Southside Christian, Oceanside Collegiate lead AAA baseball contenders
David Shelton • April 15, 2025
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. Jacob Hair is hitting .444 through the first 17 games.
Aynor, Loris and Georgetown 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
By Billy G. Baker Publisher Dillon —Entering the last third of the 2025 baseball season, the Dillon Wildcats baseball team (4-9, 1-7) has been set-back by injuries to key players as head baseball coach Keith Coward continues to work around the situation. “ Hank Grider would be our number one pitcher but he has not thrown yet in a game due to an injury, but he is able to bat and play in the field and we are thankful for that,” said Coach Coward. “We were also counting on the defense of freshman JJ Campbell, who can play second or any position in the outfield, but due to an injury he is being used as a designated hitter.” The leadoff for Dillon is senior Dan Graves who is currently batting .343 with 8 RBI’s. Grider, a junior, bats second and he leads the team at .436 and 14 RBI’s. Junior Jaden Williamson bats in the three hole and he is batting .436 with 8 RBI’s. The clean-up hitter is Austin Miles who is batting .300 with six RBI’s. In the 5 th slot is catcher/first baseman Jamison Pittman who is currently batting .409 with three RBI’s. Cambell, the DH bats 6 th and he is at .300. Freshman Bryson Davis, batting .306 with six RBI’s out of the 8 th spot, provides pitching depth and he usually starts at third base. Eighth grader Aiden McAlister bats in the 9-hole and he is the starting shortstop. “Every team in AAA makes the baseball play-offs and we are hoping Grider can pitch some in the playoffs,” said Coach Coward. “We have seven more games before the play-offs start and our goal is to finish strong and have a good showing in the play-offs.” Dillon will play at Aynor on April 15 th , travel to Marion on the 22 nd , and then host the Foxes the nest day. Aynor comes to Dillon on April, 29. The Wildcats close out the regular season at Latta on May, 1st. Coach Coward is assisted by Coley Bohachic , Steven Reeves , and Austin Moody , Sr.
Summerville's Ansley Bennett
By Billy G. Baker Publisher Dorchester -The Woodland Wolverines softball remained undefeated in region play with a dramatic walk-off 4-3 win over Andrews, after the Wolverines trailed 3-1 going into the bottom of the 7 th inning as the HSSR was going to press. Prior to the Andrews game, veteran head coach Kim Reeves told the HSSR, “Right now we are 5-2 and 4-0 in the region, and we need to beat Andrew tonight and Timberland next week to become region champions and that is our goal,” said Coach Reeves. “I feel like our pitching has been very consistent this season. “I also feel like our defense is vastly improved over last season,” said Coach Reeves. “We have worked hard on becoming a stronger unit on defense. Weare still in a spot starting a 7 th , an 8 th , plus a 9 th grader. We us took over the program the challenge was to change the culture of the program and build a winning atmosphere and we have done that. “I think once we win region and get a good seeding for the play-offs the sky is the limit,” said Coach Reeves. “We hope to make a deep run in the ply-offs. We were even younger last year and our players have matured a lot over the past season.” The team is being led in hitting by Alyssa McClellan at .582 with six RBI’s. Next, Dallas LaChance , Katey Westbury , and Josie Mitchum are all batting .500. Jordan McCarthy is at .438 with 5 RBI’s including three doubles and one home run. LaChance has a double, a home run and leads the team with seven stolen bases. Corrine Westbury is hitting .353 with a team leading 10 RBI’s including three doubles and a homer. In the circle Katey Westbury has been lights out. In 21 innings of work, she has 24 K’s with a 3.00 ERA. Corrine Westbury and Sara Grace Milligan have each seen four innings of work in the circle. Corrine has 7 K’s to date. Woodland’s remaining softball schedule takes them to Wagener-Salley on April, 17 before a key region game at Andrews on the 18 th . They play at Timberland on April,22 and come back hone to host Timberland on April, 25. Beaufort comes to Woodland on April, 28 and then the Wolverines closed to the regular season at Branchville on April, 30.
Colleton Prep junior, Sydney Stivender
By David Shelton Senior Writer Walterboro – With some key veterans returning this spring, it is not surprising to see the Colleton County softball team racking up wins in 2025. The Cougars won 13 of their first 14 games overall this season, which included a 5-1 start in the region 7-AAAA schedule. Colleton County has a chance to win the region and earn some home games in the postseason, which could propel them to bigger and better things in the Lower State playoffs. Tavara Edwards is in her 11 th season as a coach in the program and has built a solid winning program with her veteran players. One of the team’s strengths is how well they get along and play together. “I think we’re gelling really well,” reports the coach. “They work hard because they want to win. We still need to improve on some things but overall we are doing well. We’re an improved defensive team and that has been a big key for us.” Though Edwards, like every coach, would like to see her team be more consistent offensively, it is hard to look at some of the numbers and not see a very capable lineup. Four players posted batting averages of at least .500 in the first 14 games. The leading hitter this season has been junior infielder Brooklyn Holmes , who is hitting .615 with 23 runs batted in. Senior Lanasia Sanders is hitting .561 with three homers and 24 RBI while eighth-grade infielder Brea Gerard is hitting .528 with 13 RBI. Junior Alex Eversole is hitting .512 with 13 RBI and sophomore McKenzie Cochran , who plays first base, is hitting .395 with 16 RBI. Seniors Madison Miller and Kristina Rheam are hitting .375 and .308, respectively. Sanders does more than hit for the Cougars. She also is the team’s No. 1 pitcher, sharing duties inside the circle with Gerard. Sanders is 6-1 with a 1.94 earned run average, striking out 60 hitters in 36 innings. Gerard is 5-0 with a 1.36 ERA and 57 strikeouts in 36 innings of work. The duo share duties at shortstop as well. Rounding out the roster this season are Miya Gant, Timayah Believe, McCayla Shaffer, Caroline Herndon, Janay Manigo and Xiomara Oxner , who is injured this season. The baseball team has had some tough luck this spring, managing just two wins in their first 16 games with a pair of ties. The Cougars are winless in the region with three-game region series against May River and Beaufort remaining after spring break.
