About Barrow journal. (Winder, Ga.) 2008-2016 | View Entire Issue (June 22, 2016)
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2016 BARROW JOURNAL PAGE 3B 2016 MainStreet Newspapers All-Area Baseball Team 2016 All-Area Plaver of the Year Pat DeMarco, Winder-Barrow, CF, Jr. DeMarco batted .450 with 44 hits, 47 RBI and 49 runs scored. He hit 14 homers, 14 doubles and 2 triples on the season. Helped lead Diamond Doggs to the Class AAAAA Elite Eight, Region 8-AAAAA runner-up. Coach Brian Smith said: "Pat made an immediate impact on our team. He has a great ability to adjust very quickly to each pitcher he sees." RIGHT AT HOME AT WINDER-BARROW HIGH SCHOOL Pat DeMarco transferred to Winder-Barrow High School from New York but made an immediate impact on the Diamond Doggs baseball program, nearly setting a school record for most home runs in a sea son this spring. DeMarco led WBHS to the Elite Eight in 2016 and will return for his senior season year. Photo by Jessica Brown Dylan Patrick, Banks Co., Sr., P-2B Patrick posted a 6-5 record on the mound with a 2.38 ERA. He fanned 56 batters in 64 innings. He batted .208 and notched 5 RBI in 2016. He was an All- Region 7-AAA selection and signed an athletic scholarship withToccoa Falls College. Zone Millwood, Banks Co., Jr., SS-C Millwood batted .275 with 13 RBI and 10 runs scored. He hit 2 home runs and stole 10 bases in 2016. Walker Rogers, Banks Co., Jr., OF Rogers batted .283 with 3 RBI and 18 runs scored. He also stole 11 bases in 2016. Brady Stewart, Bethlehem Chr., Sr., SS-P Stewart batted .417 with 42 hits, 22 RBI and 27 runs scored. He hit 5 home runs and stole 8 bases. On the mound, Stewart posted a .721 ERA with 18 strike outs in 19 innings pitched. Comment: Stewart, the Knights' lead-off batter, was called a "tre mendous hitter with great hands, and a quick bat through the ball." Ryan Whiting, Bethlehem Chr., Sr., C Whiting batted .364 with 24 hits and 15 RBI. He hit 2 homers and posted a .500 on-base per centage in 2016. Whiting will play baseball at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College next year. Comment: Coaches reported Whiting as having an excellent year batting clean-up for the Knights. He was a "workhorse" behind the plate, lining up as catcher for 140-plus innings. Brad Toxen, Bethlehem Chr., Jr., 1B-OF Toxen batted .357 with 34 hits, 18 RBI and 20 runs scored. He hit 4 homers and posted a .461 on-base percentage. Comment: Coaches called Toxen an "outstanding player who can line up anywhere on the field." Jacob Parker, Bethlehem Chr., Sr., P-1B Parker batted .300 with 23 hits, 13 RBI, 14 runs scored and 3 home runs. He posted a 3.24 ERA and struck out 67 batters in 39 innings. He will play at Georgia Southern next year. Comment: Coaches believe Parker's positive attitude and outstanding potential will lead to success at the college level. Drew Hulsey, Commerce, Sr., C Hulsey batted .416 with 16 RBI and 4 home runs. Comment: Hulsey was a four- year starter for the Tigers and a Region 8-A first team selection. Matthew Flint, Commerce, Jr.,lB-OF Flint batted .325 with 18 RBI and 1 homer. Comment: Flint was an All- Region 8-A first team selection. Jonathan Ray, Commerce, Sr., P Ray struck out 42 batters in 51 innings and posted a 5-3 record. Comment: Ray was an All- Region 8-A first team selection. Coaches called Ray "clutch," especially late in the 2016 season. Trey Parr, Commerce, Sr., 3B Parr batted .347 with 18 RBI and 2 homers. Comment: Parr was an All- Region 8-A first team selection. Tanner Hamby, East Jackson, Sr., 1B-OF Hamby hit .417 with 10 RBI and 19 runs scored. He had a .533 on-base percentage. Comment: Hamby had a .889 contact percentage and only struck out eight times in 90 at bats. Austin Thomas, East Jackson, Jr., OF/P Thomas hit .306 with 14 RBI and one home run. Comment: Thomas was named the most-improved player on the Eagles'roster. He was capable of hitting for power or accuracy, and only made two errors all season. Zone Corley, Jackson Co., Jr., P Corley tallied a 1.32 ERA and an 8-3 record with 2 saves. He struck out 51 batters in 53 innings and allowed an average .189 on-base percentage. Comment: Corley gave up only two runs in the last two years of region play. He earned 2 wins over Oconee Co., shut out Jefferson and pitched a complete three-hitter against Morgan Co. to clinch a playoff berth. Joel Ellis, Jackson Co., Sr., IB Ellis batted .390 with three homers and 27 RBI. He scored 13 runs and racked up a .467 on-base percentage. Ellis signed with Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. Comment: Coaches said Ellis got better and better as the season progressed. After a slow start, Ellis hit .408 in region play and .448 in the playoffs. Chris Griggs, Jackson Co., Jr., SS-2B-P Griggs posted a 4-3 record on the mound with a 3.85 ERA. He had 1 save and 39 strike outs in 40 innings. Griggs batted .291 with 21 RBI and 3 homers. He stole 6 bases and posted a .927 fielding percentage. Comment: Coaches were forced to minimize Griggs' time on the mound because he was one of the Panthers' best options in the infield. Tyler Sartain, Jackson Co., Sr., 3B Sartain batted .306 with 14 RBI and 16 runs scored. He stole 3 bases and had a .900 fielding percentage. Comment: Sartain was praised for his work at the plate in what coaches called "the toughest spot to hit in the line-up." Sartain hit .353 in region play and had a 16-game hitting streak. Taylor Wilkes, Jefferson, Sr., P-OF Wilkes hit .385, including 9 doubles. He stole 15 bases and had a .500 on-base percentage. He went 6-2 as a pitcher and posted a 1.47 ERA.. Wilkes struck out 11 batters. He signed with Kennesaw State University. Comment: Wilkes was the Dragons' lead-off batter and according to coaches, a "dom inant force on the mound." Asher Standridge, Jefferson, Sr., P Standridge went 7-1 as a pitcher. He posted a 1.83 ERA and struck out 61 batters in 2016. He signed with North Georgia College. Comment: Coaches called Standridge a"bulldog on the mound," citing his hyper competitiveness. Josh Hutch, Jefferson, Sr., P-OF Hutch hit .351 with 22 RBI and 18 runs scored. He went 5-2 as a pitcher with a 2.33 ERA and 46 strike outs. Comment: Hutch was a clutch hitter and Jefferson's team leader in RBI. Zack Boobas, Jefferson, Sr., C Boobas batted .364 with 18 RBI and a .467 on-base percentage. Comment: Coaches cited Boobas as Jefferson's best clutch hitter. Boobas had a strong offen sive season despite being inten tionally walked on a regular basis. Golston Gillespie, Madison Co., Jr., C Gillespie batted .356 with 26 hits, 6 home runs and 22 RBI. He posted a slugging percentage of .726 and an on-base percentage of .570. Comment: Gillespie was named Madison County's MVP and co-best defensive player. Ethan South, Madison Co., Sr., OF South batted .375 with 36 hits, 16 RBI and 36 runs scored. He had an on-base percentage of .504. Comment: Coaches boasted about South's speed and ability to get on base as a lead-off hitter. He was Madison County's co-defen sive player of the year, and earned the best hitter and best hustle awards. He was a team captain. Dylan Gentry, Madison Co. Jr., P-OF Gentry went 6-2 as a pitcher with a 0.77 ERA. He struck out 93 batters in 64 innings. He batted .330 with 33 hits and 16 RBI. Comment: Received Madison County's best pitcher award. Wyatt Wood, Madison Co., Sr., P-SS Wood went 8-3 as a pitcher with 1 save and a 2.31 ERA. He struck out 82 batters in 69 innings. Comment: Praised for his stellar play in the infield, as well as on the mound. Beau Hanna, Winder-Barrow, Jr., C Hanna batted .380 with 42 hits, 39 RBI and 38 runs scored. He hit 7 homers, 10 doubles and 3 triples. Will Hardigree, Winder-Barrow, Jr., P-SS Hardigree racked up 8 wins from the mound with a 1.92 ERA. He struck out 49 batters in 58 innings. Casey Thurmond, Winder-Barrow, Sr., P-1 B Thurmond earned 8 wins with a 3.04 ERA. He struck out 43 batters in 64 innings. • • • Coach of the Year: Tommy Fountain, Jackson County High School In his final year with Jackson County, Fountain guided the Panthers to a pro- gram-best Final Four finish and a school-record 20 wins. Jackson County, which had to win its regular season finale just to qualify for the Class AAA state tournament, went on a tear in the postseason as a No. 3 seed. The Panthers rallied from a game-one loss in each of their four playoff series to force a game three. In the semifinals, the Panthers took a game against nationally-ranked Blessed Trinity (handing that program its first loss to a team within Georgia since 2015) before being eliminated by the Titans. Buy Like A Local. 4 Counties, 4 Zip Codes... Baseball continued from IB The team has been playing doubleheaders during the middle of the week. “We are doing well,’' Smith said. “We have two weeks left in our summer work with eight more games. Our young pitching has been a focus.” The team will take a break once the Georgia High School Association imposed “dead week” arrives in early July. Players will begin weight training toward the end of July as the new school year begins Aug. 1.
