WHITMIRE, S.C. — The Lady Wolverines are district champs for the second consecutive year. Whitmire(20-6, 10-2 region 1-A) defeated McBee(9-7, 5-3 region 2-A) to capture another district title.

The Lady Wolverines had to face a familiar foe on Thursday, May 15 to reach a goal on their season checklist. The intense playoffs game had leads blown, controversial calls and history being made for one team while the other team season comes to an end.

Sophomore Kenleigh Epps got the start in the circle for Whitmire again and she threw a complete game but it wasn’t easy. McBee struck first with a run at the top of the first inning to take a 1-0 lead. Epps found herself in some trouble at the top of the third inning as well but found a way out of it. She started the inning by giving up two hits and that was McBee could get because neither base runner was able to reach home for a score.

Whitmire had a hard time figuring out the starting pitcher for the Lady Panthers but they would eventually crack the code. After leaving two runners stranded at the bottom of the second inning, but didn’t let the same thing happened twice at the bottom of the third inning. Raylin Vicars got things started with a single. She scored later that inning on a RBI single from Cierra Jones that tied the game at 1-1.

The game wouldn’t stay tied for long because McBee would score a hard hit ground ball that made its way through shortstop and third base. The visitors reclaimed the lead, 2-1, heading into the fourth inning.

The Panthers lead wouldn’t last long because Whitmire would go onto score three runs at the bottom of the fourth inning. Freshman Autumn Gilliam would get things started for the Wolverines with a single. Gilliam then made her way to second base with a steal. Chloe Hix would bring her home with a RBI single.

Whitmire would continue doing damage in fifth inning by loading the bases and Vicars would bring two runs in to score with a RBI single. The home team would lead 4-2 going into the fifth inning.

Epps would run into more trouble at the top of the fifth inning. The visitors would able to get two costly hits and score on a RBI single to cut into Whitmire’s deficit, 4-3. The damage would be limited though and Epps would get out of the jam.

Gilliam continued her good day at the plate with another RBI on a sacrifice fly at the bottom of the fifth inning to give the Wolverines some cushion.

The top of sixth inning would be trouble for Whitmire as they let the lead slip away. McBee got two base runners after back-to-back hard hit singles to the outfield. They would then get another RBI single to add another run and now trailed only 5-4. The Lady Panthers weren’t done and scored another two runs to take the lead, 6-5.

Whitmire would only trailed for a short period of time. They tied the game at the bottom of the sixth inning after Brooklyn Babb reached base on a single and Vicars reached base on a walk. Arienna Jenkins would get a RBI single after sacrifice pop fly tied the game at 6-6.

Neither team could get anything going in the seventh inning and the game would into extra innings. McBee got two hits at the top of the eighth inning but would leave both runners stranded on base. Whitmire would also leave two runners stranded and the game would remain tied going into the ninth inning.

McBee would use the international rule to their advantage. The international rule states that starting in the ninth inning and beyond, both teams would have a base runner on second base to start their at bat. The visitors would get two RBI singles to score two runs and take a 8-6 lead.

Whitmire needed two runs to tie it and three runs to win at the start of the bottom inning. Of course those resilient Wolverines would do just that. Jones would drive the first score in on a RBI but she decided to take more and would make her way all the way home and then get thrown out. The controversial play caused a 10 minute delay after it appeared that Jones was interfered with while rounding first base by a McBee player who was standing in the base runner’s path, which is illegal. The umpires got together and decided to not overturn the call and Wolverines’ head coach Andrew Campbell was not happy about the call. Play would resume after Campbell gave the umpires an ear full.

Jenkins would have her teammates’ back and slapped a hard hit ball into the outfield that scored a run to tie the game 8-8. Then, Chloe Hix would come through clutch for her team as she hit a walk-off single to end the game and deliver the Lady Wolverines their second consecutive district title and the program’s fifth overall.

“First off, Ms.Donna does a heck of a job at McBee and we knew they were going to be ready to play. She does a tremendous job. But like I told you on the last time you were here, the girls are resilient and they don’t get phased by the moment. It was 8-6 going into the ninth and they put a runner at second due to the international tiebreaker rule and they end up scoring two runs,” said Campbell.

He continued,”CC comes up with a big base hit to score one and it was interference at first but she slides into first and gets tagged then called out. If it wasn’t for the interference at first then she comes in walking to score, which is what I was arguing. They[umpires] were saying she is awarded two bases but I don’t think that’s right. Either way, that’s neither here nor there, they call her out and we protest. Autumn comes up with a big hit, Ally gives us a good at bat and then Arienna ties it. Chloe comes up with a big walk-off single to win it 9-8. They love each other and has been doing it since January. They wanted this and now we got our second in-a-row, fifth overall and are chasing the Upper State banner now.”

All of the girls played well and deserved the game ball, but a special shout out to Epps. She has battled injuries in the second half of the season and was recently cleared to play. She threw a complete game that went into two extra innings to help the Wolverines advance.

“She hasn’t thrown a whole lot of innings since the second week of March. Holly Robertson has had to pick up the slack because she has been hurt. Kenleigh really just got cleared last week and she’s back out there gutting it out and getting it done. The defense played well behind here and like I said before, they love each other and they are family. When she is on there and everybody behind her makes me feel good about our chances,” stated Campbell.

Whitmire moves into the 1A Upper State Championship bracket now and will play their first game against Lewisville on Friday, May 16. They will be on the road and the first pitch is set for 6:00 p.m.

CLEMSON, S.C. — Clemson Director of Athletics Graham Neff and Clemson football program announced that they have agreed to a 12-year deal to meet annually for a home-and-home series between the Tigers and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish spanning from 2027-38.

The two teams last met on Nov. 11, 2023 where the Tigers defeated the Fighting Irish 31-23 at home. The two teams have had some instant classic matchups throughout the years. They were already scheduled to meet in 2027(Clemson), 2028 (Notre Dame), 2031 (Clemson), 2034 (Notre Dame) and 2037 (Clemson) before the new deal.

“Even in just the last decade, matchups between Clemson and Notre Dame have produced incredibly memorable moments and games,” Neff said. “We have immense excitement for the creation of this 12-year series between these two premier programs, as we know these will be must-see matchups for fans at Memorial Stadium and Notre Dame Stadium as well as television audiences nationwide.

