Armstrong, Floyd lead county’s stacked group
It was a packed season of incredible moments from start to finish for local baseball teams this past spring that included a little bit of everything from region championships to deep playoff runs to impressive individual achievements and so much more.
The Rome News-tribune honors the best in local high school baseball with the naming of the All-county Team that showcases the top impact players from each squad that reside within the Floyd County lines.
Model’s Jace Armstrong and Darlington’s Logan Floyd headline the picks as Co-players of the Year after serving as key contributors to their teams’ success, whether on the mound, in the batter’s box or defensively in the infield.
Along with that pair, Pepperell’s Layton Sanford and Model’s Chance Minshew are the other top honorees for their work on the mound as Co-pitchers of the Year.
Below is the full list of honors, including information on the award-winners, as well as first team, honorable mention and a new addition to this year’s team, gold glove defenders.
Co-player of the Year Jace Armstrong Model, SS/P, Sr.
Armstrong was as consistent as it gets
whether he was taking the mound for the Devils or playing shortstop. As a pitcher he was Model’s ace with a 9-1 record and 1.07 ERA to go with 74 strikeouts and just 12 walks in 58 2/3 innings of work. The Shorter signee was equally as
impactful as a hitter with a .400 average to go with three homers, 11 doubles, 33 RBIS and 32 runs scored while drawing 25 walks and boasting an OPS of 1.139.
Co-player of the Year Logan Floyd Darlington, 3B/P, Sr.
Floyd came through in clutch moments as often as any player in the area with that being nowhere more evident than during the Tigers’ postseason run to the Class A Division I final four. Overall this season, the Carson-newman signee batted .496 with an incredible 56 total hits, including 13 doubles, three triples and seven homers, to go with 63 RBIS, 28 runs scored and 18 walks. He only struck out four times total in 2023. He was also Darlington’s top pitcher with an 11-4 record and 2.44 ERA in 86 innings of work while striking out 92 batters and tossing eight complete games.
Co-pitcher of the Year Chance Minshew Model, Jr.
Minshew took the next step this season and became an extremely reliable starter for the Devils. The junior finished with a record of 8-2 in 11 appearances (nine starts) and had an ERA of 1.82 with 70 strikeouts and 14 walks in 50 innings of work. He contributed at the plate also with four doubles, five triples and 17 RBIS.
Co-pitcher of the Year Layton Sanford Pepperell, Jr.
Sanford provided big starts in big spots throughout the season for the region-champion Dragons as he compiled a 7-3 record with a 1.84 ERA in 57 innings of work. The junior only allowed 15 earned runs all season and had 62 strikeouts. While his top role was as a pitcher, he also had 27 hits, including nine doubles, to go with 15 RBIS and 26 runs scored at the plate.
First Team Thomas Bethel Darlington, SS, Sr.
Bethel was an ideal leadoff hitter for the Tigers’ lineup with a .405 average and 45 total hits, including 10 doubles and three triples. He drove in 28 runs and scored another 45 while drawing 25 walks and stealing six bases. The senior and Berry signee was solid at shortstop as well with a .928 fielding percentage.
Trent Cantrell Coosa, 2B/DH, Sr.
Despite offseason elbow surgery, Cantrell had a huge offensive season for the Eagles with a team-leading .427 batting average and 32 total hits. Among those hits were nine doubles, three triples and two homers, and the senior drove in 19 runs. He also led the team with 16 stolen bases and played solid second base defensively as the season went on and
his injury rehab allowed. Slade Clevenger Darlington, OF, Sr.
Clevenger had a strong close to his high school career with a stellar senior season. He was almost spotless in center field defensively, using his speed to track down a ton of outs and not making a single error. At the plate he hit .377 with 46 total hits, including four doubles and two triples, to go with 18 RBIS and 41 runs scored.
Cooper Dean Model, Util., Soph.
Dean took a big jump in his second high school season as he batted .368 with seven doubles, two triples, two homers and 28 RBIS while also scoring 26 runs. He was a player the Devils had to get in the lineup, whether he was playing second base or outfield. He also did solid work as a pitcher when needed with a 2-1 record, 2.70 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 23 1/3 innings.
Chandler Desanto Armuchee, SS, Sr.
Desanto was the table-setter at the top of the lineup for the Indians with a .321 average in the leadoff spot. He contributed 34 total hits, including eight doubles and one triple, had 18 RBIS and scored 29 runs. His speed also came in handy on the basepaths as he led the team with 15 stolen bases while also providing a solid glove and great range defensively at shortstop.
Gavin East Coosa, P/1B, Sr.
East served as Coosa’s top pitcher with a 5-1 record and 2.10 ERA in 50 innings of work. He struck out 40 batters and opponents hit just .230 against him. At the plate he was second on the team with 29 total hits, including five doubles and three triples, to go with seven RBIS and 12 stolen bases.
Josh Ellard Rome, C/P, Sr.
Ellard led the Wolves in RBIS with 21 and had six doubles and an average of .288. The senior catcher was steady defensively and did a solid job of handling Rome’s deep group of pitchers. He also saw time on the mound himself and had an ERA of 0.984 in 21 innings with 21 strikeouts.
