James Island wins second straight state title in baseball
By David Shelton
Senior Writer
James Island – Great players thrive on the big moment and love to produce on the biggest stage. James Island senior Jake Amman took full advantage of his moment in the sun.
With the 2025 baseball season hanging in the balance, Amman’s RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning scored Collin Anderson to lift James Island to a 6-5 win over Lexington in game three of the Class AAAAA Division I state championship series.
The Trojans, 30-4, win a state title for the second straight season, capturing the AAAA crown in 2024.
“We just needed to get to Jake with a chance to do some damage. Ethan Stein had a great at bat and drew a walk. I felt really good about chances with Jake up there,” James Island coach Matt Spivey said. “I can’t say enough about this team, their heart and determination. We faced some major adversity today and we handled it. Really proud of them.”
Anderson also played hero in the win. He started the game on the mound before moving to centerfield in the sixth inning. Anderson was recalled to the mound in the eighth inning, snuffing out a potential big rally by Lexington after the Wildcats scored one run to take a 5-4 lead.
“Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would bring Collin back but we were getting a little desperate,” Spivey said. “We had trouble throwing strikes and we just went with our gut. Collin’s been that guy all year.”
Anderson then doubled in the tying run in the bottom of the eighth, finishing with two hits and two RBI in the game. Amman also tallied a pair of hits, giving him five hits in the series. Trip Ostergard and Connor Dantzler also had two hits in game three.
In addition to Anderson, the Trojans used five more pitchers and ended up walking eight hitters while hitting three. Lexington, down 4-2 in the seventh, used a double, three walks and a hit batter to tie game.
“I definitely think our experience helped us,” Spivey said. “We returned a lot of guys from last year and this team had a target on their back from day one. It was a lot of pressure but these guys thrive on pressure. We were tough on them but they worked their tails off. We won 30 games but it wasn’t easy.”
A three-peat is possible but the Trojans lose Anderson, Amman and catcher Stow Rogers. Amman and Rogers each hit over .370 this season and combined for 40 RBIs.
Junior Taj Marchand, an Ole Miss commit and one of the top prospects in the state, hit .530 with 12 doubles, eight homers and 42 RBIs. Sophomore Trip Ostergard hit .470 with 33 runs scored and junior Connor Dantzler hit .370 with 33 RBIs.
Anderson finished with seven wins on the mound. Marchand added six wins while sophomores Cooper Jones and Dawson Beldner saw a lot of work and will be counted on in 2026.
But 2026 can wait. Spivey plans to enjoy this season for a little time before getting back to the grind.
