UNC Baseball: Diamond Heels’ Coastal Plain League Season Recap

As college students prepare to head back to school in the coming weeks, the Coastal Plain League season ended on Wednesday. The Gastonia Grizzlies used a 12-3 victory over the Wilmington Sharks to win the series 2-0.

In case you’ve missed previous recaps of the Diamond Heels in the Coastal Plain League, the Coastal Plain League (CPL) was founded in 1997 to bring collegiate summer baseball to the Southeastern United States. The CPL features teams in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. The league features a 56-game schedule, playing from mid-May to mid-August, and includes an annual Pro Scout Day, All-Star Game, and the championship playoff system.

Instead of spending their summer vacationing or at home with their families, four Diamond Heels spent their break playing in the coveted Coastal Plain League. Here is a review of where the Heels in the Coastal Plain League spent their summer:

• Ike Freeman - High Point-Thomasville Hi-Toms (NC)
• Jake Holtzapple- Wilson Tobs (NC)
• Utah Jones - Savannah Bananas (GA)
• Josh Ladowski- Wilson Tobs (NC)

The Tar Heel Blog team provided updates throughout the season on these four Diamond Heels, and we will provide a final recap of the entire season to bring things to a close. Below are the results from each Tar Heel in the Coastal Plain League:

• Ike Freeman:

2017 Season Totals: 30 G, 112 AB, 29 H, 9 RBI, 16 R, 14 BB, 28 K, .259 AVG, .357 OBP

• Jake Holtzapple:

2017 Season Totals: 26 G, 73 AB, 24 H, 10 RBI, 11 R, 10 BB, 14 K, .329 AVG, .400 OBP

• Utah Jones:

2017 Season Totals: 47 G, 147 AB, 37 H, 14 RBI, 25 R, 18 BB, 40 K, .252 AVG, .339 OBP

• Josh Ladowski:

2017 Season Totals: 30 G, 93 AB, 26 H, 15 RBI, 15 R, 10 BB, 19 K, .280 AVG, .362 OBP

Utah Jones was a staple in the Savannah Bananas lineup and provided consistency on the base paths. His 47 games played and 147 at-bats led all Diamond Heels in the CPL. Jake Holtzapple swung a hot bat at the plate with his .329 average, leading all Diamond Heels in the category. Ike Freeman had a productive season for the Hi-Toms, while Josh Ladowski performed well in Wilson, hitting .280 and driving in 15 runs.

As these Diamond Heels head back to Chapel Hill in the coming days, they’ll begin to prepare for a run to Omaha after last year’s disappointing ending to an otherwise outstanding season. Be on the lookout for these stars as the Diamond Heels ramp up fall workouts in the coming weeks.