High-school basketball in Laurens County is down to the girls’ team at Laurens Academy, but the Presbyterian College seasons are still going strong.

The Crusaders (24-1) take on Curtis Baptist (21-5) at 5:30 in Columbia at Cardinal Newman in the SCISA Class A semifinals.

Inevitably, thoughts turn to baseball, where the Blue Hose are already underway and the high schools are getting ready.

Suffice it to say that Saint Peter’s is unlikely to be playing this summer in Omaha, Neb., but regardless, Elton Pollock’s Presbyterian teams could scarcely have played better in the four-game series against the Peacocks.

The PC multiplier on the education lottery was 16. It was the Blue Hose’ run total in three of the four games, which they won, from Friday through Sunday, 10-2, 16-6, 16-1 and 16-3.

The biggest of many tales of the weekend tapes was that of Presbyterian center fielder Joel Dragoo, a junior from Beckville, Texas. Dragoo took a Peacock hurler deep in every game.

All teammate Ryan Ouzts, a senior from Gilbert, belted were a pair of grand slams in the series. Actually, both also did a good bit more.

Thus far, shortstop Brody Fahr is batting .733 with 10 runs batted in. Drago is at a mere .583 with four home runs and a double and 14 RBI. Ouzts and Noah LeBron are each hitting .500. As a team, the Blue Hose hit .427, the Peacocks .197.

The four starters – Daniel Eagen, Tristan McGregor, Charlie McDaniel and Fenix DiGiacomo – are all 1-0. No saves have been needed. The staff earned-run average is 2.40. Saint Peter’s left town with an 18.69.

Presbyterian (4-0) relieved the tension quickly on Sunday, scoring seven first-inning runs en route to a 16-3 victory and a series overage of 58-12.

The sixth batter, Rhogue Wallace, struck out. He was the first out. Preceding him, LeBron walked and stole second, Fahr doubled, Dragoo doubled, Ouzts singled and Jack Gorman singled and stole second.

LeBron and Fahr batted again and wound up being the second and third outs.

Saint Peter’s starter David Delgado (0-1) gave up six hits and seven earned runs in 1/3 of an inning. PC feasted to a lesser extent on the following three hurlers.

DiGiacomo (1-0) turned in a strong five innings, allowing four hits and two earned runs with two walks and eight strikeouts.

The Blue Hose’ good fortune is to be severely tested on Tuesday when they visit Clemson at 4 p.m.

Take a look at the stats here.

Diamond hopes are high for obvious reasons at Clinton and Laurens District high schools.

This year the two do not play each other until well into the season, March 20, which, from a weather standpoint, might not be so bad.

The Red Devils are coming off the state Class 3A championship and back-to-back Region 4-3A titles. Clinton went 26-3 and carry an active 18-game winning streak into the season.

Here’s the schedule for Sean McCarthy’s Red Devils:

Laurens advanced all the way to the Upstate finals in Class 4A and finished 18-11.

Head coach Tori Patterson aims higher with this year’s Raiders.

Here’s the schedule:

Presbyterian made up for an earlier loss two days earlier by closing out its Pinnacle Invitational with a 9-1 softball victory over Morehead State on Sunday.

Molly Mattas clouted a three-run homer in the third inning, when the Blue Hose scored the game’s first six runs.

Thus far Presbyterian(4-5), Gracie DeCuir and Kelby Goodrum are leading the batting stats with .500 averages. Goodrum, a Newberry transfer, was 3/4 at the plate on Sunday.

Jenna Greene, the Blue Hose’ fifth-year ace, allowed only three hits in five innings – the game was “run-ruled” – and striking out six.

The Blue Hose play Queens in a Charlotte, N.C., doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. on Wednesday.

PC takes part in a tournament in Statesboro, Ga., at Georgia Southern next weekend.

Take a look at the stats here.

Limestone defeated Presbyterian in acrobatics & tumbling, 262.155-235.985, in the Blue Hose opener at Templeton Center.

Talladega (Ala.) College visits PC next Sunday at 1 p.m.

PC (5-5) got only a singles win from Lucianna Piedra in a 6-1 women’s tennis loss to Wofford (6-2) on Saturday in Spartanburg.

Piedra also was part of the winning No. 2 doubles team with Madison Dennett, but the Terriers won the point with victories at Nos. 1 and 3.

Blue Hose basketball finds the women (15-13, 6-7 BSC) at Templeton Center versus Winthrop (12-13, 6-6) on Wednesday night for while the men (12-16, 4-9) are in Rock Hill to play the Eagles (16-11, 7-5). Both games tap at 6:30 p.m.

For going on three weeks, I’ve been suffering from shingles, which has curtailed my live coverage. I was suffering. Now I’m just aggravated. I did have splitting headaches. Now they’re fairly mild. The rash is mainly a remnant.

I went out to a basketball game and a baseball game on Saturday. The latter was just for photos. Still, at least one story has been posted for 37 days, a record for the site.

I still don’t feel so hot. Shingles has also knocked me off my financial rocker. I’m strapped for cash but still writing as hard and resourcefully as I can.

And I can’t express my gratitude enough.

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