Matthew Martens takes over Clarendon Hall softball program

           Summerton – Matthew Martens is far from an unfamiliar face at Clarendon Hall. However, he is walking into new territory with the Saints as their softball head coach.

           Martens takes over for Jeffrey Bays, who decided to step down after a tremendous 13-year run. Martens had been an assistant to Bays since the 2023 season.

           Martens believes his taking the job is a God thing.

           “Stepping into the role of head coach at Clarendon Hall felt like the right decision because I love this school, our community and the game of softball,” said Martens, whose daughter, Annie Carlyle “AC” Martens, is on the team. “I believe God opens doors for us to serve others, and I feel called to help develop these young ladies not only as softball players but also as people of strong character and faith.

           “Our focus is on helping each player grow in her abilities, build confidence and reach her full potential through hard work, discipline and a willingness to learn. We have developed a great coaching staff to develop the young ladies from B team, JV (junior varsity) and varsity softball.”

           Clarendon Hall won four state championships and played for four other state titles during Bays’ tenure. He finished with a 192-76 record. Clarendon Hall’s first state title under his guidance came in 2015. The other three came consecutively, a SCISA Class A title in 2022 and consecutive AA state crowns in ’23 and ’24.

           The Saints lost to Pee Dee Academy in the AAA title series in 2025 before finishing 10-11 in the just completed season.

           “Having the opportunity to coach under Jeff has been invaluable,” Martens said. “His leadership helped establish a championship culture built on hard work, commitment and doing things the right way. Learning from him has prepared me for this transition, and I have tremendous respect for everything he and the previous players and coaches have accomplished.

           “The standard they set is something I want our team to embrace every day. My goal is to honor that legacy by developing our talent and continuing to play at the level that Clarendon Hall softball has come to expect.”

Shane Wallace is back for his second season as the school’s athletic director and football head coach. Last season was a very difficult one for the Saints as they finished the year with a 0-10 record, the second year in a row that has happened.

           Both of those winless marks came in SCISA AAA. With SCISA’s bi-annual reclassification, the Saints will play football at the Class A level for the next two years.

           Wallace’s assistant coaches are Stewart Price, Trey Bagnal and Clay Reynolds.

           Clarendon Hall will play boys and girls basketball at the varsity level this season after having just junior varsity teams last year. That decision was made because of a lack of numbers in the junior and senior classes. Wallace thinks the move will pay dividends.

           “I believe that playing a JV schedule gave our younger players the opportunity to compete against athletes at a similar stage of development,” he said. “Rather than becoming discouraged by facing older, more experienced varsity teams, they were able to compete, experience success and build confidence.

           “It also helped create a strong team culture and family atmosphere while preparing them to compete at the varsity level this upcoming year.”

           Rick Atkinson will again coach the boys and Johnny Horton will again coach the girls.

           Jackie McIntosh returns as the baseball head coach, and Shannon Rodgers will coach the volleyball team again.