2024 Cary High Baseball Media Guide

2024 CARY HIGH IMPS

CARY HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL

OUR SCHOOL

Enrollment

2,071 students

Founded 1896

Mascot Imp

Colors Kelly Green and White

Motto

Cognitio Vincit

District Wake County Public School System

Conference 4A East Conference 29

Address 638 Walnut St, Cary, NC 27511

OUR PRINCIPAL

Thank you for your support of Cary High School Athletics. We are proud of our coaches, players, cheerleaders, and marching band. They represent the Cary High School tradition of excellence in competitive spirit and sportsmanship. Valuable lessons are learned through participation in extracurricular activities. Dedication, cooperation, hard work, and commitment help students develop important skills and attitudes that go far beyond the playing field and last longer than the current sports season. Their experiences will enable them to meet future opportunities and challenges with confidence and perseverance.

As we enter into our 103rd year of athletics at Cary High School, we are extremely thankful for the history of support we have received from our school family. Whether you have supported us from the stands, on the field, or behind the scenes, you have played an essential role in helping further Cary Athletics. We appreciate your continued support of our student athletes and the financial needs of our programs. Thank you for all that you do for Cary High School.

Go Imps!

Nolan Bryant Principal @PrincipalIMP

ATHLETIC DIRECTOR

Greetings from the Home of the Imps, and welcome to another exciting year of Cary High Athletics!

I am proud to be beginning my second year as the Athletic Director at Cary High School. As a Cary Alum, I am very fortunate to be a member of the Cary High community, with it’s tradition, proud history and dedication that surrounds the oldest public high school in the state of North Carolina. It is a true honor to welcome you to an environment that cultivates academic and athletic accomplishment while embracing Excellence, Discipline and Sportsmanship.

Cary High School is a proud member of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA), and South Western Athletic Conference (SWAC) that fields boys and girls athletic programs in 40 Varsity and Junior Varsity sports. We have close to 800 students participating in our athletic program each year. Our goal is to provide each student with the necessary skills to lead healthy productive and faithful lives. We strive to educate our students through a multifaceted approach that emphasizes academics but incorporates a number of extracurricular opportunities that cater to students’ individual interests and skill levels. We feel that it is important to provide a well-rounded educational experience for our student-athletes that will produce leaders and role models within our school community and beyond. We strongly believe that such lessons are fundamental to building athletic ability as well as character.

Our Principal, Administrators, Faculty and Staff are committed to get the most out of our STUDENT-athletes. I work with a winning team in the athletics department, from the office to the field. We have passionate coaches who care and have the expertise to coach. Our coaches, athletic department staff members, and I are always happy to talk with you about our programs and answer any questions you may have. Please don’t hesitate to contact myself and coaches.

We invite students and parents alike to become active participants in the Cary Athletic Program.  For information regarding eligibility, schedules, coaching opportunities and more please feel free to check out our website goimps.com and/or reach out to me with any questions that you may have.

Go Imps!

Ryan Rodgers Athletic Director

“The” Cary High School

Jeremy H. Barefoot Assistant Principal of Athletics

• 7 years at Cary HS

@jbarefoot8700

• 21 years in education (10 as a teacher/head wrestling coach at Sanderson High School where we were 5X team conference champions and regional runner-up; numerous individual state placers and two state finalists)

• Serves as co-advisor to the Cary High Athletic Advisory Council

• Participated in Club Wrestling and multiple Intramural sports (volleyball, swimming, soccer, softball, flag football) at NC State University

• Was on the Wrestling team at Cardinal Gibbons HS (the team won the state championship in 1999)

• 3X Cap VIII Conference Wrestling Coach of the Year, Sanderson High School

• Cary native

Name

Cary High Baseball Field

Nickname The Bowl

Capacity

38 stadium seats, 500 in bleachers

Field Dimensions 335-345-355-345-335

Wall Height

10 ft - CF, 4 ft - RF and LF

Address 638 Walnut St, Cary, NC 27511

ACCOLADES

2021 Conference & Conference Tournament Champions 1st Round of NCHSAA State Playoffs

2022 2nd Round of NCHSAA State Playoffs

2023 Region 3 Field of the Year (First Time Ever for Cary High School)

1898 Baseball started at Cary High School 1914 Cary HS wins State Title

@ImpsBaseGameday

@ImpsBaseball

@ImpsBaseballGameday

@CoachGehris

Coach Gehris returns for his 17th season in NC baseball as a head coach. Coach has had 71 former players commit to play baseball in college, coached 14 all-state players, 4 HS All-Americans, and has had 5 former players play professionally. Coach Gehris has won around 250 games over the previous 16 seasons and has been recognized as a 6 x Conference Coach of the Year, a 5 X County Coach of the Year, a 4 x Regional Coach of the Year, and the NC State Coach of the Year. He is an 18-year member of the American Baseball Coaches Association, where he is one of 8 Regional Directors across the nation. Additionally, he is the Region 3 NC Director and on the All-State Committe for the NC Baseball Coaches Association. Coach is a published author and a semi regular columnist for Inside Pitch Magazine. Coach Gehris is a former Division 1 Scholarship Pitcher in the ACC and Big South Conferences and was a Strength and Conditioning All-American. The NJ native was a two sport all state athlete in High School and has won a state title as both a player and a head coach.

