2032 North Carolina Aviators News & Notes

[Chappy]

Raleigh Falls to Las Vegas in Explorer League Finals

The Raleigh Explorers - comprised mostly of players who spent the season in AA Greensboro - defeated the Atlanta Peaches 3 games to 1 and the Toronto Blue Jays 4 games to 2 to advance to the final round of the Explorer League playoffs.

However, the Las Vegas Dons proved to be too much to handle, beating the Explorers 4 games to 1.  A 7-0 game 4 win was the only win of the series for Raleigh.

Still, the postseason experience should prove valuable to the young players.

[Chappy]

Trappers Top Green Sox in AA Championship Series

Just like their AAA brothers, the AA Greensboro Green Sox made it to the final round of the Union League playoffs before succumbing a better team.

Greensboro earned a first round bye (thanks to their 93-47 record) before defeating Philadelphia 4 games to 2 in round 2.  They dropped the championship series 4 games to 2 to the Vancouver Trappers.

Many of the players who spent the regular season with Greensboro were playing for Raleigh in the postseason due to expanded 40-man rosters in the big leagues.  Therefore, about 15 of the 25 Greensboro players had spent the regular season in A OBX.

[Chappy]

Aviators Clinch First Playoff Berth Since 2019!

The North Carolina Aviators have finished their slate of games for the 2032 season with a 93-69 record, and while the regular season is not officially over (Georgia and West Virginia will need an extra game to break their tie for the 2nd wild card spot at 87-75), North Carolina has the 2nd best record in the PL and a playoff spot all locked up.

Cristobal Castillo won the PL batting title with a .362 average despite missing the first 3 weeks of the regular season.  Ahilocano "Goppy" Gopalakrishnana was 8th (.325) and Slappy Orozco was 9th (.325).

Goppy led the PL in hits with 226, while Castillo (212) and Orozco (196) finished 3rd and 7th.  He also led the PL with 112 runs scored.

More news once we see who the Aviators face in the first round of the playoffs!

[Chappy]

Aviators Trim Organizational Roster
Jake Bane goes from happy to sad in a matter of seconds

In anticipation of the upcoming draft, the Aviators have done some trimming throughout the organization.  Normally, this is not necessary, but with only Benoit Pelissier (AAA Raleigh) retiring, some players are going to have to be let go to make room for draftees and players aging out of the international complex.

Pelissier had not appeared in a game during the 2032 season, and was 3-6 with 31 saves in 2031 for Raleigh.  Prior to entering the organization, he had been a 3-time All-Star with the Illinois Warhawks (2025, 2027, 2028).

The most notable player to be cut by the Aviators was reliever Jake Bane.  Bane was taken with a first round pick by the Aviators (18th overall) in the 2022 draft.  While he progressed quickly through the minors and was an All-Star in his only full minor league season, Bane's big league career was full of ups and downs.  His best season came in 2030 when he was 1-2 with 3 saves and a 2.49 ERA in 37 appearances (61 1/3 innings).  His career line was 14-18 with 7 saves and a 4.98 ERA, and in 2032 he posted a 4-2 record with a 5.37 ERA.  Bane probably figured he was a shoe-in for the postseason roster.  Oops. At 30 years old, Bane will likely find work elsewhere.

The Aviators also cut ties with a pair of catchers; Raleigh's Jeff Johnson and Greensboro's Yuji Abe.  Johnson had a few cups of coffee with the Aviators, in which he hit .202-13-65 in 840 at bats.  He appeared in 291 games with the Aviators, including 218 starts behind the plate.  At 32, it was time to let him go pursue other interests.  He managed to get into only 22 games in AAA this year, after appearing in 112 during the 2031 season.  Not a bad career for a 7th round pick (#132 overall).  Yuji Abe appeared to reach his ceiling in AA Greensboro.  A scouting discovery out of Japan, Abe never really got a grasp of baseball.  His career 162-game averages after bouncing around between R, A and AA for 9 seasons (including 3 games in AAA): .226-10-51.  Abe heads back to Machida, Tokyo, Japan with no regrets...or at least that's what his translator says.

Finally, the Aviators released Steve Wilson, a player drafted with low expectations (5th round, 85th overall in 2026) who became one of the organizations top power-hitting prospects before fizzling out.  Wilson peaked in AAA Raleigh, where he hit .380-20-61 in 99 games.  But with so many other options at 1B for the Aviators, the 26-year-old New Jersey native became expendable.  He might find a home elsewhere in the league, or he could go back to help his parents, who run the local railway museum back home.

