All-South Metro Baseball: Edwards, Smallwood, Gillespie named 1st team

The third annual All-South Metro baseball team is out, recognizing the top players from the Starnes Media coverage area throughout the 2022 high school baseball season.

Riley Quick of Hewitt-Trussville takes home Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year honors, leading the Huskies to a Class 7A state runner-up finish and posting a 13-1 record with a 0.92 earned run average. He is the Pitcher of the Year for the second straight season.

Lucas Steele of Hoover is this year’s Hitter of the Year, after winning Player of the Year honors in 2021. Steele led the area with eight home runs and 45 runs batted in. He hit for a .350 average as well.

Jamie Harris of Vestavia Hills is the Coach of the Year. The Rebels entered the season replacing several of last season’s starters and made an impressive run. They won a tiebreaker game just to get into the playoffs and advanced all the way to the semifinals. 

Player of the Year: Riley Quick, Hewitt-Trussville

Hitter of the Year: Lucas Steele, Hoover

Pitcher of the Year: Riley Quick, Hewitt-Trussville

Coach of the Year: Jamie Harris, Vestavia Hills

1ST TEAM

Pitcher: Riley Quick, Hewitt-Trussville; capped off career with a dominant season on the mound, going 13-1 with a 0.92 ERA for the runners-up.

Pitcher: Baker Green, Hewitt-Trussville; complemented Quick by going 9-2 with a stout 1.32 ERA of his own.

Pitcher: Jack Campbell, Hoover; led the Buccaneers’ pitchers with eight wins and a 1.69 ERA.

Pitcher: Barrett Harper, Vestavia Hills; emerged as one of the Rebels’ top arms, posting a 6-1 record with a 1.31 ERA.

Catcher: Lucas Steele, Hoover; hit for a .350 average with an area-leading eight homers and 45 RBIs.

First base: Trent Wright, Mountain Brook; mashed five homers and drove in 31 runs.

Second base: Kurt Kizer, Hewitt-Trussville; hit .365 and drove in 36 runs for the Huskies.

Third base: Cole Edwards, Spain Park; reached base at a .537 clip, racking up 32 RBIs and 21 stolen bases.

Shortstop: Walker Allen, Mountain Brook; knocked in 22 runs with an average of .344.

Infield: Evan Smallwood, Spain Park; recorded an on-base percentage of .489 and was not caught in 17 stolen base attempts.

Infield: Davis Gillespie, Oak Mountain; last year’s Hitter of the Year tied for the area lead with eight homers.

Outfield: Charlie Berryman, Mountain Brook; sparked the Spartans offense by hitting .368 with 34 RBIs.

Outfield: Brooks McRae, Hewitt-Trussville; knocked in 27 runs and hit .345.

Outfield: Gabe Young, Mountain Brook; hit .389 but also reached base at an impressive .528 clip.

DH: Matt Miller, Hewitt-Trussville; hit six homers and knocked in 31 as the Huskies’ primary catcher.

Utility: Jackson Harris, Vestavia Hills; went 6-1 on the mound and reached base at a .508 clip. 

2ND TEAM

Pitcher: Maddox Macrory, Oak Mountain; went 4-1 with a 1.61 ERA, including a no-hitter.

Pitcher: Kaden Heatherly, Chelsea; posted a 7-1 record with a 1.79 ERA.

Pitcher: Drake Meeks, Briarwood; drew rave reviews this season, winning four games and only a 1.96 ERA.

Pitcher: Tyler Wilson, Hoover; posted seven wins in 59 innings.

Catcher: Taylor Bush, Oak Mountain; hit .361 and racked up 12 doubles on the year.

First base: Reid Gongwer, Chelsea; hit four homers, drove in 27 and drew 17 walks.

Second base: RJ Hamilton, Hoover; swiped 20 bases, drove in 24 runs and drew 26 walks.

Third base: Brady Waugh, Briarwood; hit .464 with a .531 on-base percentage in a brilliant season.

Shortstop: Will Cox, Vestavia Hills; hit .327 and knocked in 20 runs. 

Infield: Josh Harrington, Spain Park; hit .333 and swiped 11 bases for the Jags.

Infield: Charlie Teel, Homewood; managed to hit .387 with 15 RBIs despite battling injury.

Outfield: Aden Malpass, John Carroll; hit a blistering .418 with a .522 on-base percentage.

Outfield: Chris McNeill, Chelsea; hit .319 and stole 29 bases.

Outfield: Jack Ollis, Hewitt-Trussville; hit .327 and knocked in 20 runs.

DH: Pierce Hanna, Vestavia Hills; hit five homers and knocked in 31 runs.

Utility: John Robicheaux, Mountain Brook; hit .337 from the leadoff spot and went 6-1 with a 1.91 ERA.

HONORABLE MENTION

Catcher: Christian Kallaher, Chelsea; DeVante Wells, Pinson Valley

First base: Carter Milliron, Hoover; Noah Bufford, Pinson Valley; Caden Hamby, Pinson Valley; Carson McFadden, John Carroll

Second base: Andrew Hunt, Oak Mountain; Michael Moses, Pinson Valley

Shortstop: Carson Wideman, Hewitt-Trussville; Nick McCord, Oak Mountain

Third base: Ethan Duhon, Hewitt-Trussville; John Paul Head, Vestavia Hills 

Outfield: Brett Moseley, Hewitt-Trussville; Luke McNeill, Hoover; Campbell McFadden, John Carroll; Matthew Heiberger, Oak Mountain; Andrew Batson, Hoover

Pitcher: Jacob Francis, Hewitt-Trussville; Logan Phillips, Hewitt-Trussville; John Robert Thompson, Spain Park; Andrew Floyd, Chelsea; Caleb Shofner, Vestavia Hills; Lucas Thornton, Spain Park; Jack Allison, Mountain Brook; JB Sain, Homewood; Howell Polk, Mountain Brook; Tyler Black, John Carroll; William Gignilliat, John Carroll