2016 Denton Record-Chronicle All-Area Baseball/Softball Teams

Denton Record-Chronicle

All-Area Baseball Team 2016 First team

Most Valuable player

Connor Herriage Guyer, P, Jr.

In a rare non-playoff year for Guyer, Herriage was one of the bright spots for the Wildcats. The junior started seven games (44 1/3 innings) on the mound and had two relief appearances while compiling a 1.89 ERA (1.56 in District 5-6A play) with 48 strikeouts and 21 walks.

Josh Mears Ryan, P, Sr.

Mears was part of a 1-2 punch on the mound with fellow senior Jordan Box that lifted the Raiders into the postseason for the first time since 2012. The senior lefty finished with a 6-3 record on the bump with 76 strikeouts and 32 walks in 61 1/3 innings. He had a 1.26 ERA.

Shane Scott Ponder, P, Jr.

Scott was steady for the Lions all year. In 47 innings of work, he tallied 58 strikeouts and a 1.19 ERA to go with a 4-3 record. His junior year included a 12-strikout no-hitter, his second in the past two seasons. He batted .390 with six doubles, three triples, 23 runs scored and 15 RBIs.

Ben Williamson Lake Dallas, P, Sr.

To say Lake Dallas got a ton of big-game heroics from its pitching staff would be an understatement.

Williamson came up huge in his 11 starts this past season — particularly in the postseason — to finish 4-2 with a 1.21 ERA, 31 walks, and 34 strikeouts in 46 1/3 innings of work.

Taylor Barber

Liberty Christian, C/P, Sr. Barber was the starting catcher for the Warriors, but also spent a good amount of time on the mound, where he pitched 40 innings on the way to a 6-1 record. He fanned 51 batters and walked just 12 on the season with a 1.93 ERA. He had a team-high .480 batting average and had 30 RBIs.

Tanner Boyzuick Argyle, IF, Sr.

The Argyle senior played all over the diamond as a four-year starter. After starring at shortstop for the Eagles’ 2015 state championship team, Boyzuick moved to third base for his senior season but then was forced into duty at first base following a season-ending injury to Ryland King prior to the postseason. Boyzuick never missed a beat, and was consistently the Eagles’ best hitter on his way to leading Argyle in every offensive category except for on-base percentage and stolen bases. Boyzuick, who will be a preferred walk-on at Alabama, hit .410 with a .454 on-base percentage with a 1.082 on-base-plus-slugging percentage.

He had nine doubles, four triples, two homers and drove in 27 runs while scoring 31 as he led the Eagles to the Class 4A Region II final.

offensive player of the year Colten Graham Krum, C, Sr.

Graham primed the potent Krum offense all season before the Bobcats were ousted in the regional quarterfinals by powerhouse Celina. He led the team with a .406 batting average and .531 on-base percentage with a .734 slugging percentage and 1.265 OPS. Graham struck out just five times on the season and ripped off three home runs and 22 RBIs with 13 runs scored and 15 walks. In 21 innings pitched, he was 2-0 with a 0.64 ERA and 27 strikeouts as a reliever.

Christian Boulware Lake Dallas, C, Sr.

Boulware will be remembered for his walk-off single in Game 2 against Fort Worth Arlington Heights to clinch a playoff series win for the Falcons, but that clutch hit was a testament to his entire senior season. Boulware finished with a .495 slugging percentage, including eight doubles, one triple, four home runs and 24 RBIs.

Austin King Argyle, C, Fr.

King excelled for the Eagles as a freshman behind the plate. He hit .342 with a .485 on-base percentage and .959 OPS to go with seven doubles, a home run and 15 RBIs. He had more walks (14) than strikeouts (10) and threw out 38 percent of potential basestealers while committing just two errors.

defensive player of the year

Marco Campos

Christian Julius

The senior utility player was lethal at the plate for the Indians while playing third, second, left field. He also pitched at times. He struck out just three times and led the team with a .416 batting average to go with his 21 RBIs and 27 runs scored. He was also dangerous on the base paths with 12 stolen bases.

