Savannah Christian Preparatory senior Harding Dennis, a standout two-way ballplayer, was cruising through three no-hit frames against Prince Avenue Christian on February 21, with seven strikeouts.
However, as the fourth inning got underway, his outing took a dramatic turn.
Leading off the inning, 6-foot-3, 230-pound junior Brice Williamson—also a tight end for Prince Avenue’s football team—smoked a sharp line drive straight back to the mound. The ball struck Dennis in the face, knocking him to the ground immediately.
“The night of the injury, he’s probably having the best outing he’s ever had with us,” the Raiders’ head coach, Matt Oglesby, recalled. “The moment he gets hit, as a coach, you fear the worst. He’s laying there motionless. We all run out, and Harding, being Harding—he’s one of the toughest kids I know—finally rolls over and the first thing he says is, ‘I ate that one, didn’t I?’ Then, the next thing he says is, ‘Did we at least get the out?’”
Dennis suffered seven fractures in his face, an injury that appeared inevitable in ending his senior campaign. But in that moment, all he cared about was the game, not his face—a true reflection of who he is as both a player and person.
“Even that night, he was in the hospital texting me after he got all his scans, and they were about to send him home. I’m asking him how he feels, and he texts me, ‘Coach, I’m pitching on Tuesday.’ That’s the mentality he had,” Oglesby shared.
Dennis, being the dedicated student he is, returned to school that Monday and didn’t miss any time in the classroom while he was recovering.
Oglesby explained that for the first couple of days, Dennis—who is committed to Georgia College & State University—was certain he was out for the year after the initial diagnosis called for reconstructive surgery. However, he accepted it and shifted his focus to being a great teammate.
Then, a second opinion that said he wouldn’t need surgery and could return to the field sooner than expected changed everything.
“So, once he heard that, the first thing you do is start searching for masks to wear on the field…He bought a mask and didn’t like it, so we eventually settled on a softball mask.”
Oglesby, who has been at the helm since 2015, taking over as head coach in 2020, explained that prior to making an appearance on the mound post-injury, Dennis was back in the lineup for a few games as the designated hitter.
“He is our best hitter too. He leads the team in hitting and home runs, so he wasn’t just a loss on the mound, we lost him for a week at the plate.”
In Dennis’ first game back, he delivered with three hits, including a three-run homer that gave the Raiders—who are 12-8 on the season—a late lead against Lovett.
Come March 21, exactly one month since the accident, Dennis returned to the mound for a crucial region matchup against Vidalia, with the series tied and a must-win Game 3 on the line.
While his stepmom and stepdad, David Kelly—who also serves as the Raiders’ first base coach—were understandably nervous, Oglesby noted that aside from the face mask, there were no signs he had just overcome a traumatic injury.
The team ended up playing one of its best games of the year, dominating Game 3 with an 8-3 victory to clinch the series.
Oglesby described the win as a “huge pick-me-up” for the team, currently ranked No. 9 in Score Atlanta’s Week 8 Class A-3A Private Baseball Rankings. And, for Dennis, “That outing was big for his confidence, getting back up there and facing hitters again.”
Beyond being a talented, versatile baseball player, as well as an accomplished student, Dennis has a unique story of his own, as he and his two older brothers were adopted at a young age.
“He came here (Sav. Chr.) as a ninth grader; we weren’t really sure what we were gonna get out of him. He turned out to be a really good player, and now as a senior, he’s one of our leaders,” Oglesby shared. “He’s always had a chip on his shoulder, and that’s because of what he’s been through growing up. He’s with a great family—his dad is one of our coaches, and his mom works at our school.”
Oglesby believes this injury was one of those “bring you back to earth” moments, like, “Man, this [baseball] could be taken away from me at any time.”
On Tuesday, Dennis and the Raiders, who boast a four-game win streak, face Toombs County (11-7) on the road.
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