Both teams made the College Football Playoffs last season with Notre Dame reaching the CFP title game and falling to Ohio State.

The Atlantic Coast Conference announced that these meetings will be included in Notre Dame’s five mandatory annual ACC games. This deal also comes on the heels of the lawsuit settlement between the ACC, Clemson and Florida State. The two programs wanted out of the ACC following the 2023-24 school year, but came to an agreement with the league settling with the two schools to remain in the conference under a new revenue distribution structure and more clarity around the grant-of-rights penalty.

This series is also part of a bigger plan in an attempt for commissioner Jim Phillips and league officials to reward the programs who win a lot like Clemson, and help promote the conference on a national level with their winning. The main reason for Clemson and FSU wanting to leave the ACC is because of the television distribution gap between the ACC and the two richest conferences in college: SEC and Big Ten. It is reported that the gaps in television distribution in both of those conferences could soar up to as high as $30 million per school within the next two years for both conferences.

WHITMIRE, S.C. — Whitmire’s varsity softball team found themselves in familiar territory for the second consecutive season after picking up another huge home playoffs win. The Lady Wolverines(18-6, 10-2 region 1-A) defeated McBee(14-6, 7-3 region 2-A) by the score of 4-1 in the second round of the 1A state playoffs.

Whitmire hosted a home playoffs game against McBee on Friday, May 9th for a chance to advance in the playoffs and get on step closer of reclaiming another district title.

The two teams had a pitcher’s duel and the game was scoreless for the first two innings of the ball game. Sophomore Kenleigh Epps got the start in the circle for Whitmire and she saved her best stuff for the playoffs.

Whitmire got on the scoreboard first at the bottom of the third inning to give themselves a 1-0 lead. Senior Cierra Jones drove in a run with a RBI single to extend their lead. The Lady Wolverines went into the fourth inning with a 2-0 lead.

The defensive battle and pitching duel continued as both teams struggle to get anything going on offense in this intense playoffs match.

The Wolverines had an offensive spark at the bottom of the fifth inning after freshman Autumn Gilliam was walked. Sophomore Chloe Hix took advantage of the opportunity and drove Gilliam in for the score after a RBI single. Whitmire had an opportunity to add some more runs, but three runners on base after get the bases loaded with two outs.

McBee felt the game slipping away and responded at the top of the sixth inning. Miscommunication in the outfield led to the visiting lady Panthers scoring to cut the deficit down, 3-1. Epps stop the bleeding with a strikeout and retiring two more batters to end the inning.

Whitmire added an insurance run at the bottom of the sixth after a base runner scored on a throwing error from the visitors. Epps would go on to finish the game and throw a complete game in the Wolverines win.

“It’s a big team win and like I said the other day after Wednesday’s win, this team is scrappy and they don’t quit. We put together some good at bats and were selfless. We laid some bunts down, CC had two and Chloe had one and someone else had a sacrifice bunt as well. That’s how you win the playoffs. They did that and played good defense. We didn’t make an error today,” said Wolverines head coach Andrew Campbell.

The two teams will meet again on Wednesday, May 14 in Whitmire. The lady Wolverines have a chance to end McBee’s season and advance to the 1A Lower State championship bracket with a win.

PROSPERITY, S.C. — The Rebels varsity baseball team are crowned district champions once again. Mid-Carolina(21-7, 9-0 region 3-AA) defeated Landrum(22-7, 10-2 region 1-AA) 9-7 at home on Wednesday, May 15 to capture their third consecutive district championship.

After rain delays in the early part of the week, the Rebels finally got their chance to defend their district title. Mid-Carolina got on the scoreboard first at the bottom of the first inning.

The Cardinals answered right back at the top of second inning with three runs of their own, which included a two-run home run over the left field wall. The visitors extended their lead at the top of the fourth inning with another run scored to take a 4-1 lead going into the fourth inning.

The Rebels and their hot bats responded like they always do. The home team scored seven runs at the bottom of the fourth inning to reclaim the lead, 8-4.

Landrum would make things interesting again with three runs scored in at the top of the fifth inning to cut into the Rebels’ deficit, 8-7. Mid-Carolina would add an insurance run at the bottom of the sixth inning and would hold onto the lead. Senior Kaden Myers would earn the save and secure their third consecutive district title.

“This group is built for this and we played a tough schedule for sure. I challenged them all year with good schools. Coach Henson got a group and they are some big ole’ strong kids that can hit. It was probably one of the better hitting groups we’ve faced all year,” said Rebels’ head coach Lindsey Stribble.

He continued, “This ballpark[Mid-Carolina home field] is going to give you some and take some away. Our pitchers got in some trouble but they battled. They had a big swing tonight with one that got out of here but our kids didn’t panic and kept playing. One of them told me, ‘coach we are going to be alright’. I am proud of them and we are district champs again but Upper State starts tomorrow because of all the rain so not much time to celebrate. We got to get the work done and come back out here tomorrow to beat a strong Strom Thurmond team.”

The Rebels lost to Storm Thurmond on Thursday, May 15 by the score of 5-3. They will be back in action on Saturday, May 17 on the road against Clinton. First pitch will be at 1:00 p.m.

WHITMIRE, S.C. — The Whitmire varsity baseball team season comes to an end after being on the wrong end of a comeback. The Wolverines(12-16, 7-5 region 2-A) fell 12-8 to Horse Creek Academy(11-13, 7-3 region) at home in the second round of the 1A state playoffs.

The Wolverines faced elimination after falling to Abbeville in their second round match on May 8th. They returned home on Saturday, May 10th to face Horse Creek Academy with a chance to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Whitmire got off to a strong start by scoring five runs at the bottom of the first inning. They added to their lead by scoring another run at the bottom of the fourth inning to take a 6-0 lead into the final three innings.

All the Wolverines had to do was hold on and they would keep their season going. Sounds easy, right? Well, it wasn’t and things went downhill for the Wolverines at the top of the fifth inning.

The Stallions got their first score of the game at the top of the fifth inning to cut into the deficit, but still trailed 6-1 heading into the bottom of the fifth inning. The Wolverines quickly responded and added two more runs at the bottom of the fifth inning to lead 8-1 going into the sixth inning.

