By Billy G. Baker Publisher Barnwell — A year later, the Barnwell Warhorses (20-2) softball team, enters the Class AA softball playoffs on May, 1 better prepared, having closed out the 2024 regular season with four wins in five days against Aiken, Williston Elko, Silver Bluff and Branchville . Barnwell will host Lake Marion On May, 1 in the first game of the AA playoffs. The Warhorses are in District 7 along with Andrews and North Central . Branchville will host Green Sea-Floyds on May, 1 and they are in District 7 that also includes Johnsonville and Charleston Science & Math . After the win over Branchville head Barnwell coach Mike Beasley told the HSSR , “Last year we only played 14 games prior to the playoffs starting and this year we have already played 22 games going into the playoffs,” said Coach Beasley. “This is by far my best record as a coach going into the playoffs and I am not sure how many 20-win softball seasons Barnwell has had over the years either. “Our motto, we recently came up, with is that “We start together and we finish Together”,” said Coach Beasley who will serve as a head softball coach in the North-South all-star games scheduled for Lexington High May, 29-20. “Last year we had some rain-outs and played very few games after Spring break so this year we beefed up the back end of our schedule. We feel battle tested and more prepared entering the playoffs last year. We are hoping to avoid an early exit in the playoffs this year like what happened last year.” Branchville is coached by former two-time HSSR all-state performer Kristen Hicks when she played at Bamberg-Ehrhardt High. “This was a great tune=up for us for the playoffs,” said Coach Hicks. “We probably will not face a pitcher like Devore until we get deep in the playoffs and that is our goal. We always play Barnwell two or three times a season and our games with them are always within one to three runs of each other. “We like to play a very competitive schedule and we are excited to have been back-to-back region champions,” said Coach Hicks. “We feel pretty good about our pitcher ( Kylie Starns ). I call her our Bulldog. She has good velocity and a good curve ball. She has matured a lot and she finally understands it is okay to walk a few people as well as hanging it over the plate. She’s our team leader and she is going to USC Union to play next year.” Devore now has 191 strike-outs on the year entering the playoffs. The 3-1 win over Branchville, to close out the regular season on April, 26, was a true pitcher’s duel between Barnwell junior Jaidyn Devore and senior Kylie Starnes of the Jackets. Devore had 16 strike-outs and allowed on only one hit and one walk in pitching all seven innings. Starnes had 10 strike-outs but she gave up six hits, walked three batters and hit two others, and these free passes gave Barnwell the edge in the very competitive game. Barnwell took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning after freshman Laney Grubbs walked and advanced to second on a single by Bre’anna Buckmon . A power alley double by Devore brought in both Grubbs and Buckmon. In the top of the fourth Branchville scored their only run of the game. Cadence McAlhaney reached on an error and moved to second on the bad throw. She advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on the only RBI single of the game by sophomore Anna Win Berry. Barnwell added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth after Starns had struck-out the first two batters. Right fielder Kendall O’Berry ripped a double to the fence and scored on an RBI single by Tamirah Williams . In the final two innings Devore fanned five of the six batters she faced. Through 20 games, Devore was Barnwell’s top hitter at .614 with 26 RBI’s, 8 doubles, three triples and one home run. Devore is 14-1 in the circle to date with a 0.75 ERA. Abigail Corley is next on the hit index at .457 with 14 RBI’s, three triples and one home run. Buckmon, an outstanding senior catcher is batting ,382 with 15 RBI’s, three doubles and two triples, will be playing in the North-South all-star game hosted at Lexington High May 29-30. Other top Warhorse hitters include Grubbs at .358 including 15 RBI’s and a home run. Senior left fielder Kahmiyah Williams is batting .308 with 10 RBI’s and a triple and senior Janicka Jenkins is hitting .300 with five RTBI’s and two doubles. Junior utility performer Tierra Arnold is at .296 with 20 RBI’s including three doubles and two home runs. Junior third baseman Brooklyn Gordan is also at .296 with 9 RBI’s and five doubles. O’Berry is at .250 with 9 RBI’s. For Branchville the top hitter to date is Berry at .349 including 14 RBI’s. Starns will also be on the North-South team as a pitcher. In 78.2 innings of work she has 106 K’s and a 1.44 ERA.

