The Shallotte 2026 AAA Division 2 state champions are pictured above. Players from left are Huck Hickman, Jeffrey Farenga, S.J. Teply, Kaleb Jones, Joel Reeves, Stevie Johnson, Kason Fulford, Hunter Tozzi, Preston Lowe, Holden Garrett, Jameson Hardee, Cody Thomas and Dax Sellers. On the back, from left, are assistant Jeremy Hardee, manager Sam Hickman and assistant Jordan Reeves. (Contributed Photo)
Shallotte defeated Dunn, 4-3, on Thursday night to win the Diamond Youth Baseball AAA (10-and-under) Division 2 state championship at the Tabor City Sports Complex.
Shallotte won the AAA state title last year with a 9-8 win over Whiteville at Ocean Isle Park with seven runs in the final inning of a walk-off win.
Shallotte won the AA (8-U) state title in Dunn in 2024 with essentially the same personnel.
Shallotte rallied from a 3-1 deficit to defeat Dunn by one run for the second time in the 2026 event.
Shallotte and Dunn received bids to the DYB World Series in Laurel, Mississippi, which gets underway on July 23. Shallotte will face Perry County, Mississippi, in its opening game at 12:45 p.m., Eastern time.
The latest championship required another comeback in the deciding game although Dunn would have had to top unbeaten Shallotte twice to win the title.
Shallotte took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of first. Dunn tied the score, 1-1, in the top of the second. Two runs in the top of the fourth gave Dunn a 3-1 advantage. Shallotte came back in the bottom of the fourth.
Huck Hickman had a ground rule double to spark the rally. Preston Lowe and Joel Reeves drew walks to load the bases. Hunter Tozzi had an RBI single and a 2-run single by Kason Fulford completed the scoring.
Dunn got a runner to third with none out in the sixth and had the bases loaded with one out.
Stevie Johnson pitched the last two-thirds of an inning. He
handled a comebacker for a force out at home. Reeves got the last out on a grounder to third, diving to tag the bag with his glove to seal the state title.
Comments from Sam Hickman
Shallotte coach Sam Hickman shared his thoughts after Shallotte’s third straight state championship.
“I feel like I watched this group of boys grow up in real time this week,” Hickman said. “One of the greatest challenges young athletes face is learning how to handle adversity. When things are going a little sideways, you wonder how the boys will respond. Monday night against Dunn and again in Thursday’s state championship game, our boys stayed in the fight.
“Down 3-1 and you’re facing a kid in Acey Williams who has shut you down this tournament, it would be easy to turn your attention toward the ‘if necessary game.’
“Fortunately, our kids showed the entire state their mettle. The fortitude they displayed in the two Dunn games was sensational. Teams might beat us, but this group will drag you to the pits with them before they give up.
“I thought Cody Thomas and S.J. Teply really stood out over the six days. Cody is our horse, He is an exceptional pitcher. Incredibly reliable, tough, resilient kid.
“S.J. is our No. 12 hitter and he’s had an unforgettable summer already. Baseball is a wild game. S.J. has worked his tail off for three years now and he is unquestionably our spark plug. I love those two kids. They deserve a great deal of credit.
“Holden Garrett threw seven innings total for us in two of the final three days of the tournament and he was rock steady. … He pounded the strike zone, kept hitters off balance and gave our team a chance to win games.
“Stevie Johnson came in the game with runners on first and third and one out in the top of the sixth. We’re clinging to a 4-3 lead. He walked the first batter he faced and he didn’t flinch.
“Dunn was one swing away from forcing a winner-take-all game and Stevie showed some serious resolve to escape that jam.
“Big, big, big ground-rule double by Huck to spark our offense in the fourth. We had been lifeless through three and one-third frames and just like Monday night, Huck got us going with a shot to the fence.
“Missed a home run by a couple of feet, but started the game-changing rally. There are just no breaks in our lineup. Our 10-11-12 hitters could hit 1-2-3 or 4-5-6 for most other AAA squads. Depth is critical and we have the pieces.
“Make no mistake — the boys and their families deserve all the credit for these three consecutive state championships. They are terrific players, wonderful kids with wonderful parents. They have (assistant coaches) Jeremy (Hardee) and Jordan (Reeves) leading the way.
“Watching these kids play the greatest game in the world has been one of my life’s greatest joys. They have taken us on a wild ride.
“This is all them — every bit of it. When I fill out a lineup card and see Jameson, Hunter, Joel, Preston, Jeffrey, Kason, Kaleb … all the great players in this lineup, it makes life pretty easy on a coach.”
Supporting the team financially
Anyone who would like to support the local All-Stars financially with expenses for the pending trip can send a check made out to Shallotte DYB Baseball with AAA All-Star team Mississippi in the memo line. Checks may be sent to: Shallotte All-Stars, 4790 Hen Cove Ave. SW, Shallotte, N.C. 28470
