Midlands baseball teams to watch
A.C. Flora
COACH: Andy Hallett (19th year, 400-152)
LAST YEAR’S RECORD: 19-11
STARTERS RETURNING: 7
RETURNING STARTERS: C: Josh Hernandez; P John Duren; CF Coleman Pope; 3B Lane Botkin; DH Watts Eaddy; SS Brendan Greene; 1B/LF Bailey Matthews; RF Will Bethea.
NEWCOMERS TO WATCH: LF Jonnie Hernandez; 2B Andrew Walker; P Charles Chapman; P Parker Carlton.
Airport
COACH: Tim Perry (5th year, 61-40-1)
LAST YEAR’S RECORD: 20-9
KEY PLAYERS LOST: Jacob Shirey, Caleb Morris.
STARTERS RETURNING: 7
KEY RETURNEES: OF/P Josh Tucker (.288) Kyle Watts; P Josh Talton (4-2 1.45 ERA); Tyler Corbitt (.432, 2 HRs, 23 RBI); P/INF Gage Jeffcoat (6-2, 1.01 ERA); P Justin Allen; Zach Feaster (Missed last spring with shoulder Injury).
NEWCOMERS TO WATCH: Kyle Sturkie; Reece Stewart; Dalton Mims; Brandon Caughman; Matt Willis.
Blythewood
COACH: Barry Mizzell (25th year, 465-233)
LAST YEAR’S RECORD: 17-9
KEY PLAYERS LOST: Tyler Romanik, Connor Grant, Walt Ballentine, Andrew Crook, Tripper Ergle.
STARTERS RETURNING: 3
KEY RETURNEES: Justin Greider, Jacob Davis. Jordyn Adams.
NEWCOMERS TO WATCH: Todd Mattox, Aiden Massey, Ryan Bland.
Chapin
COACH: Scott McLeod
LAST YEAR’S RECORD: 15-13
KEY RETURNEES: Colin Santiago, Evan Estridge, Tyler White, Nick Price, Jordan O’Cain Lawson Beemis, Cooper Beemis.
Dutch Fork
COACH: Casey Waites (3rd year, 38-14)
LAST YEAR’S RECORD: 20-6
KEY PLAYERS LOST: C Blake Smith; P Tate Fant; INT Jacob Soloman; OF Lane Ecton.
STARTERS RETURNING: 5
KEY RETURNEES: TJ Shook (.457, 32 H, 16 RBI/5-1 1.40 ERA); Ward Hacklen (.358, 29 H, 5 HRs, 30 RBI); Branden Deans (.338, 24 H, 18 RBI).
NEWCOMERS TO WATCH: Noah Jackson, Taylor Wiggins, Jake Benoit, Hugh Ryan.
Gilbert
COACH: Ashley Burnett (19 years, 416-161)
LAST YEAR’S RECORD: 23-7
KEY PLAYERS LOST: Patrick Price, Ryan Knowles, Caleb Taylor, Allen Geddings.
KEY RETURNEES: Caleb Watkins (.354 5 HRs), Trace Whetsell (.300), Jackson Dennis 3-1 1.01 ERA), Jacob Rye (2-0 1.10 ERA); Ben Copeland 1-0 1.53 ERA); Tyler Berry (.312).
Lexington
COACH: Brian Hucks (343-148)
LAST YEAR’S RECORD: 10-14
KEY PLAYERS LOST: P Cordes Baker; P/OF Michael Smoak; P/OF Trey Watts; P Braxton Ashley.
STARTERS RETURNING: 8
KEY RETURNEES: OF Brice Kirven (.380, 13 doubles); SS Bubba Bowers (.266); 3B Cole Lemacks (.333); P Chase Williamson ( 2-3, 25.2 IP, 21 K, 3.27 ERA); P/UTL Rhett Bane (Injured in 2015); C Jared Kirven (1.000 fielding % as a freshman last year. 146 PO/16 Assists); 2B Dalton Lansdowne; OF Will Alewine.
NEWCOMERS TO WATCH: P John Scott; P Noah Davis; 1B Josh Asbill; P Ben Sauls; OF Nick Graves; C/DH Zack Smith; OF/P David Jacobs; OF/P Austin Muse; INF Peyton Evans; P Jonathan Howlett.
Mid-Carolina
COACH: Daniel Gregory (41-16)
LAST YEAR’S RECORD: 25-4
KEY PLAYERS LOST: OF/P Danton Hyman; OF Mack Flemon; C Duncan Crotwell; SS Cole Shealy; 2B Rhett Frazier; OF Shawn Sexton.
STARTERS RETURNING: 1
KEY RETURNEES: P/1B Ryan Stoudemire (.494, 5 HRs, 49 RBI/9-0, 1.61 ERA, 86 Ks); P/OF Corey Stone (2-0 3.87 ERA); P Trey Huber (4-3, 3.17 ERA); C Cole Nichols (.230, HR); OF Logan Folk (.220, HR).
NEWCOMERS TO WATCH: SS Cade Ruff; P Preston Farmer; OF/P John Stephen Trammell.
Newberry
COACH: Lindsey Stribble, (7th year , 72-66)
LAST YEAR’S RECORD: 18-9
KEY PLAYERS LOST: Kevis Burton, Pat Yoder.
STARTERS RETURNING: 8
KEY RETURNEES: Ryne Huggins; Andrew Livingston; Trey Kinard; Bailey Clark; Justin Busby; Jamey Busby; Adam Kesler; Alec Blackmon.
NEWCOMERS TO WATCH: Tyriq Goodman; Shy Williams; Ivan Ruff.
River Bluff
COACH: Mark Bonnette (5th year overall, 64-38)
LAST YEAR’S RECORD: 18-8
KEY PLAYERS LOST: Sean Parsons and Harrison Kinard.
STARTERS RETURNING: 7
KEY RETURNEES: P/OF Brandon Tillmon (7-1 1.52 ERA/.414, 7 HR, 32 RBI), P/1B Ryan Reynolds; P Max Lampl; C Treyce Bouknight; 3B Aaron Adams; SS Walker McDowell; OF Josh Senter.
White Knoll
COACH: Charles Assey (5 year, 54-53)
LAST YEAR’S RECORD: 16-13
KEY PLAYERS LOST: Eddie Prestigiacomo.
STARTERS RETURNING: 7
KEY RETURNERS: Calev Grubbs (.376 ) Bruce Wilkinson (.321); P Steven Estep; P Brandon Tamayo.
NEWCOMERS TO WATCH: Parker Wieder (10th grade) and Brett Williams (9th grade) Ryan Harbin (11th grade).
This story was originally published March 6, 2016 at 10:00 PM.