Horse Creek cut into the deficit even more at the top of the sixth inning and now just trailed 8-3. The Wolverines couldn’t get anything on the scoreboard at the bottom of the sixth inning, but needed just three outs to win the game.

The Wolverines blew their lead, allowed five runs and committed two of their five errors in the game at the top of the seventh inning. The Stallions were able to tie the game, 8-8, at the top of the seventh inning. Now, Whitmire had their backs against the wall but still had a chance to win the game if they could find a way to score at the bottom of the seventh inning.

Unfortunately, that didn’t happen and the game went into extra innings. The Wolverines continued to struggle on defense and allowed four runs at the top of the eighth inning while committing another two errors. Whitmire blew their huge lead and could never recover.

“This is a tough one to swallow after jumping out to a lead. We just have to learn to put people away. The defensive miscues are magnified in playoff games and we will get better having gone through this,” said Wolverines head coach Chris Martin. “To our Seniors, there is nothing but love and respect. These 5 young men have had some incredible moments to shine throughout their high school careers. They will be missed and we look forward to being fans as they enter college and the workforce.”

Congratulations, to Whitmire on a successful and good luck to the seniors at the next level. Blake Stribble, Xzye Stephens, Kayshaun Schumpert, Chris Mathis and Aiden Vicars will be graduating at the end of this month.

NEWBERRY — Newberry High School varsity baseball team keeps their season alive and their playoffs hopes alive with a crucial second round win. The Bulldogs(16-12, 7-5 region 5-AAA) defeated Dillon(8-15, 0-9 region 7-AAA) by the score of 10-7.

The Bulldogs traveled to Dillon, S.C. on Saturday, May 10th to face the Wildcats in an elimination game. Newberry lost to Aynor in the second round of the playoffs by the score of 10-0 on May 8th and needed to win against Dillon to avoid their season coming to an end.

Newberry did just that and will now face Aynor again on Wednesday, May 13th. The Bulldogs will need to win two games against Aynor to advance to the Lower State Championship bracket. The season will end if they were to lose in either of those games. Both games are scheduled for Wednesday with the first game setting to start at 5:00 p.m. Congrats to head coach Dylan Skinner for quickly turning the program around after not making the playoffs last season and finishing the year with a record under .500.

Good luck to the Bulldogs as they continue to fight in the 3A state playoffs.

PROSPERITY, S.C. — Mid-Carolina varsity softball moves on to the district championship round after winning with a walk-off in extra innings. The Lady Rebels(9-14, 7-0 region 3-AA) defeated High Point Academy(10-12, 8-0 region 1-AA) 1-0 at home to advance in the 2A softball state playoffs.

Mid-Carolina and High Point Academy needed extra innings to decide who will advance to the district championship round. The two teams got together on Wednesday, May 14 for a instant classic playoffs battle.

They needed extra innings to decided this game because it was scoreless for eight innings. Rebels’ senior Gabbi Riddle Grizzlies’ senior Julie Raines started in the circle for their respective teams and had themselves a pitcher’s duel.

Riddle was flawless through the first inning, but found herself in a jam at the top of second inning. She gave up a hit and a walk to put two runners on base. The Grizzlies had two sacrifice hits to advance the runners, but the Rebels made smart decisions to throw out two runners at home to prevent to potential scores. Riddle then had a strike out to end the inning and keep the game scoreless.

Katie Gallman got things going at the bottom of the second inning for the lady Rebels with a double, but she was left stranded on the bases.

Neither teams could get anything going for two innings, but the home team had a spark at the bottom of the fifth inning. Mary Grace Bryant got single to get things going for her squad. Nora Cutler reached base next on a walk. Unfortunately, the Rebels left both of them stranded at second and third base.

Neither team could get anything going for the next few innings, but things got interesting at the bottom of the seventh inning. Bryant got a double with two outs and then stole a base to get on third. Again, she was left stranded and the game went into extra innings.

Mid-Carolina made a strong defensive effort to hold High Point Academy but were also held until the bottom of the ninth inning. Bryant got things started with a single and the Cutler got on base with a walk. Raelyn Cutler had enough of the back-and-forth. The left-handed hitter smack a line drive shot between the second and first base to score the walk-off run.

“To be honest, things didn’t go well for us early on. We were over swinging at times, popping everything up and just couldn’t get anything to fall. We kept going. kept fighting, kept believing and kept making swings. Hats off to their pitcher because she really kept us off balance. She was throwing the ball away, mixing up her speeds and we just missed a lot of pitchers,” said Rebels’ head coach Joey Long.

“Things started to turn for us in the eighth though. We got a few runners on base and they made some mistakes but we just couldn’t get the run we needed to in. I felt good about the ninth though especially with the international tie breaker. They couldn’t get their run, which was big, and I felt like we could make it happen.”

Riddle threw a complete game and only allowed five hits with five strikeouts.

“She has been one of those kids throughout her career that I can throw up there anytime and she is going to compete. She is one of our seniors and plays the game like you are supposed to play it, which is hard as you can and if she makes a mistake then so it be and she brushes it off,” said Long. “She competed on the mound tonight. Hats off to her for keeping them off balance and just pitching a heck of a game. I don’t know how many hits she gave up but she didn’t have any walks and didn’t give them a lot of extra base hits.”

Mid-Carolina will now travel to Pelion to face them on Thursday, May 15 in the district championship. The Rebels will need to win two games to win the district title and advance to the Upper State championship bracket.

PROSPERITY, S.C. — Mid-Carolina will continue their playoffs journey as they earn a second round win at home on Thursday evening. The Rebels(21-6, 9-0 region 3-AA) defeated Ninety Six(12-12, 3-3 region 2-AA) by the score of 12-8 in the second round of the 2A baseball state playoffs.

This playoffs match between the longtime 2A class rivals had it all from calls being overturned, a fan being ejected, a pitcher’s duel, a lot of runs being scored and a coach reaching an historic career milestone. The Rebels’ head coach Lindsey Stribble earned his 250th career on Thursday, May 8th at home and a second round playoffs victory all wrapped in one.

“It’s been a lot of fun. I’ve been around some really good players and had some really good teams. I am also very blessed to the coaches we have and to be in community where baseball is very important. We try to go out and make them proud but this also shows that I have been around a little bit of time now[smiling]. I’m getting old but I am very proud of it,” said Stribble.

