Pitchers top all-area baseball squad

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Pitchers top all-area baseball squad

From sports staff reports

Baytown Sun

Published July 27, 2008

MVP -- Brett Marshall, Sterling

Offensive player of the year -- Hunter Cervenka, Sterling

Defensive player of the year -- Ross Hales, Barbers Hill

Newcomer of the year -- Reed Seeley, Lee

First team

P – Hunter Silva, Barbers Hill

P – Kendall Thamm, Barbers Hill

C – Jake Ponder, Barbers Hill

1B – Jimmy Mott, Sterling

2B – Jesse Luna, Lee

SS – Derek Brooks, Sterling

3B – Frank Rangell, Crosby

OF – Michael Mahan, Lee

OF – Trevor Swint, Sterling

OF – Corti Wilson, BCA

Util – Ronnie Newell, Crosby

Second team

P – Jorge Heraud, BCA

P – Keagan Kogut, Sterling

C – Kevin Peters, Sterling

1B – Alex Rocha, Barbers Hill

2B – Cody Clifton, Barbers Hill

SS – Tony Carmona, Barbers Hill

3B – Chance Smith, Sterling

OF – John Sherry, Sterling

OF – Chris Bertram, BCA

OF — Heath Padgett, Barbers Hill

Util – Cade Ramirez, Crosby

Editor’s note: This is the fifth in a series of all-area teams chosen by The Baytown Sun sports staff for the 2008 spring semester sports.

Selectors in District 21-5A undoubtedly had a tough time picking a most valuable player for this past baseball season. It was even tougher for The Baytown Sun.

21-5A champion Sterling, which advanced all the way to the regional semifinal round of the Class 5A playoffs, had two excellent choices in Brett Marshall and Hunter Cervenka. They were two players drafted by the pros for their pitching, and they could hit, too.

Ditto for Barbers Hill’s Ross Hales, the MVP of District 21-4A.

So, in selecting The Baytown Sun’s 2008 all-area team, the sports staff followed the 21-5A coaches in selecting Marshall our team’s overall MVP.

Cervenka, who slugged 13 homers for the Rangers this spring, is our pick as offensive player of the year. Hales, whose coach called the best-fielding first baseman he’d ever coached – a position he excelled at when not pitching – is the defensive player of the year.

Topped by those three, the all-area first team could take on all comers and expect to come out on top.

Reed Seeley, a freshman who started the season as a question mark and ended it as Lee’s ace, is the newcomer of the year.

Barbers Hill’s “other pitchers,†Hunter Silva and Kendall Thamm, were first-team picks at that position, just as they were on their all-district team.

Their catcher, Jake Ponder, completes the battery.

Sterling’s Jimmy Mott and Derek Brooks earned first-team infield positions, at first base and shortstop, respectively, and Lee’s Jesse Luna is the second baseman. Frank Rangell of Crosby is at third base.

The outfield includes Sterling’s Trevor Swint, Michael Mahan of Lee and Baytown Christian’s Corti Wilson.

Ronnie Newell of Crosby completes the first team as utility player.

Pitchers Jorge Heraud of BCA and Keagan Kogut of Sterling lead off the second team.

Catcher Kevin Peters, third baseman Chance Smith and outfielder John Sherry also represent the Rangers on the second team.

Barbers Hill players on the second team include first baseman Alex Rocha, second baseman Cody Clifton, shortstop Tony Carmona and outfielder Heath Padgett.

BCA’s Chris Bertram rounds out the outfield and Crosby’s Cade Ramirez is the utility player.