Former Panther Creek boys basketball coach L.J. Hepp will be a head coach next year for a team you've probably never heard of. Unless you're familiar with the Oita Heat Devils of the BJL - Basketball Japan League.

The man who had the Catamounts ranked No. 1 in the state for most of the 2008-09 season spent this past season on the University of South Carolina staff as director of basketball operations.

And if you thought Columbia was a culture shock, you can just imagine what lies ahead. Hepp will have a translator and three bilingual assistants on his staff.

Hepp signed a three-year deal to lead Oita.

Hepp's Catamounts finished 28-3 in his final season, losing in the fourth round of the NCHSAA 4-A playoffs after three players, including two Division I players, were suspended by the school after the second round.

Hepp, a Leesville Road High School and University of North Carolina graduate, led Panther Creek in each of its first three seasons.

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Justin Manning didn't take long to make up his mind about where he wanted to play college baseball.

He committed to UNC-Wilmington on July 20, about a week after coaches there offered Manning a scholarship.

The catcher/pitcher from Holly Springs competed in this past year's USA Baseball Tournament of Stars as an alternate and made the best of it.

Manning is the third Holly Springs player to have committed to a college. Classmates Carlos Rodon (N.C. State) and Kyle Byrd (UNC-Asheville) have also pulled the trigger on where they wish to play in college.

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The Carolina RailHawks announced on Friday that Scottish Premiere League forward Alan Russell had been signed to a contract.

The move is still pending USSF approval.

Russell had been anticipated to sign with Carolina as early as July 14 but did not make the venture to Cary until this past week.

Russell played the full 90 minutes on Tuesday in a 1-0 loss to Rochester.

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Holly Springs' Carlos Rodon and Green Hope's Joe Pistacchio made the all-state 4-A baseball team.

Rodon went 10-1 with a 0.80 ERA for the Golden Hawks while Pistacchio posted a 1.80 ERA to go along with one save and a 6-2 record.