Diamond Notes is a weekly compilation of notes on South Carolina players from last week.  Each week Coaches from across the state send in player notes and stats as the Prep Baseball staff is working to name a PB Player of the Week.  Prep Baseball scouts are also compiling player notes from attended games, as well as box scores from across the state.

Below we take a look at some of the top performers from the second week of the high school season. The SC Pitcher of the Week was Austin Laughlin from Cardinal Newman. Cole Bellinger from Greer High School earned Player of the Week Honors. 

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DIAMOND NOTES

Jacob Smoak, LHP, Spring Valley High School, 2026

+ 7IP, 9k’s, 3BB, 3 hits, 0 earned runs, 2 pick offs, 70% strikes, 115 pitches
+ 0 Earned Runs against Blythewood 

Ian McCrary, RHP, D.W. Daniel, 2025

+ 6 IP, 0 H, 1R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 9 K
+ Game 1 of Pendleton series. Needed to win two games vs. Pendleton to have a chance to win the Region, and he delivered in game 1. 
+ 40.1 IP, 5-1, 21 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 17 BB, 57 K, 2 HBP, 1.56 ERA, .942 WHIP, .153 BAA 

Austin Laughlin, RHP, Cardinal Newman, 2024

+ 7IP 14K 2hits 0Runs 2BB (1-0)
+ big region and rivalry showdown with Hammond - also added a double in the game and a HR on the week  

Tristan Neely , RHP , Cardinal Newman, 2024

+ 7IP 6 hits 8k 2ER 1BB 1HBP (1-0)
+ capped off a 3-0 week for us by knocking off defending state champ Augusta Christian - helped us tie them at the top of the region  

Jebb Britt , RHP , Cardinal Newman , 2024

+ 7IP 2 runs (0 earned) 10K's 3 hits 2BB 
+ Added a 2 run HR in the game as well - CG win over rival Hammond  
+ The 3 seniors pitchers (laughlin, britt, neely) combined to throw 3 complete games this week. 21 IP / 11 hits / 4 runs (2 earned) / 32 K's / 5 BB / 1 HBP - pretty special week for the trio  

Byer Ware, RHP, Camden High School, 2024

+ 6.1 IP, 1 earned run on 5 hits, 1 BB, 1 HBP, and 12 K's.
+ Ware was able to have a very gutsy performance on Friday night despite two weather delays and a very hot and humid night.   
+ Ware earned the victory in a Conference Championship clinching victory over Marlboro County on Friday night.  For the year he is now 6-1 w/ 42 IP, 22 hits allowed for an opponent's avg. of .158, only 8 walks, 4 HBP, and only 8 earned runs for a season ERA of 1.33. 

Colt Babic, Outfield, North Central, 2027

+ 6-8 / .750BA / .800 BA / 4RBI's 
+ .489 BA / .579 OBP / 5 Doubles / 4 HR / 18 RBI's /  

Dylan Smith, IF/P, North Central , 2024

+ 5-11 / .455 BA / 1 Double / 1 HR / 3 RBI's / 1 SB -- Pitching 7.2 IP / 2 Wins / 4 Hits / 0 ER / 12 K's / 3 BB 

Cole Bellinger, C/SS, Greer, 2024

+ .600 AVG / 1.867 OPS / 3 2B / 1 HR / 3 RBI / 3 R
+ .429/1.268/5HR/28RBI 

Cole Bellinger , P, Greer, 2024

+ 7 IP / 0 R / 8 K / 0 BB / 2 H (73 Pitches)
+ 1-0 W @ Riverside to win series  
+ 33.1 IP / 39 K / 9 BB / 0.21 ERA  (5-0) 

Braden Williams, OF/1B, Powdersville, 2024

+ 7/13 (.538), 1 HR, 7 RBI, 4 R
+ Mars Hill commit Helped move to 7-1 in region & setup region championship next week 
+ 23/48 (.479), 3 2B, 1 HR, 17 RBI, 16 R, 1/1 SB 

Chance Kennedy, SS, Powdersville, 2025

+ 6/14 (.429), 1 2B, 1 RBI, 7 R, 2/2 SB
+ uncommitted leadoff hitter Helped set the table and  move to 7-1 in region & setup region championship next week 
+ 30/77 (.390), 2 2B, 9 RBI, 31 R, 19/20 SB