I watched a ton of Marion County prep baseball over the past week-plus and have learned a lot about three of the four ball clubs. As I write this Tuesday afternoon, East Marion is the only team I haven’t seen play yet.
Here is what I have discovered up to this point:
West Marion
The Trojans are for real. They made it to the South State title game behind a great pitching rotation and now the defense has caught up and their offense is much improved.
They have four pitchers — Shelby Terrell, Trace McNabb, Jayden Duncan and Randy Ramos — who would be considered No. 1 aces on most high school teams throughout the state and can shut down opposing lineups with relative ease. Brett Jenkins has also pitched well in his starts, though he will likely be a bullpen arm once district begins but is gaining invaluable experience.
The arrival of Ramos, a transfer from Texas, has had an enormous ripple effect on both West Marion’s fielding and offense. With Ramos being able to hold down shortstop, it keeps Terrell from having to overexert himself and allows Duncan’s athleticism to play up in the outfield. At the plate, West Marion’s offense has been extended and the Trojans are driving the ball with a lot more regularity.
West Marion will likely go deep into the playoffs once again and compete for a 3A state title.
Columbia
What a difference a year makes. The Wildcats had a down year last season but gained a lot of experience that is paying huge dividends this season.
Trey Hobgood has been an absolute monster at the plate and the emergence of Landon Sanders forces opposing pitchers to pitch to Hobgood. Jonathan Turnage, Harrison Miller and Cole Pearson have all improved at the dish, and Cannon Mock has set the table at the top of the order effectively and does a great job of putting the ball in play. This Columbia lineup is deep.
On the mound, the Wildcats have had a number of guys step up, namely Pearson and Sanders. They don’t have a bonafide ace, but if Columbia’s offense keeps it up, they will be in the running for a district title.
Columbia Academy
A year has made a big difference in Columbia’s improvement, but Columbia Academy lost seven starters to graduation, four of whom signed collegiate scholarships. In short, these aren’t the same Cougars.
However, I wouldn’t write off the Cougars for one second. Head coach Heath Smith has said the current sophomore class, led by Slade Wilks, Tate Duncan and Ras Pace, may end up even better than the 2017 class that produced a state title.
Wilks is already a star, and Duncan and Pace have shown a ton of promise of being serious impact contributors. Drew Havard, Colby Thompson and Harrison Hartzog are good ball players, too, but it’s going to take some time for the Cougars to grow on the field.
Columbia Academy will need Duncan and Aaron Thomas to get stretched out on the mound in a hurry to slot in behind ace Chance Forbes in the rotation. If they do and the rest of the youngsters grow up quickly, there’s no reason the Cougars can’t make noise in the playoffs. Though another state title this season is likely out of reach.
East Marion
As I mentioned in the lede, I haven’t seen the Eagles play at this moment. But if their first four games are any indication, this is a much-improved ball club.
Devin Daniels is blossoming into an absolute stud on the diamond, which would be his third sport he has become a star in. Vashon Sims has also got off to a blistering start on offense after becoming the young face of East Marion basketball.
The Eagles success, though, will likely come down to their pitching and defense. Without seeing it for myself yet, I really can’t predict what the future holds for East Marion on the diamond.
