Local schools combine for 8 1st team selections

With the decision by the Alabama Sports Writers Association to not publish an all-state baseball team from the truncated 2020 season, we at Starnes Media decided to put together an All-South Metro team from the high school baseball season for the first time. Between Briarwood, Chelsea, Oak Mountain and Spain Park, there were eight first-teamers.

FIRST TEAM

• Pitcher: Edward Berry, Mountain Brook; went a perfect 3-0 with a 1.00 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 28 innings. 
• Pitcher: Reid Gongwer, Chelsea; won all four decisions, struck out 30 in 24 innings and posted a 0.58 ERA.
• Pitcher: Will Heisler, Homewood; went 4-0 with a 0.94 ERA, striking out 30 in 22 ⅓ innings.
• Pitcher: Graham Duncan, Vestavia Hills; went 3-0 with a 1.31 ERA and 1.12 walks plus hits per inning pitched.
• Catcher: Harrison Ware, Mountain Brook; hit for a .347 average with 12 RBIs and 15 runs scored.
• First baseman: Jackson Webster, Chelsea; was a force in the Hornets’ lineup, hitting .436 with a .542 on-base percentage and drove in 10 runs.
• Second baseman: Mitchell Pierce, Oak Mountain; hit for a .389 average with nine RBIs and 12 runs.
• Third baseman: Wesley Helms, Briarwood; led the Lions with a .450 batting average.
• Shortstop: Hudson Boren, Hewitt-Trussville; finished the year on an 11-game hitting streak and hit .414 with 16 runs scored and 11 RBIs.
• Infield: Carson McKinney, Briarwood; the infielder and pitcher went 3-1 with a 1.78 ERA on the mound for the Lions.
• Infield: Carter Sidor, Spain Park; hit for a .463 average with 15 RBIs, 13 runs scored and seven stolen bases.
• Outfield: Colton Ledbetter, Spain Park; led the Jags’ offense with four home runs and 14 RBIs, adding 18 runs and 17 stolen bases while posting a .414 average.
• Outfield: Mason Maners, Vestavia Hills; hit for a .481 average with a .569 on-base percentage to go along with 12 stolen bases.
• Outfield: Jackson Smitherman, Homewood; had a great season for the Patriots, hitting .529 with 18 RBIs and six stolen bases.
• Outfield: Robby Ashford, Hoover; hit .353 with 18 RBIs and 15 runs scored to go along with six stolen bases.
• Utility: Colson Lawrence, Hoover; went 2-1 with 26 strikeouts on the mound, and hit .333 with nine RBIs and 20 runs for the Bucs.
• Utility: Carter Frederick, Chelsea; was 2-1 with a 1.09 ERA and 37 strikeouts as a pitcher, and hit for a .351 average and drove in 13 runs.

SECOND TEAM

• Pitcher: Curt Gann, Mountain Brook; went 4-0 with a 1.93 ERA for the Spartans.
• Pitcher: Jake Rivers, Oak Mountain; posted a 2-0 mark with a 1.61 ERA and 15 strikeouts.
• Pitcher: Eli Mefford, Spain Park; went 4-1 with a 0.94 ERA and 20 strikeouts.
• Pitcher: Connor Ball, Chelsea; went 4-1 with a 2.20 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 28 ⅔ innings.
• Catcher: Davis Young, Hoover; hit .351 with two homers and 12 RBIs.
• First baseman: Cole Sester, Oak Mountain; hit .439 with 11 RBIs, while also going 2-1 on the mound.
• Second baseman: Tyler Mauldin, Hewitt-Trussville; scored nine runs along with posting a 4-0 pitching record and 0.75 ERA, including a no-hitter.
• Third baseman: Davis Gillespie, Oak Mountain; hit .372 with a home runs, three doubles and 11 RBIs.
• Shortstop: Alex Gauld, Mountain Brook; hit .309, driving in 16 runs and scoring 16 runs.
• Infield: JT Weisberg, John Carroll; hit for a .400 average, scoring 12 runs.
• Infield: Brock Payne, Mountain Brook; hit .357, knocking in nine runs and scoring 12.
• Outfield: Will Yarbro, Mountain Brook; drove in 19 runs and scored 14 runs.
• Outfield: Davis White, Mountain Brook; hit .320 with 16 RBIs.
• Outfield: Evan Radford, Hoover; played first base and outfield and helped lead the Bucs to a 12-4 record.
• Outfield: Noah Lessley, Clay-Chalkville; pitched and played outfield, posting a 0.44 ERA in 16 innings.
• Utility: Tyler Waugh, Briarwood; hit .394 with a .522 on-base percentage, driving in 13 runs.
• Utility: Barry White, Pinson Valley; went 3-1 on the mound and drove in eight runs at the plate.

HONORABLE MENTION

• Pitcher: Mitchell Walker, John Carroll; Jaxson Lucas, Spain Park; Porter Phelan, Mountain Brook; Owen Knight, Vestavia Hills; Will Tarpley, Pinson Valley
• Catcher: Hagen Gingras, Pinson Valley; Gavin Ellison, Hewitt-Trussville
• Infield: Lucas Steele, Hoover; Josh Ervin, Clay-Chalkville;
• Outfield: Ricky Zimmerman, John Carroll; Aden Malpass, John Carroll; Harrison Hodges, Mountain Brook; Parker Campbell, Oak Mountain
• Utility: Matt Miller, Hewitt-Trussville; Kobe Lewis, Clay-Chalkville; Kendall Garner, Clay-Chalkville