2017 Denton Record-Chronicle All-Area Baseball and Softball Teams by Denton Media Company

Denton Record-Chronicle

All-Area Baseball Team 2017 First team

Most Valuable player

Brooks Bedinger Denton, OF, So.

Bedinger made his name known for the Denton Broncos in District 5-5A this past season as he took home Newcomer of the Year honors. The sophomore posted a .344 batting average, recorded two doubles and a triple. He also knocked in seven RBIs to lift Denton into the playoffs.

Jordan Beminio Guyer, DH/Util, So.

Guyer returned to the playoffs this year after a oneyear hiatus, and Beminio had a lot to do with that as a sophomore. He was one of just two Wildcats to finish the season above the .300-mark at the plate (.303). He also added 24 RBIs with a .438 slugging percentage on the season.

Brant Bennett Braswell, P, Jr.

Brant Bennett was the go-to guy on the hill for Braswell this season. In district play, he pitched 41 innings, struck out 55, walked 16 and posted a 2.20 ERA. Bennett used his speed and command to puzzle opposing batters and help first-year Braswell shatter expectations as it came within a game of playoffs.

Brenden Dixon Argyle, IF, So.

Argyle managed to dominate the majority of its Class 4A foes with a young but solid lineup, and Dixon is the perfect representation of that. Dixon, a Texas commit, wrapped up his sophomore year with a .400 batting average. He racked up seven doubles, two triples, two home runs and 16 RBIs.

Connor Herriage Guyer, OF/P, Sr.

Connor Mushinski Argyle, P, Sr.

The Mushinski name has become synonymous with Argyle baseball in recent years, starting with former standout Parker Mushinski, who went on to play at Texas Tech and recently was drafted by the Houston Astros. His little brother, Connor, was hardly stuck in his older brother’s shadow and was an easy pick as the Denton Record-Chronicle’s All-Area Baseball MVP. Connor’s high school career included winning the program’s first state title in 2015 -- when he was only a sophomore. He pitched the Eagles to at least the fourth round in each of the next two seasons. He finished his senior season with a perfect 7-0 record on the hill, highlighted by a 1.09 ERA and 55 strikeouts. At the plate, he batted .412 (.745 slugging) with 11 doubles, seven triples, three homers and 43 RBIs.

Offensive Player of the Year

Guyer coach Pat Watson called Herriage the glue of his team in 2017, and it’s easy to see why. The senior do-it-all finished with a .313 batting average, 15 RBIs and 23 runs scored. He helped lift Guyer back into the playoffs. Herriage was also 1-1 on the mound with a 3.64 ERA and 21 strikeouts.

Dillon Carter Argyle, OF, So.

It’s difficult to imagine anyone in the Denton area having as much of an impact at the plate as Carter did in 2017. The TCU pledge and junior-to-be returned from an injury-plagued freshman season to lead the state-ranked Eagles with a .500 batting average. He plated 29 runs while turning in a video-game type stat line that includes seven doubles, eight triples and two home runs. He scored 45 runs, turned in an .863 slugging percentage and also stole 15 bases while only being caught stealing once on the year. Carter primarily played outfield, but was part of a rather lengthy list of pitchers at Argyle’s disposal. In 16 innings of work, Carter struck out 26 batters and finished with a .44 ERA.

Brock Howard Sanger, C, So.

After earning first-team all-district honors on the football field as a sophomore, Howard was almost as impressive behind the plate for the Indians’ baseball team. He was a District 9-4A second-team pick and put up impressive numbers early in his career, hitting .313 with nine doubles and 26 RBI.

Kason Howell

Liberty Christian, OF, Jr. It’s Howell’s second-consecutive appearance on the DRC All-Area First-Team – and for good reason. He continues to be a monster in the Warriors’ lineup. He earned TAPPS 1-6A First-Team honors while hitting .466 with six homers, 36 RBI, 27 stolen bases – not to mention a ridiculous .786 slugging percentage.

Bryson Hudgens Argyle, P/1B, Jr.

Hudgens did just about everything in helping the Eagles advance to the fourth round of the playoffs. One of two all-state players for the Eagles, Hudgens had a .434 average (.671 slugging) with seven doubles, 1 triple, three home runs and 39 RBIs. On the mound, Hudgens had 34 strikeouts in 21.1 innings.