It was a pitcher’s duel between the Rebels starter senior Kaden Myers and Wildcats starter Devin Butler. The two teams went scoreless for nearly two innings and couldn’t get anything going at the plate. Gage Hunter finally gave the Rebels a lift with a single at the bottom of the second inning. Mid-Carolina would get two more runners on base to get the bases loaded and Colby Livingston hits a hard ground ball through the middle of the infield to drive home a run for his squad.

The Wildcats limited the damage, but the Rebels held a 1-0 lead heading into the third inning. Myers had another flawless inning at the top of the third as he retired all three batters he faced and struck two of them out.

Butler gave up nothing at the bottom of third inning and the score still remained 1-0 in favor of the Rebels. The top of fourth inning was a bit of a struggle for the right handed senior. Myers gave up just his second hit of the game and another hit shortly after. Then, he got called for balk with bases loaded and that scored the Wildcats first run of the game to tie it at 1-1. Myers felt some discomfort in his right foot after slipping on the mound, and needed attention from the athletic trainer. He would stay in the game and overcome the foot injury.

Ninety Six would get their first lead of the game with a infield hit to score another run, and then added another run later on in the inning for some insurance.

The Rebels trailed 3-1 going into the bottom half of the third inning, but that deficit didn’t last long. Cade Moore got things going with a single. Senior Caleb Black showed his power by sending a moon shot over the left field wall to tie the game with a two-run home run.

Unfortunately, that ended the day for Butler but he gave the Wildcats a great outing on the mound. Sopohmore Landon Wicker took advantage of the new arm on the mound and gave the Rebels the lead back with a RBI single that was hit hard over the outstretched arms of the Wildcats’ first baseman.

“We played some really good teams this year including some 5A schools to get us ready for these moments. I think that helps but night in and night out it seems like somebody else has been able to step up. It’s been kind of up and down with some guys and they have struggled a bit but came through in big moments. Caleb Black had a big swing tonight to get us right back in the game that got us going a bit and the other guys took over. That was big and huge to know that we are never out of it,” mentioned Stribble.

Myers gave himself some run support and drove in another base runner for a score with a RBI single of his own. Mid-Carolina would take a 5-3 lead into the fifth inning. Luke Milling would take over for Myers on the mound at the top of the fifth inning. His day finished with four innings pitched, allowed three hits, three runs and seven strike outs.

Ninety Six got Milling in a jam with the bases loaded at the top of the fifth inning. They would drive in one score and cut the deficit, 5-4, before Milling got the Rebels out of the jam.

The fireworks began at the bottom of the fifth inning. It started with the Rebels getting three runners on base to load them up before the Wildcats made another pitching change. Then, a heated exchange between a parent of Mid-Carolina and the home plate umpire. He first issued a warning to the Rebels bench and spoke with Stribble. That wasn’t enough and moments later the fan was tossed by the home plate umpire.

After the ejection, the Rebels got refocused and began an onslaught of runs. It started with a walked batter to score their first run of the inning. Another walked batter scored another run. Ninety Six would go to the bullpen again to stop the bleeding, but that didn’t help because Myers would get another RBI to make it a 8-4 lead for the home team.

More fireworks would be lit after the Wildcats’ fans disagreed with an overturned called at first base. The initial call was an out after a routine ground ball that forced the first basemen to stretch. Stribble spoke with the two umpires and they determined the Ninety Six first baseman was out and the inning continued. The Rebels would go on to add four more runs and took a 12-4 lead into the sixth inning.

Ninety Six would score three runs to cut the deficit at the top of the sixth inning and force Mid-Carolina to go to their bullpen. Lawson Lawrence would close out the game for the Rebels and they would hold off the feisty Wildcats for second round playoffs victory and Stribble’s 250th career win.

“First off, that is a really good team over there and Chad Ellis and his staff does a really good job year in and year out. It seems like my whole career we have been playing Ninety Six and they have been right there. They have won some championships and it’s a good program,” Stribble stated.

He continued, “We faced some adversity and they battled Kaden tough. He had an injury but did finish the game at short for us. The other guys came in and battled too. We weren’t quite our best and they[Ninety Six] had a lot to do with that. They had some really good at bats. Their approach was good, they shorten up, had a good eye up there and put a lot of balls in play. Just an overall good atmosphere for a playoffs game and we are very fortunate to come out of here with a win tonight.”

Mid-Carolina will get to enjoy their weekend before returning back to the diamond on Monday, May 12th. They are currently awaiting for some second round games to conclude to see who their next opponent will be.

NEWBERRY — The 2024-25 school year and sports season is coming to an end in Newberry County for all four area high schools. The spring sports season was just as exciting as the fall and winter. Mid-Carolina varsity baseball and softball had strong seasons. Newberry High School varsity baseball team had its ups and downs, but closed out the regular season with a winning record. Whitmire varsity softball looks to make another deep playoffs run after following up their 2024 campaign with an even better season in 2025.

Newberry Academy endured their growing pains this season, but managed to creep into the playoffs.

Now, it is playoffs time and first round action will begin on May 6th and May 7th. Good luck to all teams as they start their journey to a state title.

Varsity Baseball First Round Matchups:

• Newberry(13-11, 7-5 region 5-AAA) will go on the road to take on Orangeburg-Wilkinson(8-9, 3-4 region 8-AAA) on Tuesday, May 6th at 6:30 p.m. The Bulldogs finished third overall in the region and won three of their last four games to close out the regular season.
• Whitmire(10-14, 7-5 region 2-A) will travel to Horse Creek Academy(9-12, 7-3 region) on Tuesday, May 6th for a 5:30 p.m. start time. The Wolverines finished their season with 13-9 win over American Leadership Academy in a 10 innings battle on May 1st. They also finished fourth in their region standings.
• Mid-Carolina had an overall record of 18-7 and finished undefeated in region play(9-0) to win the region 3-AA regular season title. They will be in postseason play and host a first round game, but haven’t posted their first round match as of yet.

