Owens, Payne lead EHS with postseason honors

EASLEY — Easley’s baseball team capped off a great season with a couple of heartbreaking losses, falling to Laurens 3-2 and 7-6 in the Class 4A State Tournament.

EHS senior Kaleb Owens was voted the Class 4A Player of the Year and Gill Payne was voted the Coach of the Year.

“Everyone voted for him (Kaleb) but me because I couldn’t vote,” said Payne. “He was our guy all year. I remember last year when we had our individual meetings with our guys returning and I told Kaleb for us to be successful you have to be a dude. He took it to heart and put the team on his shoulders. When we needed something big, he was the guy who came through. Just like the other night on the mound (against Laurens in their final game) - he was on three days rest and throws 98 pitches and 67 percent strikes. He wanted to stay in. I probably would have made a change after the sixth inning, but he struck the last two guys out in the sixth. He said I want it. I want it.”

Added Coach Payne, “He (Owens) is a bulldog. Anderson (University) got a good one.”

Easley finished the season 25-6 overall, which included a 15-3 mark at home and a 13-2 record in their conference.

Owens and junior catcher Aaron Tolbert were also named All-State.

The improvement of Tolbert, though, was quite evident from his sophomore to junior season. Tolbert actually hit .472 this season during region play with 21 RBIs and he was over .400 at the plate most of the season. His memorable home run this season, too, was a grand slam against Greenville in the first game of the region championship. Then the next game at Greenville, Tolbert hit the top of the fence with the bases loaded and knocked in three more runs.

“He (Tolbert) transferred here from Daniel,” Payne said. “When he got here as a sophomore, he was really mediocre. He wasn’t really strong with his hands. We had guys like KO that were not super velocity at the time and he could not hold it. He was missing a lot of pitches because he couldn’t stick it. Then this year, he comes back and he did some catching work with some guys. He did a lot of stuff on his own as far as training and our strength coach here worked with him. He was just a different guy. He’s got to be one of the top catchers in the area. He’s First Team All-State and that says enough.”

One of the most dominant players on the mound for Easley this season - in a limited amount of time - was Green Wave senior Levi Recio. He got several big-time strikeouts in crucial situations, striking out 29 batters in just 14 innings of work.

“He (Recio) was a strikeout machine,” said Coach Payne. “I felt pretty good when he went in there (to pitch).”

“We came out here and fought as hard as we could,” said Recio. “We just came up a little short - one play, one pitch. That’s baseball. It happens.”

About the seniors on the team, Recio added, “It meant everything - I’ve played with these boys since Little League and tee ball. I’ve known these boys my whole life. I love them like my brothers. I’d put my life on the line for them and do anything for them.”

Shortstop Peyton Anders, also a senior, echoed the thoughts of Recio after the season-ending loss to Laurens. “We put together a battle, but there were times when things didn’t go our way and stuff went their way,” he said. “We just didn’t finish it out. A couple mistakes here and there that costs us.”

Senior Brayden Bryson made all-region, too, and he made several top-notch plays on defense at first base. Remember, last year Bryson played some third base, shortstop and second base, and even some outfield. Plus, Bryson hit over .400 in region play.

“He (Bryson) is just an athlete and he had a great season,” Payne said. “He had 139 chances and one error, 117 putouts, and he was part of eight double plays.”

Left fielder Braxton Patton also made all-region. He had no errors this season and made a couple of highlight-reel types of catches in the outfield. Plus, he hit close to .400 this season and had 27 RBIs.

Going into the season, righthanded pitcher Walker Cox was expected to be the No. 1 pitcher on the Easley JV team. The thing I was hearing from my JV staff was that he struggled throwing strikes. He didn’t come out in October because he was playing football. We just kind of expected him to be a JV arm. Then in January, he’s running the ball in the upper 80s. He was around the zone with three pitches. He was 6-0 in some tough games.”

Region 1-4A All-Region Team 2024

Player of the Year:

Kaleb Owens – Easley HS (Pitching: 1.55 ERA, 10-1, 58.2 inn., 52 hits, 23 runs, 13 runs, 12 walks, 78, .226 batting average. Hitting: .392 Batting Average (31-of-79), 9 doubles, 1 home run, 20 RBIs, 28 walks, 2 HBP, and 17 strikeouts, and 10-for-10 in stolen bases.)

Infielders:

Luke Godwin – Greenwood HS

Will Thomas – Westside HS

Brayden Bryson – Easley HS (Pitching: 1.39 ERA, 5-2, 1 save, 35.1 innings pitched, 33 hits, 13 runs, 7 earned runs, 13 walks, 32 strikeouts, 5 doubles, 1 home run. Hitting: .376 (32-of-85), 27 runs, 1 double, 16 RBIs, 15 walks, 14 strikeouts, 13-for-13 in stolen bases).

Jose Doubront – Greenville HS

Matt Murray – Greenwood HS

Outfielders:

Marnarian Chamberlain – Greenwood HS

Levi Recio – Easley HS (Pitching: 3.00 ERA, 1-2, 1 save, 14 innings, 17 runs, 6 earned runs, 10 walks, 29 strikeouts, .233 batting average for opposing batters. Hitting: .327 batting average (33-of-101), 37 runs, 3 doubles, 3 triples, 23 RBIs, 14 walks, 18-of-18 in stolen bases).

Brayden Renfrow – Greenville HS

Braxton Patton – Easley HS (Hitting: .390 batting average (30-of-77), 21 runs, 3 doubles, 1 triple, 27 RBIs, 24 walks, 6 strikeouts, 12-of-12 in stolen bases).

Catchers:

Aaron Tolbert – Easley HS (.377 batting average (29-of-77), 27 runs, 7 doubles, 1 home run, 35 RBIs, 17 walks, 6 strikeouts, 19-of-19 in stolen bases).

Luke Hannah – Greenwood HS

Pitchers:

Walker Cox – Easley HS (Pitching: 2.08 ERA, 6-0, 2 complete games, 40.1 innings pitched, 25 hits, 17 runs, 12 earned runs, 21 walks, 48 strikeouts, .174 batting average for opponents).

Tyler Scott – Westside HS

Utility:

Landon Still – Greenwood HS

Coach of the Year:

Gill Payne – Easley HS (

EHS Baseball Team Records through the years:

2024: 25-6 (Gill Payne)

2023: 14-14 (Gill Payne)

2022: 13-15 (Gill Payne)

2021: 25-4 (Gill Payne)

2020: 6-1 (Gill Payne)

2019: 16-12 (Gill Payne)

2018: 22-6 (Josh Warner)

2017: 18-1 (Josh Warner)

2016: 24-4 (Josh Warner)

2015: 6-10 (Josh Warner)

2014: 12-7 (Roger Finley)

2013: 17-9 (Roger Finley)

2012: 8-7 (Roger Finley)

2011: 20-3 (Roger Finley)

2010: 15-5 (Roger Finley)

2009: 103 (Roger Finley)

2008: 10-4 (Roger Finley)

2007: 11-7 (Roger Finley)

2006: 21-3 (Roger Finley)

2005: 12-14 (Roger Finley)

2004: 18-7 (Roger Finley)

2003: 1507 (Chris Carter)

2002: 22-4 (Chris Carter)

2001: 19-8 (Chris Carter)

2000: 17-12 (Chris Carter)