High school baseball season is upon us, and two local teams are set to defend their region championships with many more area squads trying to knock them off.
Bluffton brings back most of the key players from last year’s Region 8-3A championship squad, but the Bobcats should be challenged by crosstown rival May River in the Sharks’ second season.
Hilton Head Christian Academy returns eight starters from last year’s team that made the SCISA 2A semifinals, and the Eagles also have Michael Graupner back after missing most of the past two seasons due to injury.
The Region 8-4A race should be a good one again after three region teams advanced to the Lower State tournament last year. Colleton County is the defending region champion, but runner-up Beaufort High and third-place finisher Hilton Head High are both positioned to challenge the Cougars and make another deep run in the playoffs. The Eagles bring back loads of depth, while the Seahawks lost two All-State players to graduation in Class 4A Player of the Year Carmen Mlodzinski and Logan Toomer and will rely on a talented group of JV call-ups.
BATTERY CREEK
Coach: Jason Colson (1st season)
2017 record: 4-12
2017 playoff results: 0-2 in 3A district tournament
Returning starters: 6
Top returners: Tyler Hofmann, Armani Gibbs, Austin Stephens, Trent Thompson, Jacob Rye
Key losses: Matt Caton, Dallas Higuet
Key newcomers: Ean White, Austin Maroney, Reily Doray, Elijah Rodriguez
Coach’s outlook: It’s my goal to be a role model and mentor for my student-athletes. I will teach them vital life skills that go along with their education and athletic futures. These life skills include: honesty, respect for themselves and others, determination, discipline, dedication and teamwork, both in the classroom and on the field. I do not and will not put winning ahead of
these life skills. I will also guide them on how to win and lose respectfully. I will accomplish this by demonstrating how to treat other teams, umpires and fans with respect and sportsmanship, win or lose. Lastly, I will instruct my student-athletes on proper baseball skills, techniques and strategies to be successful and aspire to play baseball in college or even professionally.
BEAUFORT HIGH
Coach: Keith Riley (5th season)
2017 record: 22-9
2017 playoff results: Class 4A district champions
Top returners: Cooper Woods, Drew Luckey, Wade Olivarri, Jeffrey Smyth
Key losses: Rome Wallace, Brice Adkins
Key newcomers: Paul Winland, Ethan Graham
Coach’s outlook: We are deep at every position.
BLUFFTON
Coach: Bryant Kitty (14th season)
2017 record: 14-5, Region 8-3A champions
2017 playoff results: 1-2 in 3A district tournament
Returning starters: 9
Top returners: Sean Sutay, Cody Eldridge, Hunter Eldridge, Griffin Yeager, Noah Simonsen, Jordan Kennedy, Jimmy Nowakowski, Lukas Pulice, Shane Farmer
Key losses: Trenton Dailey, Cam Bent, Grayson Lowe, Henry Holmberg, Hartley Smith
Key newcomers: Tyler Livingston, Anthony Storzieri, Joey Black, Dillon Montenegro, Joe DiCarlo, Jett Trerotola, Rakim White
Coach’s outlook: Our players had a great offseason and preseason weight training & conditioning program. We have some experienced players and look forward to them leading us into postseason play.
HILTON HEAD CHRISTIAN
Coach: Matt Smith (5th season)
2017 record: 17-7, region champions
2017 playoff results: Reached SCISA 2A semifinals
Returning starters: 8
Top returners: Dargan Cherry, John Burke, John Blackshire, JD Monts, Michael Graupner, Connor Handy
Key losses: James Bartholomew, Zach Whitton, Alex Brown
Key newcomers: Reese Malon, JP Peduzzi
Coach’s outlook: We return a lot of starters, including our top three pitchers, and we have experience and depth with 19 on the roster. If we can be better defensively this year we should be able to compete in every game we play.
HILTON HEAD HIGH
Coach: Ken Soucy (2nd season)
2017 record: 23-6
2017 playoff results: Reached Class 4A Lower State final
Returning starters: 3
Top returners: Jeff Hays, Jake Roberts
Key losses: Carmen Mlodzinski, Eric Foggo, Dalton Shaw, Logan Toomer
Key newcomers: Colin Gross, JJ Mlodzinski, Dean Seelbach
Coach’s outlook: We have a group of hard-working, motivated guys. We will be successful if we pitch well and play good defense. We’re looking for a big impact from a number of young players coming up from last year’s JV team that finished 18-7.
JOHN PAUL II
Coach: Pete Birmingham (5th season)
2017 record: 12-12
2017 playoff results: Did not qualify
Returning starters: 7
Top returners: Mark Tigges, Adrian Skipper, Brad Tigges, Thomas Kender, Jack Jolley
Key losses: Niko Laing
Key newcomers: Ray Johnson
Coach’s outlook: We have a great group of four seniors who have led the program for all five years of the program. We expect to be competitive against every team we play. Pitching depth is a strength for us, but how much we hit will determine how much we win.
MAY RIVER
Coach: Keith Stewart (2nd season)
2017 record: 9-10
2017 playoff results: 0-2 in Class 3A district tournament
Returning starters: 7
Top returners: P/3B Josh Patterson, CF Jeffrey Hodge, P/UT Cooper George
Key losses: P Ryan Sullivan
Key newcomers: C Tater Goodson, P Nick Bass
Coach’s outlook: We’re very excited to get our second season underway at May River. We have a good mix of returners and new players that are molding well together . After finishing third in the region last year, we are hoping to improve our status and look forward to strong competition within and outside our region play.
RIDGELAND-HARDEEVILLE
Coach: James McNeal (4th season)
2017 record: 4-13
2017 playoff results: Did not qualify
Returning starters: 7
Top returners: Derald Nelson, Tymir Fields, Stephan Fuller, Allen Delouche, Myles Pinckney, Tyresse Darien, Ty’Quan Jenkins
Key losses: Kamrin Widdy
Key newcomers: Ervin Santiago, Jabari Williams
Coach’s outlook: I want my players to understand the game of baseball. We have great players, but we need to limit our errors.
THOMAS HEYWARD
Coach: Leon Etheridge (1st season)
2017 record: 11-10
2017 playoff results: Lost in SCISA 2A first round
Returning starters: 4
Top returners: Zack Bond, Devin Scott, Louis Smith, Bryce Tillotson
Key losses: Blake Bannon, Spencer Hexamer
Key newcomers: Noah Ehlers, Peyton Bennett, Fulton Wade
Coach’s outlook: There won’t be a lot of changes in my first year as head coach, as I’ve assisted under Nic Shuford for the past eight seasons. We will play aggressive baseball and try to put pressure on the other teams to make plays defensively. We have a good mix of upperclassmen and young guys. I know what I will get out of our veteran players on a game-to-game basis. The success of our younger players will determine how far we go.
WHALE BRANCH
Coach: Emanuel Wheeler (3rd season)
2017 record: 4-11
2017 playoff results: 0-2 in 2A district tournament
Returning starters: 3
Top returners: Jaren Cantorn, Irvin Mulligan, De’Arius Hazel
Key losses: Ryan Murray-Green, Steven Colon
Key newcomers: Henry Tome
Coach’s outlook: I’m looking for the guys to have a great season and continue to learn the great game of baseball and give 100 percent in everything that they do.