Interesting developments out of N.C. State. Reserve forward Josh Davis and reserve guard Julius Mays have transferred.

It was expected that Mays would be gone, but the process was hung up, and last week it appeared as though he'd be staying. Now, not only is Mays out, but Davis is too.

This could be great news for Rocky Mount High senior Tashawn Mabry, who has a scholarship offer from the Wolfpack. His main reason for not listing N.C. State at the top of his list seemed to be playing time. That could change now. He enjoyed his official visit to the University of Rhode Island last week and has also received an offer from the Rams. Other schools on his list: Wyoming and Jacksonville.

Wednesday is the last day of the NCAA signing period, so stay tuned to the Rocky Mount Telegram and on Twitter (NickCammarota) to find out where the Twin Counties' alltime leading scorer will attend school.

As good as the Gryphons' offense has been recently, there's little doubt that in order for Rocky Mount to go deep in the NCHSAA 3-A state playoffs, it will need Hobbs Johnson and Benton Moss to, well, keep doing what they've been doing all season.

In the latest rankings released by NCPreps.com, Johnson and Moss appeared numerous times.

Here's a look:

Wins (min 8)

Ryan Gibson - Fairmont - 10
Tyler Llequire (jr) - East Davidson - 9
Kyle Hufham - North Brunswick - 9
Brandon Warren (jr) - Hertford County - 9
Jordan Ramsey (jr) - North Davidson - 9
Hobbs Johnson - Rocky Mount - 9
Carlos Rodson - Holly Springs - 8
Hunter Jones - Smithfield-Selma - 8
Thomas Allen - East Rowan - 8
Logan Deaver - South Lenoir - 8
Parks Smithey (jr) - Wilkes Central - 8
Dillon Maples (jr) - Pinecrest - 8
Daniel Stewart (jr) - Charlotte Catholic - 8
Benton Moss (jr) - Rocky Mount - 8

Earned Run Average (min 1.50 - 40 IP)

B.B. Browne - Gray's Creek - 0.46
Dillon Maples (jr) Pinecrest - 0.54
Ryan Gibson - Fairmont - 0.62
Preston Morrison (jr) - Cuthbertson - 0.82
William Prince - Fike - 1.04
Matthew Spell (jr) - Midway - 1.04
Brandon Huffman - South View - 1.04
Tyler Herbert - Gray's Creek - 1.05
Daniel Stewart (jr) - Charlotte Catholic - 1.11
Nathan Arp - Terry Sanford - 1.25
Kyle Britt (jr) - Fairmont - 1.26
Kyle Pittman (fr) - Forest Hills - 1.27
Dillon Bray (soph) - 1.29
Sam Laws (jr) - West Iredell - 1.30
Ronald Womack - Hoke - 1.32
Benton Moss (jr) - Rocky Mount - 1.37
Trey Smith - Trask - 1.37
Kyle Hufham - North Brunswick - 1.37
Matthew Bryant - Wallace-Rose Hill - 1.38
Hobbs Johnson - Rocky Mount - 1.43
Jordan Ramsey (jr) - North Davidson - 1.47

Strikeouts (min 75)

Brandon Warren (jr) - Hertford - 123
Brandon Huffman - South View - 115
Matthew Bryant - Wallace-Rose Hill - 106
Ryan Gibson - Fairmont - 104
Ronald Womack - Hoke County - 102
Logan Deaver - South Lenoir - 100
Carlos Rodson - Holly Springs - 99
Benton Moss (jr) - Rocky Mount - 99
Dillon Maples (jr) - Pinerest - 99
Jordan Ramsey (jr) - North Davidson - 97
B.B. Browne - Gray's Creek - 93
Austin Cooke - Holmes - 89
Matt Lisk - South Stanly - 87
William Prince - Fike - 86
Hobbs Johnson - Rocky Mount - 85
Colten Burris - South Stanly - 83
Loren King - East Henderson - 82
Matthew Spell (jr) - Midway - 82
Cody Geyer - North Buncombe - 80
Tyler Llequire (jr) - East Davidson - 78
Kyle Hufham - North Brunswick - 77
Joe Pistacchio - Green Hope - 76
Baron Roberts - Hiwassee Dam - 75

Of those three categories listed, Rocky Mount is the only school to have two pitchers crack every list. In fact, the only list with two pitchers from the same school on it is ERA, where Gray's Creek and Fairmont both boast two hurlers.

Clearly, the Gryphons' talented, North Carolina-bound duo isn't only good compared to Big East competition, but on a state-wide level.

