Abbeville – No coach wants to win more than Abbeville High baseball coach Daniel Little. But sometimes young teams have to learn how to win before championships become a reality.
Little came away pleased overall with the way the 2023 season turned out for his Panthers. The overall record of 13-16 may not be pleasing to the eye but Little saw more than wins and losses.
“I thought we really finished strong,” the coach said. “ We made it to the district finals as a No. 4 seed. There was a time when we weren’t sure if we would even make the playoffs. I am really proud of the way the young guys responded. We grew up a lot this year and we gave ourselves a chance to compete.”
Abbeville won seven of their last 10 games to close out the season, which gives Little a shot of confidence in what the future holds.
“Even we were struggling, the kids never stopped working and never stopped playing,” the coach said. “We had some young guys out there and I think they just lacked confidence early on. This team came a long way from where they started.”
Abbeville was without one of their top pitchers for the duration of the season so Little had to piece mail the workers on the mound. Junior Hunter Overholt was the top performer on the bump, earning seven wins. Freshman Grady Overholt came up and was able to gain a lot of experience. Chase Fisher also was a valuable asset on the mound.
Fisher was one of three seniors who saw regular time in the lineup. He ended up with a .321 batting average. Senior outfielder Bryson Hershberger batted .277 this spring and senior catcher Jackson Uldrick led the team with a .354 batting average.
Hunter Overholt was a key contributor at the plate with a .353 batting average. Ben Overholt hit .280 and Thomas Booth hit .247 but with 12 RBIs.
Jude Dowis was another contributor on the mound, putting in 33 innings of work.
“We have a lot of kids returning and we should get the injured pitcher back so we have a lot to work with,” Little said. “We have a lot of work to do but I feel like we have a good group. They are not afraid to get dirty and to work. I’m excited about next year for sure.”
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