Chapman BaseballAfter falling just two games short of the school's first ever state championship last season, the Chapman baseball team is hungry to get another chance at winning it all and according to some they're the favorites to win it all this year. In the South Carolina Baseball Coaches Association Preseason Poll released earlier this year, the Panthers are the ranked as the #1 team in the 3A poll. While the Panthers are happy to be looked at as the favorite in the preseason, Panthers head coach Steven Fusaro knows it means nothing if they don't finish the season there. "Last year we won the upper state championship and this year we have been focused on making up those final two games that it takes to finish this year as the state champions," said Fusaro. "While the team this year will start the season ranked number one, the goal of this team is to be the first in school history to finish the season ranked number one." In their pursuit of their first baseball state championship, the Panthers will return six starters from last year's Upper State championship team along with three players that got some key playing time. The Panthers will return three All-Region players from last year that starts with catcher, and Charleston Southern commit, Johann Rodriguez. He will be joined by Jarren Metcalf who was a two-time All-Region player at second base and will shift over to his natural position of shortstop this season. Along with Rodriguez and Metcalf, the Panthers will see their infield filled out with junior Hudon Moss at second base, along with Cason Owens (a USC Sumter commit) and Coleman Gray. The outfield will be led by All-Region player Devin Roe, who is a three-year starter in centerfield and will look to be the anchor of a strong outfield. They will also get some key contributions from junior Kole Brown, who will man right field and hit in the middle of the Panther's lineup. On the mound the Panthers will have to replace last year's ace Ricky Montalvo but feel like they have some strong candidates in the rotation this year. They will have senior Jacob Cogdell leading the way on the mound while also getting big innings from seniors Cason Owens and Jack Settle. Chapman will kickoff their march to a hopeful run back to the state championship series on March 6th at Spartanburg. Prior to that they will compete in the Steve Sanders Tournament from February 24th-27th as they will host games on Friday and Saturday against Hillcrest, St. Joseph's, and Boiling Springs. Chapman SoftballThe Chapman Panthers softball team is looking to build on their success from last season and with most of their starters returning, they could make a deep playoff run as they'll be hunting their first state championship trophy since 2005. "We're looking to do very well this season," said Chapman head coach Casey Green. "We hope to make a deep run into the playoffs." Last season the Panthers finished the season with 18 wins and finished in third place of the region behind perennial powerhouse Union County and last season's 3A state champions Broome. Also, after entering as a third seed, they went to the playoffs and won their district championship. The confidence is high for the Panthers softball team as they return eight starters from last year's team that included three All-Region players that is led by pitcher Reagan Garrett. Garrett will be the ace in the pitching circle for the Panthers while adding a strong bat in the middle of the lineup. Fellow All-Region selection Abby Gossett will also see time in the pitching circle for the Panthers this season while also playing third base and adding another strong bat in the Panthers lineup. She will be joined on the left side of the infield by the third All-Region selection in Sarah Byrd who brings a solid glove to the shortstop position and a tough bat at the top of the lineup. The rest of the infield will see Autumn Fisher return at second base and Haley Coley returning behind the plate while also adding great speed on the base paths. In the outfield the Panthers will return experienced outfielders Krislyn Britt-Wilder, who was threat at the plate last season, and Madison Elrod who will also be a key hitter in the Panthers lineup. The Panthers will kick off their season March 6th in a home game against local rival Boiling Springs. Chapman Boy's SoccerAfter a really impressive season last year that saw the Panthers boy's soccer team fall in the 3A Upper State semifinals to Powdersville, they will look to get back to the playoffs with a much younger team this season. The Panthers lost nine seniors from last year's team that included six starters, three of which were All-Region players. While the Panther's lost a lot of players they will be bringing back five starters from last year's team. "We will have a mixture of young and inexperienced players alongside some battle-tested veterans," said Chapman head coach Chris Dowdell. "I expect we will be competitive but our new region is tougher and with the amount of roster turnover we've had it may be hard to repeat all we done last year. I do expect us to compete for a playoff spot though this season." Chapman will return five starters from last year that include All-Region players Falco Salbaum and Brandon Vallecillo. They will be joined by fellow returning starters Daniel Johnson, Jackson Vissoury, and Zachary Steading. Those starters will be joined by a large group of newcomers that will look to take the place of seniors that they lost last year. The Panthers will kickoff their 2023 regular season in a home match against Spartanburg that will start at 7:00 PM. They will also take part in a preseason tournament in Greenwood on February 18th and 19th, starting off with a match against BHP. Chapman Track and FieldAfter a strong season last year that saw both teams win a region championship and have strong showings at the state meet, the Chapman track and field team will look to back up that performance again this season. After winning a region championship last year and fifth place finishes in both the upper state and state meets, the Chapman girls team is looking to have a big year with a lot of experience returning. "I expect my Lady Panthers to come out strong and focused," said Chapman head coach Robert Gray. "I have a veteran group returning to pose a threat in several events. Their potential is equally as great in claiming a region title and getting as many in the state championship meet." The Lady Panthers return nine starters from last year's team as they return seven All-Region players in Polly Addington (100m), Lilli Melton (400m hurdles), the 4x400m team (Grace McDaniel, Clara Gramling, Peyton Holmes, Addington, and Melton), and the 4x800m team (Sofia Woodard, Holmes, McDaniel). Polly Addington, Sofia Woodard, Lilli Melton, Clara Gramling, Kaley Jackson, Grace McDaniel, and Peyton Holmes also were named All-State last season. They will also return Taryn Rodgers, Chloe Hudson, Mya Jackson, Ny'Kerria Williams, and Makhia Williams along with newcomers Kara Twitty, Mahkai Williams, Ne'Kerria Williams, and Marquisha Sturdivant. Chapman's boy's track and field team will look to repeat their success from last season after winning the region championship along with a second-place finish at upper state and a fourth-place finish at the state championship. "My expectations for the boys are for them to take control of their position in our region," said Gray, "They are strong and experienced enough to be a threat in their events. What we're weak in, we definitely make up for it in other areas so my confidence in this Panther squad is strong." The Panthers boys' team return 14 starters from last year's team including All-State and All-Region athletes Rashawn Cunningham (high jump) and Taylor Dunning (pole vault) along with All-Region athlete Abe Fyffe (shot put) and All-State runner Dylan Chambers. They will also look to get key contributions from returners Johnson Wilson, Kaden Thompson, Nigel Pate, Dawson Walters, Johnny Poland, Alex Cox, and Kaden Thompson. They'll also look to get contributions from newcomers Shamon Black, Noah Byrd, Alius Hill, Nick Scruggs, Keilon Tucker, and Blake Williams. The Chapman track and field team will look to kick off their regular season on March 2nd in a meet at Landrum against the Cardinals and Blue Ridge with the meet set to begin at 5:00 PM. *If a spring sports team isn't represented, it's because we never received any response from the team after multiple email attempts.
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