington, NC
Broadcast: Live on NFHS Network
⏰ Series Schedule:
Game 1: Friday, May 30 @ 5:00 PM
Game 2: Saturday, May 31 @ 11:00 AM
Game 3 (if necessary): Saturday, May 31 @ 5:00 PM
🔥 The Matchup: Underdog vs. Dynasty
This is everything you want in a championship series. The #6 seed South Lenoir Blue Devils (23-4) are riding a wave of postseason momentum into their first-ever state finals appearance. Waiting for them is the immovable object: the #1 seed East Rutherford Cavaliers (28-1), a six-time champion with a resume built for Cooperstown.
⚾ South Lenoir Blue Devils: The Cinderella Story
South Lenoir has scored 255 runs while allowing 97 across 27 games, sporting a team batting average of .355 and a team ERA of 2.42. Their journey to Burlington was paved with timely offense and deep pitching.
Jacob Howard, a senior centerpiece, has been electric at the plate with a .538 batting average, 43 hits, 33 RBIs and 3 home runs. Braden Barnett, another key junior, adds a .455 average with 35 hits, 23 RBIs, 11 doubles and 2 triples. Matthew Rhodes, the senior ace, is batting .390 with 32 hits and 25 RBIs.
On the mound, Rhodes has carried the load—8-2 with a 1.71 ERA in 90 innings, collecting 95 strikeouts while allowing just 22 earned runs. Barnett has also dazzled with a 5-0 record and a 1.43 ERA across 29.1 innings, allowing just 6 earned runs and striking out 18. Hayden Marshburn adds depth with a 5-2 record, 4.24 ERA and 35 Ks in 33 innings.
The Blue Devils are made up of 7 seniors, 6 juniors, 5 sophomores, and 3 freshmen. Last year, they exited in the second round. This year? They’re one of the last two standing.
🏆 East Rutherford Cavaliers: The Standard of Excellence
With 269 runs scored and just 45 allowed in 29 games, East Rutherford is the definition of dominance. They bring a 1.41 team ERA into the championship and a playoff batting average of .377.
Preston Henson leads the offense with a .476 postseason average, 10 hits, 9 runs, and 7 RBIs. Matthew Pinkerton follows at .438 with 7 hits, 9 runs, 6 RBIs, a homer and 4 stolen bases. Colby Condrey has contributed 7 hits, 6 RBIs and a .368 average. Jacob Lee and Malachi Dato each hit .364 and .350 respectively, combining for 9 RBIs. JD Toney is quietly hitting .435 with a homer and 3 RBIs.
East Rutherford’s playoff pitching has been surgical. Jacob Lee has tossed 18 innings with a 0.78 ERA, allowing just 2 earned runs and striking out 10. Malachi Dato follows with 14.2 innings, a 0.95 ERA and 10 strikeouts. Pinkerton’s 4.2 innings have been rough, giving up 4 earned runs for a 6.00 ERA. Caleb Bennett has thrown 1.2 innings with 2 strikeouts and a 4.20 ERA.
Their playoff resume includes a 7-5 loss to West Stanly, their only defeat of the season. In that game, Lee failed to go 5 innings for the first time and the bullpen gave up four earned runs. Two defensive errors and missed RBI opportunities led to the unraveling.
The Cavaliers' roster features 5 seniors, 10 juniors, 2 sophomores and 1 freshman. With state titles in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2010, and 2016, they know exactly how to close a series.
🔍 East Rutherford Playoff Breakdown
Across 7 playoff games, the Cavaliers scored 63 runs and recorded 62 hits in 173 at-bats. They struck out just 12 times and drew 23 walks, with 14 stolen bases, 12 doubles, and 2 home runs.
Defensively, they've pitched 39 innings, allowed only 19 hits and 9 earned runs, walked 10 and struck out 25. Their only blemish—Game 2 vs. West Stanly—exposed the cracks: shaky bullpen, low clutch hitting, and 2 fielding errors.
Henson (.476), Pinkerton (.438), and Toney (.435) have been the table-setters. But the bottom of the order is a weak spot. Roof (.167) and Brandon Pinkerton (.182) have struggled. Roof has 3 hits in 18 ABs, while Pinkerton has just 2 hits but 5 walks.
Condrey and Pinkerton are tied for the most documented defensive miscues, both having at least 2 errors.
🧮 South Lenoir Stat Leaders
Jacob Howard leads the team in batting average (.538), hits (43), RBIs (33), and home runs (3). Barnett’s .455 average and 11 doubles are team-highs. Rhodes (.390), Clements (.368), and Coples (.279) round out a deep order.
Pitching-wise, Rhodes has logged 90 innings with 95 strikeouts, allowing 22 earned runs and walking 21. Marshburn, despite a higher ERA (4.24), has completed 2 games and struck out 35. Barnett remains the most effective reliever with a 1.43 ERA.
As a team, South Lenoir’s staff has a .258 opponent batting average and a .345 OBP allowed. They’ve hit 5 homers and stolen 14 bases.
📉 Where East Rutherford Is Vulnerable
In their loss to West Stanly, East Rutherford’s pitching allowed 7 runs (4 earned). Lee exited after 4.2 IP, Pinkerton gave up 4 ER in relief, and they walked 4 batters—a playoff high. Errors by Condrey and Pinkerton allowed innings to extend. Their offense had only one extra-base hit and stranded 8 runners.
This team is beatable when:
Lee doesn’t go deep
The bullpen is exposed
The defense commits multiple errors
Bottom-of-the-order bats go silent
🔫 X-Factors
For South Lenoir, it’s all about timely contact. If their core can produce against Lee early, it shifts pressure to East Rutherford’s untested bullpen. Rhodes will have to pitch like a senior with a title on the line—efficient, composed, and fearless.
For East Rutherford, it’s execution. If they clean up the miscues and let Lee and Dato carry the pitching load, their offense is efficient enough to win close games. Anything less than clean baseball, and South Lenoir can make them pay.
🏁 Final Word
It’s the grit of a first-timer versus the machine of a six-time champion. South Lenoir plays like a team with nothing to lose. East Rutherford carries the weight of legacy and expectation.
If you’re a baseball fan in North Carolina, this is the series you’ve waited for.
One team will walk off the field Saturday with medals, rings, and a place in state history. The other will walk off proud—but unsatisfied.
Let the battle for 2A supremacy begin.
