Anderson’s baseball days will live on at USC Lancaster

William Anderson wants to:

 

1. Go to the senior prom.

 

2. Help his high school baseball team win a state championship.

 

3. Be part of the Bishop England High School graduation ceremony, live and in person.

 

But there’s a good chance the baseball star might go 0-for-3.

 

Welcome to the life of a high school senior whose dreams and future are on hold because of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

 

“It’s a lot to handle,” said Anderson, a key pitcher on coach Mike Darnell’s staff and the No. 3 hitter in the lineup. “Nothing like this has happened in history. It’s just a lot to take in. That’s for sure.”

 

Anderson is lucky if he has played his last high school game. He has a baseball future and knows he’s fortunate. He will matriculate to University of South Carolina Lancaster and will be a pitcher on the Lancers baseball team.

 

“I think it’s going to be fun,” Anderson says of his college days on the diamond. “Not everyone gets a chance to do it.”

 

When he first arrived at Father Kelly Field as a seventh grader, Anderson wasn’t much of a prospect. Darnell remembers him as a “5-foot nothing, 100-pounder.”

 

Said Darnell, “Probably the best thing that happened to William was that he started playing football here his junior year. He went from a very small kid as a seventh grader to 6-foot, 225 pounds. I believe a lot of that has to do with the physical nature of football … he played inside linebacker and fullback so he was forced to be physical by the nature of those positions.”

 

Anderson said his weight gain was the result of hard work, hitting the weight room four or five times a week, and healthy eating.

 

Darnell said Anderon’s mental makeup has changed as well while he’s been in the baseball program.

 

“Mentally he has developed into a much smarter player than when he was younger, but one of the best things about him is that he does not overthink things, specially at the plate,” Darnell said. “He is one of the better ‘see the ball/hit the ball’ guys we have. More often than not, a lot of thinking can be bad at the plate. He is aggressive and wants to hit. He has also become one of our more vocal leaders, which is good because most of our seniors are more of the quiet type of leaders.”

 

Darnell has been connected to baseball for all of his adult life and offers guidance to his young athletes. But he says he’s never been in the situation the coronavirus has caused. What does the coach say to his senior players when it comes to what is supposed to be the most memorable year in their high school career?

 

“Honestly I have not said much at all,” Darnell said. “I really don’t know what to say. What do you say? We played four games and then ... Usually, you talk at the end of a season when you have either won or lost your last game. This is all new to everyone and really tough for everyone, especially the seniors.”