Young Stags off to hot start | Sports | Berkeley Independent

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Young Stags off to hot start

Published Tuesday, March 09, 2010 10:35 AM

By Dan Brown
Berkeley Independent

photo by Dan Brown

Senior Tradd Yonce will be a big key to Berkeley’s success this season.

When asked about his team’s chances this spring, Berkeley baseball coach Landy Cox just shook his head looking like one of his students faced with a big test for which he forgot to study.

“We’re young,” Cox said. “We’re very young. Only two senior starters returning with experience, four total, three juniors and the rest are ninth and tenth graders.”

Cox then holds up a finger to indicate he’s not finished yet, and yes, it does get better.

“My catcher is an eighth grader,” he added.

Landy Cox would make a great poker player. He plays his cards close to his chest and does an outstanding job of bluffing.

These young Stags are off to a blistering start with a 4-0 mark. BHS captured the Lowcounty Preseason Invitational tournament with a 3-1 win over West Ashley.

“My pitching staff beyond Tyler Barwick is untested,” Cox said. “And Barwick is still just a junior.”

But what Cox doesn’t say is that Barwick is off to a 2-0 start, and shut down Ashley Ridge on just two hits with nine K’s. In a no-decision against Timberland, Barwick’s only mistake was a hanging curveball that Cody Craig drove deep into the frigid Moncks Corner night.

Beyond that the Stags lefty has been near perfect in the season’s first week.

Freshman Drew Lockliear picked up his first varsity win by chucking 3.2 innings of hitless relief to pick up the win in Berkeley’s 9-5 win over Timberland.

“He’s young, but he can throw,” Cox said.

Rounding out the pitchers are senior Jaqual Wigfall, and sophomores Ryan Trout and Garrett Gallagher.

Jake Lawrence and Tradd Yonce provide the senior leadership but also have Alex Presnell, Nick Hill, Ryan Wise and A.J. McKelvey returning from last year’s squad that finished 14-8 overall and 2-4 in Region 7-AAAA.

Sophomore D.J. Weathers anchors the middle in centerfield, with Wise and Yonce comprising the keystone combination. And then there’s the catcher, an eighth grader, Kyle Garrick. “He’s a player,” Cox said.

The Stags’ regular season opener was on the road Tuesday at Pinewood Prep, which fell to Timberland 8-4 on Saturday.

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