Palmetto State Baseball team of the week, Feb. 3-9: Francis Marion

Francis Marion (4-0 for the week)

(beat Claflin; beat Emory & Henry 3 times)

A hallmark of coaching baseball at Francis Marion is longevity. Program founder Gerald Griffin coached for 28 seasons. His successor Art Inabinet was at the helm for 24.

So, Patriots fans don't have a lot of experience wondering how new coaches are going to do.

Early returns on Jeff Jefferson's first season are certainly encouraging: FMU has won its first seven games. That's the program's longest since a 10-game skein in the middle of the 2023 season.

He's molded returnees, veterans who missed last season and transfers into a solid unit. Rijnaldo Euson and Robbie Jordan provide a solid 1-2 punch on the mound. Transfers Austin Bunn and Rayth Peterson, returnee Owen Taylor and Charlie Bussey III - a starter in 2023 who missed 2024 - have been important cogs in an offense with a .333 team batting average so far. 

Up next:  at Augusta on Tuesday, then a weekend trip to a Mount Olive program that will likely be the stiffest test so far.

Also considered

Limestone (3-1)

Newberry (3-2) 

North Greenville (4-0)

USC Union  (2-0) 

Voorhees (2-1)

Previous winners
Jan. 24-Feb. 2: Claflin