The senior did just about everything imaginable for the Warriors in the field while also serving as one of the team’s most productive hitters. Julius saw time at catcher, third base, first base and was an adequate defender at every position. On the mound, Julius was a horse for the Warriors. He finished the year with 64 innings of work under his belt and compiled a 6-3 record with a 1.86 ERA to go with one save. He finished the year with 79 strikeouts and 25 walks while batting .423 with four home runs and 48 RBIs.

Sanger, IF/OF, Sr.

Preston King Argyle, IF/OF, Fr.

The District 9-4A Newcomer of the Year quickly showed his ability was well beyond his years as he hit .390 to go with his team-high .515 on-base percentage and 1.034 OPS. He stole nine bases on 11 tries and had eight doubles, a triple and 15 RBIs to go with 21 runs. He had more walks (20) than strikeouts (11).

Ben McConnell Lake Dallas, IF, Sr.

McConnell was one of 13 seniors on the Falcons, and he rarely disappointed. He finished with a .406 batting average, including four doubles, eight triples, 35 runs and 18 RBIs. He had a 1.123 OPS and always seemed to be a guy the Falcons could count on to get on base (.519 on-base percentage).

Liberty Chr., UTIL, Sr.

Argyle, Jr.

The 2015 state championship MVP picked up where he left off on the mound in 2016. The junior lefty finished the year with a 9-1 record and a microscopic 0.60 ERA to go with his 1.09 WHIP (walks-hits per inning pitched) and his 55 strikeouts in 46 2/3 innings. He also batted clean-up and had 23 RBIs with two triples and a homer.

utility player of the year

Kason Howell

John Tompkins Lake Dallas

For the 30-9-1 Liberty Christian Warriors, the outfielder did plenty of offensive damage on the season in his sophomore campaign. Posting 25 RBIs along with his .466 batting average, which was good for second on the team, Howell led the team with 38 runs scored and 16 doubles.

Tompkins would tell you he’s a difficult guy to play for. We don’t agree, especially given the magical run he got from this year’s Falcons’ squad, which became one of the more exciting teams to watch in the postseason. Lake Dallas finished 26-12 and narrowly missed out on its first state tournament trip since 1997.

Julien Ly

Sanger, OF/P, Jr.

Second team

The Missouri pledge is the perfect picture of a “baseball player.” Ly is a standout center fielder with great instinct and athleticism, and he hit .324 with 40 total bases and 15 stolen bases to go with his 1.069 OPS. As a pitcher saved for the biggest games, Ly went 4-1 with a save and a 1.07 ERA.

Ty Behringer

Lake Dallas, P/IF, Sr.

Watson Timmons The Argyle center fielder moved all around the batting lineup for the Eagles but settled into the No. 9 hole in the order, where he produced like a middle-of-theorder batter. Timmons had a .340 on-base percentage with five doubles and a triple to go with his 26 RBIs — just one shy of the team lead.

Connor Mushinski

coach of the year

Liberty Christian, OF, So.

Argyle, OF, Jr.

pitcher of the year

Behringer was the true definition of versatility in a year which saw Lake Dallas pull out wins in every way imaginable en route to the Class 5A Region I final, where it lost to eventual state champion Grapevine.

Behringer had just two errors (.943 fielding percentage) in district as a starting pitcher and first baseman, and continued that reliability into the postseason. On the mound, he finished 8-2 on the year — the best record of any Lake Dallas starter — with a 2.08 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 43.2 innings. He also improved dramatically at the plate, batting .370 with 11 doubles, five triples, 31 RBIs and 24 runs scored. He had a .563 slugging percentage.

P — Jordan Box, Ryan, Sr. P — Grant Landry, Lake Dallas, Sr. P — Brett Lundy, Argyle, Jr. P — Malik Minter, Denton, Sr. P — Daulton Parrott, Krum, Sr. P — Zane Walden, Sanger, So. P/IF — Colton Knierim, Krum, Sr. IF — Coleman Grubbs, Ryan, Sr. OF — Layne Elrod, Sanger, Sr. OF — Dolan Nicholson, Denton, Sr. OF — Daniel Rivera, Lake Dallas, Sr. UTIL — Gage Campbell, Argyle, So. UTIL — Drew Karp, Lake Dallas, Sr.

Photos by David Minton/DRC, courtesy photos and file photos The All-Area Baseball team was selected by the Denton Record-Chronicle’s sports staff in consultation with area high school coaches.

