Coach Billy Sylvester leaving Darlington High

Coach Billy Sylvester, seated, with his Darlington High School varsity baseball team this season in their game against Marlboro County. Photo by Drake Horton

Coach Billy Sylvester, seated, with his Darlington High School varsity baseball team this season in their game against Marlboro County.
Photo by Drake Horton

By Jana E. Pye, Editor, editor@newsandpress.net

The Darlington County School District announced this afternoon that Billy Sylvester, head coach of the Darlington High School baseball team since 2013, has resigned to pursue other professional opportunities.

Sylvester replaced outgoing coach Mike Rogers.

Growing up in Darlington, he played for St. John’s High School until his senior year; he went on to graduate from Hudgens Academy. Sylvester signed a letter of intent with Clemson University, but signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Braves shortly after.

After playing with the Braves, Sylvester went on to play for the Washington Nationals, the Oakland A’s, and Texas Rangers. He also worked as an area scout for the Diamond Prospects and as an associate scout for the Pittsburg Pirates. He served as head baseball coach at Laurence Mannng Acadamy, Pinewood Prep School, and Carolina Academy, and the pitching coach at Francis Marion University. In his coaching career, 24 of the players he coached have been drafted or signed professionally, including South Carolina standouts Matt Price and Colby Holmes.

Sylvester was on staff teaching at Darlington High School, a tradition that principal Dr. Greg Harrison has found to be a positive experience for students to see their coaches on a daily basis on the campus.

In a statement released from the school district:

“We wish Coach Sylvester the best in his future endeavors,” said Dr. Greg Harrison, principal of Darlington High. “He did a great job with our players and our students, and he will always be part of the Falcon Family.”

Darlington High School will begin the process of finding a new head baseball coach immediately.

Author: Jana Pye

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