Cisco makes initial 18-U national cut

Wando baseball star Drew Cisco is a step closer to making the U.S. national 18-U team that will travel to Venezuela in late September to compete in the COPOABE Pan Am "AAA" championships.

He was one of 144 players who recently selected to participate in the USA Baseball Tournament of Stars, held in Cary, N.C. Cisco was one of 36 players to make the cut. The list will be trimmed to 18 when the roster is finalized.

"It was fun," said Cisco, a rising senior who was selected as The Post and Courier's player of the year. "There were a lot of good players, and it makes you a better player by just being a part of it. I met players from all over the country that I didn't know."

Another player who made the cut, Cisco said, was Nevada high school sophomore phenom Bryce Harper, who was on the June 8 cover of Sports Illustrated. The magazine called Harper the LeBron James of baseball.

Cisco had a big season as a junior, helping the Warriors to a 28-4 record and a berth in the Class AAAA state championship series against Gaffney.

The 6-2, 185-pound right-hander posted a 6-3 record with a 1.87 ERA. He allowed only 51 hits in 59 1/3 innings, recording 95 strikeouts while walking only 16. He led the Warriors with a .473 batting average. He collected 13 doubles, three triples and three home runs and 23 RBIs.

"Hopefully, things will work out and I'll make the team," Cisco said. "I pitched well the first time, and hopefully that and my mindset will carry over."

Clash of the Carolinas

The third annual Clash of the Carolinas soccer all-star games, sponsored by Columbia United FC, will be held July 11 at Blackbaud Stadium.

The games feature 18 of the top senior boys and girls from the Palmetto State vs. the top players from North Carolina.

Local selections include George Khoury, Bishop England; Ralph Lundy, Wando; Alex Rieflin, Academic Magnet; Erika Christensen, Bishop England; and Caitlin Moquin, Wando.

The Clash of the Carolinas is the only interstate soccer all-star rivalry of its kind in the nation. In the boys series, the Sandlappers and Tar Heels have battled to a pair of draws; in the girls series, each team has claimed a victory in two meetings.

Following the prep matches, the Charleston Battery hosts the Carolina RailHawks in a USL First Division match that starts at 7:30 p.m.

Stoots signs

Northwood Academy baseball player Brandon Stoots has signed to play for Brevard College.

Stoots batted .400 for the 24-6 Chargers. He had 38 hits in 95 at-bats with five doubles and four triples. He had 17 RBIs and stole 13 bases.

He was 5-2 as a pitcher with a 1.91 ERA. He struck out 42 batters in 43 1/3 innings.