Varsity Softball First Round Matchups:

• Whitmire(17-6, 10-2 region 1-A) will host Calhoun County(4-8, 4-8 region 3-A) at home in the first round of the playoffs on Wednesday, May 7th with a start time of 6:00 p.m. The Lady Wolverines followed a dominant 2024 with a dominant 2025 regular season performance. Unfortunately, they dropped both regular season games against Dixie and could only finish in second place in the region.
• Newberry(6-12) finished the season with an overall record under .500, but got stronger as the season progressed and their lineup got healthier. The Lady Bulldogs will hit the road to face Georgetown(12-6, 6-4 region 6-AAA) on Wednesday, May 7th at 6:00 p.m.
• Mid-Carolina(9-14, 7-0 region 3-AA) finished the season in first place in their region to capture the regular season region title. The Lady Rebels had some tough battles at the end of the season and lost three consecutive games heading into the playoffs against stiff competition. Despite the rough patch at the end of the season, Mid-Carolina will make the playoffs and host a first round match. They have not yet posted their playoffs schedule, but we will keep fans updated on social media.

NEWBERRY — After another solid campaign, the Newberry College men’s lacrosse team earned six all-conference nods including Brian Lake earning South Atlantic Conference Defensive Player of the year and Liam Vollans named South Atlantic Conference Freshman of the Year.

Jack Travassos joined Lake on the All-SAC first team while Vollans earned second team recognition with Gage Vigar, Ben McMullen and Scott Williams being named to the third team.

Lake, a graduate student, started all 17 games at defense and had one goal, two assists, 41 ground balls and 40 forced turnovers and helped the Wolves lead the SAC in caused turnover with 192.

Travassos, also a graduate student, led the Wolves with 64 ground balls, finished second to Lake with 28 caused turnovers while adding a goal and an assist. In his four seasons he accumulated five goals, four assists, 230 ground balls, second in Newberry history, and caused 112 turnovers which is a Newberry career record.

Vollans led the Wolves with 41 goals, 19 assists, 60 points and 66 shots on goal. His 41 goals are the fifth most in Wolves single season history and 60 points are the seventh most in single season history. He tied for the team lead with two game winning goals and led the team with six man-up tallies.

Vigar, a sophomore transfer from St. Joseph’s, finished second on the team with 29 goals, led the team with 30 assists and finished second in points with 59. His 30 assists were tied for the second most in Newberry single season history and 59 points are the eighth most in a single season.

McMullen joined the Wolves midway through the season after transferring from Townson, starting 10 of the last 11 games of the season and finished fifth in the SAC in save percentage (.528) and led the team with 105 saves.

Williams, despite starting just one game this season, finished fourth in goals (24) scored and points (38) and fifth (14) in assists as a freshman.

The Wolves finished 10-7 overall, 7-3 in the South Atlantic Conference, good for fourth place and are currently ranked #16 in the country.

NEWBERRY — Seniors Mackenzie Door, Serena Elias and Emma Jobs were named first team All-South Atlantic Conference to lead a group of five Wolves named to the women’s lacrosse all-conference team.

Senior Morgan Parsons earned second team All-SAC honors while junior Lana Howell was named to the third team.

Dorr, who enters today’s SAC Tournament semifinal with back-to-back SAC Defensive Player of the Week awards, leads the conference in saves (183), save percentage (.540) and is third in goals against average (9.8). She has earned all 13 victories for the Wolves this season and in her four years has registered 30 victories, 433 saves and has a career saves percentage of .466 and goals against average of 10.58. All of those marks are both single season and school records.

Elias is second on the team with 42 goals and 47 points, tied for the team lead with two game winning goals, and leads the team with 21 free position goals. In her four seasons she has 107 goals, 13 assists, 120 points, five game winning goals, 60 ground balls, 175 shots on goal and 10 man-up goals. Her career goals and points rank eighth in school history.

Jobs leads the Wolves with 53 goals, 59 points, 88 shots on goal and 44 draw controls. Her 53 goals are third best in Wolves single season history and her 59 points are eighth best. In her three seasons at Newberry after transferring from California Lutheran, Jobs has totaled 110 goals, 129 points and 106 draw controls all of which are seventh in school history.

Parsons leads the team with 44 ground balls and 24 caused turnovers while scoring three goals. In her two seasons since transferring from Flagler, Parsons has 71 career ground balls and 45 caused turnovers.

Howell is fourth on the team with 27 goals and 32 points. She is third on the team with 40 draw controls and has tallied 13 free position goals, 13 forced turnovers and 26 ground balls. Howell has 53 goals and 67 points in her three seasons at Newberry.

The quintet has led the Wolves to tie for second place in the SAC regular season standings and the program’s fourth consecutive trip to the SAC Tournament semifinals.

HICKORY, N.C. — Newberry College closed out the 2025 South Atlantic Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championship with an eighth place finish. The Wolves had strong performances across track and field events on Day 2, highlighted by podium finishes, personal bests, and new NCAA Division II top marks.

Men’s 4x100m Relay – Runner-Up Finish

The Wolves’ Ja Narris Hillman, Shamar Brown, Justin Canty, and Jamari Bennett stormed to a second-place finish in the men’s 4x100m relay with a time of 40.78 seconds, earning 8 team points and ranking #44 nationally in Division II.

Men’s 4x400m Relay – Third Place Finish

Newberry’s team of Shamar Brown, Tavarian Thompson, Landon Tucker, and Justin Canty captured third place in the 4x400m relay, running 3:15.08 to add 6 points and secure the #47 mark in DII this season.

Addison O’Cain – Men’s 110m Hurdles Finalist

O’Cain followed up his prelim win by placing sixth in the final, clocking 14.89 and scoring 3 points for the Wolves.

Shamar Brown & Landon Tucker – 400m Hurdles Finalists

Brown earned a third-place podium finish in the men’s 400m hurdles with a time of 53.57, contributing 6 points, while Tucker ran a season-best 54.19 to finish fourth and add 5 points.

Tyler Shumate – 800m Finalist

Shumate capped off his breakout meet with an eighth-place finish in the 800m final, running 1:56.98 and picking up a point for the Wolves after qualifying with a PR of 1:52.75 in the prelims.

Irma Watson-Perez – Discus Throw Bronze Medalist

Watson-Perez threw 40.92m (134-03) to place third in the women’s discus, collecting 6 points. She also placed sixth in the shot put (11.54m) and added additional scoring in the javelin (48.07m, 2nd place, 8 points) to close out a stellar championship.

