Different paths for EW standouts

By Gabe Whisnant
Published in Sports on July 15, 2004 1:55 PM

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Both 2003 Eastern Wayne graduates, Todd MacCoy and Mike Oglesby have taken different paths to get to the same location.

After competing mostly at the JV level for Mount Olive College's baseball team this year, the left-handed hitting MacCoy has decided to transfer to Lenoir Community College. MacCoy plans on focusing on business classes with hopes of transferring to a larger school to peruse a degree in hotel management.

Baseball was a part of the decision as well. MacCoy, who is currently batting .318 for Wayne County's Senior American Legion team, believes the move to Lenoir will give him more of an opportunity to play every day.

"I only have three years left, and I'm trying to play as much as I can," MacCoy said. "I want to get my education and play. I would have to switch schools eventually and now would be the best time."

Oglesby spent nearly a year away from baseball starting in the spring and summer of 2003. As time passed, the right-hander steadily started to miss the game. This spring, he was playing for Pine Level's 16-18 Babe Ruth team and tossed a no-hitter in the only game in which he appeared.

After a suggestion from MacCoy to Wayne County American Legion coach Brad Reaves, Reaves invited Oglesby to play for Post 11. Oglesby has proceeded to have a productive year on the mound for the deep Wayne County pitching staff. The right-handed hurler has 30 strikeouts in 21 innings pitched and is 1-1 with a 4.71 earned run average.

His performance at the Legion level and his overall talent earned him a successful workout with Lenoir head coach Lind Hartsell, who invited Oglesby to play for the Lancers.

"Pitching is 99 percent mental and one percent physical, so the main thing for me was getting my head right after taking that time off," Oglesby said. "Having confidence in myself and teammates ... a lot of mental preparation."

MacCoy -- the 2003 News-Argus position player of the year -- and Oglesby will join Jes Snyder and Michael Sigmon from Wayne County at Lenoir next season. Another Eastern Wayne 2003 graduate, Mike Macanas, is a rising sophomore infielder for the Lancers.

"It's about time we put a "W" for Wayne County on our cap to go with the LCC," Lenoir coach Lind Harstell said. "Wayne County has been mighty good to us through the years. There is good baseball there, and we like to get as many of those kids as we can."

Hartsell's program consists mainly of players from Wayne, Greene, Lenoir and Johnston County.

Both believe going into a team with already-established team chemistry gives them a decided edge.

"When you have that kind of chemistry, it could be even better than last year," MacCoy said about Lenoir, who finished fifth nationally in the National Junior College Athletic Association World Series at Millington, Tennessee.

"We have all played together or against each other since we could walk," Oglesby said. "We could be ahead of anybody in the nation as far as team unity."