STAFF REPORT
Bailey Ward did pretty much everything for the Woodland baseball team during his senior season, and he was rewarded for it with a trio of selections on the all-Region 7-AAAAA team selected by the league’s coaches.
Ward earned second-team recognition as both a pitcher and a designated hitter, while also garnering honorable-mention selection as a catcher.
Offensively, he paced the Wildcats with a .321 batting average and a .433 on-base percentage. His 26 hits led Woodland, as did his 12 walks. On the mound, Ward struck out 38 batters in 39 2/3 innings.
The Wildcats added second-team infielder Dallas Adams and five more honorable-mention choices — pitchers Koby Stansel and Peyton Posey, infielders Marco Haro and Scotty Smith, and outfielder Toby Queen.
Adams reached base at a .411 clip — second-highest on the team among those with double-digit games played. His .389 average and .463 OBP in region games were both far and away Woodland’s best marks.
As a pitcher, Stansel had a team-high three wins. But the senior had arguably a greater impact at the plate, where his 15 RBIs and 15 runs scored ranked first and second, respectively, for the Wildcats.
A sophomore, Posey proved to be Woodland’s most consistent pitcher on the season. He had a 3.46 ERA in eight games (five starts), while producing a near 3:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Haro paced the team in home runs and runs scored with three and 16, respectively. His .397 slugging percentage was second on the team.
Like Adams, Smith performed at his best against region foes. During those 16 games, he led the team in RBIs with 10 and slashed .333/.388/.533.
Queen ranked in the top five for Woodland in hits (16) and runs scored (14).
Joining the pack of Wildcats on the all-region team were four selections from Cass. Matt Shook landed among the first-team infielders; Bryson Markley (outfielder) and Jordan Gani (utility) each were second-team choices; and Logan Nelson was honorable mention as a catcher.
Shook led the Colonels in hits (28), doubles (8) and runs scored (21). The sophomore’s dozen RBIs ranked second, and he added a healthy .337/.429/.458 triple-slash line.
Markley had the highest OPS on the team at .898. His four triples marked half of Cass’ total, and his 13 RBIs led the Colonels.
Gani had a .313 batting average with an on-base percentage of .421.
Nelson’s ability to get on base was almost unparalleled. His .447 OBP, buoyed by totaling 24 walks to 16 strikeouts, easily led Cass.
Adairsville had three seniors — Landon Ayers, B.J. Roper and Trace Still — named to the all-Region 6-AAA team, which was also announced recently.
Ayers served as the Tigers’ primary catcher, while hitting .306 with a .403 OBP. He also drove in 10 runs, which was the second-highest total on the team.
Roper patrolled center field for Adairsville. At the plate, he racked up 23 hits and 15 walks to the tune of a .343 average and .476 OBP. His nine steals led the team, and his 15 runs scored were tied for the lead.
Still paced Adairsville in most offensive categories, including hits (27), doubles (7), RBIs (16). He hit the team’s only home run this season and slashed .391/.455/.536 on the year.