Brett Lundy Argyle, P, Sr.

Lundy, a senior, continued to stand out despite again being part of a loaded pitching rotation for the Eagles. Lundy capped his high school career tied for the team lead with seven wins (7-1) while recording 52 strikeouts and a 2.06 ERA. He allowed 11 earned runs in just more than 37 innings of work.

Luke Pennington Sanger, OF, Jr.

Sanger made a run to the Class 4A regional quarterfinals, and Pennington was one of the biggest reasons why. Pennington hit .412 with 12 doubles and stole 31 bases. In an area-round win over Aubrey, Pennington provided the walk-off hit to push the Indians into the next round.

Defensive player of the year Luke Piper Guyer, C, Fr.

When Guyer missed the playoffs in 2016, it would have been easy to assume the Wildcats would have difficulty rebounding against a new district slate that included the likes of Allen and the Plano schools. Not only did the only Class 6A school in the DRC coverage area make the playoffs in 2017, but it did so with new faces. Piper, a freshman catcher, earned our Defensive Player of the Year nod for guiding a new rotation of pitchers while being a consistent force behind the plate. In 183 innings, Piper picked off 12 runners -- eight in a district that featured four of the state’s largest schools as competition.

Utility Player of the year

Julien Ly

Sanger, OF/P, Sr.

Pitcher of the year

Simply put, Ly is a great all-around baseball player. As a pitcher and outfielder for Sanger, the Oklahoma Christian signee only made one error all season. On the mound, he posted a 2-2 record, had eight saves and a 1.09 ERA. At the plate, Ly recorded a .411 batting average while driving in 19 runs and scoring 39. He also stole 24 bases. Ly also only struck out only five times in 128 at-bats.

Coach of the year

Chad Ricker

Donnie Watson

Argyle, Util, So.

Braswell

Ricker was a key cog in the machine that is Argyle. The sophomore do-it-all threat earned co-utility player of the year honors in District 9-4A. At the plate, he turned in a .442 batting average with a solid .779 slugging percentage while recording 17 extra-base hits and 16 RBIs.

In his more than 25 years as a baseball skipper, Watson has become known for helping young teams win fast. Though Braswell did not make the playoff in its inaugural season, it came close. Braswell beat Denton ISD teams Ryan and Denton before falling in a play-in loss to

Shane Scott

Second Team

Ponder, P, Sr.

Scott is one of the top pitchers in our area every year. The Central Missouri pledge recorded a 1.24 ERA, struck out 89 batters, walked just five and gave up only 24 hits on the season. At the plate, Scott turned in a solid .352 average with 25 hits, 20 RBIs, 15 runs and seven doubles for the Lions.

Sean Bolin Argyle, P, So.

Taylor Swarbrick Aubrey, IF, Jr.

The District 11-4A Co-MVP was one of just three Denton-area players to earn all-state honors, where he was a first-team selection as a shortstop. Swarbrick did it all for a predominately young Aubrey team, hitting .462 with three home runs, 11 doubles, 37 RBI and 14 stolen bases.

Argyle had itself a stable of pitchers in 2017 that all teams would die to have. Bolin, a Baylor pledge, was clearly one of the younger ones in that group, but proved he belonged at the top of the pack with seniors Connor Mushinski and Brett Lundy as he compiled a 5-1 record with 55 strikeouts and a staggering .50 ERA in 53 innings of work. Bolin, the District 9-4A Newcomer of the Year, showed his calmness under pressure all year. That carried over into the postseason as he allowed one unearned run and four hits while striking out five in a one-game playoff win over Princeton. Not a slouch at the plate either, Bolin finished with a .333 batting average and .333 slugging percentage.

OF -- Ryan Depperschmidt, Lake Dallas, So. P -- Wyatt Folsom, Denton, Sr. OF -- Gatlin Grisso, Aubrey, Jr. IF -- Michael Haney, Denton, So. P -- Dayton Harkey, Sanger, Jr. C -- Kevin House, Liberty Christian, Sr. P/IF -- Cody Johnson, Aubrey, Sr. P -- Tanner Knight, Krum, Sr. C -- Mike Plybon, Aubrey, Sr. OF -- Watson Timmons, Argyle, Sr. P/1B -- J.T. Thompson, Guyer, Jr. P -- Scott Wisker, Ryan, Sr. P -- Joseph Wolf, Liberty Christian, So.

