Blythewood, Hanna head up AAAAA rankings

Blythewood, Hanna head up AAAAA rankings

By David Shelton

Senior Writer

Moncks Corner – Just for fun, let’s take all of the schools in class AAAAA and break them into two divisions and have to sets of playoffs and two state champions.

Oh wait. That’s already been done. The South Carolina High School League took care of that at last winter’s school realignment. All good. I have no real issue with giving more teams a viable shot at a state championship. I would add one thing, however.

It will never be done but I would like to see the two state championship winners play each other, either a one game winner take all, or a three-game series after both teams have had proper rest and can line up the pitching rotation.

You may think it’s a crazy notion, and it probably is, but I would like to see one state champion. The teams that win titles in the two divisions can keep their trophy but how cool would it be to see one final champion. Depending on how the two divisions ended up I would bet there are several Division II teams that would beat the Division I champion.

Okay, I got that out of the way. Let’s talk about the top contenders for the two titles.

In Division I, Blythewood sits in the not so coveted No. 1 spot in our latest rankings. The Bengals have shown to be a quality team that executes the fundamentals and takes advantage of the talent they have on the roster.

The Bengals are 14-3 overall and on their way to a region title with a 6-0 mark. They won the prestigious IP Classic to start the season, but two inexplicable losses came recently to Sumter.

Amare Counts, a junior, is a proven offensive threat with a .429 batting average and 14 RBI’s. Jackson Bottar is hitting .421 with 17 RBIs and also is one of the better arms on the pitching staff.

Other key arms for the Bengals include Johnny Collins and Andrew Blackwell. More offense comes from Sammy Franklin (,441), Mason Leppert (.401) and Alex Myers (.353).

James Island won the Class AAAA state title last season and coach Matt Spivey returns a bevy of offensive firepower. The 14-3 Trojans are off to a 9-0 start in region 8-AAAAA, well on their way to a title.

The Trojans may have to state’s top four hitting lineup with junior Taj Marchand, seniors Stow Rogers and Jake Amman, and sophomore Trip Ostergard. That foursome has made a habit of scoring runs early, putting the pressure on the opponent from the get-go.

In terms of pitching, Stratford has one of the top group of arms, including juniors Jarrett Wagner and Jachin Davis, and seniors Jacob Deacon and Bryce Herpolsheimer. Davis also rates as a top offensive threat with a batting average hovering around.500.

River Bluff, Dutch Fork and Lexington can never be counted on come playoff time. The trio are locked in a battle for the region four title and any of the three could end up winning it. Lexington and River Bluff are 6-2 while Dutch Fork is 6-3. Buckle up.

In Division II, T.L. Hanna is the top-ranked team as of mid-April. With shortstop Will Craddock and pitchers Seth Manning and Easton Thomas, and hitter Zach Dillard, the Yellow Jackets have the championship pieces. Hanna is 13-3 overall and 8-0 in region play.

Despite losing their top four pitchers from last year’s 26-4 team, the Chiefs of North Myrtle Beach will be back in the hunt. Catcher CJ Oxendine is among the state’s elite players. Juniors Gabriel Priest and Sawyer Smith have been lights out on the mound.

Indian Land is 15-2 overall and 10-0 in region play. Fort Mill is 13-3 with a talented roster that includes several college commits.



Chapin is a team that could make a strong run in Division II. Led by all-state catcher Caden Reeves, the Eagles have wins over James Island, Hanna and Daniel. The potential in a playoff format is there for the Eagles. Key arms include Griff Harper, Ty Harper, Cooper Derrick and Tyler Graham.

Class AAAAA (Division I) Top 10 (Apr. 13)

1.    Blythewood

2.    James Island

3.    Dorman

4.    Stratford

5.    Dutch Fork

6.    Summerville

7.    River Bluff

8.    Lexington

9.    Clover

10. Byrnes

Class AAAAA (Division II) Top 10 (Apr. 13)

1.    T.L. Hanna

2.    North Myrtle Beach

3.    Indian Land

4.    Fort Mill

5.    West Florence

6.    Chapin

7.    Eastside

8.    Lucy Beckham

9.    St. James

10. Berkeley