Scotty McCreery lived out his dream Saturday afternoon: one of the dreams he had before he became an “American Idol.”

McCreery played in his first varsity baseball game for the Garner Trojans, pitching the seventh inning of the Trojans’ 8-7 loss to Fuquay-Varina, one of the area’s best teams.

Missing a Tar Heel presence on this season of "American Idol" now that all our North Carolinians have been eliminated?

At least you'll get to hear last year's "Idol" winner, Garner High School senior Scotty McCreery, left, when each of the remaining 13 finalists is ejected.

"Idol" producers announced today that Scotty has recorded a new version of Tim McGraw's hit "Please Remember Me," which will be played over farewell video montages when contestants are voted out. The final 13 perform live tonight, with the contestant receiving the fewest viewer votes being sent home on Thursday night's live show.

"It's always a sad time whenever this song is played, but it's definitely a really big part of the show," says Scotty, 18.

His version of the song also will be available as a single on iTunes starting Thursday.

As "American Idol" inches closer to naming its Top 13 on Thursday, North Carolina's hopes for the next Scotty McCreery are down to just one -- country singer Chelsea Sorrell, right, of Stokesdale, just north of Greensboro.

Chelsea, 23, who also tried out for the popular singing competition last season but didn't make the voting rounds, will perform tonight, along with 11 other women hoping to make the finals. Based on viewer votes, the top 5 men and top 5 women will advance to the Top 13, along with one wildcard pick each from judges Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Wacky Old Uncle Steven Tyler.

Fayetteville residents had hoped David Leathers Jr. -- the baby-faced singer who had received lots of screen time earlier this season -- would make the cut as a surprise on Tuesday night's show. Producers had listed David as one of four previously ejected male singers who would be invited back.

Clayton's Vernessa Hinnant and Coach Marlon Lee leads the Greater Neuse Conference all-conference girls basketball team.

Garner's Dominique Reed and Coach Eddie Gray win Greater Neuse 4A honors

Seventeen area prep softball teams will have a final tune up for the 2012 season Friday and Saturday in the Miracle League Softball Jamboree at Smithfield Community Park.
Scrimmages will be held Friday from 4:30 until 8 p.m. featuring Clayton, Harnett Central, North Johnston and Cleveland.
Saturday's scrimmages start at 9 a.m. and feature 13 teams: West Johnston, Garner, Hope Mills South View, South Johnston, Fayetteville Cape Fear, Princeton, Triton, Fayetteville Pine Forest, Southern Pines Pinecrest, Corinth Holders, Athens Drive and event host Smithfield-Selma.

Garner will host Millbrook in a clash of Triangle powers on Friday, with the winner advancing to next week's regionals. It's not the only high-powered showdown, as Apex, Clayton and Person travel to some of the state's top teams.

Oxford Webb and Isaiah Hicks play at Fayetteville Westover, while Triton hosts Northeastern Guilford.

All game times are 7 p.m.

"American Idol" finally -- FINALLY -- will winnow down to its 24 finalists this week, following nearly two months of sob stories, bad auditions and highly manufactured drama. (OMG, that girl just fell off the stage!!! Is she dead??? Um, no. Just dehydrated. Please move on.)

So will another North Carolinian take the title now held by last year's winner, Garner High School senior Scotty McCreery? There are still a few in the mix, though none seems to have received as much early-season airtime as Scotty did last year.

David Leathers Jr. of Fayetteville, right, -- the ladies man with the voice of a young Michael Jackson -- has been featured on the show a few times. And his group performance of "Rockin' Robin" (natch) last week from Las Vegas was pretty good. He's still in the pack.

1A Boys
Rocky Mount Prep at Princeton, 7
2A Boys
Corinth Holders at Reidsville, 7
4A Boys
Wakefield at Garner, 7
Wilmington Hoggard at Clayton, 7
1A Girls
Princeton at Lakewood, 6:30
3A Girls
Nash Central at Cleveland, 6
4A Girls
Southern Durham at Southeast Raleigh, 7

4A Boys
Garner 80, Sanderson 58
Wilmington Hoggard 59, Southeast Raleigh 57
Clayton 73, Athens Drive 52
4A Girls
Southeast Raleigh 68, Enloe 56
Wakefield 70, Clayton 58