Whether it’s a quest to repeat recent or past glory, secure an overdue winning season or plant seeds for future success, high school baseball teams in and around Mount Pleasant are ready to return to the diamond for the 2025 season.
As they prepare in cold and sometimes inclement weather for the first pitch of the new season, here is a look at five head coaches, both new and veteran, their teams and their outlooks for what several are hoping will be a return to championship form.
Wando Warriors
This year won’t be much different for Wando head coach Dirk Thomas than his previous 13 with one exception: he believes this squad has a strong chance to hoist a second state championship banner, going back to 2015. As he prepares his defending region champion Warriors for yet another run at the title, Thomas is hoping that 10 years will be the charm.
“We’ve qualified for the state playoffs every year since I arrived,” said Thomas, whose first full season with Wando was 2012. “And even though we’ll be competing this year in Region 7 AAAAA, we’re returning a talented and motivated group of players, whose leadership make the 2025 outlook very promising.”
The Warriors will be anchored by six returning seniors: pitcher/third baseman Max Whitmer, who has committed to playing at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C; infielder Brady Gold, who has signed with Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina; infielder/outfielder/pitcher Corbin Martens, who is headed to Davidson College north of Charlotte; catcher/utility Chase Kern; pitcher Jack DeLyra; and infielder Lander Williams.
Thomas said that while all six players could lead them to another special season or at least help them secure another region title, a play here and there could just as easily turn the tables back to 2016, when the Warriors followed their first – and so far, only – state baseball title run with an 8-16 mark.
“The level of talent in the Lowcountry is second to none,” Thomas said. “Our Region 7 AAAAA competition will be strong, as most schools will be fielding teams that had success in last year’s playoffs, led by Berkeley and Stratford. This also will be the first year for our town rivals Lucy Beckham to be in our region. We split two games with them in 2024 and will play them in a best-of-3 region series this year.”
Lucy Beckham Bengals
If 2024 was a baseball benchmark for Lucy Beckham, the school could soon be making some diamond thunder.
In only his second season with the Bengals, head coach B. J. McConnell is looking for the 2025 team to improve on last year’s 20-10 mark, earn another trip to the playoffs and see how far into the spring they can make a run at state. “Last year was the first time the team made the playoffs since the school began in 2020,” said McConnell, whose team will be competing in Region 7 AAAAA. “We won three playoff games last year before losing in the district championship.”
Going further this time will mean getting past numerous obstacles, namely Lowcountry baseball, where many teams have the talent and experience to take the top prize at season’s end. “Our entire region is strong, with no easy games or teams,” McConnell said. “Wando is our main rival, as the town gets into the series, and plays a big part in our season outcome as it is a region game this year. We will be in the IP Classic this year at Georgetown with the best eight teams in the state – and for non-region, we have tough battles with Oceanside, Bishop England and Charlotte Christian.”
But the Bengals are returning 13 seniors and seven juniors along with their entire pitching staff – all experienced players – nine of whom plan to play college baseball.
Leading the team will be second baseman and team captain Tommy Byrne; catcher Hank Aeppli; shortstop Ryan Roggin; first baseman/pitcher Preston DeNapoli; utilityman Andrew Hoover; center fielder/pitcher Holman Blake; pitchers Hunter Doyle, Michael Mapes, Ford Thompson and Sawyer Minton; first baseman/pitcher Charles Kelly; and outfielder/catcher Keagan Conroy.
“We’re expecting to be very strong,” McConnell said. “We have many goals to accomplish and want to make a deep run in the playoffs.”
Bishop England Battling Bishops
For some time now, Bishop England head baseball coach Mike Darnell has had a rare kind of problem: where to store all the championship trophies and where to put others that may yet be won.
Since taking over the Bishops’ team in 2000, Darnell has led them to six state titles, including three in a row from 2017-19, to go with another four secured before his arrival. Despite last season’s low point of 15-14, he and his current team are looking for an encore to their 31-2 record from 2018 and to reclaim the top of the state high school baseball world. “We have a talented group led by a strong senior class,” said Darnell, whose team will compete in Region 6 AAAA. “We are expecting to pitch well and play good defense which will keep us in games.”