Warhorses remain undefeated in Region 6-AA with come-from-behind win

Devore gets called third strike to end game with tying run on base

By Billy G. Baker Publisher Barnwell — The Barnwell softball team went into Spring break (10-1, 4-0) ranked number three in the first HSSR softball statewide AA ranking of the 2024 season. In the Lady Warhorses claimed a 5-2 win over Wagener-Salley just before Spring break on March, 26. In that win talented junior Jaidyn Devore had 14 strike-outs and hit a two-run homer to key the win. Going into the break head coach Mike Beasley told the HSSR, “Our team really played well before our Sprin break; the pitching was good, the hitting was good, and defensively we played well and these factors helped us compile a 10-1 record,” said Coach Beasley. “When we come back together, we have some games that will help us move towards the State Play-offs. “We scheduled to challenge us, and push us, so we can better prepare for the post season ,” said Coach Beasley. “All of our players have been working hard to improve their skills and it strengthens our team to be competitive. I’m extremely proud of our players and what they accomplished over the first half of the season. We appreciate all the support we have received from our parents and the community. It takes all of us to build a championship caliber team.” On March, 19 the HSSR covered the game between Barnwell and Aiken. A year ago, Aiken beat Barnwell 4-0. One year later, Barnwell dominated in a 18-0 three inning mercy rule win. .After the win over Aiken, Barnwell head coach Mike Beasley , shared his thoughts with the HSSR, “We didn’t know what to expect from Aiken, other than they had beat us last year, but they did have some graduation losses, and their top pitcher is currently out with an injury,” said Coach Beasley (230-121) now in his 25 th season as a head varsity softball coach. “I am pleased with our start for this season, and we hope to keep improving. Our number one goal to finish strong and win a region title, and make a dep run in the play-offs.” Against Aiken, junior power pitcher Jaidyn Devore had all of her pitches working well. In three innings of work she tossed a no-hitter while striking out 7 of the 10 batters she faced in the game. At the plate she was 2-for-2 with two RBI’s and one double. Other top hitters against Aiken included junior third baseman Brooklyn Gordan who had three hits and two doubles in the game along with senior catcher Bre’anna Buckmon who went 2-for-3 with three RBI’s including a double. Five other players each had one hit in the game. They included sophomore right fielder Abigial Corley , freshman center-fielder Kendall O’Berry , senior left-fielder Kahmiyah Williams , sophomore outfielder Layla Bishop , and junior utility infielder/pitcher Tiera Arnold . Freshman second baseman Laney Grubbs scored two runs with one RBI against Aiken and she is the team’s number two pitcher. Freshman shortstop Kaylen Mayes scored two runs in the win. Jessica Williamson scored one run in the game. Senior outfielder Jamicka Jenkins is also a contributor to the team along with sophomore outfielder Bri Croft , who scored one run and freshman Molly Wilson who can catch and play second base. “It all starts in the circle and the catching spot,” said Coach Beasley. “If you are strong at those two positions, and can hit the ball a little bit, and we had 12 hits tonight, with an average of 9 or 10 hits per game thus far this season, along with averaging 10 runs then you should win most of your games with these kinds of numbers. “Our team assessment is good pitching from our top three pitchers along with good hitting right now,” said Coach Beasley. “ Jaidyn Devore currently has five college offers and she was the Region Player of the Year as a sophomore. Her fastball has been clocked as high as 68 mph which is outstanding. “ Tiera Arnold is our second pitcher and she started at first base tonight,” said Coach Beasley. “Our third pitcher is freshman Laney Grubbs who started at second tonight. All three of our pitchers have no-hitters so far this season and they have each performed well. We are trying to bring all our pitchers along this season but when you have a Jaidyn Devore throwing in the 60’s it is a big adjustment for opposing batters to adjust to our other two pitchers when we bring them having to adjust 68 to a 55 miles per hour pitching.” Buckmon is a four- year starter behind the plate with a strong delivery to second. Buckmon and Devore