4B
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Denton Record-Chronicle
Denton Record-Chronicle
All-Area Baseball Team 2013 FIRST TEAM
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER ¯
Pitcher : Hayden Holley, Liber ty Christian, Sr. Holley added two more wins to last year’s record in just over 70 innings pitched on the way to a 9-2 record and a state championship in TAPPS 5A. Holley fanned 75 batters while walking 24. He allowed just 35 runs on the season while holding down a 2.38 ERA. The senior also did a little damage at the plate with two homers and seven RBIs in 21 at-bats.
Krum, P, Senior Notable: As the playoffs approached, Damron slowly began to show why Texas Tech signed him before the season began. And then, almost all at once, Damron began to stymie opposing offenses and helped carry Krum to the Class 3A regional quarterfinals. The lefthanded pitcher finished the season with a record of 8-2 and a 1.00 ERA, the lowest in the area. He struck out 138 batters and walked 40 in Krum’s first season in Class 3A. But a look past the overarching numbers shows just how impressive he was in Krum’s rotation. In an impressive opening round victory against Celina in the postseason, Damron struck out 17 of the 18 batters he faced in an abbreviated no-hitter. Then against Princeton in the regional quarterfinals, Damron fanned 15 batters and allowed only a hit in Krum’s only victory in the best-of-three series. At the plate, he batted .337, hit one home run and had 20 RBIs. But it was his pitching that got him drafted in the 13th round of the MLB First-Year Player Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Pitcher : Seth Jones, Arg yle, Sr. Jones built on a breakout junior season with a stellar year on the mound and at the plate. The tall lefty went 8-1 with a 1.36 ERA to go with 61 strikeouts and just 10 walks. At the plate, he did his fair share of damage in the heart of the Argyle lineup, hitting .393 with a .495 on-base percentage. He smacked 10 doubles, scored 25 times and had 27 RBIs. Pitcher : Keenan Wingfield, Lake Dallas, Sr. In a somewhat disappointing season for the Falcons, Wingfield was a shining bright spot as a senior. The hard-throwing righty was intimidating on the mound and put up a crisp 1.61 ERA and 0.74 WHIP (walks-hits per inning). He struck out 91 batters and issued just 14 walks while going 5-4 due to an occasional lack of run support. Catcher : Reid Battles, Guyer, Sr. At 6-4, Battles is not your typical high school catcher, often towering over opposing hitters in the batter’s box. His numbers were also anything but typical as the first-year starter had just four errors behind the plate to go with an astronomical 19 assists at catcher. He also led Guyer’s offense, hitting .380 with a .463 onbase percentage, three homers and 20 RBIs.
CO-PITCHER OF THE YEAR Jud Kinzy ¯ Guyer, P/2B, Senior Notable: Basically a lock to work the entire seven innings, and sometimes more as in an epic, 10-inning affair against Lake Dallas and Keenan Wingfield, Kinzy was the preeminent workhorse pitcher in the area. In his final season playing for his dad, Johnny Kinzy, the Weatherford College signee pitched 80 innings on the year and put up a 1.84 ERA with an out-of-this-world strikeout-towalk ratio, fanning 83 batters while allowing just seven walks. Kinzy also was the spark in Guyer’s offense, batting leadoff and finishing the year with a .303 batting average and .434 on-base percentage while scoring 26 runs and stealing 10 bases. That, mixed with his pitching prowess, earned him Co-MVP honors in District 5-4A.
Catcher : Beau Ewton, Pilot Point, Sr. This two-way catcher showed off his arm and his bat this season, leading the Bearcats with a .476 batting average to go along with four doubles and a homer. While serving as a formidable backstop for Pilot Point’s defense, the senior intimidated teams from running against the Bearcats, as he threw out five base runners on the season. Catcher : Dillon Har p, Arg yle, Sr. Hitting in the heart of the lineup, Harp was a consistent run-producer for the Eagles. In his final season, Harp had his best year, hitting .370 with a .472 on-base percentage. He tied for the team lead with three home runs, hit 12 doubles and was second on the Eagles with 30 RBIs while scoring 14 runs. He was also 10-3A’s Defensive Player of the Year.
Infielder : Keaton Malcom, Ponder, Jr. As the team’s defensive guru at shortstop, Malcom went 3-for-3 with two RBIs in Ponder’s season-ending loss to Pottsboro. The junior led the team in RBIs with 33 and doubles with 14 to go along with two homers. Malcom was also second on the team with a .446 batting average and also showed a keen eye at the plate. Infielder : Connor McMann, Liber ty Christian, Jr. Along with his effective bat, McMann helped bolster the Warriors’ pitching with an 8-1 record, a save and a 2.44 ERA in over 57 innings pitched. The third baseman led Liberty with a .402 batting average, two homers, 11 doubles, a team-high 28 RBIs and 18 runs scored. McMann also showed his patience at the plate with a .461 on-base percentage. Infielder : Dylan Nichelson, Ponder, Sr. On their way to the Class 2A Region II area round, Nichelson led the Lions with a lofty .470 average as the team’s first baseman. The senior tied for the team lead in homers with two while driving in 31 runs. Nichelson added 12 doubles as one of the Lions’ most consistent hitters and possessed a sublime patience at the plate as he sported a .583 on-base percentage.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
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CO-PITCHER OF THE YEAR Drew Gooch
Argyle, P, Junior
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Infielder : Justin Graham, Kr um, Sr. Graham capped off his time at Krum with a strong senior season. The starting first baseman batted .400 and also carried an impressive .540 on-base percentage. He drew 17 walks, scored 17 runs and drove in 24 runs. He tallied one home run and eight doubles on the season to bolster the Bobcats’ offense. Graham earned a District 9-3A first-team nod as a utility player.
