Southside Christian, Oceanside Collegiate lead AAA baseball contenders By David Shelton Senior Writer Moncks Corner – Two programs that have dominated play in other classifications in recent years now sit atop the mid-season rankings of Class AAA. And, while Southside Christian and Oceanside Collegiate are the favorites to reach the AAA state championship series, there are a handful of squads that will make the trek difficult. In the end, however, if the top two teams do advance to the finals we will hear the chatter about private and charter schools once again. Southside Christian played in the Class A state finals four consecutive years, winning state titles in 2022, 2023 and 2024. The Sabres were probably good enough in the last three seasons to win a higher classification and now they get their chance, moving up two classes when the SCHSL realigned the classifications. Southside Christian (16-1, 8-0 region) has arguably the top junior in the state in Carson Boleman , a University of North Carolina commit. Boleman gets it done at the plate (.298, 19 RBI) and on the mound (6-0, 0.00 ERA in 24 innings, 61 strikeouts, five walks). Boleman is as good as any No. 1 starter in any classification but the Sabres also have CJ Aubuchon , who is 7-0 with a 1.50 earned run average. He also hit .412 with 12 RBIs. Will Cauthen is hitting .486 with 15 RBIs and Tyler Boleman is hitting .392 with 12 RBIs. Second-ranked Oceanside Collegiate won the last two state titles in Class AA and won Class AAA in 2022 so the Landsharks are playing for a fourth straight title. Coach Britt Reames took over last season and the program didn’t miss a beat. Several of the main characters return this spring, led by outfielder Andrew Palmer , catcher Scott Henry , and pitcher Charlie Becker . “We have a good group of players but they really work hard to be successful,” Reames said. “This team will come to play, win or lose. That attitude gives us a chance.” The Predators of Fox Creek hope to sneak up on the favorites but that won’t be easy with as good as they are. Fox Creek leads region 5-AAA with an unbeaten record and sit at 12-3 overall. The program also has won a state title in recent years. Caleb Waters is one of the key offensive leaders this season, hitting .513 with 13 RBIs. Bradley Anderson is the ace of the pitching staff with a 1.56 ERA while hitting .405 with 18 RBIs. Devin Hillary is another key performer, hitting .405 with 15 RBIs. Will Fountain has a few wins on the mound with a 1.85 ERA. Hanahan has won the last two AAA Lower State titles but came up short in the finals both times. The Hawks may not be as talented overall as they have been but they will still be a hard out in the postseason. The Hawks are now in the same region with Oceanside Collegiate and those teams will decide the region title after spring break. Hanahan is led by one of the few returning veterans, catcher Hudson Sprovero , who also is one of the best backstops in the state. The No. 1 pitcher when the season started was senior Riley Ballard . Shortstop Bo Brabham and centerfielder Joe Furse are solid table-setters at the top of the lineup. Nolyn Nickels has been a threat offensively and has pitched quality innings. Swansea is 14-3 overall and the Tigers look to make some noise in the postseason. Kreaton Steppe has been a leader offensively, hitting .346 with 18 RBIs. Kendall Wright also has 18 RBIs and Jacob Harper leads the team with 21 runs driven in while hitting .421. J acob Hai r is hitting .444 through the first 17 games. Aynor, Loris and G eorgetown are locked in a battle for the region seven title. Aynor is 5-1 in league play while Loris and Georgetown sit a game back. St. Joseph’s is another team that was bumped from Class A to AAA but the Knights are competing well at 10-5. They will likely finish second in region two to Southside Christian.  Henry Dryden sets the pace offensively, hitting over .400, along with Nolan Green. Liam Okuley has been the top performer on the mound. Class AAA Top 10 (Apr. 13) 1. Southside Christian 2. Oceanside Collegiate 3. Fox Creek 4. Woodruff 5. Hanahan 6. Swansea 7. Aynor 8. St. Joseph’s 9. Loris 10. Walhalla

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