comprise one of the strongest batteries in the SCHSL AA softball ranks in South Carolina. Going into Spring break, six players are batting .300 or better for Barnwell, and the team batting average is an impressive .355. Devore is at the top of the hitting index at .645 including a team leading 19 RBI’s along with four doubles and three triples. Corley is at .550 with seven RBI’s with one double and two triples. Grubbs is hitting .435 at the break three RBI’s and one double. Arnold is hitting .375 with 9 RBI’s and 2 doubles. Buckmon is at .333 with 9 RBI’s, including two doubles and two triples. Williams is hitting .300 with seven RBI’s followed by Croft (.286), Jenkins (.273) and Gordan (.269) round out the top 9 hitters on the team. In the circle, Devore went onto the break with a 6-1 record. She has an incredible 95 strike-outs in 45 innings of work with a superb 0.31 ERA. Davore has great command of both her screw ball and curve ball. Grubbs and Arnold are both 2-0 and both have 0.00 ERA’s. Grubbs has 10 strike-outs in five innings of work while Arnold has mowed down 13 batters in her six innings of work. Barnwell’s 10 wins this season have come over Williston-Elko (11-3), beat Ridgeland-Hardeeville twice (16-0, 10-0), beat Branchville (5-4), and Silver Bluff (2-0), Aiken (18-0), Edisto (12-1, 15-0) and Wagener-Salley (5-2). The team’s only loss was to Colleton County 8-6. “Our top goal is to win the region again this year, advance in the playoffs, win the district, and that will give us an opportunity to play for the lower state,” said Coach Beasley. “This team last won a lower state title in 2011. We were 14-2 last season and we had a lot of rain-outs at the end of the season that hurt us going into the playoffs. “This season we are playing 25 games and we have several strong teams scheduled to play just before we enter the playoffs at the end of the regular season,” said Coach Beasley. We have already had two-rainouts this season.” After Spring break, Barnwell has beefed up their schedule on the back-end with 11 games on the schedule. They resume play against Woodland at home on April, 9 then host Swansea the next day. The team plays at Woodland on April, 12. The rest of the schedule they will play Hampton County twice, Bamberg-Ehrhardt, R-S-M, Aiken, Williston-Elko, and Silver Bluff. Barnwell concludes the regular season hosting Branchville on April, 26.

By Billy G. Baker Publisher Barnwell — Going into Spring break the Barnwell Warhorse baseball team, now head coached by Barnwell native Cody McCollum , used a (10-3, 3-0) first half of the season work-sheet to earn a number 13 AA ranking in the first HSSR baseball ranking of the 2024 season. “I am pleased where we are at this point in the season,” said Coach McCollum, beaming with pride with the birth of his first child recently. “We obviously have a lot more games left to play. All of our goals are still within our reach and we look forward to the challenges remining.” The top two hitters for the Warhorses at the break are two-hole hitter, junior third baseman Jaevin Santos who is hitting .571 and 18 runs scored with 9 RBI’s, and lead-off batter, junior Cameron Austin is batting .436 with 23 runs scored. Trey Boleman is batting .350 at the break with 17 RBI’s and 14 runs scored followed by Case Davis at .345. and 8 RBI’s. Hayden Pierce is batting .315 at the mid-season with 14 RBI’s. Catcher Kaleb McCormick , one of the most improved hitters on the team over last season, is batting .286 to date. Austin (R-R) is having a stellar year on the mound. He is 3-0 with one save and an ERA of .525. Austin has 31 strike-outs in 27 innings of mound duty. He has only allowed one earned run over the past 27 innings. Number two pitcher Case Davis is 2-1 with one save and a 2.92 ERA including 20 strike-outs. The team’s number three pitcher is Trey Boleman who is 1-1 with 18 strike-outs to date. Barnwell defeated Edisto (6-4) in their last game before the break, on March, 25. In that win Santos and Boleman each had a hit and scored two runs. Austin came in the game in relief and allowed just one hit while striking out five in earning the save. After the break, Barnwell will have six regular season games left before starting the AA play-offs. They host Woodland on April, 9, then are at home the next day with Williston-Elko. The team plays at Colleton County on April, 17 and host Horse Creek Academy on April, 23. The team will conclude the regular season on April, 25 hosting Bamberg-Ehrhardt.

