A look at The State’s all-area baseball team and Players of the Year from Midlands-area high schools for the 2024 season.

–Player of the Year —

Caden Reeves, Chapin

Player of the Year, reader’s choice (Fan vote)

Brandon Cromer, Lexington

All-Area Baseball Team

–First Team —

Foster Apple, Chapin: Senior pitcher/first baseman hit .308 with two homers and 10 RBIs. On the mound, Apple was 5-1 with a 1.75 ERA, 48 strikeouts in 44 innings. He signed with Stetson and was a North-South All-Star selection.

Cam Atkins, Airport: Senior first baseman/pitcher hit .407 with two homers and 22 RBIs. On the mound, Atkins was 1-1 with three saves and a 0.43 ERA. Atkins was an all-state selection and picked for the North-South All-Star game.

Kade Bell, Camden: Senior shortstop hit .326 with a homer, 18 RBIs and 21 stolen bases. Bell was Region 6-3A Player of Year, all-state selection, picked for the North-South All-Star game and signed with St. Andrews.

Will Burgess, Lexington: The senior hit .358 with 15 RBIs this season. Burgess was an all-state selection, picked for the S.C. Select game and signed with College of Charleston.

Jackson Burton, Lexington: Senior was 10-2 with a 1.96 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 64 innings. Burton was an all-state selection picked for the S.C. Select game and signed with Florence-Darlington Tech.

Jackson Cionek, Lexington: Cionek hit .392 with five homers and 27 RBIs. He was picked for the S.C. Select game. Signed with Florence-Darlington Tech.

Jacob Clark, Mid-Carolina: Senior pitcher was 9-3 with a 1.72 ERA and 77 strikeouts in 57 innings. Clark was Region 2-2A Pitcher of Year, all-state and North-South selection. He signed to play at Newberry.

Brandon Cromer, Lexington: Junior outfielder pitcher hit. 308 with a homer, 27 RBIs and 20 stolen bases. On the mound, Cromer was 9-1 with a 2.78 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 55 innings. He was an all-state selection and committed to South Carolina.

Jabari Flemon, Mid-Carolina: Senior pitcher/infielder hit .355 with five homers, 25 RBIs and 18 stolen bases. On the mound, Flemon was 8-1 with a 2.33 ERA, two saves and 51 strikeouts in 48 innings. The USC Sumter signee was Region 2-2A Player of Year, Class 2A Co-Player of Year, all-state selection and North-South All-Star selection.

Blake Gambrell, Fairfield Central: Senior hit .482 with 25 RBIs and 17 stolen bases. Gambrell was an all-state selection and picked for the North-South All-Star game. He is signed to play at Columbia International.

Maverick Grigsby, Lugoff-Elgin: Junior infielder was Region 5-4A Player of the Year and all-state selection. Grigsby hit .432 with 24 RBIs and stole 10 bases.

Brayden Hallman, Batesburg-Leesville: Sophomore shortstop/pitcher hit .367 with four homers and 32 RBIs. On the mound, Hallman was 9-1 with a 1.08 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 58 innings. He was Region 3-2A Pitcher of Year and all-state selection.

Scott Hardy, Gilbert: Senior pitcher was 4-0 with a 0.79 ERA, one save and 55 strikeouts in 44 innings. Hardy was Region 5-3A Pitcher of Year, all-state selection, picked for the North-South All-Star game and signed with Limestone.

Miller Harrelson, Airport: Senior outfielder/pitcher hit .348 with eight doubles and 23 RBIs. On the mound, Harrelson was 5-1 with a 1.97 ERA, 56 strikeouts in 39 innings and opponents hit .156 against him. He signed with Coker, was Region 4-4A Player of Year, all-state selection and picked for the North-South All-Star game.

Beau Hollins, River Bluff: Senior first baseman hit .442 with four homers and 27 RBIs this season. Hollins was an all-state selection and signed with South Carolina.

Austin Laughlin, Cardinal Newman: Senior pitcher/infielder hit .415 with nine homers, 10 doubles and 28 RBIs. On the mound, he was 7-2 with a save, 1.31 ERA and 91 strikeouts in 54.2 innings. Laughlin signed with Wofford and was SCISA 1-4A Player of Year.

Macon Leppert, Blythewood: Junior catcher hit .305 with three homers and 31 RBIs this season.

Jacob Muir, Dreher: Senior outfielder hit .435 BA with three homers and 19 RBIs. Muir was an all-state selection and picked for the North-South All-Star game.