MASON BERNE

1st Season Assistant Varsity Coach

Coach Berne comes to Cary High School after a stellar high school career, that saw him win a State Title for Coach Gehris, and land him at Spartanburg Methodist Junior College to play baseball. Coach Berne tore it up his sophomore year earning Region X player of the year and he was named a junior college All-American. This led Mason to UNC-Wilmington on a baseball scholarship. At UNCW he was first team All-Colonial Conference and an ABCA 2nd Team All-American. Coach Berne was then drafted by the Atlanta Braves and played two seasons in their organization before being traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks, where he played another two seasons professionally. Mason will work with hitters, assist with infield play, baserunning, and all aspects of the program.

JIM ROONEY

10th Season Assistant Coach

Coach Rooney returns for another season to help instruct infielders, hitters, and provide extra reps for our players. Coach Rooney brings a wealth of knowledge, throws tremendous BP, and has a deep passion for CHS (where all five of his children attended). Coach Rooney was a finalist for Region 3 Assistant Coach of the year and has earned respect throughout the Wake County baseball community.

4th Season Head JV Coach

Coach Renfrow has served in a variety of capacities over the last four seasons. He will again be our JV Head Coach. He will continue to work with pitchers and assist in every aspect of our program. Coach Renfrow was a 1987 graduate of Cary High School, where he played baseball as a RHP. He played in college at Atlantic Christian (Barton) and was an associate scout for the Astros and Diamondbacks before coming back to Cary four years ago. Coach Renfrow is a member of the ABCA, a CTE teacher, a certified bus driver, and a staple at all Cary High athletic events.

JACOB TUTTEROW

3rd Season Assistant JV Coach

Coach Tutterow will once again be assisting the program as a JV assistant, infield instructor, OF coach, and hitting coach. Coach is also an assistant coach for our football team and the head coach of Cary Wrestling. Jacob was a former wrestler and baseball player at Belmont Abbey and brings a wealth of playing and coaching experience.

our.3 Team.__ Support

ALL PROCEEDS FROM OUR FUNDRAISER GO DIRECTLY TO THE BASEBALL TEAM TO HELP COVER COSTS FOR THE UPCOMING SEASON AND IMPROVE OUR FACILITIES.

Commitment: NC Wesleyan

1

Marcus Graham SR OF/LHP, 6’1, 170

2 Gavin Mathis SO C, 5’7, 150

3

Luke Wolfram SR UT/RHP, 5’10, 175

4

Will Vetter

SO RHP/UT, 6’1, 178

5

James Oates JR 1B/LHP, 5’10, 180

6

Logan Joyce JR UT/RHP, 5’9, 170

Commitment: Duke University

Commitment: William Peace

7

Andrew Mohler SO SS/RHP, 6’2, 170

8 Cam Shea SO INF, 5’10, 175

10

Jackson Folsom JR UT/RHP, 6’2, 170

11 Collins Black SR RHP/OF, 6’3, 208

12

Caleb Taylor SO C, 5’8, 175

16

Gavin Turner SR INF/RHP, 6’2, 202

17

Ben Morris SR

INF, 6’3, 195 20

Owen Green

SO OF, 5’9, 161

21

Logan Metters SR RHP/C, 6’1, 197

Sports Medicine Staff

Head Athletic Trainer Eric Hall

First Responder Rachel Garinger

Orthopedic Dr. Doug Martini

Team MD Dr. Jennifer Stromberg

PA Kevin Morrison

@CarySportsMed

Eric Hall

• Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC), Licensed Athletic Trainer (LAT)

• 24th year as an Athletic Trainer, 18th year as Head Athletic Trainer at Cary HS

• Head Athletic Trainer at Southeast Raleigh for 6 years

• NCATA 4 time Life Saver Award Recipient

• Awarded and recognized for helping save the life of Robert Gresham Sr, a grandfather attending his granddaughter’s cheer competition.

