Anna Benton Love, Bill Love, J.K. Love, and Susan Love attended the signing on Tuesday. (Photos by Johnnie Daniels/THE DILLON HERALD.)
Love has been a key player for the Latta Vikings throughout his high school career, earning 26 RBI and six doubles at bat in his junior year and pitching 36 innings for 51 outs on the mound. He has an 8-2 record over the last two seasons with 124 strikeouts. Love played for two back-to-back state championships with the Vikings.
“Latta is 1A but has played major competition throughout the state,” Coach Donald Cribb said. “Love has played on a winning team for years.”
Love also spent the summer playing American Legion baseball with Florence Post 1, with the team earning a 40-5 record and advancing to the Southeast Regional tournament. He was 8-1 with Post 1 with 55 strikeouts. His fastest pitch was 91 mph at Raleigh recently in the South Carolina Border Battle.
Love started playing with T-ball when he was just four years old and has been playing ever since. He says his parents pushed him to be the best, especially his father.
He was named All State and All Region for the past three years and was All State and All Rookie as a freshman. He had several college offers including Erskine, Francis Marion University, and Florence Darlington Tech before settling on College of Charleston.
“College of Charleston was one of the larger schools to offer,” he said. “I visited and everyone treated me great, and it’s close to home.”
The 6-foot-7 right-handed pitcher said that Coach Monte Lee made the calls and noted that he likes bigger guys on the mound with precision and accuracy. He added that Coach Lee also showed him around the campus himself.
In addition to baseball, Love played recreation football in seventh grade, and junior varsity basketball through the ninth grade. In his down time, he likes to workout and hang out with his friends.
Love said he will be bringing his work ethic along with him as he prepares for the next level.
“All my coaches have pushed me to be the best,” he said.
Coach Cribb had high praise for him. “Not only is a dominant pitcher, he is also a good defensive player and a great hitter. He is a very coachable player and a great teammate.”
Love’s parents, Bill and Susan Love, and his sister, Anna Benton, were in attendance for the signing. Anna was also an outstanding athlete for the Lady Vikings before her graduation.
His family said they were very proud of Love’s accomplishments.
“We are very proud of our son,” Susan Love said. “We hope he will be a good Christian man, a good student, and a good ball player.”
“J.K.’s first word was ‘ball,’” his father said. “He’s always wanted to play ball and College of Charleston has given him the opportunity.”
Love says he plains to major in physical therapy or physical education. The senior pitcher has one more season coming up with the Vikings.
Love verbally committed to Charleston in February. The Cougars were 44-19 last season and won the CAA Conference championship and the Gainesville regional, advancing to the super regional.
J.K. Love signed with College of Charleston on Tuesday.