[Chappy]

Aviators Unveil Playoff Roster

The North Carolina Aviators confirmed that 22-year-old rookie shortstop Onel Elemia will miss the postseason.  Elemia tore his groin September 21st and was rumored to be available in mid-October.  The Aviators have pushed his recovery timeline back to early November.  Elemia had only appeared in 18 games for the Aviators at the time of his injury, but the way his highlight reel defensive plays and aggressiveness on the field contrasted with his lazy demeanor off the field quickly made him a fan favorite.  Elemia hit just .208 with 1 double and 4 RBI in 53 AB, but he also made 0 errors in 147 innings at SS while dazzling the crowd with his quick glove and strong throws.  Pete Farmer, a poor man's version of Elemia, will take his place on the roster.  While not quite as elite as Elemia with the glove, Farmer can hit a bit better and with more power as well.  He hit .331-13-65 for AAA Raleigh this season.

Don Wilson, the only member of the Aviators to have appeared in the Aviators last playoff berth (2019), will be available.  He is currently nursing a strained forearm.  He will be sidelined for 5 more days, so he is thankful for the 163rd game between Georgia and West Virginia as it pushes the playoffs back a day.  Wilson, 37, is on a bit of a hot streak.  He has only allowed 1 run in his last two starts (0.67 ERA) and has 12 Ks in 13 innings during that span.  He will probably not start any games, but rather come out of the pen during the postseason.  Wilson is 1-1 with a 3.26 ERA in 9 career postseason games (4 starts), although those stats are very, very old (2015, 2017 and 2019 playoffs).

There are no other relevant injuries to report.

In an interesting twist, outfielder turned pitching prospect Gabe Wilkerson has made the playoff roster.  Wilkerson spent the regular season in A OBX learning to pitch.  He was effective as the closer for that team and is slated to begin next season at AA Greensboro.  Wilkerson was a 40-man September call-up but did not appear in any games.  He will be available as a pitcher and as a hitter this postseason.

Starting Pitchers
Order will be kept off record, but here's who is starting...

Jorge Luna - 12-9, 3.13 ERA - 29 years old - Acquired via Trade with Colorado (2022)
Ruben Soto - 18-11, 3.63 ERA - 33 years old - 12th overall pick (1st round) in 2020
Ron Carmichael - 11-10, 3.90 ERA - 27 years old - Acquired via Trade with Colorado (2022)

Bullpen
One of these guys is also available to start if needed

Don Wilson - 13-8, 3.16 ERA - 37 years old - Long Relief/Extra Starter - 34th overall pick (3rd round) in the Inaugural Draft (2013)
Yu-zeng Sung - 2-2-2, 3.09 ERA - 23 years old - Long Relief - Free Agent Signing (2030)
Edgardo Rosas - 1-2-1, 2.53 ERA - 29 years old - Middle Relief - Scouting Discovery (2020)
Bob Fisher - 3-1-3, 2.84 ERA - 26 years old - Middle Relief - 1st overall pick in 2024
Eric Conley - 1-1-2, 2.98 ERA - 27 years old - Middle Relief - 81st overall pick (5th round) in 2023
Gabe Wilkerson - 2-5-39, 2.75 ERA (with A OBX) - 26 years old - Middle Relief - 5th overall pick (1st round) in 2026
Bertil Aarden - 12-10, 3.55 ERA - 23 years old - Setup Man - 6th overall pick (1st round) in 2025
Tim Brown - 5-6-7, 2.04 ERA - 29 years old - Setup Man - 92nd overall pick (5th round) in 2020
Chris Beard - 5-3-31, 2.89 ERA - 30 years old - Closer - Acquired via trade with Colorado (2022)

3 key players on this staff came over in the epic 2022 trade between the Aviators, who were just beginning to rebuild, and the Colorado Bears.  While the Aviators rebuilding project took longer that expected, this trade eventually paid off.  The deal sent 1B Dax Rutherford, CF Crawdad Hicks, LF Alvin Kane, and SP Norberto Leon to Colorado in exchange for SP Ron Carmichael, SP Jorge Luna, CL Chris Beared, 1B Jorge Corral (retired), and Colorado's 1st, 2nd and 3rd round picks until Colorado realized they had already traded their 2nd round pick, giving NC Colorado's 2nd round pick in 2023. as compensation (who turned out to be RP Jake Bane (just released), RP Ed Jenkins (AA Greensboro), RP Tim Wilder (5-2-1, 3.66 ERA with NC but not on playoff roster).  Keep it straight, there will be a quiz later.