Jack Painter, Dreher: Senior second baseman hit .432 with four homers and 40 RBIs. Painter was Region 5-3A Player of Year, all-state selection and picked for the North-South All-Star game. He signed with Wofford.

Landon Penfield, Blythewood: Senior hit .338 with a homer and 22 RBIs. Penfield was picked for the S.C. Select game and signed with College of Charleston.

Jake Peterson, Chapin: Senior outfielder/pitcher hit .385 with 23 RBIs. On the mound, he went 5-2 with a 3.10 ERA. Peterson was a North-South All-Star selection and signed with Newberry.

Hunter Phipps, Dutch Fork: Senior pitcher struck out 75, had a 1.49 ERA and batters hit just .180 against him. Phipps was an all-state selection, picked for the S.C. Select All-Star game and signed with College of Charleston.

Brunson Price, Gilbert: Senior outfielder hit .466 with 10 stolen bases. Price was Region 5-3A Player of Year, all-state selection picked for the North-South All-Star game. Price signed with Columbia International.

Caden Reeves, Chapin: Junior catcher hit .400 with nine homers, nine doubles and 35 RBIs. He had a 95% fielding percentage, was Region 4-5A Player of Year and all-state selection. Reeves is committed to play at Troy.

Blaine Redmond, Gray Collegiate: Senior pitcher/outfielder hit. 345 with 16 RBIs. On the mound, Redmond was 9-1 with a 1.08 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 40 innings. He was Region 4-2A Co-Player of Year and Class 2A Co-Player of Year.

Billy Robertson, Lugoff-Elgin: Senior pitcher went 7-0 with a 0.45 ERA and 74 strikeouts in 46.1 innings. Robertson was Region 5-4A Pitcher of Year, all-state and North-South all-star selection. He signed with Maryland-Eastern Shore.

Matthew Rollison, Dutch Fork: Senior pitcher/third baseman hit .298 with six homers and 20 RBIs. On the mound, he won six games, had three saves and a 2.62 ERA. Rollison was picked for the S.C. Select game and signed with Presbyterian.

Miller Stuck, Richard Winn: Senior hit. 444 with five homers, 25 RBIs and 20 stolen bases. On the mound, Stuck was 9-1 with a 0.98 ERA and 101 strikeouts in 57 innings. He was SCISA Region 1-A Player of Year and signed with Columbia International.

Byer Ware, Camden: Senior first baseman/pitcher hit .312 with 16 RBIs. On the mound, Ware was 9-3 with a 1.94 ERA and 88 strikeouts in 68.2 innings. He was Region 6-3A Pitcher of Year, all-state selection and picked for the North-South All-Star game.

Roper Wentzky, AC Flora: Junior hit .388 with 14 RBIs. Wentzky was an all-state selection.

Graham Whittle, Airport: Junior pitcher was 8-1 with a 0.99 ERA and 57 strikeouts in 49.1 innings. Whittle is a Coker commit.

— Second Team–

Justice Ard, Swansea; Charlie Bonds, Richard Winn; Jeb Britt, Cardinal Newman; Rylan Bullis, Brookland-Cayce; Grayson Crim, Northside Christian; Hunter Epps, Airport; Brady Davenport, Mid-Carolina; BJ Etheridge, River Bluff; Tevin Garner, Chapin; Zechariah Haney, Camden; Lincoln Hill, Lexington; Matthew Hornsby, Gray Collegiate; Skiler Jackson, Lugoff-Elgin; Brayden Jeffcoat, Lexington; Landon Jeffcoat, Airport; AJ Jefferson, Lugoff-Elgin; Murray Johnson, Mid-Carolina; Jack Luthren, Ben Lippen; Sam McCutcheon, AC Flora; Noah Mills, Newberry; Alex Myers, Blythewood; Kaden Myers, Mid-Carolina; Tristan Neely, Cardinal Newman; Miller Peele, Dreher; Noah Pegues, Pelion; Jeremy Powell, White Knoll; Cole Price, Batesburg-Leesville; Colby Reynolds, River Bluff; Sid Shaw, Saluda; Dylan Smith, North Central; Christian Spivey, Lexington; Ethan Steward, Richard Winn; Brayden Williams, Saluda

Lou Bezjak: (803) 771-8419, @LouatTheState

Caption:

ED WALKER CHAPIN ATHLETICS PHOTO

Chapin’s Caden Reeves was named The State Newspaper’s 2024 Baseball Player of the Year.