Enjoying the All-Star experienceAll-Star experience

FOREST CITY — The 2002 MLB All-Star Game ended in a 7-7 tie and the fanbase was outraged, calling for a change the following year that earned the winning team of the annual summer classic the home field advantage for the World Series.

There won’t be that dramatic of a change in the Coastal Plain League as the summer collegiate league’s All-Star Game ended in a 4-4 tie last week in a game hosted by the Forest City Owls.

The Asheboro ZooKeepers were well represented as five players earned All-Star status, including pitchers Mason Manriquez, Dylan Dickert and Noah Samol and position players Hunter Atkins and Sal Laimo. Five is the most players to make the all-star team in one season from Asheboro since 2016 when seven players were honored.

“I think we had a lot of information and were pretty calculated when we built this roster and it paid off,” Asheboro head coach Kory Dunbar said about having five representatives. “All five have been extremely solid and hopefully that continues.”

Last week’s All-Star tie was just the third tie in CPL history, with the last coming in 2015. The West All-Stars, which included the ZooKeepers players, fell behind 4-0 before rallying for four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Boone’s Brandon Rogers hit a three-run homer in being named the top offensive player.

Wilson’s Reese Miller, who fanned all three West batters in the first inning, was named the top pitcher.

The three Asheboro hurlers combined to throw three hitless innings as Manriquez and Dickert each walked one and struck out one, while Samol gave up one walk. Manriquez pitched the third inning, Samol the fifth and Dickert the seventh.

Manriquez, who plays at South Florida, said it was an incredible experience.

“It was really exciting to be out there with some of the best players from the CPL,” he said. “It was a cool atmosphere, exciting to play in front of the pro scouts that were there and it was great to see so many fans come out to support us. It was definitely a highlight of my summer.”

Manriquez had another highlight as he captured the pitching portion of the skills competition. Six pitchers, three from the East and three from the West, competed in throwing balls into a standing 9-pocket pitching net positioned for the strike zone. Manriquez advanced to the final, where he defeated Peninsula’s Caden Plummer, 1-0.

“Winning the pitching skills competition was unexpected, really,” Manriquez said. “I had no idea what we were doing until I got to the field that day. I figured just to have fun, do my best and we’ll see what happens. I definitely felt my heart racing a little when the pressure was on, but I just focused on each pitch and tried to stay relaxed. Winning the competition in a pitch-off was fun.”

Dickert has started seven games on the mound for the ZooKeepers entering the week.

“I had a really good experience being able to connect with all the guys and having five guys from here down there, it gave everyone a chance to bond and enjoy the moment,” said Dickert, who plays at Middle Georgia State. “Before the season, it was definitely a goal I set. That kind of helped me stay focused and gave me something to strive for every time I took the mound.”

Atkins, a Randleman High School graduate who was redshirted at UNCG, finished 0-for-1 at the plate with a walk.

 “It was great getting picked, especially after being redshirted at UNCG and then being an all-star in the CPL,” Atkins said. “It was a great experience. I got to help run a kids’ camp and do a test for some scouts. It was great.”

Atkins has been one of the top offensive threats for the ZooKeepers this season, hitting .314 heading into the All-Star break. 

“My goal coming in was to perform at my lightest level,” Atkins said. “I wasn’t thinking about becoming an all-star. I just play and let the results take care of themselves.”

Laimo, from Barton College, was 0-for-2, but enjoyed the experience, until the very end.

“It was a really cool experience, cool to see a bunch of new players from across the league and see some I played with on my college team,” he said. “It’s a big thing for the ZooKeepers to have us represent them pretty well. The pitchers threw really well.”

But about that 4-4 tie.

“It was a long day and I don’t think anybody was happy about it ending in a tie,” Laimo said. “But the whole day was awesome.”

“Ending the All-Star Game in a tie was a bit of a mixed feeling,” Manriquez added. “On one hand, everyone wants to see a winner, but on the other, it showed how evenly matched the teams were. I think most players were just happy to have been part of such a competitive and fun game.”

A game that each participated deserved to be a part of.