Starting Lineup

1 - 2B - Slappy Orozco - .325-3-60 - 27 years old - Scouting Discovery (2021)
2 - 3B - Goppy Gopalakrishnan - .325-9-83 - 29 years old - 1st overall pick in 2023
3 - CF - Cristobal Castillo - .362-3-68 - 25 years old - Scouting Discovery (2024)
4 - CA - Mashashi Ageda - .306-14-73 - 24 years old - Scouting Discovery (2024)
5 - LF - Sal Belcher - .271-10-81 - 23 years old - 9th overall pick (1st round) in 2027
6 - 1B - Eric Schultz - .275-19-85 - 27 years old - 21st overall pick (2nd round) in 2023
7 - RF - Rod Mosley - .240-31-91 - 30 years old - 1st overall pick in 2022
8 - DH - Shane Schute - .333-5-21 - 21 years old - 2nd overall pick in 2029
9 - SS - Pete Farmer - .261-0-5 - 27 years old - 101st overall pick (6th round) in 2022

Bench

C/1B - Johnny Travis - .283-1-13 - 29 years old - 66th overall pick (4th round) in 2021 - Not many teams can claim a backup catcher with a .300 average, but Travis, a career .302 hitter, fits the bill.
2B/LF - Kichibei Aoki - .261-0-10 - 27 years old - 41st overall pick (3rd round) in 2023 - Sneaky good gap power for a fairly generic backup infielder/outfielder
2B/3B/SS/LF - Ismael Mora - .194-1-17 - 25 years old - Free Agent Signing (2025) - Failed to hold down starting SS job.  Good runner, diverse fielder, not much of a threat at the plate though he is patient.
OF/DH - Jesus Martinez - .226-12-50 - 26 years old - 21st overall pick (2nd round) in 2024 - Martinez had a terrible year at the plate, and lost his job as starting DH.  Scouting report says he can be a .300-25-95 type hitter.  So far he's just a .253-19-76 type hitter.

There you have it... the first postseason Aviators team in 13 years.

[Chappy]

Aviators Face Knights in First Round of Playoffs
North Carolina won regular season series vs Ohio, 7 games to 3

The North Carolina Aviators begin their postseason against a team they've fared well against this season; the Ohio Knights. 

Bertil Aarden and Ron Carmichael were a combined 5-0 with a 1.71 ERA against the Knights during the regular season, while leadoff man Slappy Orozco hit .405 (17-for-43).  Cristobal Castillo was a whopping 16-for-33 (.485) against Ohio.

Oddly enough, 18-game winner Ruben Soto never faced Ohio despite being healthy all year.

He'll face them first, tomorrow in Charlotte.

[Chappy]

Recap of the Games 1 through 3
Aviators Trail Ohio 2-1

In game 1 of the Wildcard Series between the North Carolina Aviators and the Ohio Knights, the Aviators took an early 2-0 lead, creating a frenzy among the 42,000+ fans in attendance in Charlotte.  The fun didn't last long; Ruben Soto was rocked for 5 runs in the top of the 3rd and Yu-zeng Sung surrendered 2 more in the top of the 5th, giving Ohio a 7-2 lead and eventually an 8-3 win.  Slappy Orozco, Goppy, and Eric Schultz each scored a run for the Aviators, and Gabe Wilkerson saw his first major league pitching action since moving from the outfield into the bullpen (he allowed 1 ER in 2.2 innings), but otherwise it was a bad day for the Aviators.

In game 2, the Aviators jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first behind a Sal Belcher 3-run HR, but once again they surrendered 5 runs in the top of the 3rd.  This game eventually wound up 8-4 in favor of the Knights.  Adding insult to injury, or in this case, injury to insult, Slappy Orozco was hurt running the basepaths, and will miss the rest of the postseason. 

Game 3 was dominated by Jorge Luna, who gave up 1 run on just 3 hits in 7 innings of work.  Eric Shultz led the offense with a 3-for-4 day, driving in a pair of runs.  Kichibei Aoki, filling in for Slappy Orozco at 2B, went 1 for 5 with an RBI. 

Next up, game 4 in Ohio.  Ruben Soto had been slated to start, but after the way game 1 went we may see a curveball from the Aviators management.

Since roster moves are not allowed during the offseason, the Slappy Orozco injury leaves the Aviators with just 3 healthy bats on the bench.  Don't be surprised to see P Gabe Wilkerson swing over to the bench to make a pinch hitting appearance or two.

[Chappy]

Recap of Games 4-6
Aviators and Knights going to game 7...