By Neill Kirkpatrick Special to the HSSR Greenville – When you have won the third most boys’ soccer state championship in state history (14) at both the class A and class AA levels expectations are always high because the success has always been there but when you move up another level to AAA expectations may be tapered a bit. However, at Christ Church Episcopal the goals and expectations remain the same. “My expectations have not changed with the move up to AAA,” said CCE Head Coach Russell Shelley . “My first priority is to establish a positive culture, foster positive relations, and to focus on the player and his development. If we are successful in those pursuits the wins will take care of themselves.” Coach continued, “The transition to 3A has been pretty seamless, and I am happy with where we are as a team. I intentionally put together a difficult schedule. We scheduled several 5A schools, and I have been happy with our play against these schools.” The Cavaliers currently sit at 7-7 overall and 5-2 in region 2 AAA after dropping a tough one to region leading Powdersville (15-1/7-0). As coach pointed out, that schedule was difficult as every team they have lost to has a winning record and is competing for a region championship. “We are certainly competitive and want to win but testing ourselves against the best teams we can play is of the utmost importance,” coach Shelley. “We are playing a more attacking brand of soccer and as a result are creating better chances.” What also has been a plus for the Cavaliers is the return of their three senior captains Payne Hornish, Elliott Jeray , and Rodrigo Marques. They have played in back-to-back state championship games so their experience in big games has certainly helped their younger teammates. All three are playing at a high level on the pitch. Hornish and Marques are also returning All State selections at defense and midfield, respectively. While Jeray plays on the defensive side of field alongside Hornish. Mateo Gartner Lavina is a junior forward playing well and is one of the top offensive threats on the pitch for the Cavs. He has an outstanding sophomore season. Junior keeper William Ossman has been solid in net all season. He and the defense have not allowed more than three goals in any game this season despite playing some very good offensive teams. He has five shutouts on the season Sophomores Hudson Temple, Alex Aquino , and Sheamus Schellinger have also established themselves as solid starters. Temple and Schellinger are at midfield while Aquino plays forward. Temple also sees time on the defensive side of the pitch. Freshmen midfielder Sam Sutton is midfield has established himself as our starting 10. Rounding out the Cav’s roster are seniors Alex Montgomery, Garrett Long and William Mims, juniors Bernardo Pompeu, Alexander Schmoll-Nassar, Ludwig Marschner, Ian Tucker, and Julian Monsell and sophomores Judd Windham, and Holden Hughes and freshmen Phen Wunder and Griffin Boyd. The Cav’s have four games remaining in the season with three of them being region contests. Two of the three region games will be against rival St. Joseph’s Catholic School. The teams split their regular season matches last season but St. Joseph’s won the rubber match in the state finals. They will travel Palmetto (region contest) and AAAAA River Bluff. The Cavs can capture the second seed from region 2AAA if they can win their remaining region games. They will be a team to watch come playoff time as they know what it takes to make a deep run.
New Transfer Rules Approved At same Time Of Increase In NCAA Div. I Athletic Scholarships Moncks Corner —I regret missing Dr . Jerome Singleton’s recent zoom call webinar to talk about the recent approval of the athletic directors in South Carolina to grant a one-time transfer of a middle school athlete; a one- time transfer of a high school athlete to the school of their choice without a penalty, or without having to literally move from one house to the next at great expense to your family. Is writer being on a deadline helping get this 72-page publication/website (hssr.com) researched, written, and to press on time. There can no worse pressure then a deadline. The penalty for the HSSR not having the files to our printer by 6 a.m. on Monday of each month is that we have to wait another whole week to print! Fortunately, we have never missed a deadline in the nearly forty years we have been in business. I was able to talk with several athletic directors when I was interviewing a few athletic directors who just happen to also be head baseball coaches. This issue is focused mainly on the sports of baseball and softball. One athletic director told me that it was now going to technically possible for one athlete to transfer to four different schools over a four-year period without leaving his house, or losing edibility. My reply was, “Okay, that sure is a major change of events concerning the transfer rule in South Carolina!” Once I get this 100 -hour deadline week out of my system, and get some sleep, I might actually have an opinion to express. At the moment I am just pleased that this baseball/softball issue is going to get to the press on time early Monday morning. What I do think is great news for baseball and softball players across South Carolina, and the United States also, is that on April, 15 a federal judge is going to rap the gavel in favor of increased athletic scholarships for all sports at the Div. I level of college athletics. Football is going to increases from 85 to 105 scholarships. In baseball scholarships will increase from 11.7 to 35 scholarships a din softball there will be an increase from 12 scholarships to 25 full scholarships! (Can I get an Amen to this wonderful news!) What I hope happens is that our two power five major colleges of Clemson and South Carolina will look at this opportunity to put a few more eyes on the hard-working prep athletes in South Carolina with the goal of having more in-state athletes on their rosters. It is a great opportunity for both Clemson and South Carolina to recruit more softball players in all honesty. Right now, the disparity between senior baseball players in South Carolina getting offers to play baseball at Clemson and South Carolina, versus how many softball players get opportunities is way out of balance. In the 2025 Class alone, Clemson and South Carolina have signed right at 10 baseball players to scholarships while softball is signees number two from Clemson and one for South Carolina . Hopefully, with the doubling of scholarships available starting with the 2025-26 school year in August, things will improve for hard-working softball players in the palmetto State. Let’s hope so anyway!
