Mid-Carolina, Cheraw, Barnwell Head UP The Class AA Baseball Rankings

Barnwell Softball Starting Three talented 7 th Graders From Ponytails World Championship Team From Last Summer  By Billy G. Baker Publisher Barnwell -Last summer an 11–12-year-old Ponytails softball rec team, from Barnwell County, earned their way to the World Series finals, held in Louisiana, and the team ended up winning a national Championship. Three members of that team are now 7 th grade starters on the Barnwell Warhorse softball team head coached by Michael Beasley, who has nearly 30 years of high school softball coaching experience. “Even in my 22- plus years at Blackville-Hilda I would occasionally have a 7 th grader on the varsity but none of them ever started,” said Coach Beasley. “For us to have three 7 th graders starting, and I mean they are also major contributors, is really amazing I will tell you that.” The top hitter on the entire team is 7 th grade shortstop/pitcher/catcher Kinsey Terrapin who is batting .577 as the team went into Spring break on April, 14. Shalayah Badger is a 7 th grader who is a shortstop/pitcher/catcher and she is batting .500. The other 7 th grade starter is 3 rd baseman Genesis Walker who is batting .417 . “All three of these players have been playing softball for a long time and it is a first- time situation for me to have three 7 th grade starters on a varsity team,” said Coach Beasley. “Kinsley is a natural born hitter and she has had a hot bat all season. Genesis is versatile and she likes playing several positions, but we use her mainly at 3 rd base. Shalayah’s speed and strength for a 7 th grader is quite impressive and she is the fastest player we have on the team.” Barnwell has entered Spring break (13-3, 10-0) and they won the region once again and they have won 29 straight region games in a row going back to the 2022 season. “We feel fortunate to have got all our region games out of the way before Spring break,” said Coach Beasley. “We scheduled a lot more games this season so we have an opportunity to face good pitching by playing 8 non-region games after the break. “We will be playing quality teams like Saluda , Colleton County , Branchville , and Silver Bluff after our Spring break, and we will be playing all 8 games over a two- week period,” said Coach Beasley. “What is also nice about the way we have set things up is that we have five days to prepare for our first home playoff game after we conclude our regular season.” The rudder of the team is senior pitcher Jaidyn Devore who has signed a softball scholarship with Howard University . In her senior season, Devore is currently 6-3 with 92 K’s in 47 innings in the circle with a sterling 0.74 ERA. At the plate she is batting .265 with 13 RBI’s and two home runs. Over her long career in the Barnwell softball program, Devore has 538 career K’s, has pitched 14 no-hitters, and four perfect games in 280 innings in the circle. Her career record is 38-15. “Jaidyn has been a hard worker and very focused player over her entire career at Barnwell,” said Coach Beasley. “She’s battle tested and playing very well in her senior season. “ Sophomore Laney Grubbs is an outfielder number two pitcher for the Warhorses. She went into Spring break batting .436 with 11 RBI’s. In the circle, Grubbs is 3-0 with 21 K’s in 12 innings of work with an ERA of 2.92. “I consider Laney a next level prospect and she is one of our team leaders despite being just a sophomore,” said Coach Beasley. “Everything she does is for the team.” Starting sophomore second baseman, Molly Wilson has a nick name she certainly likes. “We call her “Hitting Machine”,” said Coach Beasley. “She rarely strikes out and she always puts the ball in play.” Senior starting third baseman Brooklyn Gordon is one of three seniors on the team. She is an all-region returner who is currently batting .389 with 10 RBI’s. Sophomore Kendall O’Berry starts in center field and she is currently batting .375 with 11 RBI’s and she leads the team with three doubles. “She is a gold glove type center fielder,” said Coach Beasley. Junior Brianna Croft has been the starting catcher the past two seasons and she comes into the break hitting .278 with 8 RBI’s. “Brianna is probably our best bunter and she makes good contact with the ball.” said Coach Beasley. Abigail Corley is a three starter in right field and she in also a returning all-region player from last season. She is currently batting .241 with 7 RBI’s. Two key reserves who round out the 13-player roster are junior Shaelyn Badger who plays first and third base along with junior Layla Bishop who is an outfielder. “With our young players maturing so quickly this season, and as well as we have been hitting the ball lately, we are certainly hoping for a deep play-off run,” said Coach Beasley. “We have averaged 13 hits a game over our last games. “Our pitching is solid and deep also,” said Coach Beasley. “We hope playing 8 non-region games over the final two weeks of the season will expose us to some good pitching and get us ready for the playoffs.” Rick Arnold is an assistant coach for the team.

