Intense rivalries between pure enemies have become prevalent in primetime games in every sport: Red Sox vs. Yankees, Lakers vs. Celtics, or Glasgow Celtic vs. Glasgow Rangers. Each team pushes the other to the limit in an all out war to see who will be honored as the champion, or who will go home the loser.

With the Lawrence Academy Warriors Varsity Baseball team heading into their fourth straight North Carolina 1A State Championship, a similar foe awaited them to battle it out for the crown, Waccamaw Academy. Lawrence had made it to the big game every year since 2005. In two of those three games, Waccamaw came away the winner. However this year was going to be different.

With the team securing the Tarheel Independent Conference Championship, Lawrence went into the state tournament with a full head of steam. All-Conference players Evan Holton, Daniel Oliver, and Chad Whitehead spearheaded the Warriors. For the season, Holton (.456 batting average) shined at shortstop with a .940 fielding percentage, and had a hit in every game! Oliver (.439 batting average), had a .600 on base percentage and was an ace on the mound. Oliver was also selected Tournament MVP and Conference Player of the Year. Whitehead had a .400 batting average, and was a force behind the plate as the team’s catcher.

After a hard fought battle against Ridgecroft School in which Lawrence came back from a 5-0 hole to win 7-5, the Warriors were heading into the Final Four with momentum and confidence. Faith Christian School was Lawrence’s next victim, as the Warriors defeated them 10-5 and returned to the championship game.

Like a wave of anticipation that surges before a heavy weight fight, Lawrence and Waccamaw weighed in and took to the field Friday night, May 16. With the pitching rotation lined up to perfection, Daniel Oliver went out and blanked Waccamaw in route to a 10-0 victory in the first game of the best-of-three series! The next day the Warriors laid down the knockout blow as they capped the championship season with an 11-3 win to take the school’s first baseball title since 2002.

All three, Holton, Oliver, and Whitehead were named to the 2008 NCISAA 1A Baseball All-State Team, and with each of them returning next year (Oliver for his senior year, and Holton and Whitehead for their junior years) the Warriors will be locked and loaded to make a repeat run.

Each of them competed with Baseball Factory at the Florida National Tournament and the Under Armour National Tryout in North Carolina.  Here at the Baseball Factory, we wish each of these boys the best of luck and success throughout their baseball careers.