Game 4 of the NC-OH series featured a surprise starter for the Aviators, as Jorge Luna was scratched in favor of 37-year-old veteran Don Wilson.  Wilson's effort was sufficient, as he allowed 2 ER in 6 innings and picked up the win.  Wilson gave up the 2 runs in the first inning, but by the time he left the game, the Aviators were ahead comfortably.  NC scored 3 in the 4th, 8 in the 5th, and once more in the top of the 6th en route to a 12-2 victory, out hitting the Knights 18-6.  Eric Schultz had a grand slam in the win, and Kichibei Aoki went 3-for-4 with a double and a HR and 4 RBI in place of injured 2B Slappy Orozco.  5 Aviators had 3 hits in the game.

Game 5 saw the Aviators outhit the Knights 12-8, but they just couldn't get the runs across the plate and fell 5-1.  Cristobal Castillo and Sal Belcher each had 3 hits.  Ruben Soto allowed 2 ER in 6 innings, fanning 7, but 2 more unearned runs scored as well.  Dave Haug was fantastic on the mound for Ohio.

In game 6, Jorge Luna, who was scratched as the game 4 starter, returned to the mound.  Luna allowed just 1 run on 6 hits in 6 innings, improving to 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA in 2 postseason starts.  The Aviators pounded out 16 hits and won 5-1.  Pete Farmer had an RBI triple for his first RBI of the postseason, and pulled his average up to .250 with a 2-for-4 line.  Eric Schultz and Rod Mosley each had 3 hits, and 4 other players each had 2 hits. 

Game 7 is on deck, and while it's good to be at home, no home team has won a game in this series.  You heard that right; the road team has won every game in this series.  Hopefully that changes in game 7!

[Chappy]

Aviators Drop Game 7, Ohio Advances
Rookie Schultz named Series MVP in Losing Effort

In a script that feels very familiar, the home team built an early lead but the road team prevailed in game 7 of the Wildcard Series.

The Aviators jumped out to a 5-run lead in the bottom of the first inning, but never saw another run cross the plate as Ohio crept back into the game and eventually took the final 6-5 lead in the top of the 6th inning. 

And while it was a disappointing end to the series/season, it was a season to be proud of for the Aviators.  The young squad should have a handful of runs still in them, so this is more of a starting point than an finishing point.

Rookie 1B Eric Schultz was 2-for-5 in the finale and posted a .484-2-8 line, good for MVP honors.

[Chappy]

Aviators Draft Curry in First Round
18-year-old Catcher stood out at St. Louis High; reminded scouts of Mashashi Ageda

The North Carolina Aviators have taken St. Louis HS catcher Dan Curry with the 14th overall pick in the 2032 draft.

Curry has the kind of leadership you want from a catcher, and was awarded the AHS RL Glove Wizard Award for catcher for the 2032 season.  His 43:30 BB/K ratio this season was encouraging, and he hit .500 in 5 games during the AHS Playoffs.

[Chappy]

Aviators Snag Slugger Shepherd in Second Round
World celebrates alliteration in post title

Kokomo, Indiana native Jim Shepherd became the second player drafted by North Carolina in the 2032 amateur draft.

Shepherd followed an impressive freshman campaign at O'Hara Township College with a dominant sophomore season in which he was named ACOL AC Outstanding Hitter.  Shepherd hit .336-35-113 in 100 games, taking home two Player of the Week Awards and two Batter of the Month Awards along the way.  Jim is a two-time collegiate all-star who can play Right Field defensively at a high level, and the Aviators are very happy to have landed him in the second round.

[Chappy]

Explorers Release Henneberry, Stalnacker
Veteran outfielders released to make room for youth

North Carolina AAA Affiliate Raleigh announced this morning that veteran outfielders Ezra Henneberry and Phil Stalnacker have been released.

According to family members, both players hope to continue playing baseball elsewhere.

Henneberry was a 6th round pick (113th overall) with a powerful swing.  By the time he reached AAA, he had developed a large following at minor league parks.  In 2023, at age 22, he crushed 56 HR* and drove in 141 runs in just 122 games for Raleigh.  He earned a late season call-up and hit .300-2-7 in 30 AB with the Aviators.  He spent 2024-28 with the Aviators, peaking with a .253-17-32 line in 2026.  Since the start of 2029, Henneberry has bounced between Raleigh and the Aviators.  His final numbers with the Aviators: .234-42-134 in 1,379 at bats; a far cry from his .310-181-515 line in 2,035 AB with AAA Raleigh.  At age 32, it was clear that Ezra was not going to stick with the Aviators, and it was time to give up his spot in Raleigh to someone with more upside.