Cheraw Ranked Number two In AA Baseball Ranking As Braves Host Diamond Classic Event By Billy G. Baker Publisher Cheraw -With the return of three all-region players, the Cheraw High baseball team (13-3, 10-0), under the tutelage of 27- year baseball coaching veteran David Byrd, is ranked second in the latest HSSR Class AA ranking with two weeks left in the regular season. Cheraw’s three losses have been to bigger schools North Myrtle Beach (9-5), Fort Dorchester (3-2) and Sumter (9-4). The Braves have wins over Palmetto (4-2), Waccamaw (7-4), Central (12-2 & 10-2), Andrew Jackson (11-1 & 8-3), Darlington (12-0), Buford (3-0), York Prep (6-4 & 7-5), and Chesterfield (10-0, 7-6). It was the 7-6 Braves win over Chesterfield on April, 9 that raised concerns for Coach Byrd as his team gets ready to host the Foundation Diamond Classic on April 14-15 in Cheraw. Cheraw will be joined in this event by Sumter High , McBee High , Central of Pageland , and North Central . “After we had defeated Chesterfield 10-0, the very best day we are in a dog fight with them, and we actually trailed in the game with two-out in the 7 th inning, and we felt fortunate to have won the game 7-6,” said Coach Byrd. “We still need to clean up some things on defense, and hit a little better before we can start thinking about a deep playoff run.” The three returning all-region players include senor second/baseman-outfielder Jackson Byrd who is batting .326 with 8 RBI’s coming into the Classic. Senior Brayden Michael is also back and he is leading the team at the plate with a .378 average including 12 RBI’s and 15 stolen bases. The third all-region returner is talented three sport athlete sophomore Anthony Strong who is batting .312 with 8 stolen bases. Strong, who plays at short or second base, is also the Braves number one pitcher. “Anthony is a three-sport athlete at Cheraw and he is a good football prospect for sure,” said Coach Byrd. “He is just a natural athlete with a lot of talent.” Strong is 4-1 on the mound and in 23.2 innings pitched he has 25 K’s with a 0.00 ERA. The team’s number two pitcher is Michael who is 3-1 with a 0.98 ERA. Michael has 31 K’s in 28.2 innings of mound duty. Senior Charlie Phillips , who is 6-6, provides pitching depth and he is 2-0 with 16 K’s in 16.2 innings of work. Senior Tyler Gordon adds pitching to the team and he is 1-1 with a 2.40 ERA. Other starters include senior shortstop Kaden Johnson (.262) along with senior third baseman Will Quick , second on the team in hitting at .352 with 15 RBI’s and a homer. Junior Tyler Tolson starts at either first or the outfield and sophomore Brenden Pace is doing a good job catching and he hitting .294 with 13 RBI’s. Sophomore Nick Gordon is also a top receiver on the football team and he starts in the outfield. He bats in the 6 th hole and he now hitting .286. Senior Demaris Ellerbe starts at first and he also been a designated hitter. “We are still not totally committed to one starting line-up and we have been playing around seven players up-and-down this season,” said Coach Byrd. “We hope to get everyone in the right positions once the playoffs start. “I would say in my 27 years at Cheraw, talent wise this team is one of our top five teams but we still need to clean up things on both offense and defense,” said Coach Byrd. “We are capable of a deep playoff run but we are still working hard to get several things corrected.” Three players having joined the varsity now that the junior varsity season is over. They are out-fielders Crawford Poole , Terrence Blackmon , and Kaden Thomas . Coach Byrd is assisted by Tristian Campbell , Jordan Melton , Kevin Hardee , and Rodney Byrd .

