Orangeburg Prep baseball team wins region championship
Indians has won 22 of first 25 games
Orangeburg – The Orangeburg Preparatory School baseball team will enter the SCISA AAA state playoffs as the Region 1 champion.
The Indians secured the title with an 8-1 victory over Calhoun Academy on April 10 in the final game of their 3-game series to finish with an 8-1 region record. The teams, who came into the series with 6-0 region records, split the first two games. Orangeburg Prep kwon the opener 2-0 while the Cavaliers won the second game 11-3.
The Indians, who had six non-region games remaining in the regular season, have had a tremendous season. They are 22-3 following the Calhoun series.
Orangeburg Prep head coach Tate Jameson said he likes getting his team on the field in live games as much as possible.
“We have a packed schedule this season, and I always like to play more then we practice,” said Jameson. “We have a group of veteran guys who just love to come to the ball park and play baseball, and that is what we are about.”
Orangeburg Prep has been led offensively by junior Tilden “T” Riley and the senior trio of Tadd Jameson, Charlie McCutchen and Bryson Williams.
Riley, a football and basketball standout who has multiple Football Bowl Subdivision offers in football, was leading the Indians in hitting with an average of .468. He had an on-base percentage of .520 to go with 21 runs scored, 20 runs batted in, two doubles, a triple and a home run.
Jameson was batting .354 and had smacked a team high five home runs. He also led the team in RBI with 25 and runs with 26. He also had three doubles and two triples to give him 10 extra-base hits among his 23 hits.
McCutchen was batting 312 but had an OBP of .553. That’s because opposing teams had walked him 18 times and hit him with a pitch on nine occasions. After hitting nine long balls last season, McCutchen had just oe through the first 20 games as the opposition has been pitching him very carefully. He has a double, 10 RBI and 25 runs.
Williams was batting .344 with five doubles, a triple, 24 RBI and 15 runs.
Among the other starters, senior Mason Tyler was batting .279 with 24 runs, freshman Landon Kuck was hitting .300 with 14 RBI, senior Eli Pantaleon was batting .267, senior Hunter Judy was hitting .222 with 12 RBI and a homer, and senior Morrison Burroughs was batting .170.
Orangeburg Prep likes to use its speed on the basepaths as well. Four different players had double figures in steals led by Tyler with 21. McCutchen had 14, Riley 12 and Jameson 11.
The Indian pitching staff has been outstanding with a 1.74 earned run average. It has bee led by Judy, Williams and McCutchen.
Judy had worked 31 innings and had allowed just 20 hits and five walks while striking out 39. He had an earned run average of 1.58.
Williams had a 1.01 earned run average in 27 2/3 innings. He had allowed 10 hits and 14 walks while striking out 36.
McCutchen had the “worst” numbers of those three with a 1.96 ERA in 25 innings. He had allowed just 21 hits and nine walks while striking out 33.
Pantaleon, James, Kuck and Tyler have also gobbled up innings on the mound. Pantaleon had worked 11 1/3 with a 1.85 ERA, Jameon had worked 10 innings and allowed just one unearned run, Kuck had a 3.23 ERA in 8 1/3 innings, and Tyler had a 1.00 ERA in seven innings.
When not pitching, McCutchen is the catcher. Burroughs is the first baseman with Pantaleon at shortstop, Kuck at third, Jameson in left field and Riley in center. Tyler is the main rightfielder while Judy and Williams both play on the middle infield and catch.
Other members of the team are sophomore Parker Gray, freshman Charles Williams III, freshman Council Burroughs, sophomore Maxx Judy, junior Taylor Kittrell and senior Kyle Cooper.
SOFTBALL TEAM FINISHES 6-3 IN REGION
The 2-time defending AAA softball state runner-up, Orangeburg Prep finished 6-3 in region play and are 11-7 overall under first-year head coach Shaniya Thomas.
“We are playing at an expected level.” said Thomas. “Pitching is still a challenge every day, and everyone is doing their part and doing a great job every day. We have settled into our rotation that works. We just have to keep our defense behind them and our bats hot.”
After having the graduated Payton Schurlknight in the circle in previous seasons. Thomas has settled on Lauren Ballew and McKenzie Johnson to get most of the innings.
Ballew had pitched 39 innings and posted a 5-2 win-loss record. She had a 5.21 earned average. Johnson was 2-0 with a 4.32 earned run average in 22 2/3 innings.
Jane Walker Yonce was 2-1 in 12 2/3 innings with a 9.95 ERA.
The Indians have been blistering the ball at the plate. They were batting .347 as a team and averaging 10 runs a game.
Prestan Schurlknight was having another monster season at the plate. She was batting .633 with six doubles, four triples and nine homers. She had 19 extra-base hits among her 31 hits. She had 24 RBI and 27 runs.
Hanah Lambrecht was batting .512 with two doubles, a triple, two homers, 18 RBI and 24 runs, while Ballew was batting .413 with four homers, 17 RBI and 18 runs.
Natalie Hall was batting .341, while Yonce was hitting at a .324 clip. Hall had 13 RBI and 16 runs, while Yonce had two homers, 11 RBI and 16 runs.
