Manning baseball team takes step forward iin Region 7-AA
Monarchs have earned berth in state playoffs
Manning – Things are going much, much better for the Manning High School baseball team in its second season under the direction of head coach Raymond Gibbs.
The Monarchs picked up just one victory last season under Gibbs, a slick-fielding third baseman for some outstanding MHS teams under Rick Coker in the late 1980s. Manning won six of its first 15 games this season and was 4-4 in Region 7-AA.
Gibbs said the Monarchs have improved this year in a slow, steady progression.
“I think we’re getting better,” Gibbs said. “The more time we spend on the field, the better we’ve become. The beginning of the season was a little rough, but as the season has gone on we’ve gotten better at making plays, putting the ball in play. The more we play, the better we’re getting.”
The Monarchs returned five starters from last season in senior Chandler Avant, sophomore CJ Robinson, senior Ja’Rae Mitchell, senior CJ Joye and senior Lucas Peters.
Joye, who handles most of the catching duties but also sees time at first base, is having a tremendous season. He was leading the team in hitting with a .455 batting average and was third in on-base percentage at .538. Joye also led in runs batted in with 22 and home runs with two to go along with a double, a triple and seven runs scored.
Mitchell is the starting shortstop, and he was the team leader in on-base percentage at .575, runs with 19 and stolen bases with 12. He ha a .414 batting average, two doubles and nine runs batted in.
Peters, who starts at first base when he isn’t pitching, was batting just .105. However, he had a tremendous on-base percentage of .564 from drawing 18walks. He had scored 12 runs. Avant, a second baseman who sees a little time in right field, was batting .259 with an on-base percentage of .459, six runs batted in and 13 time crossing the plate.
Robbinson was batting .333 with an on-base percentage of 432. He had scored 17 runs, stole 11 bases and had eight runs batted in with a triple.
The newcomers to the starting lineup are sophomore Jonathan “Zander” White, freshman Joshua White, senior Ky’Lik Montgomery, sophomore Peyton Harrison and senior Evan Burgess.
Zander White is the primary third baseman but also sees time at first and in right field. He was batting 258 with a .385 on-base percentage, one double, 11 runs and 10 runs batted in. Joshua White is a middle infielder who owned a .407 on-base percentage despite hitting just .158. He had crossed the plate five times.
Montgomery, who plays in both center and right, was batting .261 but had an on-base percentage of .514 to go with six runs batted in. Harrison, a leftfielder, had seven runs and three runs batted in to go with a .125 batting average and an on-base percentage of .263.
Burgess, who draws some starting assignments at the corner infield spots depending on who is pitching, was batting .221 with a .462 on-base percentage and five runs batted in.
The primary batting order has Avant in the leadoff spot followed by Robinson in the 2 hole and Mitchell httign third Joye is the cleanup hitter with Peters batting fifth and Zander White sixth. Joshua White bats in the 7 hole with Montgomery batting eighth and whoever the other starter is rounding out the order.
“We’re starting to swing the bats better, a whole lot better,” Gibbs said. “We’re starting to find some barrel.”
As far as the pitching goes, Peters and Zander White have been the primary starters. Peters had thrown 16 1/3 innings and had an earned run average of .5.25. White had pitched 16 innings and had an earned run average of 5.14.
Joye has been the Monarchs’ primary pitcher coming out of the bullpen. He had a 2.86 earned run average in 7 1/3 innings. Joshua White had worked 6 2/3 innings with a 4.20 earned run average.
Others who are being counted on to supply innings are Montgomery, Avant and Burgess.
“Our pitching is starting to come along pretty good,” Gibbs said. “We’ve kind of let them down at times defensive-wise.”
Other members of the team are junior Jaden Smith, Chayce Wallace and Ian Jordan.
The Monarchs have secured a berth in the upcoming state playoffs. It’s now just a matter of how they finish in the region to determine in which district tournament they will play.
They had 2-game series left with Lake City and Marion. Gibbs thinks his team is ready to meet the challenge of battling for playoff position.
“I think we’re getting better every day,” he said. “I believe we’re ready to meet the challenge we’re going to face.”
MANNING SOFTBALL SHOWS IMPROVEMENT TOO
After going winless in the difficult Region 7-AAA last season, the Manning softball team is a part of Region 7 – AA – this year following the South Carolina High School League’s realignment. The Monarchs split four of their first eight region games and have locked up a berth in the upcoming state playoffs.
Sophomore centerfielder Dakota Lambert was leadig the Monarchs midway through the season with a .636 batting average. She had seven runs batted in to go with seven runs and two triples.
Freshman Shayden Epps was batting .462 with si runs and six runs batted in.
Epps and eighth-grader Ammerah Conyers had handled the pitching duties through the early going.