By Billy G. Baker Publisher Barnwell — One year later, the Barnwell (6-1) softball team avenged a 4-0 loss to the Aiken Green Hornets during last season, with an 18-0 three -inning mercy ruling win at home on March, 19. After the win, Barnwell head coach Mike Beasley shared his thoughts with the HSSR, “We didn’t know what to expect from Aiken, other than they had beat us last year, but they did have some graduation losses, and their top pitcher is currently out with an injury,” said Coach Beasley (226-121) now in his 25 th season as a head varsity softball coach. “I am pleased with our start for this season, and we hope to keep improving. Our number one goal to finish strong and win a region title and make a deep run in the play-offs.” Against Aiken, junior power pitcher Jaidyn Devore had all of her pitches working well. In three innings of work she tossed a no-hitter while striking out 7 of the 10 batters she faced in the game. At the plate she was 2-for-2 with two RBI’s and one double. Other top hitters against Aiken included junior third baseman Brooklyn Gordan who had three hits and two doubles in the game along with senior catcher Bre’anna Buckmon who went 2-for-3 with three RBI’s including a double. Five other players each had one hit in the game. They included sophomore right fielder Abigial Corley , freshman center-fielder Kendall O’Berry , senior left-fielder Kahmiyah Williams , sophomore outfielder Layla Bishop , and junior utility infielder/pitcher Tiera Arnold . Freshman second baseman Laney Grubbs scored two runs with one RBI against Aiken and she is the team’s number two pitcher. Freshman shortstop Kaylen Mayes scored two runs in the win. Jessica Williamson scored one run in the game. Senior outfielder Jamicka Jenkins is also a contributor to the team along with sophomore outfielder Bri Croft , who scored one run and freshman Molly Wilson who can catch and play second base. “It all starts in the circle and the catching spot,” said Coach Beasley. “If you are strong at those two positions, and can hit the ball a little bit, and we had 12 hits tonight, with an average of 9 or 10 hits per game thus far this season, along with averaging 10 runs then you should win most of your games with these kinds of numbers. “Our team assessment is good pitching from our top three pitchers along with good hitting right now,” said Coach Beasley. “Davore currently has five college offers and she was the Region Player of the Year as a sophomore. Her fastball has been clocked as high as 68 mph which is outstanding. “ Tiera Arnold is our second pitcher and she started at first base tonight,” said Coach Beasley. “Our third pitcher is freshman Laney Grubbs who started at second tonight. All three of our pitchers have no-hitters so far this season and they have each performed well. We are trying to bring all our pitchers along this season but when you have a Jaidyn Devore throwing in the 60’s it is a big adjustment for opposing batters to adjust to our other two pitchers when we bring them having to adjust 68 to a 55 miles per hour pitching.” Buckmon is a four- year starter behind the plate with a strong delivery to second. Buckmon and Devore comprise one of the strongest batteries in the SCHSL AA softball ranks in South Carolina. Coming out of the Aiken game, 8 players are batting .300 or better for Barnwell. Devore is at the top of the hitting index at .632 including a team leading 9 RBI’s along with three doubles and one triple. Corley is at .455 with three RBI’s and one triple. Mayes is hitting .400 with one RBI and one double. Arnold is hitting .357 with 5 RBI’s, and 2 doubles. Buckmon is at .348 with seven RBI’s, including a double and one triple. Williams is hitting .333 with four RBI’s followed by Gordan (.312), Croft (.300) and O’Berry is at .273. In the circle, Devore is 4-1 with an incredible 60 K’s in 31 innings of work with a 0.45 ERA. Davore has great command of both her screw ball and curve ball. Grubbs and Arnold are both 1-0 with 7 K’s each over three innings of work and both have a 0.00 ERA. So far this season Barnwell has win over Williston-Elko (11-3), beat Ridgeland-Hardeeville twice (16-0, 10-0), beat Branchville (5-4), and Silver Bluff (2-0). The team’s only loss was to Colleton County 8-6. Barnwell will travel to Wagener-Salley on March, 20 before hosting Bamberg-Ehrhardt on March, 22. After hosting Edisto on March 25, and W-S on March, 26 the team will close out the month with an away game at Edisto March, 27. “Our top goal is to win the region again this year and advance in the playoffs to win the district and that will give us an opportunity to play for the lower state,” said Coach Beasley. “This