Stalnacker was an 8th round pick (141st overall) in 2023, 4 years after Henneberry was drafted.  Stalnacker also showed a lot of promise in the minor leagues.  His career AAA numbers are .337-17-54, but last season his playing time regressed and he hit just .245 in Raleigh.  Sparingly used off the bench, Stalnacker had become frustrated with his role within the organization.  At 27, he's too old to be of use down in AA, and there are too many players ahead of him on the depth chart in AAA.  In fact, he has started only 27 games over the past 3 seasons.  Stalnacker struck out in his only big league at bat.

Edgar Rivas and Luke Huisman, who starred for AA Greensboro last season, have been called up to AAA to take the place of the dearly departed.

* As of November 10th, 2032, Henneberry's 56 HR in the Explorer League is the 3rd highest total in any of the AFBL network of leagues.  Dave Malone hit 57 in the (A) Confederation league in 2018 and P.J. Foley hit 58 in the AFBL in 2014.

[Chappy]

Aviators Snag Fire Ant in Third Round
Young First Basemen hit .351-32-147 in high school career

The Aviators need to get at least 1 and as many as 3 first basemen in the draft, and they grabbed a good one today in the third round.  Arturo Gonzalez carried a big stick for the Phoenix High Fire Ants, hitting .340-13-44 as a sophomore, .342-8-52 as a junior, and .373-11-51 as a senior.  Coaches spoke highly of Arturo's loyalty, desire to win and his work ethic, but warned Aviators brass of his lackluster defensive play.

It was not enough to scare the Aviators away from the 6'3", 205-pound player.  Gonzalez will be assigned to (R) Delray Beach at the conclusion of the amateur draft, where he will compete for playing time against Alec Avery.  Avery, last year's 4th round pick, showed good power but struggled at the plate to a .226-12-62 line, fanning 159 times in 124 games.  Avery did, however, not commit an error in 30 starts at 1B (Gonzalez committed 11 miscues in 50 games his senior year).

[Chappy]

Aviators Finally Add Pitcher
Club takes Ron Powell in 4th round

With the 14th pick in the 4th round (#74 overall), the North Carolina Aviators claimed 2-time collegiate All-Star Ron Powell.

While Powell managed just a 5-10 record in 42 starts for Corpus Christie College, many around him think he could develop into an excellent big-leaguer. 

"I'm happy for him, but he's kind of a dick" a teammate - who wishes to remain anonymous told our reporter after the draft.  "He's got talent, but it's all about him, and the team comes second.  I'm kinda glad he's graduating." 

Another teammate, pitcher Rusty Farrington, shared similar concerns.  "Ronnie can pitch.  I wish I could throw a slider like he does.  But he turns into a little bitch whenever things don't go his way.  He's very unpleasant to be around when the team is going through tough times.  Like this year, we finished in last.  And all he talked about was graduating and moving on, and playing on a team with 'more talent around him'.  I'd wanted to throat-punch him when he said that."

Ron isn't too bothered by the criticism.

"No, it's true, I want to win.  I give it my all, and sometimes when things happen that are outside of what you can control, it gets frustrating.  Try playing with a guy like Rusty on your team.  You leave the mound with a 5-3 lead and then a guy like him comes in throwing meat, and next thing you know you're down 7-5.  **** him."

When asked what he thinks about potentially playing for North Carolina's Liberty League affiliate, the Delray Beach Grasshoppers, who were just 55-85 last season, Ron didn't sound too upset.

"It's different in pro ball.  We're getting paid, it's do or die.  I don't have a problem with calling someone out if they can't play.  Besides, I won't be in rookie league long.  Once they see my slider and my cutter I'll be on to A ball.  I see myself playing a month or two at each level, finishing the year in the bigs.  As long as I'm allowed to be me, and none of these chumps try to hold me back, I'm going to have a great career.  And make a lot of money."

[Chappy]

Fifth Round of Draft Yields 2nd First Base Prospect
1B Chris Grant is a character guy; the anti-Powell even...

So what do you do after taking a highly polarizing figure like Ronnie Powell?

You find a good guy and hope the media forgets about the prior pick.

The Aviators did just that, taking Chris Grant out of Loving High.  Grant has an imposing stature; the 6'4", 210 lb 18-year-old looks more like a football player than a baseball star.  But despite his size, he's a guy other guys want to be around.  While not the sharpest knife in the drawer, he works harder than anyone else and leads by example.  He was captain of his high school team for two years and coaches say he makes everyone around him better.

In three seasons on the varsity club at Loving High, he hit .343-16-86.

Grant is going to have a tough road to the majors.  He faces stiff competition in rookie league Delray Beach, where he will battle with 3rd round pick Arturo Gonzalez and former 4th round pick Alec Avery for playing time.  Scouts like Grant the least of the three, but who doesn't like a good underdog story?