North Lincoln High wins The Charlotte Observer’s Sweet 16 baseball title

When North Lincoln High School began the season 1-5, winning The Charlotte Observer’s Sweet 16 high school baseball championship, or even making the playoffs, probably seemed a long way off.

But after that slow start, the Knights won eight of their next 11 games. And after that, North Lincoln really got rolling — winning 12 games in a row to reach the N.C. High School Athletic Association state championship series.

In Game 1 of the finals, North Lincoln lost a 4-1 lead to Greenville’s J.H. Rose High in the final inning, making a couple of throwing errors on the game-winning play.

But the Knights overcame that, just like they had overcome starting 1-5.

North Lincoln shut out Rose in back-to-back games the next day, winning the state title on May 31.

Now, as Sweet 16 champions, and the only Observer-area team to win a state title this season, North Lincoln will receive a large banner in school colors to display in its gymnasium.

The Knights win the banner despite not being ranked in the final poll of the regular-season.

Note: The Observer’s poll is compiled by longtime N.C. high school expert Alex Bass and ranks the top teams in the media company’s coverage area that are members of a recognized state association, currently the NCHSAA or the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association.

The coverage area includes schools in the following counties: Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln and Union.