Thursday, October 1, 2026
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Cherryville, NC (WNN) - After a four-year absence, the Cherryville Ironmen are returning to the NCHSAA State Baseball Finals Championship Series. They will be facing the Rosewood Eagles of Goldsboro, NC. The series is scheduled to take place May 27th and 28th at Burlington Athletic Park, 1450 Graham St., Burlington, NC 27217, located in Fairchild Park. Stadium phone number 336-222-0223. The best-of-3 series will begin with Game 1 on May 27th at 5:00 pm, with Rosewood as the designated visitors and Cherryville as the designated home team. Game 2 will be the next day, May 28th, at 11:00 am, with Cherryville as the visitor and Rosewood as the home team. If the series is tied and necessitates a tie-breaking game 3, it will also be played on May 28th, with first pitch at 5:00 pm. Cherryville would again be the home team and Rosewood the visiting team. According to the NCHSAA website, the price of an all-series pass is $25. Game 1 tickets will be $12, and Game 2 and 3 tickets will be $15. Please note that due to unpredictable Spring weather, times are subject to change if fields become unplayable or if games are delayed. The stadium has covered home plate seating; however, seating along the bases is open, so plan accordingly for hot, sunny weather and bring a poncho in case of rain.
Rosewood and Cherryville are both consistent powerhouse teams in their respective regions and have each been among the top 2A teams in the state all season. The Ironmen entered the playoffs as the number one seed in the West and the number one overall seed. Rosewood entered as the number two seed in the East and number three overall. Early predictions had these two elite teams picked as two of the three teams most likely to make it to the state finals; the other team, the number one seed in the East (number 2 overall), East Carteret, was eliminated in a shocker by the number ten seed, East Wake Academy, in round three.
Rosewood has been no stranger to the playoffs, making 36 appearances, winning 48 games, and losing 40 in the NCHSAA era. Over the last thirteen years, they have solidified their place as known traditionally as a powerhouse of eastern North Carolina. In 2014 and 2017, the Eagles had 20-plus20-plus-win seasons and reached the Eastern Regionals. They made their first appearance in the NCHSAA 1A State Championship series, eventually falling to Uwharrie Charter in a sweep that left them as runners-up with a 23-6 record in 2019. In 2023, they finished 20-8 and advanced deep into the 1A East bracket. Rosewood captured the Carolina Conference 1A regular season title in 2024 and reached the fourth round in the east bracket. Last year, they finished 21-9 and reached the fourth round. This postseason, they have won all five of their playoff games and swept Perquimans County to reach the final round.
Cherryville has a storied baseball history. During the NCHSAA era, the Ironmen made the postseason 42 times, winning 116 games and losing 37. The 2026 State Championship appearance is Cherryville’s sixteenth. They have returned home as state champions eleven times, including three titles in the pre-NCHSAA era in 1917, 1960, and 1962. The NCHSAA titles were won in 1980, 1982, 1992, 1993, 1998, 2001, 2008, and 2016. There is strong debate over which championship team is the best in school history, and the 2026 edition would love to add its team to the debate. They have won all five playoff games leading up to the final round this year. The Ironmen swept Cornerstone Charter Academy in the West Regional Finals. Cherryville returned its entire starting lineup from last season’s team that went 20-8 before falling in the fourth round. A fourth-round exit was also the case in 2024 for a team that finished 19-10. A third-round exit occurred for the 23-5 team in 2023. The last appearance in the finals was in 2022, when the team finished 22-12 as state runners-up to Perquimans County. Ten years ago, in 2016, Cherryville came home as State Champions and hopes to repeat that in 2026.
These two teams are about as evenly matched on paper as possible. Rosewood of the Swine Valley 2A/3A Conference has a record of 23-5, and Cherryville of the Southern Piedmont 2A/3A/4A Conference comes in at 24-4.
The Eagles are ranked 36th in North Carolina and 2nd in 2A. The Ironmen are ranked 24th in North Carolina and 1st in 2A.
This is a competitive series that could easily go to three games. Each team has strong pitching, aggressive base running, and solid hitting. The coaching staff will need to do diligent homework and execute their game plan to perfection. The series will likely be decided by the team that makes the fewest errors and takes advantage of any opportunities they are presented. Teams this evenly matched cannot afford many mistakes, and every run will be important. Each team has demonstrated they can shut down opposing batters, score runs in bunches, and make a few fielding errors. Once that final out is recorded, the team walking away with the title will be the one that wants it the most, plays with the most grit, determination, and heart.
Rosewood has 9 seniors, and Cherryville has 6 seniors who know this is their last chance at a state title, and these young men will leave it all on the field to make that dream come true. These are two great teams, but there is only one state title. Baseball fans should be in for a real treat.
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