team last won a lower state title in 2011. We were 14-2 last season and we had a lot of rain-outs at the end of the season that hurt us going into the playoffs. This season we are playing 25 games and we have several strong teams scheduled to play just before we enter the playoffs at the end of the regular season. We have already had two-rainouts this season.” Aiken High is head coached by Coven Smith , now in his second season as the head coach. He told the HSSR after the game, “We graduated five players off of last year’s team and we have been hurt by some injuries this season also,” said Coach Smith. “We are building culture in our program and we are on the right path. “Our two seniors on the team are senior shortstop Elaina Parrott and Emily Gossett and Emily is out with a shoulder injury right now,” said Coach Smith. “We are getting better every single day and we are looking forward to the future.” Against Barnwell Kate Weimer started in center while Madsion Zeigler was behind the plate. Maddie Hopkins held down third base while Parrott was at short. Summer Tucker started at second while Lyndin George started at first. The outfield corner spots were held down by Lizzie Barry in right while Audrey Hembree was in left. The starting pitcher was Parker Campbell .

By Billy G. Baker Publisher Barnwell — Former Barnwell High baseball player, Cody McCollum , who spent the past three seasons as the head baseball coach at Wade Hampton High (now Hamton County ) has returned to his alma mater as the new head baseball coach for the Warhorses. Former head coach, Will Gee , is now working in the baseball program at Berkeley High after getting married, and moving to the Charleston area after last season, where his wife is in her final year of medical school. “Although I coached over at Wade Hampton for five seasons (two as an assistant) I continued to live in Barnwell, so I have followed the program here for quite some time,” said Coach McCollum, who mentored under Charlie Assey , and his son, at several high school programs in the Columbia area after graduating from USC. “My philosophy, and my approach to coaching the game, is rooted from my experience working with Coach Assey, and his son at White Knoll, Cardinal Newman and Gray Collegiate ,” said Coach McCollum. “I learned a lot about the game of baseball from Coach Assey and the younger Assey.” On the back of the Barnwell practice jerseys this season, the mantra of the head coach is firmly inscribed, “Play In May.” “You are going very deep in the play-offs, and you certainly can not compete for a championship, if you are done playing by the end of April,” said Coach McCollum. “We need to be reminded about this fact, each and every day in practice.” The foundation of any baseball team starts with a strong pitching staff, and Barnwell has one of the top junior pitchers in the state back for his third season on the varsity in Cameron Austin , (L-R) also a top flight quarterback prospect, who was named to the HSSR all-state football team after this past season. “In our first game in a pre-season tournament against Philip Simmons , Cameron had seven strike-outs, allowed four hits, two earned runs and at the plate, and he drove in two runs,” said Coach McCollum. “We won the game 7-2 to get the season started off right.” Austin is the lead-off batter, and when not on the mound, he starts in center field where he has excellent defensive instincts. In the same game, junior shortstop Trey Boleman went for 3-for-four at the plate with one RBI. “Trey bats in the two-hole and he is a solid hitter,” said Coach McCollum. “He is also a very effective right- handed pitcher.” After being mainly, a D-H last year, junior Jaevin Santos is now playing third base and batting in the three-hole. Kaleb McCormick , an outstanding defensive receiver behind the plate, returns to once again start behind the plate. “Kaleb has always been a solid defensive catcher and he has worked hard to improve his hitting, and we are expecting a big season out of him,” said Coach McCollum. Junior Hayden Pierce is a first baseman who bats in the clean-up slot and he was slowed by a shoulder injury last season. Case Davis is an 8th grader starting at second base, and Coach McCollum calls him a “gamer”. “Case is a real “dirt bagger” and to be such a small kid physically he comes to work hard at practice every day,” said Coach McCollum. “He has a solid glove batting in the 5-6 hole.” Joining Austin in the outfield is either Colten Rhoad or junior Bradley Richardson in right field and Colten Bradley and Kiez Roberts competing for playing time in left field. Junior Lane Evans will also see action in the