Hartsville Council honors Championship Teams
Hartsville Mayor Dan Askins III (center) presents the proclamation to Hartsville Northern League’s All-Star Pony 14U Baseball Team. PHOTO BY STEPHAN DREW
Hartsville Mayor Dan Askins III reads the proclamation for Hartsville Northern League’s Rookie 6U team. PHOTO BY STEPHAN DREW
By Stephan Drew, Editor
Hartsville’s Council chambers overflowed with pride recently as Mayor Dan Askins III and City Council paused their regular business to celebrate a banner season for some of the city’s youngest athletes.
The July 14 meeting drew players, coaches, parents, and community members who packed the chambers to capacity, all there to witness the recognition of two championship-caliber squads from the Hartsville Northern League.
Leading the celebration was the league’s Rookie 6U team, which claimed the South Carolina Division 1 Rookie State Championship — a title that speaks to the strength of the program’s young competitors and the coaches who shaped them. The 6U team will now represent Hartsville and South Carolina at the 2026 Diamond Youth Baseball World Series in Laurel, Mississippi beginning on July 29.
Not to be outdone, the Hartsville Northern League’s All-Star Pony 14U Baseball Team delivered its own state title, sweeping to a South Carolina State Championship of its own. That victory punched the team’s ticket to an even bigger stage: the League World Series in Sterlington, Louisiana, where Hartsville will carry the city’s colors onto a national platform on July 17.
Mayor Askins read the proclamation aloud and Council members offered their congratulations to both teams, honoring not just the wins on the scoreboard but the discipline, teamwork, and community spirit that fueled the season.
Rookie 6U All-Stars include: Maverick Moore, Fico Kondla, Hagan Lucas, Kylan Davis, Amari Kelley, Tate Rogers, Elliott Huggins, Rance Stokes, Malachi Odom, Kingston Foster, Waylon Gandy and Krew Henderson. Head Coach is Steven Moore. Assistant Coaches are Courtney Sims, Will Henderson and Nick Stokes.
Pony 14U All-Stars include: Jhymere Sanders, Gunnar Crowley, Iyhon Robinson, Camryn Reynolds, Tilman Campbell, Dylan Funderburk, Hunter Talbert, Jaxton Hodge, Reid McGraw, Braxton Spann, A.J. Buck, Duncan Woodard, and Trent Miller. Head Coach is Wes Woodard. Assistant Coaches are Bret Moore, Tylor Miller and David Crowley.
For a city that turned out in force to fill the chambers, the message was clear: Hartsville is proud of its ballplayers, and it’s ready to cheer them on all the way to Louisiana.