Photos by Jeff Woo/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.

Section 5

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Denton Record-Chronicle

All-Area Softball Team 2017 Most Valuable player

First team Lindsey Beutnagel Krum, IF, So.

Beutnagel started at first base for the Lady Cats and played a significant role in Krum’s state title run as a sophomore. In a lineup loaded with hitters, Beutnagel often got the offense rolling while recording 18 doubles, three triples and posting a solid .457 batting average. She’ll be relied on more in the years to come.

Maddie Goin Krum, OF, Jr.

Half the time Goin stepped up to the plate, opposing pitchers made sure not to give her a pitch she could hit out of the park. Fortunately for her, Goin still made pitchers pay. In her first season at Krum, Goin posted a .501 batting average while recording a staggering 21 doubles and six triples.

Alyx Gray

Aubrey, IF, So. Laney and Lexie Roos broke onto the scene and stole a lot of the headlines as freshmen for Aubrey, but it’s hard to ignore the impact Gray had on the team as a sophomore. The District 11-4A Defensive MVP was as consistent as they come in the middle infield and hit .476 with 16 doubles and 37 RBI.

Riki Haase Denton, P, Sr.

Tristan Bridges Krum, P, Jr.

Tristan Bridges again dominated the circle for Krum and was an easy pick to repeat as our Denton Record-Chronicle All-Area Softball MVP. The now three-year starter and Tarleton State commit won 35 games in 2017 (14 more wins than her sophomore campaign) and finished with a staggering .47 ERA to also earn her a spot on the Texas Girls Coaches Association All-State team. Her last strikeout of the season, which came in the Class 4A state title game against Liberty Hill, gave her 305 strikeouts in 225 innings of work. Bridges said her punch out total was the most she’s ever had in a season. She had plenty of offensive firepower to back her up, too, and added to that cause with a .419 batting average. Bridges finish with 15 doubles, five triples and two home runs.

Co-newcomer of the year

Laney Roos Aubrey, P, Fr.

It’s hard to imagine putting together a better freshman campaign than that of Aubrey’s Laney Roos. Roos was 23-8 with a 2.18 ERA and 183 strikeouts in 195 2/3 innings and was named the District 11-4A Co-MVP. At the plate, she hit .504 and drove in 33 runs while leading Aubrey to the 4A Region II semifinals.

Co-newcomer of the year

Offensive Player of the Year

Kimberlin Hopson Sanger, C, Fr.

Standing out in a district that boasts the Class 4A state champion, Krum, is tough to do, but Hopson made a name for herself right away as a freshman for the Sanger Lady Indians. She was the District 9-4A Catcher of the Year while hitting .473 with three homers and 17 RBIs.

Abby Buettner Ryan, IF, Fr.

Abby Buettner came over to Ryan in the offseason when her father, Matt, was hired as the Lady Raiders’ new coach. Not only was coach Buettner every bit the hire he was cracked up to be, but Abby quickly became known as one of the top offensive threats in the DFW area. The freshman phenom batted .606 and finished second in DFW in home runs (14), regardless of classification. She also had 12 doubles, 79 RBIs and 25 stolen bases as Ryan ended its playoff drought and won its opener over Saginaw Boswell.

Brianna Leeds Ryan, P, Jr.

Brianna Leeds has been a solid pitcher at the varsity level for three years and finally got the chance to shine for a much-improved Lady Raiders squad. Leeds, a junior, finished with a 21-11-1 record while recording 159 strikeouts in 172 innings of work. She allowed just 51 earned runs.

Morgan Medford Guyer, IF, So.

Medford was our Newcomer of the Year last year and despite suffering a wrist injury that kept her out of action for a large part of her sophomore season, she still turned heads with a .556 batting average and 10 RBIs against a District 6-6A slate loaded from top to bottom with quality pitching.

Pitcher of the Year Christine Billmeier

Cecily Rodriguez

Christine Billmeier will be honored for her standout play in the circle for years to come. As a freshman for the Lady Bearcats, she earned District 9-3A MVP and was selected to the Class 3A All-State softball team by the Texas Girls Coaches Association. Billmeier posted a 26-2 overall record with 233 strikeouts and a solid 1.70 ERA. She dominated in the circle but was also a steady force at the plate with a .436 batting average in the middle of the batting order. She drove in 48 RBIs with 14 doubles and 10 home runs.