outfield and senior Ethan Renew will also see time in the outfield. J Huggins is also working hard for playing time. The starting pitching rotation will consist of Austin, Boleman (78-80), and Baxley. Richardson will assume the role of closer. Santos could be used as a middle reliever also. “In our program I am asking for commitment, sacrifice, and discipline, from all our players,” said Coach McCollum. “We want to play as long as we can and as hard as we can. Number one, you want to win a region title to get home games in the play-offs. You hope to win your district and move on to the Lower State series and eventually compete for a state title. “We will play hard, smart and aggressive,” said Coach McCollum. “Your players will always react, how you react as the coach, and the three things I just mentioned are how we hope to play the game.” In Barnwell’s first three games of the season, they are 2-1 having also defeated Timberland and their lone loss came against Hilton Head. In those three games Barnwell stole 35 bases. “Until your hitting improves you can play small ball and win games also,” said Coach McCollum. “Against Phillip Simmons we laid down seven bunts.” Barnwell will start the regular season hosting Silver Bluff on March, 4, and travel to Williston-Elko the next day. On March, 8th they host Colleton County . Coach McCollum is assisted by Lonnie Boleman and Barnwell legend Britt Pender .

By Billy G. Baker HSSR Publisher Barnwell — The Barnwell Warhorse (14-4) softball team will be ranked near the top of the HSSR SCHSL AA softball rankings, when they are released on March, 15, supported by the fact the team returns six starters, led by highly valued junior pitcher Jaidyn Devore (R-R) who had 135 strike-outs in 65 innings of work a year ago when she earned all-state honors with the HSSR. Head coach Mike Beasley (220-120 career) is starting his second year as the head softball coach at Barnwell High, after spending 21 seasons in a similar role at Blackville-Hilda . Coach Beasley was not happy at all about what happened to his team a year ago when they bowed out of the AA playoffs (as a number one seed) in back-to-back home losses against Cheraw and Andrews . “Last year we had real bad luck with bad weather cancelling some games late in the regular season, coupled with an early Spring break,” said Coach Beasley. “This unfortunate situation hurt our rhythm entering the playoffs, in all aspects of our game. We have a later Spring break this year, and we have scheduled more games at the end of the season, with teams like Branchville, Silver Bluff, Swansea and Wagener-Salley . “The real challenge for us, is that we will have a key region game with Woodland , after our Spring break this season,” said Coach Beasley. “We have had a lot of rain so far this season in our scrimmage games, so we are going to have to do a say-ounce against having so much rain. Our dug-out at home games does not hold water well when it rains” In an early season scrimmage, Devore whiffed 11 of the 12 batters she faced. “Coming into her junior season she has five firm college offers,” said Coach Beasley. “She can throw all the pitches for strikes, but the screw ball is probably her best pitch. She has improved her velocity a lot over last season and she had got a lot stronger also.” At the plate Devore batted .429 last season. Barnwell will be strong up the middle with the return of Bre’anna Buckmon , a four- year varsity catcher back behind the plate. Buckmon batted .435 last year with 11 RBI’s. “Very few teams even tried to steal against her last season,” said Coach Beasley. “She has a strong arm and is a very good defensive catcher.” Junior third year team member Brooklyn Gardner has been moved from third base to short-stop this season after batting .429 with 11 RBI’s a year ago with an OBP of 512. “Brooklyn is very athletic who hits for power and she has a strong arm from short to first,” said Coach Beasley. Versatile freshman Laney Grubbs will use her speed to start in center field and she is the team’s number two pitcher behind Devore. Grubbs batted .583 with seven RBI’s including an impressive .722 on-base-percentage. “Laney has pitched very well also in the pre-season,” said Coach Beasley. “She also has a solid bat at the plate.” Freshman Kendall O-Berry has moved from short to right field this season. “We expect Kendall to be among our most improved hitters this season,” said Coach Beasley. “She is very patient at the plate and she had a .500 OBP last year.” Sophomore third baseman Abigail Corley is one of three left-handed hitters on the team. “We have moved her from the outfield to third base and she can both slap and hit