105 www.ReadMPM.com | www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.MountPleasantPodcast.com our sports 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 Around the Horn High school baseball preview BY L. C. LEACH III Lucy Beckham coaching staff liking what they see. Wando coach advising a player.
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