The first test for a team with high expectations in the postseason comes Friday at Gryphon Stadium against Greenville Conley. The Vikings (13-11), despite being the third-seeded team in the Coastal Conference, are a tough draw for Rocky Mount as junior Ryan Gupton will likely be on the mound for Conley. Gumpton has verbally committed to East Carolina, so it's safe to say we could be looking at a pitchers' duel.

Which is really what, at least from Rocky Mount's point of view, the Gryphons could be looking at all postseason.

Well, now that the Big East regular season has come to a close and four teams are gearing up for the state playoffs (Rocky Mount High, Wilson Fike, Wilson Hunt, Nash Central) we figured it'd be a good time to take a look at how the area clubs did during their 10-game slate and assign some grades. After all, it is getting close to finals time...

We'll go in reverse order of the final Big East standings:

*Note: Final record does not include non-conference games teams may play next week, but the record is accurate as of May 7.

Southern Nash
Final record: 5-14 (0-10 Big East)
Coach: Jeff Flowers

Offense: Obviously, it wasn't the best season for the Firebirds' offense. Granted, the whole team plays a part in wins and losses, but Southern Nash's lineup lacked the necessary pop to strike fear into opponents. Tevin Boykin provided a great amount of speed at the top of the order, but when he got on base, it was hard for the Firebirds to drive him in. Daniel Tyson and Luke Mercer (who missed some time because he was ejected from a game against Northern Nash) were solid, but as a whole, the lineup struggled to produce. That's a large reason why Southern Nash failed to win a conference contest. Grade: D+
Defense: It's hard to say that the defense on a 5-14 team was good, but the Firebirds did play pretty solid behind their pitchers. Tyler Jenkins, especially, who made a number of difficult plays at third base look easy throughout the course of the season. Boykin has great speed in center and got to a lot of balls that most would not have caught. And J.D. Sherrod did a nice job behind the plate handling a shaky staff. Grade: C-
Pitching: The horse was more of a pony this season. Kyle Shields, who had a breakout campaign last year, struggled as the team's ace. He was never able to settle down and consistently hit the strikezone, nor was he able to work out of jams. Daniel Tyson proved slightly more effective, but doesn't have the makeup or stuff of an ace. Unfortunately for the Firebirds, this is the area of their team that hurt them most and it will need to vastly improve if Southern Nash hopes to get better next season . Grade: D-
Overall: It was certainly a down year for Flowers' bunch, marred by internal struggle and some sloppy baseball. The Firebirds will head to the offseason with plenty of question marks before the start of next year. Grade: D

Northern Nash

Final record: 4-15 (2-8 Big East)
Coach: Eddie Loesner

Offense: It was a long season for Loesner's Knights, which didn't get their first win until April 1, but Northern Nash did improve steadily as the season rolled along. After playing five-inning games for the majority of the non-conference schedule, the Knights began to produce better baseball as they gained confidence. The lineup has good hitters in it, but they seemingly never jived at the same time, or all at once in the same game, for that matter. Fuller Weatherly proved to be a tough out at he top of the order and Brandon Denton and Madison Mayo had a lot of pop. Luke Joyner was also one of the Knights' better hitters, but again – hitting with runners in scoring position wasn't the team's strength. Jeremy Lucas is built like a good hitter and has shown he can mash in the past, but was inconsistent at the plate this season. Grade: C+
Defense: Not good, not bad, not game-changing. The Knights struggled to find a catcher to replace Tyler Clark (who now plays at N.C. Wesleyan) as Grant Stallings went through his fair share of ups and downs. Jeremy Lucas had some arm issues that prevented him from playing third base as well as he could and the outfield was average. Denton did make one of the better diving catches of the season, though, on Thursday, against Rocky Mount. Grade: C
Pitching: Two big, right-handed workhorses carried the rotation this year, and it wore on the Knights, who didn't have much of a bullpen. Brandon Denton and Madison Mayo did the majority of the tossing – both burly kids who mix in off-speed pitches well. They were counted on for a lot of innings this season and it hurt their ERAs a bit, but all things considered, they pitched well. Mayo especially, down the stretch, with a gutsy performance against Rocky Mount in the final game of the season. Grade: C
Overall: The Knights started the year in ruins and ended with a foundation. This season wasn't one that the fans at Northern Nash are accustomed to seeing (or want to remember), but if the way they ended is any indication (especially the ability to come back late in games), next year should be better. Grade: C