Rodriguez was a consistent force in the field and at the plate for a Ryan team that finished second in District 5-5A and advanced to the area round of the playoffs. The speedy shortstop had a record 33 stolen bases while batting .447 with eight doubles, two triples, four home runs and 22 RBIs.

Pilot Point, P, Fr.

Harper Hughes Ryan, OF, Fr.

Harper Hughes was part of a youth revolution at Ryan, which made the playoffs with four freshman in the starting lineup. Hughes, an outfielder, was as balanced as they come as she finished her first year with a .484 batting average, 25 RBIs and 25 stolen bases.

Denton may have failed to advance into the playoffs, but Haase left her mark on the program in her final season. She finished as a District 5-5A First-Team selection after hitting an eye-popping .506 with 19 doubles and 32 RBI on the year, and also served as the Lady Broncos’ ace in the circle.

Ryan, IF, Jr.

Morgan Sebastian Krum, C, Jr.

Sebastian continued her dominance behind the plate as a solid 1-2 punch with pitcher Tristan Bridges. At the plate, the Tarleton State commit posted a .439 batting average, a .712 slugging percentage, recorded 14 doubles and 51 RBIs as Krum rolled to the Class 4A state title. Sebastian also had six home runs.

Regan Smith Krum, IF, Jr.

Defensive Player of the year

Smith was a catalyst in Krum’s state championship run. She was a vacuum on defense at third base and was a nightmare for opposing pitchers at the plate. On the season, Smith recorded a .485 batting average with 21 doubles, five triples and six home runs. She hit over .600 in district play alone.

coach of the year Bryan Chaney

Katelynn Stamper

Chaney took over a Krum program with massive expectations and guided the Lady Cats to their first state championship. A program once known for not being able to get over the hump despite plenty of talent, Krum thrived under Chaney’s leadership while finishing with a 38-4 record.

Sanger finished second in District 9-4A thanks in large part to the success of Stamper at the plate. Her consistent bat was a staple in the Lady Indians’ lineup. The senior finished with a .578 average in district alone. That stretch included nine doubles and 14 RBIs while striking out just three times.

Sanger, IF, Sr.

Krum

Marley Straubmueller

Second Team P -- Gracie Arthur, Liberty Christian, So. UTIL -- Tori Burke, Argyle, Sr. P -- Autumn Graham, Lake Dallas, Sr. IF -- Mailey Harris, Denton, Sr. C -- Jaden Hoelker, Ryan, Jr. OF -- Maddy Holder, Guyer, Jr. IF -- Mercedez Lane, Pilot Point, Sr. P/IF -- McKayla McDaniel, Sanger, Sr. OF/P -- Aubrey Meyers, Lake Dallas, Fr. IF -- Sarah Oellerman, Argyle, So. C -- Lexie Roos, Aubrey, Fr. IF -- Ceci Werley, Braswell, So. C -- Peyton Wohnoutka, Liberty Christian, Jr.

Argyle, Util, Jr.

Straubmueller helped the Lady Eagles reach the playoffs and was the offensive spark in the lineup. She recorded an astonishing .800 slugging percentage with a .387 batting average, 10 doubles, six triples, three home runs and 25 RBIs. She also was nearly perfect from the field with a .969 fielding percentage.

Avery Williams Krum, IF, Sr.

Avery Williams moved over from Guyer during the offseason and immediately became the face of a nearimpenetrable defense that averaged less than one error through 42 games. The senior shortstop showed off her cat-like reflexes and range as she consistently dove for every tough shot that came her way while taking a tremendous amount of pressure off starting pitcher, Tristan Bridges. When not in the field, Williams was also one of Krum’s leaders at the plate. She finished her high school campaign with a .451 batting average and .494 on-base percentage to go with a solid .644 slugging percentage. She had eight doubles, six triples, three home runs and 30 RBIs. Together with Bridges and catcher Morgan Sebastian, Williams also found herself on the Texas Girls Coaches Association All-State team.

Hannah Sullivan Pilot Point, IF, Sr.

Pilot Point had a lot of young talent this season, but Sullivan provided some important senior leadership – and a whole lot of power – throughout the year and in the playoffs. The District 9-3A Offensive Player of the Year hit .439 while adding 24 extra-base hits, including five home runs and 53 RBIs.