Eight Miners earn postseason honors
BAUXITE – The Bauxite Miners had eight Allconference nods after going 12-15 this past season. Five Miners took home 7-4A All-conference honors, while three others earned All-conference Honorable Mention.
Seniors Gary Storment, Hayden Simpson, Cole Nicholas and Rylan Fogleman, and junior Ty Jackson all earned Allconference.
Storment was a two-sport star for the Miners as he was a top-10 Saline County scorer in basketball and was Bauxite’s man behind the plate on the baseball team. Storment batted .312 with 14 RBIS, including 11 two-out RBIS, but it was his defense which stood out.
“Defensive production,” Bauxite Coach Michael Mattox said. “Was known
throughout the conference for his quickness and ability to control the running game.”
Simpson led the Miners at the plate with a .400 average, also leading Bauxite with 20 RBIS. Simpson also “gave us quality starts on the mound,” according to Mattox, with a 3-3 record and 4.41 ERA. He led the Miners with 39.2 innings, striking out 35 vs. 19 walks.
Nicholas was the Miners most effective pitcher on the mound coming away with a 4-0 record and team-leading 1.73 ERA, “one of the lowest in the conference,” said Mattox, and added two saves. Nicholas struck out 23 vs. 18 walks in 28.1 innings, while giving up just 17 hits.
Fogleman provided a little power for the Miners with two home runs, tied for the team lead, and added a .348 average with 12 RBIS.
“Offensive production,” Mattox said of Fogleman’s strength, “especially in pinch-hit roles.
Jackson, who will also play in the Xtra Innings Showcase in Jonesboro this summer, was second on the team with 36.1 innings, almost striking out a batter an inning with 36 vs. 21 walks. He finished 2-5 with a 5.39 ERA. At the plate, Jackson hit .274 with 16 runs, 15 RBIS and three doubles.
“Our ace pitcher on the mound this season,” Mattox said of Jackson. “Ty is known around the conference for his competitiveness.”
Miner sophomores Austin Hillis, Jackson Regan and Jackson Lindsey all earned All-conference Honorable Mention.
Hillis hit .279 with 14 runs, six RBIS, seven stolen bases and two doubles.
“He played third base most of the season,” Mattox said. “That solidified the bottom of the order.”
Regan batted .280 with nine runs and six RBIS, and helped the Miners with his defense in the field.
“Utility guy that played a lot of spots for us,” Mattox said of Regan. “He had the second highest fielding percentage.”
Lindsey had a solid sophomore season batting .279 with 11 runs, 11 RBIS, a team-leading eight doubles and two triples, and added a homer to boot.
“A shortstop with a plus arm,” Mattox said. “Showed he could make “next-level” plays at shortstop.”