First-Year Coach Leads Chapin to 12th State Championship

The Chapin Eagles just proved that sometimes the perfect coach has been living down the street all along.

First-year head coach Dell Lever led his hometown team to a 4-3 victory over the Hanna Yellow Jackets on Thursday night, sweeping the Class 5A Division II state championship series. The win marks Chapin's 12th state title and Lever's first as a head coach.

The championship game started rough for the Eagles. Hanna jumped ahead 2-0 in the first inning on back-to-back RBI singles, putting pressure on the home team.

Then senior Felix Ruiz stepped up to the plate and changed everything. His two-run homer in the third inning tied the game at 2-2, giving his team new life.

Ruiz wasn't done yet. He crushed another solo shot in the fourth inning to put Chapin ahead 3-2, finishing the night with two home runs and three RBIs.

"I was just seeing the ball well out of his hand," Ruiz said after the game. "I do what I do best, and that's hit the ball." The senior is heading to Florence next year to continue his baseball career.

Chapin held on through the final innings to secure the 4-3 victory and complete the 2-0 series sweep. After winning the opener in Anderson on Wednesday, the Eagles brought the championship home to their own field.

The Ripple Effect

For Coach Lever, this victory means something beyond the trophy. He grew up just 25 minutes from Chapin and now lives five minutes away from the school.

"This is a talent-rich area, just a baseball hotbed," Lever said. "And I told these guys when I first met them, this is a special place, and this is a special group of kids."

His words proved prophetic. In his first year leading the program, Lever tapped into the deep baseball tradition of the community and guided a group of talented players to championship glory.

The victory strengthens Chapin's reputation as a South Carolina baseball powerhouse and gives the community another reason to celebrate its homegrown talent.

Sometimes the best person for the job is already home.