Ryan Ely Pepperell, OF, Sr.
Ely won region offensive player of the year following a special season at the plate in which he batted .415 with 39 total hits, including 10 doubles. He scored 34 runs and drove in 27 while striking out just eight times all season. The senior also made an impact on the mound with a 6-2 record and one save to go with a 2.74 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 46 innings pitched.
Hunter Godfrey Pepperell, C, Soph.
Godfrey was a middle-of-the-lineup threat for the Dragons and didn’t get a ton of cheap hits throughout the season because when he made contact it was usually hit hard somewhere. The sophomore finished with a .312 average that included nine doubles and 32 RBIS and was solid defensively at catcher with 12 runners thrown out trying to steal and two pick-offs during his 176 innings caught.
Reece Grodeman Model, 3B/SS, Fr.
Grodeman played beyond his years during his freshman season for the region-champion Devils as one of the team’s best hitters and a plus-defender at shortstop or third base. He finished with a .348 average and tied for the team lead with 33 RBIS while having seven doubles, two triples, two homers and scoring 28 runs.
JP Kilgo Pepperell, DH/IF, Soph.
Kilgo was a big bat many opponents tried to pitch around this season, but the sophomore still led the team with a .444 average. He totaled 44 hits, including nine doubles and three home runs while driving in a team-leading 47 runs and scoring 29 while playing first base and third base defensively and serving as designated hitter routinely as well.
Bagley Larry Darlington, 1B, Jr.
Larry became a force in the middle of the Tigers’ lineup as the season went on as he drove in 37 runs, which was good for the second highest total on the team. The junior batted .327 with eight doubles and a homer while also drawing 17 walks and played solid defense at first base.
Brant Pace Model, OF, Sr.
Pace set the tone at the top of the lineup and tracked down a lot of outs while roaming center field. The senior was an ideal leadoff hitter for Model with a .383 average, .536 on-base percentage and 1.153 OPS while racking up seven doubles, six triples, one homer and 23 RBIS. He scored a team-leading 42 runs and drew 20 walks.
Jack Rogers Armuchee, P, Sr.
The lefty Rogers dazzled on the mound as a senior with a 6-3 record and 1.55 ERA as he made several crucial starts during Armuchee’s run to a postseason berth. In 54 innings of work this season, the Chattanooga State signee struck out 90 batters, issued just 19 walks and gave up only 12 earned runs.
Talan Shirey Darlington, 2B, Jr.
Shirey tied for second on the team with a .405 batting average as he became a steady hitter in the middle of the lineup this season for the Tigers. The junior had an OPS of 1.105 and tallied nine doubles, two triples and one homer to go with 22 RBIS, 28 runs scored and seven stolen bases. He also used his speed and range to play a stellar defensive second base.
Drake Swiger Model, C, Sr.
Swiger moved into the catcher role and handled the Model pitching staff extremely well while also providing a lot of pop in the middle of the lineup. The senior batted .293 and tied for the team lead with 33 RBIS while smacking nine doubles and one homer. He found a way on base routinely as he drew eight walks and was hit by a pitch 10 times.
Bryson Thacker Rome, P, Sr.
Despite facing some ridiculouslystacked lineups in the gauntlet that is Region 6-AAAAAA, Thacker still finished with a 1.46 ERA and a 3-5 record during his senior season. The Tennessee signee struck out 77 batters in 43 innings and issued only 23 walks. He also had the top batting average for the Wolves with a .358 mark at the plate.
Gold Glove Defenders Pitcher/infielder Jace Armstrong, Model, Sr.
Armstrong was a defensive wiz with his instincts, range and strong arm while playing shortstop and was an extra infielder that fielded his position almost perfectly when he was on the mound.
Outfielder Reece Fountain, Rome, Jr.
Fountain covered a lot of ground in center field for the Wolves and led the team in fly-ball put-outs as he used his strong defensive fundamentals and instinctual first step to get to several off the bat that would’ve been hits against a lot of other outfielders.
Catcher Skyler Thurston, Armuchee, Sr.
Thurston served as a brick wall behind the plate, rarely letting any pitches high, inside, outside or in the dirt get by him this past season. He also used his strong arm to gun down 12 potential base-stealers.
Honorable Mention Armuchee:
Ethan Campbell (P, Sr.), Luke Lively (OF, Soph.), Blake Mathis (1B, Sr.), Blaine Ragland (Util., Soph.)
Coosa: Hayden Mcburnett (3B/2B, Sr.), Pacey Smith (Util., Jr.), Ryan Smith (C, Sr.)
Darlington: Ashton Albers (OF, Jr.), Josh Butler (P, Soph.), Briant Powell (C, Sr.), Hill Shropshire (P/util., Sr.)
Model: Frank Curry (P, Sr.), Hudson Latimer (1B, Soph.), Dillon Silver (Util. Sr.)
Pepperell: Kaleb Davis (SS, Soph.), Cade Middleton (P, Soph.)
Rome: Reece Fountain (OF, Jr.), Braxton Wade (P, Jr.)