By Billy G. Baker Publisher Summerville —The Northwood Academy Chargers baseball team is rebuilding under second year head coach AJ Hickey who spent four years as an assistant coach at Goose Creek High before taking over the Chargers program in 2024. “We have made great strides in our “B” team, junior varsity, and varsity baseball programs over the past two seasons,” said Coach Hickey. “We only have two seniors and two juniors on the varsity this year and we are still developing a winning culture at the varsity level.” With only two non-region games remaining on the schedule, the Chargers are currently 6-15-1 and 3-8-1 in the region. “With realignment we have three regions comprised of 14 teams in SCISA 4-A baseball,” said Coach Hickey. “SCISA put an extra team in the three regions with realignment, but only 8 teams will make the play-offs. Unfortunately, I do not think we will make the play-offs and that was a strong goal of ours.”  Coach Hickey said the Chargers best game all season was a 0-0 tie game with First Baptist on March 28. The game had to be discontinued in the 8th inning because the field at First Baptist didn’t have lights. “That game was the best game we played all season and I doubt that we make it up but it was a region game,” said Coach Hickey. “Sophomore Eliajah Flatt (L-L) had 13 strike-outs in that game and he pitched lights out the whole game. I am telling you this kid is a prospect. He is left-handed and his fast ball is hard to hit.” Flatt, who won two games on the mound, has pitched 28.1 innings on the season with 50 strike-outs. The team’s number two pitcher is 8 th grade lefty Jhett Dungan who has thrown 37 innings with 26 strike-outs. “Dungan’s best pitch is probably his change-up,” said Coach Hickey. “Our number three pitcher is 8 th grader Wesley Boldin and he has improved a lot over the season,” said Coach Hickey. Bolden has pitched 21.2 innings with 23 strike-outs. The top hitter on the team is senior leadoff batter William Rose who is currently hitting .333 with 12 RBI’s including three triples. “Rose is a solid catcher behind the plate and he has a very strong throw to second,” said Coach Hickey. “He is a prospect for someone in my opinion.” The next Charger on the hit index is sophomore designated hitter Tyler Cumbee who is hitting .291 with 10 RBI’s to date. Cumbee also plays some in right field. The next leading hitter is junior left-fielder Jack Singleton at .282 with five RBI’s batting in the five-hole. The clean-up batter is freshman third baseman Travis Mercuri who has four RBI’s and one double so far. Senior Noah Oswald starts at short and he is batting .241 with 10 RBI’s including two doubles and a triple. “Oswald has the best set of hands I’ve ever coached,” said Coach Hickey. A leading candidate for the Most Improved Charger over the past two seasons is probably two-hole hitter Zach Welch who starts at second base. He is batting .274 with 12 RBI’s including four doubles and a triple. The team’s best offensive game of the season was a 9-4 win over Ambassador Christian , NC on March, 31. Dungan was the winning pitcher in that game tossing a three-hitter, giving up two earned runs with two K’s. In the win over AC Rose was 3-for3 with two RBI’s and a double. First baseman Nate Cross had two hits, scored two runs with one RBI. Flatt had a hit and one RBI and Singleton had a hit, scored a run and had one RBI. Mercuri had a hit and scored a run in the game and Cumbee had a hit and scored a run. Welch also had ahi tans cored a run in that big win. Some additional key reserves include freshman Mason Curti, freshman pitcher Rhett DeMars , freshman 1 st baseman Nate Cross , soph RHP Grady Livingston, and freshman OF Noah Wilder . The Chargers have been a good running team on the base paths with 38 stolen bases so far this season. Rose and Oswald are currently tied with 9 stolen bases each, and Welch is right behind with 8 stolen bases. Coach Hickey is assisted by Donovan Campbell and Kyle Gaynor .

Goose Creek's Julian Whitfield , who finished first in the long jump with a mark of 6.84 meters.

