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What Dorman baseball coach Jack Jolly still felt after state championship loss

LEXINGTON — Even after a devastating loss that left nearly every player in a dark blue uniform in tears, Dorman baseball coach Jack Jolly stayed true to his last name, and had one word to describe the season.

“Joy.”

That was his sentiment after the Cavaliers suffered a 5-0 loss to James Island on May 30 in Game 3 of the SCHSL Class 5A D-1 state championship series at River Bluff High School.

“This has honestly been one of the most enjoyable seasons I’ve ever had with a team,” he said. “Not just because it’s probably the most talented team I’ve ever coached, but because they brought so much joy to me.

“These kids are so easy to coach, their chemistry is unbelievable, and their character is off the charts. It’s tough that it’s over, and this group won’t be together again.”

Dorman had a chance to score some runs in the sixth inning; the bases were loaded and they were at the top of the batting lineup. But the Cavaliers fell victim to superb pitching from senior Ole Miss commit Taj Marchand, who earned his second consecutive save.

“We had everything that we wanted, we just didn’t come through,” Jolly said. “We were facing a really tough guy (Marchand) out there. He pitches in the low to mid 90s with a good changeup and a slider. He’s tough. Give him a lot of credit for that.”

Jolly and the Cavaliers (30-4) circled up for one last postgame speech, as the Trojans (31-4) loomed in the distance, tossing their caps into the sky to celebrate a third straight title.

“I told them I loved them,” Jolly said. “And I told them not to be sorry for anything. I know it hurts right now, but when they reflect back on the season, they’ll remember how special it was.”

On the upside, Dorman’s dugout is scattered with young talent, including freshman pitcher Cooper Hornick, who had two strikeouts and allowed no earned runs through four innings. The Cavaliers also have freshman outfielder Carter Nash in their arsenal, the only player from either team to hit a home run in the series.

“We got a ton of young guys that’ve gotten some valuable experience in these playoffs,” Jolly said. “Those kids will learn and grow from this, and hopefully the next time we’re here, we’ll be able to overcome this mountain.”

Kamryn Jackson covers high school and college sports for the Spartanburg Herald-Journal, Greenville News, Anderson Independent Mail, and the USA TODAY Network. Please email her at KEJackson@gannett.com and follow her on X @KamxJack (formerly Twitter).

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: SCHSL baseball, Dorman falls short in state championship series

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