Locals named to All-State Baseball, Softball

By Ashley Hargrove

Athens Bible School had three players garner first-team All-State baseball honors in recent voting, with one other earning honorable mention.

Senior catcher Jordan Pugh joined teammates Jesse Gibson and Connor Brown on the Class 1A first-team All-State team. Pugh, who hit .441, knocked in 34 runs for the Trojans and had six home runs and 30 stolen bases. Brown, who earned honors as a utility player, hit .469, knocking in 53 runs. Gibson was 9-1 with a 2.17 ERA in the 2009 campaign and recorded 51 strikeouts.

A.J. Price, who compiled a 7-2 record with an1.49 ERA for the Trojans, received honorable mention.

In Class 5A, Cade Medley of East Limestone received honorable mention as a utility player. He hit .398 this year with 11 home runs and was 8-2 on the mound with 61 strikeouts.

In Class 3A, Jeremy White of West Limestone received honorable mention as a catcher. He hit .514 with three home runs and scored 24 runs.



Mr. Baseball



Luke Bole of Hartselle High School was selected as the Alabama Sports Writers Association 2009 Mr. Baseball.

The Class 5A Tigers began the season with a big win over defending Class 6A champion Hoover before dropping three of their next four games, including a 16-0 embarrassment to a Mississippi team.

It didn’t take Bole and Hartselle long to turn around the season, winning a record 50 games on the way to the state championship.

Bole was an integral part of the Tigers success both on the mound and at the plate.

“This is such a thrill,” said Bole, who has signed to play with Mississippi State next season. “Looking at the people who got it before, to know that you’re part of that group is a great honor.”

Bole is the Class 5A MVP and Hitter of the Year, and heads the ASWA Super All-State team, which is comprised of the top 10 players in the state.

Bole compiled an 11-4 record on the mound, striking out 111 in 88 2/3 innings and threw two shutouts while allowing 24 earned runs for a 1.89 ERA. Opponents batted only .248 against the hard-throwing left-hander, whose fastball has been clocked at 94 mph.

As good as Bole was on the mound, he was even better at the plate. The senior slugged a state-leading 20 home runs and his 73 RBIs were also among the best in the state. Both totals place Bole among AHSAA single-season leaders in history. Bole batted .412 with a .535 on-base percentage.

Baseball America lists Bole as the state’s 11th best prospect in the upcoming Major League draft with only Cleburne County pitcher C.C. Watson ranked higher among high school players. Bole has a specific money figure in mind before considering moving into the professional ranks. He’s hearing different reports from scouts about when he’ll be taken.



“If it happens in the draft it happens.” Bole said. “It just all depends on what round I get drafted. If it doesn’t happen, I’ll be thrilled to go to Mississippi State.”



All-State Softball





Anna Grace Usery, an Elkmont sophomore, was named to the first team in the All-State Softball team for Class 3A as a first baseman.

Tiffany Adams, an Elkmont freshman, made honorable mention as an outfielder.

In Class 4A, Aarika Boogs, an Ardmore senior, made honorable mention as a pitcher.



Miss Softball



Hillary Phillips of Ider was named Alabama Sports Writers Association 2009 Miss Softball. Right-handed pitcher Phillips is the all-time AHSAA leader in wins, strikeouts, shutouts and no-hitters, and was picked for an elite travel team that played in the 2008 Canada Cup where she pitched against the Olympic champion Japanese.

Phillips compiled a 197-30 career record in 1,298 innings, striking out 2,463 while giving up only 122 earned runs for an 0.66 ERA. She threw 34 no-hitters and 10 perfect games, and posted 94 shutouts in her career.

This season was just as impressive as the senior finished 28-3 with 308 strikeouts in 168 innings and an 0.54 ERA. She threw 10 shutouts, three no-hitters and two perfect games.

Batting leadoff for the Hornets, Jacksonville State signee Phillips hit .385 with 28 runs scored and only eight strikeouts in 117 at-bats.





Dennis Victory of The Birmingham News contributed to this article.

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