Saluda baseball team trying to make a run at Region 2-AA title

          Saluda – Saluda High School baseball coach Travis Mills was more than pleased with how his team had performed heading into spring break. The Tigers owned an 11-5 overall record and a 5-1 mark in Region 2-AA.

           Mills is hoping that strong start has laid the groundwork to what comes over the final few weeks of the season.

           “I’m super proud of how we have played to this point in the season so far,” Mills said. “We have played a really tough schedule that we hope prepares us for a run at a region title and also a run in the AA playoffs.”

           Saluda was tied with defending AA state champion Batesburg-Leesville for first place. The teams have yet to meet this season. They face off on April 21 and April 24.

           The Tigers also have two region games left against Strom Thurmond.

           Mills credits a 7-man senior class for helping set the stage for this season. They are Brayden Williams, Cooper Gantt, Lane Ashley, Jeremy Matthews, Sid Shaw, Zac Costain and Ethan Graham.

                       “We have a great group of seniors who have been here a long time and those guys are leading the way,” Mills said.

           Three of them are in the starting lineup in Shaw, Williams and Matthews. Shaw is a returning South Carolina Baseball Coaches Association All-State selection and was the runner-up for Region Player of the Year. He’s the catcher and the leadoff hitter.

           Willliams is the centerfielder and bats cleanup. Matthews is the rightfielder and hits seventh.

           Shaw was leading the team in both hitting and on-base percentage. He had a .431 batting average and a .554 OBP. Williams was batting .372 with a .518 OBP, and Matthews had a .250 average and a .352 OBP.

                      Sophomore shortstop Eduardo Dominguez bats second behind Shaw while sophomore designated hitter Bryson Burnett bats third. In the 5 hole after Williams is freshman first baseman Abraham Del Valle followed by junior leftfielder Tristan Daniels, Matthews sophomore second baseman Cash Martin and freshman third baseman Javier Sorcia.

           Daniells was batting .429 with a 520 OBP, Del Valle was hitting .370 with a .393 OBP, Burnett was at .308 and .410, Dominguez was at .275 and .383, and Martin was at .235 and .386.

          Mills has a pair of freshmen as his region starting pitchers in right-hander Cayden Rogers and left-hander Westan Rowe. They have been highly effective so far with Rogers possessing a 1.45 earned run average and Rowe a 1.50 ERA.

           Dominguez has a 1.67 ERA, while Costain was at 1.70, Burnett at 1.11 and Will Wideman at 2.63.

Other arms Mills has available are Williams, Matthews, Gantt and Ashley.

What is Mills’ one wish as the playoffs draw near?

“As we head into the back half of the season, one thing I'd like to see us improve on is our defense at times,” he said.

SALUDA SOFTBALL AT 15-3

The defending upper state champion Saluda softball team was off to a strong start. The Tigers were 15-3 overall and 4-1 in region play. They had one region loss along with B-L and Ninety Six.

Saluda was working its way back through the region schedule after spring break. Its loss came to Batesburg-Leesville while it defeated Ninety Six.

Key performers are Kamryn Campbell, pitcher Miller Martin, Zoey Springs, Nyla Jordan, Aubrey Boots Marnatti, Ava Martin, Amy Sorcia and Karen Almarez.