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Denton Record-Chronicle

Denton Record-Chronicle

All-Area Softball Team 2016 First team

Most Valuable player

Autumn Graham Lake Dallas, P, Jr.

As a first-team all-District 6-5A selection, Graham carried the bulk of the workload for the Lady Falcons in the circle. In over 95 innings, Graham peppered the strike zone, recording 103 strikeouts with just 28 walks on the way to an 8-7 record. In district play and playoffs, she had a 2.60 ERA.

McKayla McDaniel Sanger, P, Jr.

As a threat inside the circle and at the plate, the junior pitcher compiled a 3.10 ERA in 46 innings pitched. Offensively, she led the team with a .462 batting average, .477 on-base percentage and .615 slugging percentage. She was second on the team with 10 RBIs with five runs scored.

Grace Wills Guyer, P, Jr.

Wills helped Guyer get off to a hot start with her dominance in the circle. On the season, she finished with a 16-3 record in just shy of 100 innings of work. She finished the year with a 2.39 ERA with 108 strikeouts with 21 walks as Guyer’s primary starter in the circle in a loaded District 5-6A.

Maddy Breckenridge Lake Dallas, C/IF, So.

Tristan Bridges Krum, P, So.

Bridges has solidified herself as the Denton area’s top pitcher as well as being a tough out at the plate. The sophomore lefty was a clear choice as this year’s DRC softball MVP. After taking the Lady Cats to the brink of a state tournament berth as a freshman, Bridges went 21-6 in 2016 and bulled her way to another deep playoff run before Krum bowed out in a 16-inning epic pitchers’ duel with Paris North Lamar in the third round. Bridges finished that game with an eyepopping 25 strikeouts to cap her season with 262 punch outs and a 1.30 ERA. At the plate, Bridges batted .427 with 12 doubles, a triple, three home runs and 23 RBIs.

newcomer of the year

Defensive Player of the Year

Guyer, IF, Fr.

Being the freshman daughter of Guyer’s head coach, Medford might have had some doubters, but she silenced them quickly. Medford batted all throughout the lineup and finished with a .508 batting average to go with a gaudy .625 on-base percentage. She scored 32 runs with 17 RBIs and had 10 stolen bases in 11 tries while striking out just twice.

Kenedee Gist Pilot Point, C, Fr.

Despite her team missing the playoffs for the first time in what seems like ages, Gist turned in a solid season at the plate for a rather young Lady Bearcat squad while batting .421 with a .439 slugging percentage.

Gist racked up two doubles, eight RBIs, 43 runs and was a perfect 16-for-16 on stolen bases.

Morgan Sebastian Krum, C, So.

Morgan Medford

The sophomore claimed the co-defensive player of the year honors in District 6-5A with her play behind the plate and at third base. Offensively, Breckenridge was second on the team with a .425 batting average, a .489 on-base average and a .550 slugging percentage with 14 RBIs and 17 runs scored.

With two years left still to play for the Lady Cats, Sebastian showed incredible versatility with her arm and defense behind the plate, as well as her bat. Notching 15 assists on the season, Sebastian put fear into runners as she caught eight of 10 runners stealing and didn’t allow a passed ball all season.

Offensively, she led the team with timely hitting and the long ball. Sebastian’s 37 RBIs and 16 home runs were team highs.

She finished with a .423 batting average and 1.185 slugging percentage.

Makenzie Chatham Lake Dallas, IF, Sr.

As the offensive player of the year in District 6-5A, Chatham paced the Lady Falcons’ offense in several categories including leading the team in batting average with a .476 average and 24 RBIs to go along with one home run and 22 runs scored. The senior shortstop also had a gaudy OPS of 1.278.

Tara Solomon Guyer, IF, Sr.

The offensive catalyst was a force on the bases after moving away from her natural defensive position (second base) to take over at the hot corner as a senior.

The TWU signee was a perfect 27-for-27 on stolen bases while scoring a team-high 47 runs. She had two triples, three homers and 25 RBIs with a 1.160 OPS.

Utility player of the Year Alyssa Dixon

Hannah Sullivan

The Henderson State signee did a little bit of everything for the Wildcats as both a solid first baseman and a rangy center fielder who was able to track down balls not many could.

