Hawks soared on diamond during 2025 season
By Rob Gantt
Special to the HSSR
HANAHAN – Hanahan High School’s baseball team waves goodbye to seniors Riley Ballard, Joe Furse and Garrett Brown after finishing the 2025 campaign in the Lower State championship game this spring.
Ballard, a Citadel signee, missed a portion of the season but was the Hawks’ ace when healthy. Furse, who batted leadoff and patrolled the outfield, garnered all-region and all-state nods, and Brown contributed to the infield.
“It was an awesome season,” second-year Hawks coach Skylar Hunter said. “I think the bottom line is that we competed very well and had great senior leadership. You don’t do what we did without guys like Riley, Joe and Garrett. You’ve got to give it to them.”
Hunter’s team capped the year with a 21-11-2 record and finished second in the region. Hanahan won a postseason district title.
As for the 2026 season, the Hawks can return a veteran group led by junior catcher Hudson Sprovero, junior second baseman Bo Brabham and eighth-grader pitcher/infielder Nolyn Nickels. All three earned all-region nods, with Sprovero also joining Furse on the South Carolina Baseball Coaches Association’s all-state squad. Sprovero was one of the Lowcountry’s top power hitters this season and finished in double digits home runs.
“We’ve seen how these kids can compete with all the chips on the table,” Hunter said. “There are six or seven more months before we get back on the field, and you look forward to seeing what kind of development they’re going to make. We’ll get into the weight room and see what happens.”
More returning starters are sophomore pitcher/infielder Chris Polm, sophomore shortstop Wyatt Muirheid, junior outfielder/pitcher Gunnar Haulbrooks and freshman outfielder Tripp Gallus. Sophomore infielder Zac Jimenez, freshman infielder Richard Atencio and freshman outfielder Charlie Wood were regulars in the lineup, too.
