THA baseball, softball going through growing pains
By David Shelton
Senior Writer
Ridgeland – With rosters full of underclassmen, the baseball and softball teams at Thomas Heyward Academy have had an up and down season in 2025.
The baseball team has just three starting seniors and four total on the roster while the softball team does have a senior and only two juniors.
Underclassmen are doing a lot of the heavy lifting for both teams.
The baseball team won three of their first 12 games against a competitive schedule with teams that are older and more experienced.
The starting seniors in most games have been catcher Beau Pinckney, outfielder Gus Twenge and N0.1 pitcher and infielder Colton Young. The fourth senior, Mitchell White, comes off the bench for the Rebels.
Pinckney is one of the offensive leaders and had a four RBI game against Patrick Henry.
Others who see mound time include junior Dalten Martin and sophomore Tyler Young, both middle infielders. Drew Willis was injured early but has logged innings on the mound of late.
Junior Dodge Peeples starts at third base and sophomore Owen Palazzo start at first. In the outfield are junior Mackie Bowers, and junior Jace Bessinger, joining Twenge. Junior Miles Stanley has seen time as the designated hitter.
Other members of the team include freshmen Colt Hunt and Skylar Adams.
The softball team has managed four wins in 11 games, including a double-header sweep of Hilton Head Christian just before spring break.
“We’re just focused on trying to learn and improve every day,” coach Jeb Fay said. “The potential to be competitive is there for sure,”
Fay says a handful of players are active year-round with travel ball but even those players are young and developing. Of the 11 girls on the roster, there are two juniors. The rest are jayvee aged players.
The two juniors on the team are Olivia Meador and Abigail Hansen. Meador sees time as a pitcher and plays shortstop while Hansen is an outfielder. MaKayla Cormack also has pitched and has played shortstop in Meador’s absence of late.
Meador shares the pitching load with sophomore Caleigh Sottile. Behind the plate is eighth-grader Kayley Fay, one of the veteran summer ball players.
Freshman Sophia Arzillo is playing first base, joined on the right side of the diamond by freshman Ella Hunter, who has been injured early on so freshman Lilly Gantt, normally an outfielder, is filling in at second.
Freshman EK Brown is the starter at third base and has pitched some. Other outfielders include Ruthie Garces, Destiny White, Brenly Owens and Audrey Eastman.
