BE baseball back in sync after battling learning curve
Wed, 04/19/2023 - 8:20am
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By:
Philip M. Bowman
Historically, the Bishop England High School baseball program has been one of the most successful programs in the state.
The Bishops have won 10 state championships in their proud history, which is the second-most in state history, according to “Palmetto’s Finest,” the official record book of the South Carolina High School League. Another BE, Bamberg-Ehrhardt, owns the state record with 15 titles.
Last season had Bishop England faithful flipping through the record book for a different reason. The Bishops posted a 6-16 record, leading some observers on a mission to find out when the Bishops last had a losing record.
Some thought it was the first losing season in the program’s history. But the Bishops probably had a losing record sometime in the 1970s. They definitely have not had a losing season since moving to Daniel Island in time for the 1998-99 academic year.
This season, the Bishops are above the .500 mark with a 7-6 record despite a loss to Philip Simmons High School to begin this week.
“It’s a new year, new kids,” Darnell said of the team’s motivation to bounce back from 2022. “I don’t think they think about it that much other than using it for some motivation in the off-season.”
The Bishops dropped four of their first six games this season, but have rallied for five victories in their last seven games.
“This team has been pretty average this year,” Darnell said “We continue to be about a .500 team from a win-loss perspective. We continue to struggle with pitching and defense, which is key to winning games, especially the close games.”
The Bishops are in a good place as far as the upcoming Class AA playoffs are concerned. Oceanside Collegiate Academy is in first place in Region 7-AA with a 6-0 record, while the Bishops are in second place at 4-2.
“We just need to get better each day,” Darnell said. “We have got to improve on throwing strikes, making routine plays and baserunning. Those three have hurt us all year.”
RUNEY TO REMAIN COACHING
Legendary Bishop England High School athletic director Paul Runey has had a change in career plans about five months after he announced the 2023-24 season would be his last academic year as the school’s athletic director and girls’ basketball coach.
In November, when Runey announced he was stepping down from both positions, Runey said, “I know you are supposed to never say never.”
The next academic year will be Runey’s last year as the school’s AD. But he recently announced he will continue coaching basketball.
Runey, who graduated from BE in 1974, has been at the school as an administrator, educator and coach for five decades.
Runey has 778 victories as the girls’ basketball coach, which places him third on the all-time list of winningest girls’ basketball coaches. After next season, he could move past Fred Senter of Mullins, who is currently No. 2 on the all-time winning list, with 792 career victories. Anne Long, who coached at Dutch Fork and Spring Valley, is
the winningest girls’ coach with 824 victories.
Runey has guided the Bishops to six state championships, including four straight titles from 2014-17, which is tied for second on the all-time list of consecutive state titles.