Florence Christian baseball looking for another big season

           Florence – Starting 0-2 in region play in any sport is never a desired result, but that’s what the Florence Christian School baseball team did. However, there was a bit of a caveat with that as the Eagles took 2-time defending state champion Pee Dee Academy down to the wire in both contests.

           FCS lost at home 3-0 in nine innings before falling 3-2 in walk-off fashion in the bottom of the seventh inning on March 29 in Mullins. Eagles head coach Josh Guthrie hopes his team has turned the corner.

           “First 10 games of the season, we were still trying to figure out who we were after losing a few key players from last year’s team,” said Guthrie, whose squad was 7-5 overall in his third year as head coach. “The last two games versus Pee Dee Academy, although both losses, the team showed up and played much better. Leadership is starting to take place, so I like where we are heading into the second half of the season.

           “The last two games versus Pee Dee Academy were some of the best baseball I have been a part of in some time, and it’s only March. No-hitters from both teams heading into late innings, squeeze plays and small ball in play trying to generate offense, walk-offs to win the game, college coaches and radar guns throughout the stands. It allows for these kids to play in some pressured and exciting baseball environments that other teams just don’t get the opportunity to. And this was just the first series of region play so far.”

           FCS, Pee Dee and defending state runner-up Williamsburg Academy all finished in a 3-way tie for first in SCISA Region 2-AAA last year at 6-2. The Eagles were 22-11 overall.

           FCS returns eight players who saw time in starting roles last year. There are seven seniors on the roster.

           Leading the way are the top two pitchers, seniors Tanner Lewis and Pierson Gray. Lewis was the Region Player of the Year with a 7-3 win-loss record and a 1.20 earned run average. Gray was All-Region, winning six games with a 1.70 ERA.

           Lewis was 4-1 this year with a 1.56 ERA and 57 strikeouts in 27 innings pitched. Gray had worked 22 1/3 innings and was 2-2 with a 2.51 ERA.

           Senior Jackson McGregor was All-Region last year is starting at shortstop and seeing time on the mound. He was 1-1 with a 1.75 ERA in eight innings and had a 2.78 batting average with three doubles and two triples.

           Sophomore Gavin Holt is in his third year on the varsity. He had worked 11 2/3 innings and had a 3.60 ERA. Junior Pierce Matthews had made six appearances, pitching four innings with a 1.75 ERA.

           Senior second baseman Landon Hardy was off to a big start. He was batting .441 and tied for the team lead in runs batted in with nine. Matthews also had nine RBI while batting .366.

           Senior Juels Huntley was hitting .276 with a team high 14 runs scored. Junior Matthew Chace (.261), Holt (.257), Lewis (.152) and junior Stone Poston (.556 on-base percentage) are also starting.

           The catcher is junior Austin Johnson, who was batting .179.