By Donald Heath
Special for the Effingham Herald
SPRINGFIELD – Effingham County baseball drew attention this spring, some not exactly appreciated.
“One of the news channels keeps calling us the Mustangs,” Rebels coach Eric McCombie said. “They did it again last night. I tell our guys, ‘Look, we haven’t been good in a while. They only know South Effingham.’ ”
ECHS made a name for itself this season with a transformation rarely seen at any level of sports. With basically the same players, the Rebels rose from 10 wins to 30, from the near bottom of the region to the very top, from a state playoff berth dream to an Elite Eight reality.
ECHS made a run that brought back memories of 2019 when a similar senior group of Rebels won a school single-season record 31 games, a region championship and a spot in the state semifinals.
This year’s group finished one win away from a similar trifecta after the loss to River Ridge on Thursday.
“It was a great run. It didn’t end the way we wanted, but I wouldn’t have traded being here with these nine guys,” senior second baseman Will Floyd said.
The Rebels gave an indication of the season to follow after scoring 18 runs in the first inning of the season-opener against Islands.
A week later, they won the Simmons Cup during a sweep of Statesboro.
A couple weeks later, ECHS downed rival South Effingham twice, then began subregion play with a three-game sweep of Greenbrier, a 25-win team in 2024.
The Rebels finished subregion play with a sweep of defending region champion Evans.
They won a semifinal region tournament slugout with a wild seven-run, sixth inning against Brunswick, then knocked off red-hot Greenbrier with a cool pitching performance by Luke Edwards in the finals two days later.
Victories over East Paulding and Winder-Barrow followed in the state tournament.
ECHS dug deep to add another come-from-behind victory over River Ridge in the first game of the best-of-three series.
“I have to tip my cap to these guys,” McCombie said. “They set a standard for the teams that come behind them – this is who we are and what we’re going to be a part of every year.”
Senior shortstop Adam Acel agreed, the 2025 team left a legacy.
“I know (next year’s potential starting shortstop) Hunter Tuten looks up to me and the guys,” Acel said. “He’ll be a leader. We all can see it. We’ll be back. They’ll have a good run next year too.”
The 4K Club of Kaleb Pendley, Kyle Thomas, Karson Thompson and Kris Swinney will be back in key roles in 2026.
“It was a great season. We all brought it together and figured it out,” Acel said.
Acel and Floyd, Nos. 1 and 2 in the lineup, were the tablesetters that began a winning feast in 2025. Maybe even made a name some will remember.
McCombie started a saying that begins and ends every Rebel practice.
He says, “Those who stay.”
And the team replies, “Will be champions.”
“Even though we didn’t finish, how these guys went about their business every day, that’s what makes a champion,” McCombie said. “Not some trophy or being the last team alive, but your daily excellence and these guys brought it over a year. …
“We’re making a name for ourselves, not only regionally, but statewide too.”
