Linwood Hedgepeth long ago left his stamp on the game of baseball in this Whiteville community of 5,500 residents. Four decades ago, he staked claim to having more graduates of his program playing collegiate baseball than any high school coach in the country. He has sent a handful of players to the major leagues.
So, when Hedgepeth began a conversation with Evan Gore, the father of a left-handed pitcher who at the time was a seventh-grader, the elder Gore was all ears.
“You don’t realize what you’ve got here,” Hedgepeth said, pointing to the young player.
Evan Gore is fully aware now, five years later, of his son’s immense potential as a pitcher.