James Island senior Taj Marchand has been voted High School On SI’s South Carolina Baseball Player of the Year, taking the top spot in the fan poll with 72 percent of the vote.
Marchand capped a huge season by helping the Trojans win a second straight Class 5 D1 state championship. He was also selected No. 33 overall by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2026 MLB Draft.
At the plate, the Ole Miss commit put together a monster line: .531 batting average, 57 runs, 45 RBIs, 13 home runs and 11 doubles. He also made an impact on the mound in relief, striking out 32 batters in 19.2 innings while posting a 0.00 ERA. Those numbers helped him earn both MaxPreps South Carolina Player of the Year and Prep Baseball South Carolina Player of the Year honors.
Southside Christian School’s Carson Boleman finished second in the voting with 12 percent. Boleman, a Wake Forest commit, was named Gatorade South Carolina Baseball Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons and went 29th overall to the San Francisco Giants in the 2026 MLB Draft.
He powered the Sabres to a fifth consecutive state championship, going 7-0 with a 0.17 ERA and 91 strikeouts in 41.1 innings. Boleman also threw five shutouts and two no-hitters.
Travelers Rest’s Kaden Jones came in third with eight percent of the vote. The Charleston commit was named Class 4A All-State after batting .400 with a state-best 14 home runs, 32 hits, 39 RBIs and 29 runs.
Tied for fourth were Atlantic Collegiate Academy’s Logan Newcomb and Hilton Head Christian Academy’s Slaide Burd, each with four percent.
Newcomb, a Coastal Carolina commit, was named Class 2A All-State after hitting .418 with 38 hits, 44 RBIs, 12 home runs, 11 doubles and 46 runs.
Burd, a Stetson commit, helped lead the Eagles to a third straight state title while batting .630 with 51 hits, 37 RBIs, 10 home runs, 14 doubles, 52 runs and 25 stolen bases.
Other nominees who did not receive votes included West Florence’s Newt Hinson, Greensville’s Richard Jacobs III, Carolina Forest’s Parker Reavis, Lucy Beckham’s Levi Srock, Calhoun Academy’s Cullen Sightler, Cheraw’s Anthony Strong and Walhalla’s Dalton Dial.
In Other News...
Shane Beamers SEC Media Days Picks Say A Lot About This Reset Year
The SEC has set its lineup for Football Media Days in Tampa later this month, and South Carolinas presence fits the tone of a reset season as much as a showcase one. Shane Beamer will be one of the headliners when the league gathers July 20-23, giving the Gamecocks a chance to put a fresh face on a program that is trying to define its next step before the 2026 opener even arrives.
Beamer will not be going alone, either. The Gamecocks are bringing a mix of the rosters most recognizable names, with quarterback LaNorris Sellers, wide receiver Nyck Harbor and defensive back Peyton Williams set to represent the program and help frame what South Carolina wants this year to look like. For a team still building its identity, the choices say plenty about where the staff believes the momentum is, and where the pressure points still are. [Read more 🡒]
South Carolina Reveals The Faces Of Its SEC Media Days Message
South Carolinas trip to SEC Media Days in Tampa will have a familiar face at the front and three of the programs most recognizable young players alongside him. Shane Beamer will be joined by quarterback LaNorris Sellers, wide receiver Nyck Harbor and defensive back Peyton Williams when the Gamecocks take the stage Tuesday afternoon, giving the team a chance to put some of its most important pieces in front of the league before the season gets rolling.
Beamer is scheduled to speak at 2:55 p.m. and will later appear on SEC Network, but the player group is just as notable for what it says about where South Carolina wants the conversation to go. Sellers gives the offense its centerpiece, Harbor brings the kind of explosive playmaking that can change a game in a hurry, and Williams represents the defense after a season in which he emerged as a steady contributor. [Read more 🡒]
Beamers North Carolina Push Is Paying Off For South Carolina
Since Shane Beamer took over in Columbia, North Carolina has been one of the clearest recruiting priorities for South Carolina, and the results have started to show up across multiple classes. The Gamecocks have steadily built a stronger pipeline into the state, landing players in the 2025 and 2026 cycles while also getting an early jump on the 2027 group, a sign that the staffs approach is becoming more than just a talking point.
Part of that push has been the staffs familiarity with the region, which has helped South Carolina sell itself in neighborhoods and high schools where relationships matter. With commitments already stacking up from North Carolina prospects and more targets still in play, the next step is seeing whether the Gamecocks can keep turning that regional foothold into a lasting edge on the recruiting trail. [Read more 🡒]