Wando's Cisco taking a breather from baseball
It's been a summer of rest and relaxation, waiting and working out for Wando baseball star Drew Cisco.
The recently graduated -- and drafted -- Cisco had been a member of the nationally ranked Diamond Devils select travel team since he was 14 years old and played in all-star events and World Series in previous summers.
But he's taking this summer off as his future plays out. He was drafted in the sixth round by the Cincinnati Reds earlier this month and waits as his adviser negotiates with the Reds. Cisco admits negotiations could take all summer and he could possibly enroll at the University of Georgia in the fall if he doesn't come to terms with the Reds.
"It's a little weird not playing because I played for them since I was 14," Cisco said. "I went over and saw them play last weekend and it was good to see my old teammates. I'm just trying to enjoy the summer. I might not get another free summer the rest of my life, so I have to take advantage of it. I decided to work out on my own and will get ready to start throwing."
Cisco was plenty busy and helped the nationally ranked Warriors reach the Class AAAA Lower State Championship Series after reaching the State Championship Series last spring. He repeats as The Post and Courier's Player of the Year and heads up a very talented All-Lowcountry team. Cisco is one of three players on the team who were drafted. The other two were Stratford's Chris Hanna, who was drafted by the Texas Rangers, and Hanahan's Bryce Hines, who was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays.
Cisco batted .413, but it's his pitching that made him a prospect. The 6-1 right-hander went 10-2 with an ERA of 0.91. He allowed 56 hits in 77 innings, recording 13 walks and 100 strikeouts.
The Warriors compiled a 108-21 record during Cisco's career, and he was the ace of the staff even as a freshman. He earned All-Lowcountry honors four times.
"Playing at Wando has been a lot of fun," Cisco said. "I got to play with friends who I grew up with. We put together some outstanding seasons. Even though we didn't win the state championship, we did stuff, accomplished a lot of things that other players and other teams didn't. We have a lot to be proud of."
Hanna, a left-handed pitcher for the Knights, also made headlines by throwing three-no-hitters this spring.
Hines, a right-handed pitcher for the Hawks, was the ace of a Hanahan team that reached the Class AA State championship Series. Hines' younger brother Bret, a shortstop/pitcher, also made the team.
The other members of the All-Lowcountry team include Connor Bright, Reid Langdale, Robby Dodds and Nick Ciuffo of Wando; Jimmy Lindberg and Alex Abrams of Bishop England; Bobby Ison of Stratford; Tyler Fletcher and Gabe Craven of Summerville; Matt Porter of James Island; and Cody Craig and Brian Welch of Timberland.
Hanahan's Brian Mitchell is the coach of the year. He guided a young team to a 26-7 record and the Class AA Lower State championship. The team, at times, had seven sophomores in the starting lineup.
Reach Phillip M. Bowman at pbowman@postandcourier.com or 937-5592.
