Morlando, a 6-3, 190-pound left-handed hitting outfielder, is one of the nation’s top high school players in the 2024 class and on July 4 committed to play at South Carolina. A consensus top 15 performer, Morlando, the 2023 Post and Courier player of the year, is ranked as high as No. 3 by some services among all 2024 high school players and would be considered presently a first-round draft pick in next July’s Major League Baseball draft.
His talent is undeniable and has afforded him a wealth of playing opportunities this summer. He already is a member of one of the nation’s top summer travel teams, the Canes national team, which has won two of the nation’s top tournaments in the last month.
The travel baseball scene is only a small part of a much bigger picture. Morlando also has been competing with the nation’s top 100 players for a roster spot on the 18-U team USA team that will compete in the World Cup in Taiwan in early September.
Prep Zone
Morlando spent eight days at the USA baseball national training complex in Cary, North Carolina, participating in the Prospect Development Pipeline (PDP) league, wrapping up his competition on July 3. From those 100 players, 40 will be invited to the team trials in August with 20 of those players earning a spot on the national team roster.
“I could not be having more fun than I am having this summer,” said Morlando, who recently decommitted from Mississippi State. “To be able to compete with the very best players in the country on a daily basis is a dream come true. The competition is unbelievable but it is making me a better all-around player. I’ve been very focused on having a great summer and so far, so good. It has been an incredible experience.”
In Class AAAAA, West Ashley will travel to Chapin in the Lower State contest at 6 p.m. West Ashley is the reigning Region 7-AAAAA champion, while Chapin knocked off defending state champion Wando on Saturday.
Class AAAA will see two Region 7 rivals competing as James Island visits Lucy Beckham in a 6:30 p.m. contest. Lucy Beckham is seeking its first trip to the state finals. James Island was the state runner-up last season, and won state titles in 2021 and 2022.
The Trojans have eliminated Lucy Beckham in each of the last two seasons. The Bengals beat James Island twice during the 2024 regular season on their way to a region title.
Oceanside Collegiate and Bishop England, also region rivals, will play for a third time this season at Oceanside Collegiate in the AA matchup at 6 p.m. The Landsharks have won three consecutive state titles and beat Bishop England in both regular season meetings, once on penalty kicks.
The state finals are scheduled for May 10-11 at Memorial Stadium in Columbia.
Boys soccer
In boys soccer, Oceanside beat Academic Magnet by 4-0 on Monday to win the Class AA Lower State final. The Landsharks will face sister school Gray Collegiate, a 3-0 winner over Greenville Tech, in the state championship on Saturday.
The AAAAA Lower State final between Stratford and Ashley Ridge set for Monday was postponed until May 7. James Island defeated Lucy Beckham by 3-1 in the AAAA Lower State final Monday night in a match interrupted by weather. And in the AAA Lower State final, Waccamaw got past Hanahan by 3-1.
Porter Gaud girls win another lacrosse title
Porter-Gaud’s girls lacrosse team won their seventh consecutive state championship with a 9-6 win over Heathwood Hall on May 3. The win capped the season off with a 14-3 record, including three wins over Heathwood Hall.
Sophomore midfielder Scarlett Mayer was again the offensive leader for the Cyclones, finishing the season with 78 goals and 30 assists. Sophomore attack Haley Taylor tallied 50 goals and 35 assists while junior midfielder Hila Tiller added 41 goals. Hannah Taylor, an eighth-grader, scored 28 goals and had 11 assists.
Senior Gracie Keogh was again a dependable goalie, recording nearly 100 saves this spring.
The season ended on a rough note for the boys lacrosse team. The Cyclones were defeated in the state championship contest by Hammond, ending their streak of five consecutive state titles.
The Cyclones finished with a 12-8 overall record and split two regular season matchups with Hammond.
Junior Mac Grubb led the team offensively, scoring 62 goals with 12 assists.
Glover headed to Tarheel state
Former Lucy Beckham boys basketball coach Andrew Glover has been named the head coach at Myers Park High in Charlotte. Glover, 53-40 in four seasons at Lucy Beckham, announced his resignation last week. Myers Park is one of the top programs in North Carolina, posting 55 wins over the last two seasons.
North-South softball all-stars
Rosters for the annual North-South all-star softball games have been released by the S.C. Coaches Association for Women’s Sports.
Area players selected to the South 5a/2a/1a all-star roster include Savannah Scott (Berkeley), Aaliyah McLeod (Cane Bay), Caroline Waring (Summerville), Allie Jepson (Wando), and Lillian Hansen (Stratford).
Selected to the South 4A/3A team were Reagan Whatley of James Island and Bailey Cox of Colleton County.
Baseball Playoffs
Berkeley 8, Fort Dorchester 1
Berkeley advanced to the final four bracket of the Class AAAAA Lower State playoffs with their third dominant performance of the postseason. Berkeley won three games in the district tournament by a combined score 29-2.
On Monday, Gavin Edens and Hudson Clark had two hits, with Clark scoring three runs, and Mason Salisbury had two RBI. Connor Barham drove in three runs for the Stags (21-8).
Bodhi Leeson was the winning pitcher, allowing one earned run over four innings. Fort Dorchester was led by Lee Lovelace and Charles Wamer, each with two hits.
Berkeley will begin play in the Lower State double-elimination bracket on Thursday.
Oceanside Collegiate 7, Cheraw 6 (9 innings)
Oceanside Collegiate and Cheraw waited out the stormy weather and then played extra innings before the Landsharks claimed a 7-6 win. Carsten Hamilton’s RBI single scored Andrew Palmer in the bottom of the ninth to secure the victory. Palmer opened the ninth with a single and stole second and third base on consecutive pitches.
OCA, the two-time defending state champions in Class AA, advances to the four-team Lower State bracket, which begins on Thursday.
Jake Stefani had three RBI on two hits while Aiden Brusman added two hits for the Landsharks (19-9).
Buford 2, Bishop England 1
The Bishops saw their season end with a road playoff loss. Bishop England finishes with a 15-14 record. Will Rissmiller had two hits for the Bishops, who also lost to Buford last Thursday.
Dreher 7, Hanahan 1 (suspended)
Rain and lightening forced the suspension of game one of the AAA district 7 finals with Dreher holding a 7-1 lead in the fifth inning. The two teams will resume on Tuesday. Should Dreher win game one, there would be a game two following the completion of the first game at Hanahan.
Two other AAAAA district championship games were postponed due to inclement weather. Ashley Ridge will host River Bluff on Tuesday while Summerville hosts Stratford.
West Ashley also will host a district final against either Chapin or Conway. Those teams played last Monday night.