By DAVID CUCCHIARA

Washington Daily News

 

ASHEVILLE — Pungo’s Cole Woolard has been selected to the NCISAA All-State Baseball Team for his performance on the mound and at the plate this season.

Earlier this month, Woolard also earned Tarheel Conference Player-of-the-Year honors. A dual-sport athlete, he took home first-team all-conference honors and finished second in conference player-of-the-year voting for basketball this winter, averaging 23.7 points per game.

The Raiders’ senior was head coach John Scott Cutler’s top pitcher and offensive threat throughout the season. Woolard finished second in the conference in hitting, leading his team with a .347 average, and also posting a team-high 18 RBI.

Woolard led his team with five multi-hit games, including a 3-for-4, two RBI performance in a win over Lawrence Academy in April, Pungo’s first in almost two decades.

On the rubber, the ace was equally as impressive, recording a 5-2 record with a conference-best 1.88 ERA in 52 innings.

Woolard’s top performance on the hill came in the last game of the season against rival Terra Ceia, where he pitched all nine frames in an extra-inning thriller, matched up against Knights’ ace Austin Roscoe. Through seven, Woolard allowed no hits and finished the game with 12 strikeouts.

Pungo’s season was cut short in the second round of the state tournament by Oakwood. Woolard started that game, but on just two-days rest, was unable to finish. It was the final start of his high school career.