The William Byrd baseball team will be “Beach Boys” next week as they use spring break to take a trip to South Carolina. Byrd will play four games in Myrtle Beach in the annual Mingo Bay Baseball Classic.
The event will include 96 teams for a week of high school baseball. The Terriers will have four games, three against private school opponents, in what coach Neil Zimmerman hopes will be a bonding experience.
“We’re looking to do some team building,” said Zimmerman. “Most of the kids have played on travel teams so they’ve been in situations like this before, but not all together. We’re looking forward to it.”
This is a first for Byrd. Cave Spring went to the “Mingo Bay” last year and Byrd athletic director Jason Taylor took his Hidden Valley team to the classic when he was the Titans’ baseball coach.
“I’m good friends with Virginia High coach Mark Daniels and he got me interested,” said Zimmerman. “I think it’s going to be a great experience.”
The boys will have plenty of time for recreation as well. They’re going to hit the Go-Cart Track on Thursday and on Friday, April 6, they’re going to a game at Coastal Carolina.
“The (Myrtle Beach) Pelicans have contacted us about coming to one of their games, but we can see them here,” said Zimmerman, as the Myrtle Beach team visits the Salem Red Sox for Carolina League games.
The Terriers will leave Monday and play their first game Tuesday at 2 pm against St. Maria Goretti of Maryland at Waccamah County High School. On Wednesday they’ll meet Metrolina Christian of North Carolina at 4:30 pm at Socastee High, then it’s an early 8 am game Thursday, April 5, against Central Pageland of South Carolina. That will be at Waccamah County.
The last game of the trip will be on Friday, April 6, against Trinity Christian of West Virginia. That game is scheduled for 11:30 am at Carolina Forest High in Myrtle Beach, and it will be the fourth opponent from four different states.
Byrd will wrap up things in Virginia this week. The Terriers were scheduled to play at Cave Spring on Wednesday, and on Friday they go to Franklin County for a jayvee-varsity doubleheader, with the varsity game at approximately 7 pm. Josh Hilliard was scheduled to pitch against Cave Spring and Zimmerman was still deciding on who will get the ball Friday, most likely Tyler Dean or Logan Baker.
Byrd was 0-2 on the season after falling to Cave Spring at Walthall Park on Monday night, 11-0. An experienced Cave Spring was a tough match up for the young Terriers, who started freshmen on the mound, behind the plate and at second base.
“They have a senior-oriented team and we have five to eight freshmen and sophomores on the field at any one time,” said Zimmerman. “We’re going to get better, but we need to make some adjustments at the plate. We’re not getting great at bats.”
Byrd had just two hits, singles by sophomores Jacob Johnson and Ethan Spraker. Freshman Isaac Fix started on the mound and struck out three while walking six. Luke Taylor, another freshman, pitched two innings and, junior Matt Huber pitched the sixth and freshman Seth Hodges finished up.
When the Terriers return from spring break they’ll take on Lord Botetourt on April 10 in Daleville.