South Brunswick baseball in first state final since 1988 after 3A East Regional sweep

WINTERVILLE -- As Aubrey Smith made his way toward the mound on Thursday night to start in the second game of the NCHSAA Class 3A East regional baseball finals for South Brunswick, he oozed confidence. It could easily be seen from anywhere in the stadium by the way he carried himself on the diamond. 

Smith was locked in.  

“I’ve said it all year,” Smith said. “One through nine plays but one through 16 brings the energy. We were able to hit early and score early which allowed me to go out there and have more confidence in myself and my command also.” 

The Cougars got more than enough runs for the night in the first inning, and Smith would pitch a complete game in an 8-1 victory at South Central that sends South Brunswick to the state championship series for the first time since 1988. 

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There’s a saying in baseball that good teams take advantage of the mistakes made by their opponents. And South Brunswick (24-3) gave fans a clinic on how to do just that. 

The Cougars jumped ahead early on a wild pickoff move that brought in Walker Jenkins for the first run of the night. Later in the first, Luke Dilgard placed a perfect bunt to the third base side that would allow Cameron Burgess to plate the second run.  

Dilgard would add a sacrifice fly in the third inning to make the score 3-0. 

Smith struck out seven in a complete game, and helped himself with a leadoff home run in the fourth inning to make it 4-0. Later in the inning, with two outs, Jaylend Clemmons’s hit-and-run double drove in Banks Hartman to make it 5-0.  

In the fifth, Smith returned to the plate with Jayden Marvin on third base. He hit a grounder back to the pitcher, who tried to get Marvin at third. Instead, the throw sailed, and Marvin scored. 

Hartman, who finished with a 3-for-4 day added a two-RBI single to complete the scoring. 

In the seventh, the final out came on a groundball to Marvin at shortstop, and after Burgess caught the out at first base, a short celebration ensued. 

It wasn’t what you’d expect from a team who just punched their ticket to the state finals. No dog pile, no throwing of gear, just a quick group bear hug and back to the baseline to receive their plaque.  

This team has more to prove. 

“You know, we were talking right before the final out and I said, “I wonder how we’re going to celebrate,” and I said that kind of laughing,” coach Mike Anderson said, “and I say that because our guys are so locked in. This is huge and big, but it’s like, ‘OK, we still have more to do.’” 

South Brunswick will play either South Rowan or East Lincoln next Friday and Saturday in a best-of-three series. The games will be at either the Burlington Athletic Park or Doak Field at N.C. State University. Times and location will be determined after all eight regional series across the state are completed on Saturday.