Dixon used her speed and athleticism to rack up 21 stolen bases on 22 tries while scoring 38 runs.

She hit .468 with a .580 on-base percentage and a 1.276 OPS to go with her five doubles and five triples.

She added a home run and drove in 31 runs.

Sullivan was another top producer for a younger Pilot Point squad in 2016. Sullivan showed her power while racking up 12 doubles, a triple and a staggering seven home runs for a team that narrowly missed the playoffs. She finished with a .495 batting average and 57 RBIs while scoring 31 runs.

Guyer, IF/OF, Sr.

Coach of the year

Pilot Point, IF, Jr.

Kaely Whatley Krum, IF, Sr.

Whatley has been a constant for Krum during its rise to becoming one of the top softball programs in Class 4A. The senior shortstop had a slugging percentage of .637 while belting out five doubles, three triples, three home runs and 16 RBIs. She finished with a .390 batting average.

Lilly Carter Argyle, OF, Sr.

Offensive Player of the year

Carter was a senior leader for an Argyle program trying to take the next step to success. The outfielder was a .441 hitter with a 1.175 OPS and was the biggest bat in the Lady Eagles’ lineup. She had five doubles, three home runs and a team-high 28 RBIs to go with 14 RBIs.

Sydni Fulks

Amber Tramp

Lake Dallas, OF, Sr.

Lake Dallas

As a senior outfielder, Sydni Fulks rounded out a potent Lake Dallas lineup. Fulks showed she could drive in runs all season as she had a .396 batting average with a .492 on-base percentage and a .642 slugging percentage. Her 17 RBIs and 23 runs scored were second on the team.

Lake Dallas made the playoffs last year with a veteran crew and could have slid into obscurity after being hit hard by graduation and the loss of its longtime head coach. In stepped former assistant Amber Tramp, who quickly gained the confidence of a younger squad and took them two rounds deep in the playoffs.

Ashley Landry Krum, OF, Sr.

Second team P — Tori Burke, Argyle, Jr. P — Brianna Leeds, Ryan, So. C — Jaycee Garza, Sanger, Jr. IF — Jordan Cason, Sanger, Sr. IF — Maddie Goin, Ryan, So. IF — Mailey Harris, Denton, Jr. IF — Mercedez Lane, Pilot Point, Jr. IF — Kate Weaver, Argyle, Sr. IF — Avery Williams, Guyer, Jr. OF — Ashton Malone, Pilot Point, Sr. OF — Kara Ortiz, Ponder, Sr. OF — Maddie Quintanar, Ryan, Sr. UTIL — Payten Nortman, Pilot Point, Sr.

Landry will be sorely missed next season as Krum attempts to continue its dominance in Class 4A. The senior outfielder sported a perfect fielding percentage in center field and a blistering .614 slugging percentage at the plate with eight doubles, a triple and 15 RBIs. She also had 17 stolen bases.

Lauren Lindgren Guyer, OF/P, Sr.

Facing a Division I pitcher on just about every night in the loaded District 5-6A didn’t faze the Guyer senior.

The Midwestern State signee was an offensive force for the Wildcats, hitting .536 with a .938 slugging percentage and a 1.503 OPS. She had 11 doubles, five triples, six home runs and a team-high 46 RBIs to go with her 41 runs while striking out just five times to earn 5-6A Offensive MVP honors. When she was on the bases, she was dangerous with 19 stolen bases in 20 tries. Lindgren was a force in the outfield with her range and rocket arm but was also heavily relied upon in the circle as a relief pitcher. She finished with a 4-2 record with three saves in 42 2/3 innings of work in which she compiled a 2.79 ERA and 36 strikeouts to just eight walks.

Cecily Rodriguez Ryan, OF/IF, So.

It’s been a rough four seasons for the Lady Raiders, but the team turned in a better showing in 2016 thanks to steady veterans like Rodriguez. Rodriguez showed her speed as she was 7-for-8 on stolen bases, and she also batted .415 with five doubles, three homers and 21 RBIs. She scored 19 runs.

Photos by David Minton/DRC, courtesy photos and file photos The All-Area Baseball team was selected by the Denton Record-Chronicle’s sports staff in consultation with area high school coaches.

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