Nash Central

Final record: 14-8 (4-6 Big East)
Coach: Jeff Mizelle

Offense: The Bulldogs have some hitters, make no mistake. T.J. Taylor, Jordan Taylor, Jalen Hendricks and Tyler Mizelle can all put a good swing on the ball. Again, it comes down to situational hitting and smart hitting. As evidenced by their 14 wins and nice showing at the Tarboro Easter Classic, Nash Central is a good ball club, they just seem to be doomed by big innings against them or missed opportunities at the plate. And those missed opportunities usually come by leaving runners on base. Still, they were a decent offense threat all season. Grade: B-
Defense: This grade could very well be applied just for the four-error seventh-inning meltdown they had against Northern Nash on their home field, but there were other instances of shaky defense, too. Mizelle wasn't as sure-handed as the Bulldogs would have liked at third, and a dropped popup in foul territory against Rocky Mount (at Gryphon Stadium), dearly hurt the Bulldogs' chances of pulling a great upset. As it was, they only lost the game 3-2. Defense is certainly something they can work on in preparation for the state playoffs next week. Grade: C-
Pitching: Both Jordan Taylor and T.J. Taylor anchored a rotation that was pretty darn good over the course of the season. Naturally, they had trouble against the better lineups (Hunt, Fike, Rocky Mount), but overall, the group performed well, including senior T.J. Taylor's six-inning performance against Northern Nash on Senior Night that all-but locked the Bulldogs into that final playoff spot. Grade: B+
Overall: It will be a hard go of it for the Bulldogs in the state playoffs as the seeding won't do them any favors. They'll face the top-seeded team in the Eastern Carolina Conference next week. With a decent lineup and a solid staff, Nash Central could pull an upset, but don't hold your breath. Grade: B-

*Note: Didn't get to see these teams play as much at all, so these recaps will be a little shorter. Sorry, folks.

Wilson Fike

Final record: 6-4 (16-6 Big East)

Offense: Seeing what the offense did against Rocky Mount isn't a good litmus test, so this is a stab in the dark, but being able to win six conference games isn't too shabby. Grade: B
Defense: Daniel Moore plays a mean center field. Grade: B
Pitching: Michael McLawhorn performed well against the Gryphons in Rocky Mount. Grade: B+
Overall: The third-seed out of the Big East will face the top-seeded team out of the Coastal conference in the playoffs. Grade: B

Wilson Hunt

Final record: 8-2 (18-4 Big East)

Offense: Kyle Pittman hit two grand slams in one inning. Can't be all that bad... Grade: A
Defense: No complaints here. Grade: A-
Pitching: Zack Lee did well against Rocky Mount. Hobbs Johnson was just better. Grade: A-
Overall: They draw the second-seeded team out of the Eastern Carolina conference in the first round of the playoffs. Grade: A-

Rocky Mount

Final record: 21-2 (10-0 Big East)
Coach: Kent Cox

Offense: This was the huge question mark coming into the season, but 25 home runs later and the lofty averages of Matthew Berry, Collins Cuthrell and Thomas Berry, prove the Gryphons can hit. The one concern coach Kent Cox did state is that he's worried teams may start pitching around that great trio in the playoffs. If they do, he'll need other solid contributors, like Parker Helms, Spencer Bell and Michael Whitehead, to step up. Overall, though, Rocky Mount will hit a fastball and hit it hard. Whether that applies to plus breaking pitches remains to be seen in the weeks to come. Grade: A-
Defense: Cox drilled defensive instincts into this group from the second he took over, and it shows. They Gryphons play the field about as well as anyone in the area. Collins Cuthrell has been phenomenal at shortstop after moving over from third, the outfield doesn't let much of anything drop and, aside from allowing a few more steals than he'd like, Thomas Berry has been solid behind the plate. Defense is one aspect of what will take the Gryphons far in the playoffs. The other... Grade: A+
Pitching: Hobbs Johnson and Benton Moss were flat-out unhittable in the Big East season. The duo allowed six earned runs combined in 10 starts and both went 5-0. Both possess a plus fastball, Johnson's curve (especially from the left side) is lethal to high school hitters and Moss has a very deceptive changeup. The Gryphons will go as far as this pair takes them in the postseason. Grade: A+
Overall: There's a lot to like here. They Gryphons play near-flawless defense, hit the ball around, hit well with men on base and have two pitchers going to the University of North Carolina. They draw the third-seeded team out of the Coastal conference in the first round. Should be fun. Grade: A+

Wednesday night's contest at Gryphon Stadium had a different feel. Both Rocky Mount and Wilson Hunt had a bit more bounce in their step as they worked through infield drills and the chatter among the spectators (and in the dugouts) was palpable.