Meah Jackson – Women’s High Jump and Relay

Jackson cleared 1.55m in the high jump to place ninth and contributed to the women’s 4x400m relay team that ran a season-best time of 4:07.32 for a ninth-place finish alongside Brittany Montgomery, Nia Quimby, and Kamryn Adderton.

Sean Price – Men’s Javelin Throw Champion

Price led the way for the Wolves with a dominant first-place finish in the men’s javelin throw, launching a toss of 58.55m (192-01) to secure 10 team points. Price also picked up a point in the men’s hammer throw, placing eighth with a mark of 47.81m (156-10).

Andrea Pascual Rivera – Women’s Hammer Throw Champion

Pascual Rivera claimed the top spot in the women’s hammer throw, recording a winning mark of 51.08m (167-07). Her performance added another 10 points to the Wolves’ team total on the women’s side.

Irma Watson-Perez – Women’s Hammer Throw Runner-Up

Watson-Perez complemented Pascual Rivera with a second place finish in the same event, throwing 48.07m (157-08) and contributing 8 more points for Newberry.

Meah Jackson – Women’s Long Jump

Jackson made her mark in the women’s long jump, placing fifth overall with a leap of 5.59m (18-04.25), earning 4 points for the team.

Drew Benson – Men’s 3000m Steeplechase

Benson clocked 10:00.03 in the men’s 3000m steeplechase to place 12th in a competitive distance field.

Additional Notables

• Sean Price added a point with an 8th-place finish in the hammer throw (47.81m) to go along with his javelin championship from Day 1.
• Jhayden Gattison hit a personal best of 13.16m in the shot put.
• Isabel Farup placed fifth in the women’s high jump (1.60m), earning 3 points.
• Kiori Butler earned 3 points in the women’s javelin with a mark of 31.17m (6th place).

NEWBERRY — Freshmen pitcher Chansen Cole was named first team All-South Atlantic Conference to headline a trio of Wolves earning recognition.

Outfielders Kade Faircloth and Wilson Wages were named to the SAC All-Defensive Team.

Cole has posted a 7-4 record as the team’s Friday night starter, striking out 91 in 81 innings, while walking just 19 and allowing just a .217 batting average.

His 91 strikeouts ranks second in the South Atlantic Conference and also ranks fourth in earned run average. He is currently eighth in school history for most strikeouts in a season.

Faircloth has not made an error in 103 chances with seven assists. Wages has a .976 fielding percentage in 83 chances.

SALISBURY, N.C. – The Newberry College Wolves saw their postseason run come to a close Friday afternoon at Newman Park, falling 6–3 to Coker in a South Atlantic Conference Tournament elimination game.

Game One: vs Catawba on May 1st

Newberry Baseball opened the South Atlantic Conference Tournament with a tough 8-4 loss to top-seeded and nationally ranked No. 6 Catawba on Thursday afternoon at Newman Park. The Wolves, the 8-seed in the bracket, will now face the loser of Limestone vs. Coker in an elimination game on Saturday.

Newberry struck for all four of its runs in the sixth and seventh innings, highlighted by a two-run homer off the bat of senior Cooper Gentry in the seventh that put them within one run of Catawba. Gentry finished the day 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a hit-by-pitch, while Kade Faircloth also tallied two hits and a stolen base. Parker Mergo added an RBI single in the seventh, and Wilson Wages brought home a run with a sacrifice fly in the sixth.

On the mound, freshman Chansen Cole took the loss, allowing six earned runs over 6.2 innings with six strikeouts. Brayden Gilson pitched the final 1.1 innings in relief, giving up just one hit and no runs. The Wolves recorded nine hits on the day but left seven runners stranded and committed two errors defensively.

Catawba used a four-run sixth and three-run seventh to build their lead, making big plays on clutch extra-base hits and Newberry miscues.

Game Two: vs Coker on May 2nd

Newberry battled from behind twice, but a three-run seventh inning by Coker proved too much to overcome.

Luke Compton led the way offensively with two hits and a RBI, while Jonathan Velez added a key RBI double in the sixth that tied up the game. Wilson Wages, Kade Faircloth, and Parker Mergo each added hits.

On the mound, Ethan LeBron started for the Wolves, surrendering only two runs over 5.1 innings. The Newberry bullpen worked hard to contain the Cobra bats, but Coker’s 15-hit performance kept steady pressure throughout.

The loss caps off a hard-fought season for Newberry, who reached the postseason after a strong closing stretch to regular-season play. The Wolves now turn their focus to the 2026 season.

WHITMIRE, S.C. — The Lady Wolverines cruised to a first round at home in the 1A state softball playoffs. Whitmire(18-6, 10-2 region 1-A) defeated Calhoun County(4-9, 4-8 region 3-A) 16-1 to advance to the second round of the state playoffs.

The Lady Wolverines officially started their playoffs run at home on Wednesday, May 7th in hopes of reaching the Upper State finals again. Whitmire dominated the first round matchup against the Saints from start to finish.

Sophomore Kenleigh Epps got the start in the circle for the home team and she was flawless over the two innings that she pitched. She retired the first three batters that she faced on the evening at the top of the first. Whitmire’s offense provided her with some run support at the bottom of the first inning by being the first team to get on the scoreboard with two runs.

Epps repeated the same thing at the top of the second inning by retiring all three of the batters she faced and didn’t allow a hit nor walk. Whitmire picked things up where they left off at the plate for the bottom of the second inning as Raylin Vicars brought home a score behind her RBI single. Then, Vicars steals second base and scores after a throwing error on the stolen base.

Senior Cierra Jones hits a RBI single to add another run to the scoreboard for Whitmire, who now led 5-0. The final score of the bottom of the second inning came with a sacrifice fly to make it 6-0 heading into the third inning.

Eighth grade sensation Holly Robertson took over for Epps in the circle at the top of the third inning. She was just as strong in her two innings that she pitched, but did give up one hit.

Robertson struck out the first batter she faced in the inning, but then proceeded to give up a walk and a hit. The Saints took advantage and was able to add a score to cut the deficit. Whitmire limited the damage and held a 6-1 lead going into the bottom of the third inning.

Brooklyn Babb was able to get things going at the bottom of the third inning for the Lady Wolverines with a triple. Vicars got her second hit of the day with a RBI triple to bring Babb home for another score. That was all the home team could get out of the inning, but still led 7-1.