away,” said Coach Beasley. “She is a solid all-around player.” Returning player, junior Tiera Arnold can play either first or third base, and she will serve as the Warhorses third pitcher also. “Arnold is a power hitter with a strong arm,” said Coach Beasley. Three players will be starting on the varsity for the first time. Sophomore Kaylen Mayes can start in the out-field or at third base and she is very athletic with a strong bat. Senior Kah’Miyah Williams will start in left- field and she is a switch hitter who can slap or hit away from the right side. Freshman Molly Wilson up from the junior varsity and she begins the season starting at second base and she can also catch, if needed. “As far as I am concerned, all 14 of our players can start at various positions from game-to-game but the difference will be who is hitting well at the plate,” said Coach Beasley. Four players who will contribute during the season include sophomore outfielder Bri’Anna Croft (L-L) who started a lot as a freshman and she is also a good slapper at the plate. Freshman Layla Bishop will see action in the outfield and she has a lot of speed to contribute. Senior Jamicka Jenkins will see time in the out-field and she is described as a strong hitter. Freshman Jessica Williams returns to the varsity and brings good hitting and defense to the team.” “We are trying to create a championship atmosphere at all of our home games this season,” said Coach Beasley. “We will have “Special Recognition Nights” at most home games honoring former players, local rec teams, and even current players, for a job well done. We have walk-up music for all our varsity players when they come to bat also. “Our goal is to playing our best softball at the end of the season, compete and win a region title, compete and win our District in the play-offs, and then compete for a state championship,” said Coach Beasley. “Pitching will be our strong suit coming into the season but I also expect us to be a solid hitting team. “If we have a challenge, it is to make sure we have the right personnel in the right positions on the field,” said Coach Beasley. “Playing solid defense is very important also.” Barnwell played in two scrimmage games at the “Grand Slam” event hosted at Colleton County in the pre-season. The regular season will start on March, 4th at Williston-Elko before playing at Colleton County on March, 6. The first home game of the season will be against Colleton County on March, 8. Coach Beasley is assisted by Rick and Rose Arnold , who are also the head coaches for the junior varsity team.

By Billy G. Baker Publisher Barnwell — With five sophomores and four freshmen making up the core of his varsity girls’ basketball team, Barnwell head coach William Hammonds III knew it was going to be a rebuilding season. “I have coached with a lot of patience this season,” said Coach Hammonds. “This is my 7 th season coaching in Barnwell and this will be our first losing season. “The positive thing is that the majority of the team has made improvement from the start of the season until now,” he said. “A lot of the players are playing less timid and with more confidence. “We have basically been like a junior varsity team playing a varsity schedule,” said Coach Hammonds. “If all our young players stick with it, we will be a much-improved team next year.” With just four games remaining in the season the Lady Warhorses are 1-13. They have games remaining with Blackville-Hilda , Ridgeland-Hardeeville , Woodland and Hampton County . Their win came over Wagener-Salley earlier in the season 27-26. The leading scorer on the team is sophomore shooting guard Kaylen Mayes averaging 10 points a game. In a recent game against Edisto , she scored a season high 23 points. “She can be a really good player if she keeps focused,” said Coach Hammonds. The second leading scorer on the team is senior guard J’Niyia Caree who has been hampered by a high ankle sprain most of the season. Caree is averaging 8.6 points a game. Freshman shooting guard Savannah Roundtree is averaging four points a game. Sophomore Madeline Brown (5-10) starts at power forward and freshman Gracyn Carter starts at a small forward slot. Junior forward Eriana Abney recently tore her ACL after being a starter for most of the season. Gabby Thomas has stepped up and she is averaging 5.2 points per game late in season. Other players on the team include: Junior center Ad’Myre Caldwell , sophomore Brianna Croft , senior wing Kardaiza Washington , sophomore forward Skyler Pacheco , freshman forward Juliyah Brown , along with Lakayla Glover and Kalieha Caldwell . Coach Hammonds sis assisted by April Robinson and Alicia Davis .