It’s been a mixed bag to start the season for local varsity baseball teams. For the three teams, one sits atop the standings, with one in the middle and one at the bottom.
The Andrews Wildcats control the Smoky Mountain Conference with an undefeated 8-0 record. The Wildcats’ overall record is a perfect 14-0.
Murphy sits in the middle of the pack with a 4-4 SMC record as it is in fourth place.
Hiwassee Dam sits one above the bottom with a 1-7 conference record to be in seventh place.
Andrews
At this point in the season, the Wildcats have one more win than the previous five seasons combined.
From 2021 to 2025, the Wildcats won a total of 13 games, but this season the Wildcats have found a new level to win their first 14 consecutive games.
So far this season the Cats have swept SMC opponents Cherokee, Rosman, Robbinsville, Hiwassee Dam and Swain County. They have also swept series’ against IC Imagine and the North Georgia Tribe.
In those 14 wins, they have scored a conference-leading 169 runs with 95 of those coming in SMC games.
In the state RPI rankings for 1A, which are used to determine playoff seeding, the Wildcats are in third. They are the highest ranked public school in 1A.
At the plate, the Wildcats are led by Drew Dartez. So far this season, he has a 0.523 batting average and an on base percentage of 0.618. He has also hit one home run and nine doubles.
Logan Hyde leads the team in runs scored with 21, while Dartez also leads the team in hits with 23.
Five Wildcats have double digit stolen bases led by Tanner Postell with 19.
On the mound, Ethan Sutton has five wins in as many appearances. He also has an ERA of 1.17. He has also struck out 48 of the 96 batters he’s faced so far this season, which is exactly half.
Coming out of spring break, the Wildcats have two-game series’ against Murphy, Copper Basin, Tenn., Hayesville and Cherokee to wrap up the season.
The biggest threat in the final eight-game stretch will be Hayesville, who is 7-4 overall with all seven wins coming in SMC contests.
In their next game, the Wildcats will face Copper Basin, Tenn., in a double header in their last regular season non-conference matchup. The first game will start at 5 p.m. on Thursday.
They will then play the Bulldogs in Murphy at 4:30 p.m. Friday.
Murphy
The Bulldogs are off to a 5-7 start overall so far this season, with a 4-4 SMC record.
Their conference wins came as they swept Hiwassee Dam, then earned a win over Swain and Rosman.
In non-conference play, their only win has come on the road against Polk County, Tenn., in the second game of the season.
Colton Morgan has been a dual threat for the Bulldogs, as he leads in multiple hitting and pitching categories.
At the plate, Morgan has a 0.421 batting average to lead the team. He also leads the team in hits with 16 and has a on-base plus slugging (OPS) average of 1.021.
Cameron Clem, Zach Hogsed and Konner Dockery lead the team as they’ve each scored 13 runs so far this season. Grayson Hall leads the team in RBIs with 14.
Two Bulldogs have rounded the bases on one swing so far this season. Clem leads the Dogs with two home runs and Hall has also homered for the Dogs.
On the base paths, Aayden Williams has eight stolen bases to lead the Dogs.
Morgan leads the team on the mound as well with an 2.82 ERA. In 22.1 innings pitched across six appearances, he has struck out 44 batters and only allowed nine earned runs.
The Dogs have three SMC series’ remaining as they face Andrews, Cherokee and Robbinsville down the stretch. They also have one final regular season non-conference game scheduled to face Rabun Gap-Nacoochee on the road on Thursday, April 23.
In the state 2A RPI rankings that determine playoff seeding, the Bulldogs are currently in 38th.
As they return from spring break, they will face Union County, Ga., in their next game. They will take on the Paneers at 4:30 p.m. on the road Thursday.
The dogs will then return home to host Andrews in the second game of the series. First pitch is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
Hiwassee Dam
The Eagles have started the season in a less-than-ideal fashion with a 1-8 overall record, with their lone win coming in SMC play.
Their only win so far this season came in the first game of the season when they defeated Cherokee at home 11-7 on March 10.
Since then, they have lost eight consecutive game with seven of those coming to SMC opponents. Their non-conference loss came on the road against Polk County, Tenn.
Brock Orton leads the team with a 0.583 batting average in five games played. Dustin Haggberg and Cole Elliott have a 0.286 batting average.
Abel Penland and Orton lead the team with six hits each. Elijah Cole has six hits and Dalton Kester has five.
Penland leads the team in runs with 11 as the only Eagles with double digit runs.
Haggberg leads the team in RBIs with 10. Orton also has the most extra base hits with three doubles. Cole and Penland have had two doubles.
Pendant also leads the team in stolen bases with eight so far this season. Cole and Haggberg have stolen six bases.
On the mound, Dalton Kester leads the team with a 1.56 ERA in four appearances. Cole leads the team in strikeouts as he’s thrown 13 across 12.1 innings pitched.
In the state 1A RPI rankings that determine playoff seeding, the Eagles currently sit in 34th.
After spring break, the Eagles will have two-game series’ against Hayesville, Rosman and Swain County to wrap up the regular season.
In their next contest, the Eagles will travel to Hayesville to face the Yellow Jackets at 4:30 p.m. Friday.
Rest of SMC
As for the rest of the SMC, Hayesville sits in second place as they are 7-4 overall and 7-0 in the SMC.
Robbinsville is in third with a 5-6 overall record and are 5-4 in the SMC.
In fifth is Swain County at 3-8 overall and and 3-4 in the SMC. Rosman is in sixth at 3-7 overall and 3-5 in the SMC.
Cherokee sits at the bottom of the SMC in eighth place with a 1-10 overall record and 1-8 in the SMC.
All stats, standings and rankings are current as of the Cherokee Scout’s press time on Tuesday morning.