Hampton County girls track and field young but talented By Neill Kirkpatrick Special to the HSSR Varnville – The 2024 track and field season came to an exciting end for the Hampton County girls track and field as they rode to third place finishes and a fourth place in the relay races to finish in the top ten at sixth in the state AA meet. “We had a great finish last year at the State Meet but lost 12 Seniors who were all strong competitors. With a solid core returning, we want to keep improving and building back what we graduated,” said head coach Myrriah Hanna. “We have depth and numbers on our team. I am confident we will do well because of that.” Coach continued, “I feel like we are pretty steady across all events, but the area that has improved the most is the throws. The Hurricanes have depth as coach pointed out but they also return key runners in the sprints, middle distance and distance which will help develop the younger girls Junior Areyana Allen is back after finishing sixth in the 100 meters at the AA state meet last season when she set a new personal best of 12.56. She has already lowered her PR this year to 12.23 at the Iron Horse Stampede where she placed first. She is also the anchor of the 4x100 and runs the 200 with a personal best of 26.44. Taryn Hanna has been going to the state meet since she was an eighth grader in the 3200. The junior has become more of a middle-distance runner, running 800 and 1600 meters. She has also lowered her previous PR’s in both events; 5:44 in the 1600 and 2:34 in the 800. Freshman Chandler Gordon has been working hard since the 7 th grade to improve her 100-meter and 400-meter hurdle times and like her teammates has sent new PR’s in both events. In field events, sophomore Kya McQuire has been dominating shotput and has qualified for the Coaches Classic at Spring Valley with a put of 35.59 feet. She is also strong in disc with a toss of 101.60. A'Brionna Johnson is a sophomore, who is new this year and is one of the Hurricanes fastest girls on the team. She is running the 100-meter hurdles and has posted a time of 18.50 and runs the third leg on the 4x100. Two other newcomers are 7 th grader Mikah Taylor and 8th grader A'riyona Sanders. They have added depth in the sprinting events. Taylor runs the 100-meter hurdles and Sanders runs the 100 meters. “I have a very young team, with only five seniors graduating. These girls want to get better and always willing to step up and run an event for the team. They have been a very easy and hardworking group to coach,” said coach Hanna.

Johnsonville softball looking to peak at end By David Shelton Senior Writer Johnsonville – Sports is not so much about how you start but more about how you finish. Teams can slug along for most of the season, get hot at the end, and win a championship. The goal of every coach is for their team to be peaking when the games matter most. Johnsonville softball coach Walter Clark is no different. As of April 13, the Flashes were 6-8 overall but seemingly playing better each time out, according to Clark. “We’re doing pretty good, competing very well,” the coach said. “Sometimes its hard to gauge because of how good our region is. We literally could finish anywhere from second to sixth. Any of the six teams can beat another team on a given night. That’s a good thing because I think this region prepares you for the playoffs. We see good pitching every night and the teams are so well-coached. “We were in a different region last year and made the final four bracket of the Lower State. The other three teams were from this region and now we’re in it as well.” The region consists of Latta, Hannah-Pamplico, Lake View, Carver’s Bay and Green Sea Floyds. The Flashes have a win over Hannah-Pamplico and lost to region leader Latta by a run. After some experimenting, Clark feels he has settled on a lineup and that has helped the team perform better. He says defensive improvement has been a key as well. “Playing better defense has been a key of late,” the coach said. Junior Natalee Taylor is back as the team’s No. 1 pitcher and Clark says she has been more consistent this season. Senior Blair Coker is behind the plate and is a two-time all-state selection for Class A. Coker is one of the offensive leaders as well. She delivered a walk-off grand slam in a win over Green Sea Floyds earlier this season. Sophomore Mallory Prosser is playing first base and junior Allison Eaddy plays second base. Eighth-grader Claire Cook is playing shortstop and hitting leadoff while sophomore Payton Wall plays third base and has provided home run power this spring. The team’s other senior, Sadie Stone , starts in right field. She is joined by junior Brianna Lawrimore in center and junior Charley Tippett in left. Junior CJ Smith also has seen action in the outfield. “Our goal is to just keep improving and staying consistent,” Clark said. “We have a competitive group of girls and we just want to be peaking at the right time. I think this team can play with any team in the Lower State.” The baseball team also has sights set on a strong finish and extended playoff run. Second-year head coach Carson Carroll feels the Flashes are in a good place. “I think this team has gelled a little better. We have great leadership and it’s a competitive group. I really believe these guys enjoy each other and they are working hard for the same thing. Having talent is important but I don’t think you can underestimate chemistry.”  The Flashes were 10-4 overall and 7-2 in region 6-A play as of April 13. The Flashes are in the mix for a region title but teams like Latta and Lake View have proven to be strong as well. Senior Landyn Cribb and sophomore Jackson Eaddy have been among the top hitters in the state early on. Eaddy hit .655with 14 RBI early while Cribb is at .654 with seven RBIs. Sophomore Larkin Powell is hitting .464 and senior Cole Dennis is hitting .444 with nine RBIs. Junior Caden Jackson is hitting .346 with 10 RBIs and sophomore Gavin Marlowe is hitting .386 and is the No. 1 starter on the mound.