After winning AA softball title last year, War Eagles after another two classes higher
Runner-up Aynor, defending champ BHP 1-2 in HSSR poll
By Billy G. Baker Publisher Spartanburg —Nearing the end of his second season as the head baseball coach at Spartanburg Day , former Red’s major leaguer Travis “ Gookie ” Dawkins is having a great time working with developing young baseball players, regardless of what the record of the Griffins might be. “Until we are able to develop more pitching depth, I am okay with only scheduling 10 regular season games a year,” said Coach Dawkins. ”We are definitely going to work on getting more games in next season, perhaps as many as 14 to 16.” As of April, 10 the Griffins were (3-4, 0-2) and they are just coming back off of their Spring break. Their three wins have come over Hampton Park twice (13-7 and 8-5) and they have defeated Upstate (8-5). The four losses were against Oakbrook Prep , Greenwood Christian , Upstate , and Spartanburg Christian . “We have only two regular season games left against Spartanburg Christian (April, 21) and Oakbrook Prep (April, 23),” said Coach Dawkins. “I would not mind picking up a game or two if I could find one available. “Our top two hitters this season have been our shortstop/catcher junior Matty Lyle (.556, 8 RBI’s, three doubles and one triple), and he has focused more on catching lately, and the other top hitter is 8 th grade center fielder Lavonte Henderson (.471, 5 RBI’s two doubles and one triple). “Matty and Jackson Harris are two of our better team leaders,” said Coach Dawkins. “Harris is a freshman short stop/third baseman for us with next level potential if he keeps developing and believing in himself. Harris has pitched five innings for us and he his defense is ahead of his hitting right now.” Harris bats in the two-hole. On the mound he has worked 11 innings to date with a team leading 11 strike-outs. Senior catcher Coleman Tolbert has had a fine season as he is currently batting .462 with six RBI’s and six stolen bases. “Coleman has had marked improvement over last year and that is always a good thing,” said Coach Dawkins. “He has been swinging the bat really well this season.” Gabe Smith plays third base, shortstop, and in the outfield and he is currently batting .375. The teams lead-off batter is LHP Easton Bell , and first year player on the team. Coach Dawkins has referred to Bell as the team’s Bulldog on the mound. Bell has worked 7.6 innings on the mound and he has four K’s. He has the best ERA on the staff at 2.86. At the plate Bell is currently batting .286. Senior first baseman Luke Bryant bats in the clean-up slot. He has four RBI’s on the season. Senior Brandon Ledford bats in the 7th slot ad he has contributed four RBI’s. Rounding out the batting order for the Griffins is 7 th grader second baseman Oakley Humphries who has scored three runs and contributed three hits this season. Other key reserves making contributions to the team include 7 th grade second baseman Kendall Glenn , 8 th grader Tyler Fernanders , along with 7 th grade catcher/outfielder Charlie Birch . “We pretty much need to win-out the rest of the season to have a shot at making the play-offs,” said Coach Dawkins. “I have been very impressed with the work ethic on this team. “When I was a young player trying to learn the game of baseball, as a very young person, I had my own struggles learning the importance of fielding, hitting, and catching a baseball,” said Coach Dawkins. “All a young player can do is to learn from their mistakes, be focused on correcting mistakes and strive to work hard to become a fundamentally sound player. The key is to eventually develop a consistent successful routine.” Some of the better winning moments this year happened in the team’s 8-5 win over Upstate. In that game Lyle was 2-of-3 with two RBI’s including a triple. In the same win Tolbert contributed a double and one RBI. Henderson also had a double in the game and Harris had a single. Lyle worked five innings on the mound against Upstate allowing just five hits while striking-out two baters. When Coach Dawkins was asked if the Griffins had a newcomer MVP this season, he replied. “Bell and Henderson have been very effective at the plate this season and both these guys are getting better with every game.” Coach Dawkins is assisted by Hunter Gneisig . The team statistician is James Lyle .