From The Scottie to The Jimmy: Paul VI aims to claim 4th SBC Crown

Attempting to take home his team's fourth SBC crown in 2022, Paul VI Head Coach Billy Emerson is no stranger to The Jimmy. He's also no stranger to ball parks with catchy monikers. Emerson's Paul VI Panthers play their home games at Scott Eastment Memorial Park in Chantilly, VA. It's affectionately known as "The Scottie."

While Jimmy White Park is named for Hartsville's legendary headman, Coach Jimmy White, The Scottie is named for a legendary Panther player, Scott Eastment. A 2005 graduate of Paul VI, Eastment passed away in 2020, but his legacy will live on through the Panthers baseball program.

Eastment played on the 2004 state championship team at Paul VI. He finished his career in the top ten of 27 different statistical categories for the Panthers (including stats as varied as RBIs and Complete Games). He is one of only two players in Paul VI history to have 100 career hits and strike out 100 batters. After graduating from Paul VI, Eastment continued his baseball career at Frostburg State University.

At the dedication of The Scottie in 2021, Coach Emerson remarked, "Scottie was a talented competitor, a winner and a great teammate. Every time we take this field, we'll remember his energy. He's part of our family."

As Paul VI takes the field in what is essentially Emerson's home away from home (he coined "The Jimmy" as the name for Jimmy White Park circa 2018), Eastment's energy and competitive fire are sure to be present.

A Look at the 2022 PVI Panthers:

Emerson starts the 2022 season with over 300 career victories and he'll be striving to add four more during his time at The Jimmy. He'll also be trying to earn Paul VI's fourth SBC crown (2008, 2009, 2016).

Headlining Emerson's club are seven college commits, including a loaded class of 2024. Current Panther college commits are:

• Brendan Cecka (OF/RHP, 2022) - St. Mary's College
• Carlos Irizarry (INF, 2022) - Penn State-Harrisburg
• Owen Mead (RHP, 2022) - Marymount University
• Logan Eisenreich (RHP, 2024) - Virginia Tech
• Alex Peltier (OF, 2024) - East Carolina
• Tyler Rowling (MIF, 2024) - Penn State
• Jackson Sirois (MIF, 2024) - Virginia

The 2024 class for Paul VI also includes RHP/INF Tyler Russ. And if five Sophomore prospects weren't enough, the Panthers boast a pair of Freshmen stars in OF/RHP Alex Pearce and catcher Will Tighe.

Developing all this talent with Coach Emerson are assistants Mike Rowling and Michael Appleton.

SBC Schedule for the Panthers:

• Tuesday, April 19 vs. Georgia Premier at Noon
• Wednesday, April 20 vs. South Florence at 9:30am
• Thursday, April 21 vs. Hartsville at 7:30pm

The Panthers will also play on Friday, April 22. That game time and opponent will be determined by Tuesday-Thursday’s outcomes.

Join Us At The Jimmy!

Jimmy White Park at Kelleytown Stadium, aka The Jimmy, in Hartsville, SC is the host site for the annual Southeastern Baseball Classic. The mission of the Southeastern Baseball Classic to promote the game of baseball, to enhance the lives of athletes through competition and scholarship, and to involve the community by assembling sportsmen in tournament play.

To visit the official SBC home page, click here. "Join Us At The Jimmy" is a blog associated with the Southeastern Baseball Classic and its goal is to make people more aware of teams and players visiting Hartsville for the SBC, as well as introducing our guests to the traditions and uniqueness of our town and tournament.