NMB softball competing well under new coach By David Shelton Senior Writer Little River – Though it has been a little bit of a roller coaster ride, the 2025 North Myrtle Beach High softball team is competing pretty well overall under new head coach Krystal Mante .  Entering play on April 14, the Lady Chiefs were 9-8 overall and 6-5 in region 6-AAAAA. They will be headed to the Class AAAAA Division II state playoffs in early May but have seven games remaining in the regular season. Mante likes the effort her team has given this spring and says the transition to a new coach has gone well. The coach has a handful of seniors that she relies on for team leadership, but also has a solid group of underclassmen that can build the foundation for the future. One of the key seniors is centerfielder Kiera Olson , who is hitting .395 with nine runs batted in this spring. Senior Nealy Lockner is one of two primary pitchers, posting a 1.91 earned run average over her first 40 innings. Two other seniors are outfielder Taylor Alberti and backup pitcher Kirali Altena . The other primary pitcher is junior Sierra Bendik , who has a 2.86 earned run average in 44 innings inside the circle. Also an outfielder, Bendik has 12 runs batted in. Junior shortstop Hadley Leonhardt is hitting .273 with eight RBIs and junior third baseman Izzy Bruno is hitting .325 this season. Behind the plate is junior Sadie Olson , who is hitting .393 with six RBIs through 17 games. Junior first baseman Lilly Carney is hitting .333 with a team-high 12 RBIs. Other juniors getting work in the outfield include Emma Bellamy and Chloe Butler , who also catches. Freshmen infielders Malread Olson and Katy Beth Currie round out the roster. The baseball team sits in good position to win a region title. As of April 13, the Chiefs are 12-4 overall and 9-2 in region 6-AAAAA. They hold a one-game lead on Carolina Forest and split two games with the Panthers. Despite losing four quality pitchers from last year, pitching has again been a strength this spring. Junior Gabriel Priest has a 1.04 earned run average in 32 innings of work. He has recorded five wins. Priest also has contributed at the plate with 13 RBIs. Junior shortstop Sawyer Smith has logged 24 innings on the mound, posting a 0.24 earned run average. “Both can pitch and pitch well,” coach Brian Alderson said. “We didn’t them as much last year but we need them to produce for us.” Jake Finch and Fisher Nichols also have been productive as pitchers. Offensively, senior catcher CJ Oxendine started slow but has picked up the pace of late. He is hitting .425 with 11 RBIs after 16 games. Second baseman Asa Board is hitting .318 and outfielder Brown Reaves is hitting .310 with a team-leading 16 RBIs. Kaden Lank is hitting .357 and Porter Anglin has eight RBIs. Sophomore Payton Gallup mans third base. Working in the outfield are Gabe Kuznik and Carter Helmicki. Other team members who will fill various roles include Fisher Nichols, Luke Breeden, Nate O’Connor, Noah Nance, Campbell Kingston, Trevor Mitchell, Andrew Muncy and Espen Thomas.