Notable: It could be argued Gooch was the area’s most dominant pitcher as he helped lead Argyle to Class 3A regional quarterfinals. Gooch, who is committed to TCU, tallied a 10-2 record with a minuscule 1.23 ERA. The District 10-3A MVP had 118 strikeouts and issued just 20 free passes in 74 innings. Gooch, who made his splash on to the scene late during his freshman season, winning his first playoff appearance with a masterpiece against Texarkana Pleasant Grove, did it all back then with a filthy arsenal of off-speed pitches. But now, Gooch mixes in an improved fastball to keep hitters off-balance. Gooch also contributed as a hitter, compiling a .308 average with 18 RBIs.
SECOND TEAM P — Mark Johnson, Denton, Jr. P — Chris McKeehan, Ryan, Sr. P — Goose Ritzel, Sanger, Sr. P — Ross Scott, Sanger, Jr. C — Austen Lange, Sanger, Jr. IF — Zach Buckmeier, Pilot Point, Sr. IF — Ethan Easterling, Ponder, Sr. IF — Foster Ford, Liberty Christian, Sr. IF — Tyler Gibson, Argyle, Jr. IF — Ethan Luna, Liberty Christian, Sr. IF — Austin Trinklein, Pilot Point, Sr. OF — Colten Lucas, Krum, Jr. OF — Cutter McDonald, Argyle, So.
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR Christian Boulware Lake Dallas, C, Freshman Notable: Boulware was a pleasant surprise for the Falcons last season. While freshmen are almost never seen starting on the diamond, Boulware filled the void behind the plate as the team’s catcher, one of the most pressure-packed, scrutinized positions on the field, and batted .329 on the year with four doubles and eight RBIs. The freshman was solid for Lake Dallas during a season when the Falcons failed to make the postseason. Expect Boulware to continue to grow over his next three seasons and be a solid piece of the Falcons’ foundation for years to come.
Team selected by Denton Record-Chronicle staff in consultation with area coaches. COACH OF THE YEAR Johnny Isom
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Liberty Christian
Outfielder : Brennan Ellis, Kr um, Jr. Ellis’ bat was a key to Krum’s success in the school’s first year in Class 3A. Ellis, a District 9-3A first-team selection, led the Bobcats with a .433 batting average. The junior outfielder hit one home run, notched 19 RBIs and scored 37 runs. Ellis also drew 22 walks, a testament to his discipline at the plate. Ellis will once again play a key role next season.
Photos are by Denton Record-Chronicle photographers David Minton and Al Key, along with DRC file photos and courtesy photos.
Josh Reeves Krum, C/P, Senior
Notable: There wasn’t much more that could be asked out of Reeves this past season. At the plate, Reeves was steady in the Bobcats’ lineup. He batted .330, cranked out one home run and drove in 35 runs. He also belted two triples, 13 doubles and scored 19 runs to help lead the offense. But Reeves also helped Krum extend its season with a decent playoff run by turning in some dominant performances on the mound. Reeves was 8-3 with a 2.38 ERA. In 61 2/3 innings, he struck out 105 batters and only issued 20 walks.
Infielder : Ted Wisdom, Sanger, Jr. Wisdom’s numbers across the board are certainly nothing to balk at. The junior first baseman hit .450 on the season, drove in 19 runs and scored 25 times for the Indians. Wisdom, a firstteam District 9-3A selection, also stole 25 bases while hitting eight doubles and six triples. As Sanger’s leading hitter, he helped the Indians reach the area round of the 3A playoffs.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR Davis Coghlan ¯
Outfielder : Landon Roger s, Arg yle, Sr. The senior center fielder was a prototypical situational hitter in the No. 2 spot in Argyle’s order. Rogers was second on the team in batting average (.462) and was always a safe bet to reach base with a team-high .540 on-base percentage. He scored 28 runs, drove in 22 runs and hit five doubles. He also chipped in on the mound with a 2-0 record and two saves.
Ty Damron
Argyle, 3B, Senior
Notable: Coghlan was a force for opposing pitchers to handle in leading the Eagles’ offense during his senior season. The lanky third baseman led the team with a .471 batting average and a .530 on-base percentage. He also had a team-high 33 RBIs on one home run, 10 doubles and six triples to go along with 12 stolen bases. Hitting fourth in the Argyle order, Coghlan was a force in the running game, as evidenced by his stolen bases and his team-leading 38 runs.
Notable: Isom’s team went 27-9 on the way to the TAPPS 5A championship after the Warriors came within one win from advancing to the state tourney the past three seasons. The Warriors defeated Houston St. Pius X, 6-1, after coming up with four runs in the sixth inning to edge Prestonwood 4-3 in the semifinals. Claiming first place in District 1-5A this season, the Warriors’ consistency has always been on display. But this season’s state title, the second for the school with the previous coming in 2009 when they were in 4A, was highlighted with comeback victories, barn-burners and blowouts. Isom capitalized on his senior-laden squad and put several players in position for career years.