Madison’s baseball team left last week for Charleston, S.C. hoping for sun, fun and a little baseball to boot at the prestigious Hanahan Invitational Tournament.
The Warhawks returned with more than that, including a victory over a nationally-ranked team, a mental toughness reminiscent of the program’s past championship teams and the knowledge their pitching staff is as deep as any in the Northern Region.
“We knew those things were there,” said Madison coach Mark Gjormand. “But we still had to show it on the field.”
Madison (12-0) won six games, including a victory over Wando (S.C.), ranked No. 13 in the country by USA Today, and beat Miami Senior (Fla.), a perennial national power, in the championship game. The Warhawks also overcame a 9-1 deficit to defeat Stratford (S.C.), the defending Group AAAA state champs in South Carolina. Juniors Sam Gilbert and Jason Farley won two games each and senior Kevin Ashcraft and sophomore Matt Zepp also recorded wins for the Warhawks.