By David Shelton Senior Writer Abbeville – A spring break trip to Myrtle Beach helped the Abbeville High baseball team take a break from the regular season with plenty of sun and baseball. The Panthers used the trip to see different competition, from out-of-state, winning one of four games but competing well. Now it’s back to work in the regular season and the Panthers are looking forward to being a factor in the Class A state playoffs later this month. Abbeville sports an 11-4 overall record coming out of spring break, this after a 7-0 start. “Expectations are high,” coach Daniel Little said. “We have a chance to be in the hunt. This team will be good enough to compete with any team on the schedule, if we bring our best effort and attitude. We will face some major competition, especially in the playoffs, so we hope to be at our best in the end.” Many of this year’s starters are third-year starters and several are having a good season offensively through 15 games. One of the top returning leaders is catcher Ben Overholt , back for his third season in the lineup. He hit .324 with 11 RBI in the first 15 contests. Senior outfielder Lohen Nickles is setting the pace offensively, hitting .452 with 14 runs batted in. S enior leftfielder Dayne Botts is hitting .344 with nine RBI. Junior Grady Overholt is hitting .400 and senior Adam Beiler is hitting .355 with 16 RBI. Beiler also is one of the top pitchers with a 1.67 earned run average in 29 innings. Overholt also rates as one of the top pitchers. Trey Deason also has been solid on the mound while hitting .300 with 11 RBI. Staten Rice is hitting .308 with nine RBI and Easton Townsend is hitting .290 with 13 RBI. Jake Clemmons has posted a .312 batting average through 15 games. Abbeville’s softball team began the 2025 season with seven consecutive losses, then rebounded to win seven straight games heading into spring break. The Panthers will be headed for the state playoffs but where they finish in the region standings is yet to be determined. Handling most of the pitching this spring is Maddie Beiler , who also plays at third base. Mayson Ashley and Reese Jones also have been in the circle. Kaylee Bundrick has played shortstop and catcher this season with Audrey Graham also seeing time at both positions.  Bella Evans plays second base and Jocelyn Foster is at first base. Working in the outfield are Ella Atkins , Nadia Kimsey , Ny Jackson and Lillie Stone. Rylee Tiller is a utility player. The boys soccer team went 4-6 in their first 10 contests, winning two of their first six region matches. Senior Cameron Allen t allied 20 goals and four assists in those first 10 games. Junior Parker Henderson had six goals and seven assists while freshman Carter Oberholzer had six early goals. Sophomore Yenqui Ortiz chipped in four goals early on.

Third Ranked Barnwell Baseball Clinches Region 5-AA Title With Perfect 10-0 Record From Staff Reports Barnwell —The third ranked Barnwell Warhorse baseball team (17-2, 10-0) has clinched the Region 5-AA baseball title with a perfect 10-0 record and now the team will spend the final two weeks of the regular season getting ready for the AA play-offs. Head coach Cody McCollum is a Barnwell graduate and he himself was once an outstanding player at the school. Barnwell has seven non-region games in a tune-up for post-season play. They are at Batesburg - Leesville on April, 14, host Saluda on the 16 th , travel to Bamberg - Ehrhardt on the 22 nd , before hosting Batesburg-Leesville on April. 23. The remaining games are against South Aiken away on the 28 th and then at home with South Aiken on the 30 th . The team concludes the regular season on May, 1 with a home game against Woodland. After 19 games, USC Aiken commit, and senior leader Cameron Austin is batting .476 with six home runs and 23 RBI’s along with 23 stolen bases. On the mound Austin is 4-1 with 28 and 2/3 innings of work. He is 4-1 with two saves with a .997 ERA and 46-K’s. Hayden Pierce is 5-0 on the hill with 32 K’s and a 2.75 ERA. Trey Boleman is 4-1 on the mound with 22 K’s and a 2.58 ERA. Freshman Case Davis has been used primarily as a closer and he is 1-0 with three saves with 24K’s a 1-0 ERA. Senior Bradley Richardson has been good on the mound also and he is 2-0 with one save and a 1.20 ERA. Other top hitters on the team include Davis who is at .458 with 25 runs scored and 22 stolen bases. Joe Huggins is at .435 and recently had a five-hit game at Edisto. Senior gold glove catcher Kaleb McCormack is bating .324 with 15 RBI’s, and Boleman is at .298 with 22 runs scored and 11 stolen bases.  Barnwell will certainly enjoy home field advantage when the play-offs start in early May and they appear to have hit, pitching, and good defense that often leads to state championships