9 Lions earn all-district baseball honors
By Sam Waller
The Albany Lions had almost their entire starting lineup earn recognition on the All-District 8-2A baseball team after a season that ended in the regional finals.
Nine Albany players received honors, including six superlative or first-team selections.
“We had four on the first team,” Lions coach David Fairchild said. “I think we were well represented in our district.”
The Lions finished 21-6 overall and 10-2 in district, placing second behind Anson.
Cooper Fairchild, one of two seniors on the Albany roster, was named Offensive MVP. He batted .466 with a team-leading 41 hits. He had five doubles, a home run, and 22 RBIs. He scored 31 runs and stole 16 bases.
“Cooper did a great job all year long putting the ball in play,” David Fairchild said. “He only struck out three times over the whole year (in 105 plate appearances). More importantly, he did a great job out in center field running down fly balls.”
Sophomore Cole Read shared Newcomer of the Year honors with Stamford freshman Kaston Vega. Read emerged as a solid second starting pitcher for the Lions, going 8-1 with a 3.14 ERA. He recorded 53 strikeouts with 25 walks in 58 innings pitched over 19 appearances, including 10 starts. At the plate, Read batted .297 with seven doubles, a triple, and 22 RBIs.
“It was a big year for Cole, coming in and being the No. 2 pitcher and playing shortstop, third, wherever I needed him,” David Fairchild said. “He had a good sophomore year.”
Cole Chapman was a first-team pick as a pitcher after going 10-2 with a save and a 3.38 ERA. In 18 appearance (12 starts), he worked 60 innings, recording 79 strikeouts against 38 walks.
Also Albany’s cleanup hitter, Chapman batted .289 with four doubles, two triples, a home run, and 18 RBIs. He scored 25 runs and stole 22 bases.
Sophomores Cason Fairchild and Zane Waggoner were selected as corner infielders on the first team with junior Coy Lefevre chosen as a middle infielder.
Waggoner, Albany’s first baseman, led the team in several offensive categories, including batting average (.494), on-base percentage (.602), slugging percentage (.864), doubles (11), homers (5), extra-base hits (18), RBIs (37), runs scored (32), and walks (21). He also stole seven bases.
Cason Fairchild, the regular third baseman, batted .320 with three doubles and 17 RBIs. He scored 29 runs and led the team in reaching base on hit by pitch five times.
Lefevre, who spent most of the year batting leadoff, hit .275 with two triples and 15 RBIs. He scored 30 runs and stole 17 bases.
Senior Luke Ivy was a second-team selection as an outfielder. He batted .234 with 18 RBIs and scored 16 runs. He led the Lions with five sacrifice bunts.
Receiving honorable mention were sophomores Tyler Chapman and Bryson Herring.
Tyler Chapman was used mostly as a designated hitter batting for Herring, who earned the starting spot at catcher.
Chapman batted .277 with two doubles, a triple, a home run and 15 RBIs. He scored 16 runs.
Herring batted .220 in 15 games with two doubles, a triple, and nine RBIs. He threw out 13 baserunners at catcher.
ALL-DISTRICT 8-2A
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER – Nick Miller, junior, Anson.
OFFENSIVE MVP – Cooper Fairchild, senior, Albany.
DEFENSIVE MVP – Blake Vinson, senior, Anson.
NEWCOMERS OF THE YEAR – Kaston Vega, freshman, Stamford; Cole Read, sophomore, Albany.
PITCHER OF THE YEAR – Trevor Miller, senior, Anson.
CATCHERS OF THE YEAR – Tyler Wilburn, sophomore, Anson; Brandon Hellyer, sophomore, Cisco.
COACH OF THE YEAR – Scotty Nichols, Anson.
FIRST TEAM
Pitcher – Cole Chapman, junior, Albany; Caden Moreno, freshman, Stamford.
Corner Infield – Max Hagler, senior, Anson; Mason Hagler, senior, Anson; Carson Fairchild, sophomore, Albany; Zane Waggoner, sophomore, Albany.
Middle Infield – Dylan Pyle, senior, Anson; Coy Lefevre, junior, Albany; Dylan Faulks, senior, Stamford; Christian Duran, freshman, Stamford; Devin White, senior, Cisco.
Outfield – Riley Pippin, senior, Anson; Kason O’Shields, junior, Hawley; Marquise Johnson, junior, Haskell.
Designated Hitter – Riley Elrod, senior, Anson.
Utility – Will Scott, junior, Hawley.
SECOND TEAM
Pitcher – Westyn Balch, sophomore, Hawley; Kanon Orsagh, sophomore, Cisco; Dawson Hearne, senior, Cisco.
Catcher – Dominic Vega, junior, Stamford.
Corner Infield – Colton Holton, junior, Cisco.
Middle Infield – Jake McKinney, junior, Hawley; Cole Thompson, sophomore, Cisco; Carter Rankin, sophomore, Haskell; Jerm Silvas, senior, Haskell.
Outfield – Stryker Dillard, freshman, Anson; Luke Ivy, senior, Albany; Hayden Henagar, junior, Stamford; Pablo Gutierrez, sophomore, Stamford; Cory Mathis, junior, Haskell.
Utility – Brad Newton, sophomore, Hawley.
HONORABLE MENTION
Anson – Asher Jobe, junior.
Albany – Tyler Chapman, sophomore; Bryson Herring, sophomore.
Stamford – Johnny Ward, senior.
Hawley – Marc Salas, junior; Creed Ernst, sophomore.
Cisco – Cade Gayle, junior; Parker Williams, freshman; Trey Brackeen, junior.
Haskell – Nate Roewe, sophomore; Eli Peacock, junior; Colby West, junior; Jermyah Abila, junior.
