PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Emerson Hancock, Cairo

Hancock, who also won Player of the Year last year, followed up his stellar junior season with an even better one. The Georgia commit was dominant almost every time he took the mound, with an 11-1 record, a microscopic 0.75 ERA and 125 strikeouts in 65 innings pitched. He played very well against the better teams in Region 1-4A, throwing shutouts against Northside-Columbus, Hardaway and Columbus. In a rivalry matchup against Thomas County Central, he struck out 15 batters. 

Pitcher honorable mention: Keyton Smith, Thomas County Central

Smith’s regular season was cut short due to a surgery, but when he did play, he was the kind of ace Central could rely on. His nine-inning performance against Veterans on March 3 set the stage for an extra-inning 2-1 win against the then-No. 1 team in the state. He had a 1.29 ERA with 36 strikeouts over 54.1 innings this season.

COACH OF THE YEAR: Erik McDougald, Thomasville

No seniors, no problem. Not only did McDougald lead the Bulldogs to their first region championship since 2003, but Thomasville made it a round further than last year. His team was built on the backbone of its offense, which averaged 7.7 runs per game. That, combined with solid defense and good-enough pitching led to Thomasville’s run to the Elite Eight. The Bulldogs won 12 games in a row down the stretch before falling to Elbert County in that round.

CATCHER: Harrison Stewart, Thomasville

Stewart made some history, hitting 10 triples to break a single-season state record set by Vidalia infielder Doug Roper in 1995. With a .380 average, 27 RBIs, 5 doubles and a home run to go with that, he was a key offensive weapon. However, he also came up with some heads-up defensive plays from behind the plate, including an unconventional 2-6-2-5 double play against Dade County in the playoffs.

The first of his triples was a walk-off knock that came in the home opener against Upson-Lee, which ended a six-run seventh — and a comeback 9-8 win.

Honorable mention: Kaleb Carter, Thomas County Central 

Carter was a solid hitter with some pop in the middle of Central’s order, with a .299 average, five doubles and two home runs. His biggest moment of the year came on April 7 against Veterans, when he hit a walk-off single to cap off a dramatic 10-9 comeback win. That victory kept the Yellow Jackets in the drivers’ seat for the region title until the last day of the regular season.

FIRST BASE: Buck Bennett, Thomasville

Bennett did pretty well as a pitcher for the Bulldogs, but he served them even better in the middle of the batting order. He hit .354 with 10 doubles, one triple, two home runs and was second on the team in RBIs with 36.

SECOND BASE: Drew Leverette, Cairo

Leverette’s numbers weren’t as gaudy as they were last year, but that didn’t mean his impact wasn’t felt. He hit .305 with six doubles and 26 RBIs, and led the Syrupmakers in base hits (29), runs scored (35) and walks (23).

SHORTSTOP: JT Rice, Thomasville

Rice’s offensive stats certainly jump out: An area-leading .410 batting average with 12 doubles, three home runs and a team-leading 37 RBIs. But what also makes Rice stand out was his performance in rivalry games. He hit a monster home run in a five-RBI night against Cairo, and set the tone for the Bulldogs’ 10-4 win over Thomas County Central with a leadoff home run on the game’s first pitch.

THIRD BASE: Doug Smith, Thomas County Central

Smith was a pitcher behind Keyton Smith in the rotation, but where he really shined was at the plate against a pretty tough schedule. The senior led his team in almost every offensive stat, hitting .367 with three home runs, eight doubles, 25 RBIs and a .556 slugging percentage.

Honorable mention: Hayden Donalson, Thomasville

Donalson had a little bit of a drop-off from his sophomore season at the plate, but he was still a crucial part of what the Bulldogs did with both his bat and his glove with a .382 average, 21 RBIs and a team-leading 46 runs scored.

OUTFIELD: Parker Zolt, Thomasville

Thomasville’s right fielder was another part of his team’s effective meat of the order, averaging .370 with five doubles, four triples, two home runs and 32 RBIs. He had some memorable hits over the year, including a crucial seventh-inning double that went though a baseball-sized gap in the fence in the dramatic home opener against Upson-Lee. In the playoffs against East Laurens, he hit a home run to help assure the Bulldogs a spot in the second round.

OUTFIELD: Spence Cooper, Cairo

Cooper was an asset in center field and in the batter’s box for the Syrupmakers. He completed the putout on all 24 of his total chances as a fielder, committing no errors. At the plate, he hit .358 with three doubles, two triples, 22 RBIs and 24 runs scored. He was great at getting on base, leading Cairo starters with a .564 on-base percentage and tying for second on the team with 22 walks.

OUTFIELD: Nick Herndon, Thomas County Central

Herndon was a first-team all-region center fielder and was the leadoff man for the Yellow Jackets. He hit .290 with seven doubles, two triples and two home runs. He also led Central in runs scored with 21 and was second on the team in hits with 29.

DESIGNATED HITTER: Jimmy Cipriani, Thomasville

Cipriani split outfield and designated hitter duties, and was mostly the latter as the year came to a close. The sophomore hit .387 with seven doubles, 1 triple and 17 RBIs.