Whitmire kicked the door down in the fourth inning by scoring nine runs. It started with a walk that put their first runner on base. Arianna Jenkins, another eighth grade sensation, brought in a run with a RBI double. Senior Makenna Moss-Jenkins got in on the action with a RBI single.

Calhoun County head coach finally saw enough of the on slaughter of runs and made a pitching change. Unfortunately, that didn’t because Epps put the Saints to bed a few batters later with a inside the park home run to clear the bases and give Whitmire a 15-1 lead. The Wolverines added another run before the game was called due to the mercy rule.

“First round win is always big and that’s what I just told the girls. Everybody wants to better at what they do but when you win by 15 runs in the playoffs, you’ll take that. A win is a win and now were 1-0 in the playoffs. Our goal now is to do it again on Friday,” said Wolverines head coach Andrew Campbell.

Whitmire also had extra motivation after finishing second in the region during the regular season and not achieving one of their goals set for themselves at the beginning of the season.

“Them girls don’t like finishing second in anything. They are competitors and I can go down the whole lineup. If they have a bad swing, they want to analyze it. They are competitors and it motivates them. They want to win another district title and continue to move forward to get better everyday. We finally have everyone back healthy and playing so hopefully it starts clicking,” said Campbell.

The Lady Wolverines will return to the diamond on Friday, May 9th to face McBee at home. First pitch is set for 6:00 p.m.

NEWBERRY — All of the three area varsity baseball teams that were in action on Tuesday evening in Newberry County won their opening games of the state playoffs. Mid-Carolina High School , Newberry High School and Whitmire were all in action on Tuesday, May 6th. Two of the three teams had to go on the road, but that didn’t matter.

Newberry, 6 vs. Orangeburg-Wilkinson, 4

The Bulldogs(14-11, 7-5 region 5-AAA) started their postseason journey on the road in the first game in this year’s playoffs against the Bruins(8-10, 3-4 region 8-AAA).

Newberry got off to a hot start by scoring two quick runs at the top of the first inning. The Bruins responded by putting one run on the scoreboard, but still trailed the hometown Bulldogs 2-1 at the end of the first inning.

The Bulldogs took off in the second inning to give themselves a huge lead. They were able to score four runs at the top of the inning and held a 6-1 lead.

Things got a little tight for Newberry as Orangeburg-Wilkinson were able to score two runs at the bottom of the fifth inning to cut the deficit down, 6-3. It got even tighter with a late push at the bottom of the seventh inning with a score, but the Bulldogs were able to hold them for the first round win.

Newberry will now turn their focus to Aynor(14-4, 8-1 region 7-AAA). The Bulldogs will be back on the road on Thursday, May 8th with a start time of 6:30 p.m.

Whitmire, 7 vs. Horse Creek Academy, 5

Whitmire(11-14, 7-5 region 2-A) also had to hit the road for the first game of the playoffs to face Horse Creek Academy(9-13, 7-3 region) on Tuesday, May 6th.

The two teams were tied at 1-1 after the first inning with the Wolverines striking first at the top of the first inning. The Wolverines took the lead again with a score at the top of the second inning. They led 2-1 at the end of the second inning.

Both teams scored a pair of runs each in the third inning, but the Stallions still found themselves trailing 5-4 at the end of the third inning. The two teams repeated the same thing in the fifth inning by scoring a pair of runs in the inning. The Wolverines still held a 6-5 lead going into the final two innings. Whitmire added a run at the top of seventh inning for insurance and punched their ticket to the second round of the state playoffs.

Crue Keller started on the mound and he pitched 6.2 innings. He gave up eight hits and allowed just three runs. Senior Blake Stribble closed the game for Whitmire. The Wolverines had 10 hits and four errors on defense.

Keller and Stribble also combined for three hits while Keller had a RBI. Aiden Vicars also had two hits and a RBI.

Mid-Carolina, 12 vs. Brashier Middle College Charter, 0

Mid-Carolina(19-7, 9-0 region 3-AA) was the only area baseball team to host a their first game in the opening round of the state playoffs. They cruised past Brashier Middle College Charter(9-13, 4-8 region 1-AA) with a 12-0 win.

The Rebels threw a no-hitter in their dismantling of the Bengals in the first round of the playoffs. They quickly put runs on the scoreboard at the bottom of the first inning. They lead 5-0 at the end of first and didn’t take their foots off the gas.

Mid-Carolina followed their explosive first inning with three more runs at the bottom of the second inning and four runs at the bottom of the third inning. They combined for 12 hits as a team. The Rebels haven’t announced their second round opponent yet, but round two is scheduled to start on Thursday, May 8th.

Last weekend I finished my most anticipated book of 2025, Emily Henry’s Great Big Beautiful Life. As usual she outdid herself, and I’m glad I didn’t listen to the mixed reviews I peeked at on Goodreads (I can’t help myself).

For once I did something different: I picked up a tablet to read the book. Gasp — I turned to e-books. Call it impatience, but I had ordered two special editions because I’m both a collector and a little bit insane. I figured one would arrive that same week. Well, I was loud and wrong. I almost bought a third copy just to start reading immediately, but even I couldn’t justify that. So what did I do? I downloaded the e-book to my iPad.

I’m guilty as sin. For the longest time I was anti e-book and audiobook. Nothing beats the feeling of turning pages, annotating and physically engaging with a book. But I won’t lie — the convenience of swiping to the next page? Kind of amazing.

One thing I still can’t get into, though, is audiobooks. To me, they fall into the same category as podcasts — and I don’t really care for those either. They tend to lull me to sleep. I once tried listening to an audiobook in hopes of “cutting down” on reading time, but I knocked out every single time. Maybe the narrator’s voice was just too soothing, but I can’t get myself to hop on that bandwagon.

Before this I was in a serious reading slump. I couldn’t figure out why, especially since I thought I was fully back in my bookworm era. But I’ve realized something: I can’t stand hardcover books. That’s part of what led me to embrace digital reading. Most new releases debut in hardcover, and while they may look nice on a shelf, I’m the queen of breaking their spines. They lose their shape, and I just can’t deal. So yes, I’m team paperback — but unfortunately, Great Big Beautiful Life won’t be out in paperback for another year. And yes, I’m already thinking about a reread. It was that good.

