Daniel Island 9-10 all-stars win state baseball championship

Contrary to popular belief, Daniel Island wasn’t named after Jim Daniel. But the likeable educator and coach with the All-American looks has made quite a name for himself on the island.

Daniel coached football at Bishop England from 2001-2007 and posted a 44-36 record, including a 9-3 record in his first season, which included some memorable upsets. He no longer coaches football, but he’s back at it on the baseball diamonds of Governor Park. He coaches the Daniel Island 9-10 year-old all-star baseball team that recorded a Cal Ripken state championship and awaits a trip to Nashville to play in the Southeast regional.

Daniel Island has two teams that won state titles this summer. Up until a few weeks ago, Daniel Island never had a baseball team that won a state title. But that was then and this is now. The 11-12 year-old all-stars won a state title and are headed to Virginia.

Daniel, who coached football at Palmetto Christian after leaving BE, is strictly baseball these days.

He helped with the BE baseball team, serving as an assistant for Mike Darnell from 2004-06. He’s also coached rec league baseball and travel ball. Now, he’s seeing stars – all-stars that is.

“Baseball is my passion,” Daniel said. “I’ve been coaching baseball on Daniel Island since my son was four. I coached travel as well. When I was the football coach at Bishop England, I would sprint off the field after a game and head out of town to coach travel ball. I liked to tell people that I coached football Monday through Friday and baseball on the weekends.”

Daniel says his team that is headed to Nashville is talented. He says many of the communities in the Lowcountry have impressive talent in this age group.

“We head to Nashville July 19 and it’s a pool-play format,” Daniel said. “So, we’re guaranteed three games. Nashville is a hot-bed for youth baseball, much like East Cobb, Georgia. So, I am excited to see the talent – and how we stack up against it.”

Daniel said coaching nine and ten year-old baseball players is a lot different than coaching high school football players. He said football was mostly about X’s and O’s, but youth baseball is more about fundamentals and repetition.

“I have a big bucket of balls,” he said. “I hit grounder after grounder after grounder. Consistency is the key for the players.”

Daniel, of course, also hits balls to the outfielders. The team is sound fundamentally, talented, and feels no pressure in the big games.

Most of the team members play travel ball, and it’s not unusual to play against older teams in tournaments.

“We play up (against older competition) in travel ball,” Daniel said. “That way, when we go back to a diamond at 46 (pitcher’s mound to home) and 50 (foot bases), it makes it a whole lot less imposing.”

The team won the state title by beating the all-star team on the Charleston peninsula one time and James Island two times.

Daniel Island Publishing

225 Seven Farms Drive
Unit 108
Daniel Island, SC 29492 

Office Number: 843-856-1999
Fax Number: 843-856-8555

 

Breaking News Alerts

To sign up for breaking news email alerts, Click on the email address below and put "email alerts" in the subject line: sdetar@thedanielislandnews.com

Comment Here