When Dell Lever accepted the Chapin job 10 months ago, he came in knowing it was a special place. 

The talent was there, and the community was supportive. They just needed a coach to lead them. Enter Lever.

In his first season, the Eagles made it back to the top, sweeping T.L. Hanna to win the 5A Division II championship. Chapin won game one on the road 7-3, before returning home Thursday night and closing the series with a 4-3 win. 

“We just started finding ways to win, and they started to believe in themselves and believe that they could get it done,” Lever said. “I don't really know what to say, you know. First year, set the bar pretty high.”

Lever knew the potential of his team before he even took the job. He spent the past decade going against the Eagles, serving as an assistant at other Lexington County schools. 

His stops include Lexington, Dutch Fork, White Knoll and Irmo, all teams that have been in Chapin’s region. 

“I grew up 25 minutes down the road. I literally live 5 minutes away, so I've been at other schools in our region for the last 10 years, knowing what was over here in this dugout,” Lever said. “I knew the pieces were here. This is a talent-rich area, just a baseball hotbed. I told these guys, when I first met them, ‘Man, this is a special place,’ and this is a special group of kids.”

Taking the Chapin job didn’t come without pressure. The Eagles are a historic program, holding the second-most baseball state titles in the state, earning No. 12 with their win. 

Lever replaced Scott McLeod, the Hall of Fame coach who led the Eagles to four championships, with the last coming in 2018. 

The team put together a solid regular season, finishing (16-9) and avoiding the play-in round. 

In the playoffs, the team caught fire and won all seven of its games. The closest being the closeout game in the final series. 

“We joked, early in the season, we were the masters of one-run games. It always came down to one run there at the end, whether we won or lost,” Lever said. “We never know what moments are going to make or break a game. If we can stay calm and just relax in said moment, more often than not, we're going to be successful.” 

Multiple moments in the final game could’ve broken the Eagles, but the team soared above them.  

T.L. Hanna took an early lead, earning two runs in the opening inning. But Chapin responded in the bottom half thanks to a two-run homer to right field from senior Felix Flecha Ruiz. 

“I was just seeing the ball well out of his hand,” Flecha Ruiz said. “I’m going to Florence next year, so that’s what I do. I just wanted to do something big for my team.” 

Chapin broke the tie in the fourth inning with a second home run from Flecha Ruiz. The lead was quickly extended after a Luke Cromer single. 

“Felix was unreal tonight,” Lever said. “He had a night. It goes back to moments and memories. He had one. He really catapulted us to being the victors.” 

T.L. Hanna cut the lead in the fifth, scoring one run to make it a 4-3 game. 

Chapin’s lead was in jeopardy in the sixth inning. T.L. Hanna got two runners on base with just one out. Sensing the danger, the Eagles made their only pitching change of the night. 

Griff Harper was relieved from the game after 5.1 innings of work. He struck out six batters, conceding six hits, three runs and four walks. 

Brewer Haggard came in and got the save, pitching the game’s final 1.2 innings. He allowed one hit and gave up no runs, walks or errors to seal the deal for the Eagles. 

T.L. Hana left runners stranded on second and third base in the sixth inning. The team got the tying runner on in the seventh, but hit into a double play on the next at-bat. 

On the next batter, Chapin shortstop Caden Guy got the game’s final out, executing a perfect throw to first baseman Kaedyn Harris to beat the runner. A few seconds later, a massive dogpile formed as the Eagles celebrated their victory. 

“These guys, they were made for this,” Lever said. “From all the heartbreaking losses in the season and the positive outcomes, these guys never wavered. They never flinched. They truly believed they were going to win.” 

While it was a great start for the program under his guidance, Lever hopes this is not the last time the Eagles are celebrating as the last team standings. 

For the seniors who will never play in a Chapin uniform again, this was the perfect way to end an important chapter of their lives.

“We’ve been talking about this since seventh grade,” Flecha Ruiz said. “This 2026 class is special. We’ve been dreaming about this since 2020.”