The Clark Twins From Carvers Bay Honing Baseball Skills Via Two Summer College Leagues This Summer
The twin brother duo of Clark and Brantley Jones culminated their five-year varsity playing experience at Carvers Bay with both players coming on strong late in their senior seasons, and the HSSR has named both of them to the 2026 HSSR Class A all-state baseball team.
By Billy G. Baker
Publisher
Hemingway—You would be hard-pressed to find any two recently graduated prep baseball players working any harder than the twin brother duo of Clark and Brantley Jones as the brothers have been busy playing into two summer college leagues since they graduated from Carvers Bay High School in May.
Athletes can only improve, and get better, by either practicing or playing as much as possible and the Jone’s boys have grown up a lot in the game playing against college competition all summer. They plan to enroll at NAIA South Carolina Central College in Columbia this fall with the goal of moving up to a bigger baseball program at some point.
The duo began this summer playing for the Briar Cliff Eagles in the Beach Collegiate Baseball League. After that season ended, they joined the Florence Flamingos in the Coastal Palins League where they will compete and play until deep into August. Playing against college players has honed the skills of both players.
For their five-year varsity playing experience at Carvers Bay, and with both players coming on strong late in their senior seasons, the HSSR has named both of them to the 2026 HSSR Class A all-state baseball team.
This past high season Clark Jones had 88 K’s in 74 innings of work with a 2.34 ERA. His out-pitch is a slider. He also throws a two-seam fastball that was recently clocked at 85 miles per hour.
“I am going to college as a two-way player,” said Clark Jones. “I have learned a lot playing against the college guys this summer. I feel like I have improved in all aspects of the game with the competition this summer. It has been both a growth and a learning experience for sure and I am having a lot of fun.”
In the BCBL this summer, Clark worked 20 innings on the mound with 22 K’s and he compiled an ERA of 1.05, only allowing three earned runs. With the Coastal League just getting started up, Clark has had one outing in relief with the Flamingos. In two innings of work, he allowed one hit and had 4 K’s as he struck out the side in one inning.
Clark talked about his long-time love of baseball. “I have been playing baseball since tee ball,” he said. “I do not know what kind of person I would be without baseball in my life. I have a love for the game, and it has been a great experience playing in both college leagues this summer, against outstanding competition.
“I have a lot more room for growth in the game,” said Clark. “This summer has been a great experience. I feel like I have vastly improved in all aspects of the game.”
Clark said he career highlight memory came when his pitching performance helped the Bears win their first District championship in school history against St. Johns in the playoffs. “We won the game 4-0 and I hit a two-run homer in the 4th inning to give us our first lead of the game,” he said. “I pitched a complete game shut out with six strikeouts also.”
Both Clark and Brantley agree that playing with teammate Ty Vestie has been a wonderful experience. “I just met him a month ago, but we connected as baseball players immediately,” said Brantley. “He has a lot of knowledge of the game, and he will be coaching in college this fall. I am sure that when I get married one day he will be in my wedding party for sure.”
Brantley tore his ACL last summer playing travel baseball and he did not start playing in a varsity baseball game at Carvers Bay until the end of March.
Brantley started as a catcher at Carvers Bay for three seasons where he was a gold-glove defensive catcher with excellent pop time, but he did not play the position as a senior due to his ACL injury. “I started my senior season strictly as a designated hitter then I played second base in the field, and I didn’t start pitching until the end of the season when the playoffs started,” said Brantley.
In 24 innings of work, Brantley had 26 K’s with an ERA of 3.50. As a second baseman he had a team leading fielding percentage of .962 among starters, making only one error.
So far this summer Brantley said he has improved as a player competing against” a lot of SEC players.” “As a pitcher I have learned to locate my pitches better this summer,” said Brantley. “I have learned this summer just what a mental game the pitcher has with batters. To be an effective pitcher I am learning that you almost must trick the batters. or at least get into their heads some.”
Brantly said he is feeling like he is playing at 90 per cent of his old self, prior to the ACL injury. “I am getting stronger with every game I play,” he said. “I am not fully recovered yet, but I am feeling a lot better.”
Brantley’s highlight memory as a high player came against Green Sea Floyds during his junior season. “We were down by one run in the 7th inning with one out and I hit a home run to tie the game, and we later won the game on a throwing error in the 8th inning,” said Brantly. “That was a pretty electric moment for me.”
Both players thanked their families for always being behind them 100 per cent in the game of the game of baseball. Brantley added, “Myfamily has always pushed both of us to do better and keep working hard.”
The Clark twins left a lot of memories on the baseball field at Carvers Bay in their five-year careers, and they are making even more memories competing well against older college players this summer. You just never know when the baseball light bulb is going to shine its brightest.
From talking to both of them you get the feeling that their best baseball is still ahead of them and they are eager to improve and next season at South Carolina Central could be a great opportunity for both of them to take that giant step forward in the game of baseball.
