Hartsville softball has lofty goals this spring

David Shelton • April 14, 2025

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By David Shelton

Senior Writer

Hartsville – The softball program at Hartsville High has a strong tradition of winning. The Red Foxes have state championship trophies displayed in the school so expectations are always high for the team from year to year.

This spring is no different as the 2025 Red Foxes have goals that include contending for the state AAAA championship in May. First, however, Hartsville finds themselves in contention for the region 6-AAAA title. Entering play on April 7, Hartsville was 7-1 in region play while posting a 13-4 record overall. That win total already matched last year’s total wins so Hartsville has clearly improved this season.

Coach Amber Harvey, in her seventh season, likes the overall makeup of this year’s team.

“We have really good team chemistry and we are benefitting from having a large number of returners in the starting lineup,” Harvey reports.

The lineup has a nice mixture of upperclassmen and players in their early years of high school but most have played significant innings coming into this season.

One of the key seniors is outfielder Jaysha McCullough, who batted .622 with 17 stolen bases in the first 17 games.

Junior infielder Myah Harvey, a Wofford commit, has belted five homers and five triples through 17 games, posting a .583 overall batting average with 32 runs scored and 24 RBI’s.

Freshman Aliyah Smith is playing third base and has a team-high 26 RBI’s with a .404 average in 17 games.

Senior first baseman Carter Shumate is hitting .464 with 11 RBI’s and 13 stolen bases while junior catcher Mary Hickey has hit two homers.

Sophomore outfielder Terriney Thompson is hitting .333 this season. Junior Abbey Byrd is also starting in the outfield while seventh-grader Claire Smith is a key utility player.

Sophomore Emma Kate Hudson is hitting .308 while the No. 1 pitcher, Allie Bailey, has a 2.51 earned run average.

Despite the early success, Harvey says her team is still working hard on pitch selection at the plate. Defensively she would like her team to be more aggressive with pickoff plays to eliminate scoring threats.

The baseball team also is hunting a region title this spring. Hartsville won their first five region games and went 10-3 overall heading into play on April 7.

Bryce Oliver and Jackson Moore lead the team offensively. Oliver is hitting .567 early, totaling 17 RBI’s and eight doubles, and Moore is at .529 with 11 runs batted in.

Senior Web Barnes is hitting .479 with 14 RBI’s while Brandon Anderson is hitting .455 with 19 RBI’s. Anderson also has been an ace on the mound with a 5-0 record and a 1.13 earned run average.

Two other hitters over .400 are Casey Hawkins (.414) and Jaden Atkinson (.404). Atkinson also has three wins on the mound early on.

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By David Shelton Senior Writer Charleston – First Baptist School has new leadership within its football program and athletic department for the coming 2025-26 school year. Kevin Mapp was hired as the new head football coach in the early spring and Jay Godbolt was hired as the new athletic director at the start of the summer. Mapp has extensive coaching experience on both the college and high school levels while also working in law enforcement. First Baptist is his first head coaching position. Mapp last coached defensive linemen at James Island Charter High and has had coaching stints at James Madison, Hampden-Sydney, Georgetown, Marshall, Missouri State and Coastal Carolina. Mapp graduated from James Madison and was a defensive lineman on the 2004 Division I-AAA (now FCS) national championship team. “Coaching has always been my passion,” Mapp said. “Ever since I was playing, I wanted to be a coach. I have always found a way to coach while working in law enforcement. I’ve been fortunate to have had the opportunities to do both.” Mapp has been with the Charleston County police department for the last 10 years. He took some time away from coaching to start a family. “I felt like First Baptist was the perfect fit for me and my family,” Mapp says. “It’s a great opportunity at a great place. The kids here work hard and there is a lot of support from the administration. I’m excited to be the head football coach at First Baptist.” Mapp has hired coordinators on both sides of the ball. Will McCombs , once the head coach of the program, will call the offensive plays. Chris Hart comes over from James Island as the defensive coordinator. “Our numbers are improving and the kids are working hard,” Mapp said. “I feel like we can be a competitive team. It’s year one of the building process.” Godbolt has been a coach and athletic director in the Charleston area for nearly two decades. As the boys basketball coach at Charleston Collegiate, Godbolt coached three state championship teams. He also has been a coach and athletic director at Lowcountry Leadership Academy. Godbolt has more than 450 career victories as a head basketball coach. Current First Baptist basketball coach Antoine Saunders was Godbolt’s assistant at Charleston Collegiate.