And there will likely be far more close games than routs, as Lowcountry teams are known for stellar baseball play and success. “We have always had a great rivalry with Hanahan, Wando and more recently Oceanside,” Darnell said. “But this is a new region for us and a new classification and we play a three-game series (M/W/F), which will also be new to us.”
The Bishops are fielding a mix of talented younger players and a lot of returners, including these seven seniors:
- Pitcher/first baseman Jackson Winer
- Pitcher/shortstop Will Rissmiller
- Pitcher/outfielder Peter Fulton
- Pitcher/infielder Davis Metz
- Outfielder Maddox Munzel
- Third baseman/first baseman Wyatt Lynn
- Outfielder/first baseman/pitcher Jacob Mackara
“The leadership and performance of our seniors will determine the success of our season,” Darnell said. “It is always the case, but this year all of them play major roles in our everyday lineup. It is very important that they are leaders both on and off the field.”
Philip Simmons Iron Horses
So far, Josh Kubisz is the only head baseball coach that Philip Simmons has ever had. He has led the Iron Horses to seven straight state playoff appearances.
Entering the 2025 season, he and his team will be looking to make their way to the school’s first-ever state title game. “We have a mix of returning talent and a strong work ethic that promises to deliver an exciting year for fans and players alike,” said Kubisz, whose team will compete in Region 6 AA. “The team is poised to compete at a high level.”
They will face a road filled with high hurdles, as Woodland, Andrews and Academic Magnet high schools will present stiff competition. “These matchups will be crucial in determining where we place in the standings and serve as valuable tests for the team’s development,” Kubisz said.
Unlike other Lowcountry teams which are loaded with returning seniors and starters, the Iron Horses will have to rely on the strength of relatively few veterans, who include:
- Senior catcher Pierce Mullen – A reliable and consistent presence at the plate, Mullen finished 2024 with a .327 batting average, and became known for his ability to hit, score and drive in runs in clutch moments.
- Senior middle infielder Charlie Helms – Demonstrating exceptional skill at the plate, Helms led the offense last season with nine doubles, a .371 batting average and showed an ability to ‘hit-em where they ain’t.’
- Senior pitcher Nolan Clifford – The team’s ace southpaw, Clifford’s ability to manage pressure situations will not only be invaluable in crucial games but will also likely influence how far the team progresses.
“Our strength will be a balanced approach at the plate and consistent pitching,” Kubisz said. “And with a solid bullpen, we should be able to limit opposing offenses and keep games within reach.”
Oceanside Collegiate Academy Landsharks
Not many coaches on any baseball level can claim a first team as their best. But entering only his second year with the Oceanside Collegiate Academy Landsharks, head coach Britt Reames is already holding up 2024 as the standard by which all other future OCA teams will be measured.
And even though the diamond Landsharks moved to Region 6 AAA this season, Reames and his squad have their sights firmly set on repeating as state champions. “We finished 2024 with a mark of 24-9,” said Reames, whose team won its last 10 games en route to a decisive two-game finals sweep of Mid-Carolina High last May. “Even though we will compete in a different region this season, we are confidently optimistic.”
The prize won’t come easy, as the Lowcountry landscape is replete with contenders. Hanahan, for instance, will be the Landsharks’ biggest obstacle. “The two games with them usually determine the winner of our region,” Reames said. “And the region winner usually goes deep into the playoffs.”
Outside the region, OCA faces a revitalized and building Lucy Beckham, East Forsyth (Georgia), Covenant Day (North Carolina), Legion Collegiate Academy and Dobyns-Bennett (Tennessee) in what Reames called a “very competitive schedule.”
However, OCA is loaded with senior leadership, championship playoff experience and college prospects, including:
- All-State centerfielder Andrew Palmer, committed to East Tennessee State University and considered a future Major League Baseball prospect.
- Pitcher/third baseman Caden Fragola, committed to Lenoir Rhyne.
- Outfielder/first baseman Aiden Brusman, committed to USC Union.
- Pitcher Jackson Lanning, committed to Newberry.
- Catcher/infielder Scott Henry, committed to USC Lancaster.
- Outfielder Noah Cannady.
- Pitcher Tyler Mellison.
- Infielder/second baseman Bowen Stickler.
- Outfielder Travis Anderson.
“All of these nine seniors will play a vital role in our success this year,” Reames said. “And we should make the playoffs and compete for another title.”
By L. C. Leach III
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