The Cavaliers:
Coach: Tim Everett, (2nd year, 5-13)
Last season: 5-13
Last 5 seasons: 17-61
Last 10 seasons: 63-113
Conference regular-season championships (9): 1976, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2011, 2016
By Mike London
Salisbury Post
SPENCER — The recent past has been rough for a North Rowan baseball program that peaked with five conference championships in the eight-year stretch from 1995-2002 — the Bill Kesler days.
North’s last conference champ was in 2016, the last year of Aaron Rimer’s coaching tenure. Counting Rimer, there have been six different head coaches at North during the last 10 years, so Tim Everett brings some sense of stability simply by returning for his second season at the helm.
Everett is confident he’s in it for the long haul, and he has a group of freshmen that play baseball just about year-round. They could eventually bring the Cavaliers back to contending status, but North Rowan’s new league (Yadkin Valley Conference) includes some good baseball schools such as North Stanly and Union Academy Charter.
“We’ve got good freshmen and we’ve got a lot of young guys who play travel baseball,” Everett said. “I think we’re going to do all right. I think we’ve got a lot to be excited about. For my second season, I think we’re right on track.”
Everett is an interesting guy who enforces the law, sells baseball cards through a family business and coaches. He’s enthusiastic. He’s dedicated to building up the program to the level of its neighbors, and North even participated in East Rowan’s fall league.
North was overmatched in its first game this season, a 17-0 loss to Ragsdale, but Everett said Ragsdale trotted a parade of mid-80s arms to the mound. North Stanly has guys like that, but most of the YVC teams won’t.
The biggest loss for the Cavaliers from last season is Anders Thompson. He was not a big stats guy, but he was a vocal leader and a dependable first baseman.
North has some experienced pitching back, which is always critical. Chase Cauble pitched a lot of innings in 2025. Caleb Everett, the coach’s son, also logged quite a few innings.
Cauble will probably be stationed in center field when he doesn’t pitch. Everett can play first base when he’s not on the mound.
The other key person in the pitching rotation is expected to be freshman Donnie Rogers. Everett said he has impressive velocity for a freshman.
Zion Gillespie is back. He was the shortstop in 2025, but is expected to be the second baseman this season.
Outfielders Tristen Brown and TJ Heggins are back. They likely will share right field duties, although one of them can slide over to center when Cauble pitches.
Zane Smith returns. He’s valuable. He’s a versatile utility player who can be plugged in just about anywhere.
Ethan Prange, mostly a catcher last season, is expected to be the third baseman this time. That’s one of the moves created by the incoming freshmen.
At least four freshmen are expected to be regulars in the lineup.
That group includes Rogers at pitcher or first base; Justin Tyler at shortstop; Jordan Grant in left field, and catcher Joseph Keener. Keener’s father (Jonathan) is helping Everett as an assistant coach.
Tyler is an exciting player with speed.
The roster includes Jaiden Brown, Kaleb McCubbin, Jayden Parnell and London Fincher. It’s not a big roster, so everyone will have a role.
North Rowan is playing in the F&M Bank Classic in Kannapolis and takes on Concord to kick off that tourney on Wednesday.
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