• 2022 NCADA Athletic Trainer of The Year

• 2016 CHS Hall of Fame Member

• 2013 NCATA Athletic Trainer of the Year

• 2012 NC Shrine Bowl trainer

• American Red Cross CPR & AED Instructor

• Graduated from East CarolinaMAEd Athletic Administration & BS in Exercises & Sports Science.

• Cary High School graduate, Class or 1993. Participated in track and field, swimming and cross country and was a student athletic trainer during football season

FROM THE PRESIDENT

Tradition runs high at CHS and we are proud of our school and its athletic program. Most fans don’t realize all of the work that goes into running an athletics program. The school receives less than $1,000 each year to fund the whole athletics program (not per sport!). As you can imagine, this doesn’t even scratch the surface for what is needed to operate.

The Imp Club, Cary High’s sports booster club, steps in to help the school and Athletic Director with needs for our sports program. We raise money by attracting outside sponsors, developing fundraisers, and selling concessions, spirit wear, memberships, and All-Sports passes. Our funds go to support all of our teams. We also manage the bank accounts for each of the individual teams. This all requires a lot of work.

We are so thankful to have some amazing volunteers on the Imp Club board but we can always use more. Our monthly meetings are light-hearted and fun. We meet at Bond Brothers on the second Sunday of each month at 7pm (unless there is a holiday or conflict). We would love for you to come join us and share your ideas on how to make the sports program better. Both men and women participate on our board and you will make some fast friends.

Above all, we are trying to make our students have the very best four years at Cary High. It is hard to compete with the facilities that all of these brand-new schools around us get from Day 1 but they don’t have the heart and tradition that Cary High has. As an alumni of Cary High myself, they won’t remember the facilities - just the amazing times that they had with their friends as an athlete or having fun with their friends in the stands.

Cindy Hunt, Imp Club President

The Cary IMP Club, Inc. is a volunteer organization committed to providing student-athletes at Cary High School with the very best facilities, equipment, protection and opportunities. The IMP Club is comprised of CHS parents, teachers, students, and community business. These supporters together raise money each year to support 37 CHS Varsity and Junior Varsity teams and athletes representing 24 sports.

JOIN THE IMP CLUB

$15 Student Membership (Cary High Students only, includes a Gang Green t shirt)

$15 Basic Membership

$50 Goal Membership (Basic Imp Club membership + Car Magnet)

$100 Slam Dunk Membership (Goal membership + Hat)

$250 Home Run Membership (Slam Dunk membership + Sweatshirt)

$500 Touchdown Membership (Home run membership + Golf Shirt and VIP parking for home football games)

All members receive a discount off of Spirit Wear purchases.

Go Imps!

Help support the Cary High Baseball program with a direct donation to the team, a Garden Supply Gift Card purchase or a Custom Garden Supply Gift Card for bulk hardwood mulch or pine straw and delivery.

GET YOUR ENGRAVED BRICK

Be part of a lasting legacy at Cary High School by purchasing an engraved brick inside Cooper Field! Join this exciting project to raise funds for new digital scoreboards for Cooper Field, the IMP Dome Gymnasium, and our baseball and softball Fields.

The Cary IMP Club is offering engraved bricks to pay tribute to loved ones, students, teachers, staff, alumni and businesses. Bricks can be purchased to commemorate graduation, awards, memorials or any other special event or person that you would like to honor. Local businesses can showcase their community support with an engraved brick featuring their custom logo. Get yours now!

BEST MASCOT IN THE COUNTRY

The Cary High School Imp mascot has been named the 2023 Best Mascot in the Country! The Cary Imps received the top vote over the Rhinelander Hodags from Wisconsin 62,821 to 39,768.

Mascots from 66 high schools across the nation competed in SBLive Sports’ 2-month NCAA-styled bracketed tournament.

Since 1935, the Imp mascot has represented Cary High School. The graphic version of the Imp was designed in the 1960’s by Cary student Lee Mauney, who became the school’s art teacher and would later serve as athletic director.

The Imp has been previously recognized by Sports Illustrated on it’s Most Unique High School Nickname list and by ESPN as one of the nation’s best nicknames.

Founded in 1896, Cary High School also holds the honor of becoming the first public high school in North Carolina in 1907.

AN EASY WAY TO SUPPORT CHS ATHLETICS

LINK YOUR HARRIS TEETER VIC CARD

Link your VIC card and a percentage of your grocery purchases are donated to our club. Any customer with a VIC card can link their card. The more people that connect, the higher the earning potential for the Imp Club. Link online, at your Harris Teeter checkout or we can link for you.

Media Guide produced by Susan Martin

Madcap Hijinks Design

All athlete photographs courtesy Jessica Wolfram Photography