I had low expectations for reading on my iPad. I assumed I’d get distracted or start playing Candy Crush instead, but I was locked in. I even liked being able to annotate without physically marking up the book. No shade to anyone who loves to write in their books — I respect it — but I prefer to keep mine in pristine condition.

All of this has me wondering which format is actually better — e-books or physical copies? I still can’t decide. Both have their pros and cons. Even though I’ve spent two paragraphs dragging hardcovers, each format serves a different purpose. If I don’t want to carry multiple books, a Kindle or tablet makes sense. There’s literal convenience in digital reading.

But a physical book? It’s an experience. It reminds us that print still matters. Buying books or borrowing them from your local library goes a long way. I didn’t know this until recently, but Barnes & Noble was struggling until BookTok revived reading. Because of that, I’ll say this: I’m mostly team physical book. Will I buy a Kindle anytime soon? I’m not sure. But never say never. Most importantly, support your local bookstores and libraries.

SOUTH CAROLINA — Some South Carolinians may find some unexpected cash in their mailboxes this month, thanks to a new initiative from the State Treasurer’s office.

Palmetto Payback is matching qualified unclaimed property to its owner, automatically generating checks without the need for residents to file a claim. The first wave of these payments, totaling more than $600,000, will be arriving in homes this week, officials said.

“We’ve had tremendous success in returning unclaimed property through traditional methods, but Palmetto Payback is taking that commitment a step further,” said SC Treasurer Curtis Loftis. “We want to make it easier for South Carolinians to get their forgotten funds back, putting money directly into their hands. This is about efficiency, accuracy, and ultimately, about serving the people of our state.”

The office said this initial distribution is just the beginning of the Palmetto Payback initiative, which aims to streamline the return of millions of dollars in unclaimed property.

“While we are excited to automatically return funds to thousands of South Carolinians, not all unclaimed property can be validated through this special initiative,” Loftis added. “We encourage everyone, including those who receive a check through Palmetto Payback, to regularly search our online database at treasurer.sc.gov to find and claim any additional missing funds.”

It is estimated that one in seven people in South Carolina has unclaimed property, with the average property worth more than $500. These funds originate from various sources, including dormant bank accounts, stock certificates, uncashed checks (including paychecks), insurance proceeds, and utility deposits that companies have been unable to return to their owners.

GREEN BAY, WIS. — The 2025 NFL Draft took place from April 24th-26th. A lot of discussion was surrounding certain players, especially with the last name Sanders, but Clemson and South Carolina both had quite a few players selected in the draft.

Clemson had a resurgence type of season as they found themselves sitting at the top of the hill in the ACC once again as they defeated SMU in ACC Championship game to win their ninth conference title in program history. The win also landed them in the College Football Playoffs even though it was short lived with a first round exit. The successful season help three players get drafted in 2025.

The first was linebacker Barrett Carter, who went in the fourth round to the Cincinatti Bengals with the 119th overall pick. Then, safety R.J. Mickens was selected two rounds later, sixth round, by Los Angeles Chargers with the 214 overall pick. Finally, senior running back Phil Mafah was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys with the 239th overall pick in the seventh round.

Tight end Jake Briningstool, offensive lineman Marcus Tate, defensive lineman Payton Page and punter Aidan Swanson all went undrafted but are expected sign training camp deals with NFL teams.

As for their in state rivals, the Gamecocks five players selected in the 2025 NFL Draft after taking the SEC and the college football world by storm with a very good season. South Carolina finished with a 9-3 regular season record and had many college football fans believing that they deserved a shot in the College Football Playoffs.

A total of five Gamecocks were selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. Five players were selected in first four rounds, which was the first time in program history. Also, the five players that were selected all came from the defensive side of the ball, which was a program record as well and most in school history for one draft.

Nick Emmanwori was the first to come off the board in the second round by Seattle Seahawks with the 35th overall pick. TJ Sanders heard his name called a few picks later with the 41st overall pick by the Buffalo Bills. Demetrius Knight Jr. was selected 49th overall by the Cincinatti Bengals. The Los Angeles Chargers selected Kyle Kennard with 125th overall pick and finally, Tonka Hemingway was selected 135th overall by the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Gamecocks weren’t done as six players have already signed training camp deals with NFL teams as undrafted free agents. Rocket Sanders signed with Los Angeles Chargers, Joshua Simon signed with the Atlanta Falcons, Bam Martin-Scott signed with Carolina Panthers, Torricelli Simpkins III signed with the New Orleans Saints, Alex Huntley is headed to Miami to possible make the Dolphins roster and Gage Larvadain signed with the Cleveland Browns.

Certainly, a good look for the Shane Beamer and his Gamecocks’ program after a successful season on the field and a good off-season with recruiting. Hopefully both programs can keep building on their 2024 success that could possibly bring another title back to the state of South Carolina.

NEWBERRY — The life long dream and wait is finally over for local Newberry High School graduate Jamaree Caldwell. The 6-foot-2, 340 pound defensive lineman out of Oregon went 86th overall to the Los Angeles Chargers.

Caldwell was apart of the 2019 graduating class at Newberry High School and started his collegiate career at Hutchinson Community College before transferring to Independence Community College. While at Independence, he appeared in just four games but it was enough to earn him a scholarship to the University of Houston.

As a sophomore with the Cougars, Caldwell was a force. He appeared in nine games, totaling 286 snaps, recorded 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. He also was a major contributor on special teams with a huge blocked field goal against Tulane to force the game into overtime.

Then, as a junior with the Cougars the defensive lineman appeared 11 games. He recorded 27 total tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. He would go on to finish is career at Oregon where he appeared in 14 games and recorded 29 total tackles along with five tackles for loss, three pass deflections and one forced fumble.

Caldwell stock began to rise in January at Reese’s Senior Bowl. His combination of speed and size left NFL scouts impressed after a week in Birmingham, Ala. It was enough to make the Los Angeles Chargers pick him in the third round of the draft instead of the previous day three projection.

Also, Caldwell is a humble beast on and off the football. When COVID-19 struck in March 2020, the future NFL Draft pick stopped his college career to return home to Newberry, S.C. to help his mom, Shonda Caldwell, with her catering business. Now, he will be apart of the Chargers young defensive line group that will be tasked with sacking the opposing teams’ quarterbacks on Sundays.

Congratulations to the former Bulldogs and continue to make Newberry proud.