"That's the type of atmosphere you want for a high school baseball game," Gryphons coach Kent Cox said afterward.

After all, it was a battle for first place. If the Gryphons lost, they would have fallen into a tie for first with three games remaining. If they won, they'd jump two games ahead of the Warriors – a nice place to be considering the two won't face each other again in the regular season.

The first time the foes met, Rocky Mount won, 7-3, with junior right-hander Benton Moss tossing six shutout innings before turning it over to the bullpen. So including Johnson's 5-0 shutout performance Wednesday night, one of the top offenses in the Big East hasn't scored a run against Rocky Mount starting pitching in 13 innings.

Defense and pitching are what Cox emphasizes every day at practice, and right now, it's paying off. The Gryphons were ranked second in IMPACT baseball's statewide poll behind Pikeville Aycock.

Here's a look at four Gryphons who played a pivotal role in what can be considered Rocky Mount's biggest win of the season, to date.

1) Hobbs Johnson

Johnson has been nothing short of filthy in his last three outings, striking out 32, allowing six hits (only two for extra bases) and no runs during that time span. The more his confidence can build and the more his pitches can develop against conference competition, the better off the Gryphons will be when it comes time to face stiff competition in the playoffs.

"If he does that the rest of the year, we’re going to have a good run at it. For him to finally be able to throw the ball with confidence around the plate is big for a kid, or anybody," Cox said.

The North Carolina-bound left-hander was fantastic Wednesday night (in a game that was originally scheduled for Tuesday) blanking a tough lineup after struggling through the first two innings. Johnson had 46 pitches after two frames, but settled in nicely after that.

To give you an idea of just how good Johnson has been in his last three starts, here's a look at some of his pitching stats compiled over 20 innings of work:

ERA (Earned Run Average): 0.00
WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched): 0.45
K/BB (Strikeout to Walk ratio): 10.67
K/7 (Strikeouts per 7 innings): 11.2
BB/7 (Walks per 7 innings): 1.05
BABIP (Batting Average on Balls In Play): 0.167
FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching): 0.45

2) Thomas Berry

Berry delivered the knockout punch Wednesday, and he did it early. Four batters into the game, the Gryphon's catcher sent a 2-1 offering from Warriors starter Ches Lamm roughly 370 feet over the right-center field fence for a grand slam. While Berry circled the bases, a few of the players started jawing at one another and Wilson Hunt was apparently upset that Rocky Mount's dugout congregated on the circle around home plate – where players aren't supposed to stand. That kicked emotions up a notch (as if they weren't high enough) and the two teams played very inspired baseball after that.

Berry came through again for Rocky Mount with his fifth RBI of the night in the third inning. The importance of his first-inning grand slam, however, can not be understated.

"Usually with Benton and me, if you can get one or two, we’ll be alright. That just let me ease in a whole lot better when we had the 4-0 lead," Johnson said.

"It means a lot, especially having a pitcher like Hobbs. We’ve got two of the best pitchers in the state and when we get ahead by four in the first inning, that’s huge. It’s going to be hard to come back," Berry said.

3) Matthew Berry

You kept hearing various reports about how badly Rocky Mount's first baseman was injured after a freak accident where he stepped on a bat in practice and tore a few ligaments in his right ankle. A week ago, Cox predicted Berry would be back for Thursday's game against Wilson Fike, but he was back one game earlier and the Gryphons were happy to have him.

"He’s a very good bat and a very good fielder for us," Johnson said of Berry.

In his return, after missing four games, Berry went 1-for-3 with a run and reached on an error. He also flew out to left.

Having him back in the lineup against Wilson Hunt wasn't only uplifting for morale, it allowed Cox to structure the lineup as he sees fit: with Berry in the leadoff spot, Bell hitting second and Michael Whitehead, who had been batting second for a while, in the nine-hole.

4) Spencer Bell

Bell was back to hitting second because of Berry's return and pieced together some nice at-bats. In the first inning, Berry reached on a nubber to the left of the mound that he beat out for an infield hit. That put two runners on with no outs and after shortstop Collins Cuthrell walked, it was time for Berry's early-game heroics.

In the third inning, it was Bell who set the stage again. This time, he smoked a double off the wall in right and coasted into second standing after fouling off two pitches with an 0-2 count. After a rare strikeout by Cuthrell, Berry singled in Bell to give the Gryphons a 5-0 lead.

Bell also made a few nice plays at third – one in the fifth and one in the sixth – both of which were the first out of the inning and came on the first pitch of the inning.

Here are the updated Big East standings through April 28.