South Walton baseball has been here before. Two straight state runner-up finishes have put the Seahawks within reach of a championship, and this year’s team may finally be the one to get over the hump.
- Head coach Nick Borthwick’s squad finished the regular season 21-4, ranked No. 19 in the nation and No. 3 in the state of Florida. The resume backs up the ranking. South Walton has beaten Lincoln, Arnold, Niceville, The Bennett School (the No. 14 team in the country), Bozeman, Hazel Green and North Broward Prep, among others.
The most impressive win may have come March 24 on the road against Pace, the No. 1 team in Class 6A. The Seahawks handled the Patriots 11-0 by run rule.
The four losses came against high-level competition. After dropping the season opener to Gulf Breeze, South Walton avenged that loss two days later. The other three defeats came against IMG Academy, Bishop Snyder (the No. 9 team in Florida) and Chiles on the road (the No. 1 team in Class 5A).
The roster is stocked with Division I talent.
At the center of it is Coleman Borthwick, the 2025 U-18 Baseball World Cup MVP, an MLB prospect and an Auburn commit. The two-way star has 38 hits, 27 RBIs and eight home runs at the plate. On the mound, he has struck out 67 batters, posted a 0.00 ERA and allowed just six hits all season.
The hitting core runs deep. Vaughn Howard has 30 hits and three home runs, Nathan Whitney has 32 hits, Declan Fowler has 22 hits and Hudson Quinn has 15 hits.
The rotation behind Coleman Borthwick is equally loaded. Virginia commit Griffin Loy, Mississippi State commit Denton Lord, Florida State commit Lyndan Flanary and two-way Auburn commit Parker Granse round out a staff full of future college arms.
“That’s a testament to their hard work,” Nick Borthwick said. “I can’t control who comes over here to play ball for us, but I can try to coach them the best I can.”
For the coach, it’s the group’s approach that stands out most and has him believing this team can finish the job.
“Their work ethic. They keep on grinding, they don’t ever check up,” he said. “It’s a testament to their character and their drive to be the best that they can be, and that’s what’ll will us over the hump.”
Borthwick knows the margin for error shrinks in the postseason, particularly on the mound. His focus going forward is simple: “Being sharp every single pitch.”
A deep rotation. A strong hitting core. A generational talent. The Seahawks have the pieces in place for another special year.
