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Jackson Huff and Aiden Suggs both reached a crossroads when it came to football last year.

Baseball ended up being the ultimate choice, and it has paid off quite well for the two Loris pitchers. Suggs signed with Francis Marion and Huff signed with Coker last November.

And now they鈥檙e primed to help lead Loris on the diamond one more time as the Lions seek a region championship.

鈥淚 think we鈥檒l have a good chance at it,鈥� Suggs said. 鈥淚 hope so.鈥�

Huff had the more dramatic decision following his junior season on the gridiron. The Lions went 7-3 and Huff had a solid season as the starting quarterback. He had become the starter during his freshman season.

In offseason workouts, Moon Gerald, who was Huff鈥檚 backup as a sophomore, emerged as a star and became the choice as QB1. At 6-foot-2 with a strong right arm, Huff probably could have started at several Horry County schools. But he never considered transferring.

鈥淣o, sir,鈥� Huff said. 鈥淚 did not. I was completely a hundred percent on the decision. I backed out because of baseball. I have many more opportunities in baseball and decided to stick with baseball. No hate to anybody on Loris or anything like that. I love them to death. I love my teammates. I love football to death.

鈥淏ut I just thought growing up and being mature about it, I decided to step down and focus on baseball. At a point in time, I鈥檝e got to focus on something and I鈥檝e got to get better at something, focus on that, and be a better ball player in college. 鈥� I think that鈥檚 a pretty good decision.鈥�

Suggs pulled back from football, too, but not completely. After playing defensive back on the 2023 team, Suggs was strictly as a punter for his senior season.

And he put baseball on hold during its offseason.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 really work on anything,鈥� Suggs said. 鈥淚 went to the gym to get bigger and I put on a lot of weight.鈥�

Suggs now packs around 205 pounds on his 6-foot-2 frame and when he threw a bullpen for the first time during the baseball offseason, his life changed because of a big number 鈥� 94 鈥� as in 94 mph. That alone makes Suggs a pro prospect.

鈥淗e鈥檚 gotten some attention,鈥� said Loris coach Sean Lysowski.

That could mean scouts showing up at Loris games with their radar guns. They鈥檒l stand out in the crowd.

Suggs aims to tune it out.

鈥淚鈥檒l treat it like it鈥檚 an everyday game,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he more stress you feel, the worse it gets.鈥�

Huff is coming off a junior season in which he was 6-0 with an 0.94 earned run average and 83 strikeouts in 67 innings. That was good enough for all-state honors and status as a top of the rotation ace.

He is dealing with an offseason arm injury that did not require surgery. It could delay his first appearance on the mound.

鈥淓verything is looking good,鈥� Huff said. 鈥淭he PT (physical therapist) told me it was looking good. 鈥� I鈥檓 ready to rock and roll.鈥�

A date hasn鈥檛 been set for Huff鈥檚 first game as a pitcher.

鈥淲e鈥檙e hoping we can get his bat really quick,鈥� Lysowski said. 鈥淗is therapy and all that is progressing well, ahead of schedule. Things are looking good. 鈥� We鈥檙e just being cautious about it.鈥�

Also back is last year鈥檚 No. 2 starter, Hayden Day, who was 4-0 with a 3.90 ERA in 52 innings. Day is the team鈥檚 top hitter as well.

Used mostly as a reliever last season, Suggs was 2-0 with a 1.68 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 25 innings. He converted both save opportunities.

The increased velocity could yield different results for Suggs and he was the starting pitcher on Saturday when the Lions played Socastee in a scrimmage.

鈥淚t鈥檚 very impressive,鈥� Lysowski said about the 94-mph reading. 鈥淚t shows all the hard work he has put in. 鈥� The velocity is great but we鈥檙e still focusing on strike one, getting ahead of hitters and keep pitch counts down.鈥�

When it鈥檚 all over later this spring, Suggs could have another decision to make if he鈥檚 selected in the pro baseball draft.

He isn鈥檛 worried about it.

鈥淚 guess if that comes up, it would be a topic to talk about,鈥� Suggs said. 鈥淎s of right now, college is where I鈥檓 going.鈥�

Two college-bound pitchers make any team a contender and it鈥檚 something they鈥檙e excited about.

鈥淲e love each other,鈥� Huff said. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 compete against each other. We don鈥檛 see who can throw the fastest. We want to do what鈥檚 best for our team. We want to win games.鈥�

Having effective pitchers like that drives the Lions鈥� approach to the game.

鈥淛ackson was our all-state guy last year and he would go 5-6 innings and give up no runs, maybe one,鈥� Lysowski said. 鈥淪o, we try to focus on scoring runs early and pitching with a lead.鈥�

That鈥檚 what they鈥檙e counting on.

鈥淲e work hard,鈥� Huff said. 鈥淚t takes a whole team to win a baseball game. It ain鈥檛 up to one person. Hopefully, everything will go good.鈥�

The Lions open the season on Saturday, March 1, at home at noon against Myrtle Beach as part of the Lacy Hardee Preseason Tournament.