As senior, Wandless set to offer stellar year

Former Greenbrier High School star Scott Wandless is preparing for his senior season for the University of South Carolina Aiken baseball team.

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After a stellar prep career for the Wolfpack, Wandless was one of the top recruits landed by Pacers head coach Kenny Thomas.

He has not disappointed. The 6-foot, 205-pound lefty is only five wins away from becoming the school's all-time winning pitcher. Last season, he was 7-2 with an ERA of 4.47 in 15 starts. He posted 106 strikeouts in just 96 innings of work.

Those numbers are not bad, but they were down from his record-breaking sophomore campaign, when he established a school record for wins by going 10-1. He posted a superb ERA of 2.39 and struck out 82 batters in 79 innings. For his career, Wandless is 18-3 in 27 starts.

This season, he will see a familiar face on the Pacer coaching staff. His older brother, Nick, will serve as an assistant coach. Nick had a brilliant career for USC Aiken himself and is arguably the best closer in Division II baseball history.

Joining Wandless on the Pacers' roster this season will be Evans High School standout Ken Raborn and Lakeside High product Dustin Tyra.

Raborn enters his junior season with high expectations. The 5-foot-10, 180-pound third and first baseman hit .347 last season, with 5 homers and 34 RBI. He also had an impressive on base percentage of .448. He was also a player Thomas could count on as he started all 61 games he played in.

Tyra transferred to USC Aiken a year ago, and the 6-foot-4, 220-pound left-hander got immediate playing time. He finished 4-2 in 16 appearances, with an ERA of 6.62.

Joining this group is former Evans High and Georgia Southern University star Michael Holder, who returns as an assistant. Holder has a bright future -- a head coaching job is only a matter of time.

This trio will try to guide the Pacers to another solid season after last season's 39-24 finish. That mark was good for a No. 27 ranking in the final national poll. This season, the Pacers are ranked 31st in the pre-season national poll.

The Pacers open the season Feb. 1, when they play host to Lincoln Memorial.