Ledger-Enquirer announces 2019 All-Bi-City Baseball Team, players, coaches of the year
State championships are the most common attribute among the top four honorees on the Ledger-Enquirer’s 2019 All-Bi-City Baseball Team.
The lone exception is the Hitter of the Year, Harris County sophomore Cole Mathis.
Northside has the Pitcher of the Year in senior Colton Joyner and a Co-Coach of the Year in Dee Miller.
The other Co-Coach of the Year is Steve Smith of Calvary Christian.
In 89 at-bats this season as a third baseman and pitcher, Mathis hit .404 with two home runs, 10 doubles, 20 walks and 40 RBI. On the mound, he went 8-2 with one save.
Joyner has signed to play for Columbus State University. In 16 games and 80 1/3 innings pitched this season, including 13 starts, he went 8-3 with a 1.74 ERA, 69 strikeouts and 15 walks. He also batted .340 with a .473 on-base percentage, nine doubles, two home runs and 27 RBI.
Miller, in his fifth year as the Northside program’s head coach, led the Patriots to a 32-8 season and their first state baseball championship in the school’s 17-year history. They swept the Georgia High School Association Class AAAA title with 7-6 and 11-2 wins over Denmark, a first-year program guided by former Northside coach David Smart.
Smith, in his sixth year as the Calvary program’s head coach, led the Knights to a 32-7 season and their second straight Georgia Independent Christian Athletic Association state championship. They swept the Division I-AA final series 10-3 and 15-1 against Johnson Ferry Christian.
Muscogee County School District athletics director Jeff Battles coordinated the selection process on behalf of the L-E. He invited Columbus area principals to have their head coaches submit nominations. Coaches voted on the selections.
2019 All-Bi-City Baseball Team
Hitter of the Year: Harris County sophomore Cole Mathis
Pitcher of the Year: Northside senior Colton Joyner
Co-Coaches of the Year: Dee Miller of Northside and Steve Smith of Calvary Christian
First team: Brookstone — senior Jeremiah Burgess; Calvary Christian — sophomore Nick Morgan; Central – senior Mason Davis, sophomore Tyler Haines and senior Jay Kehoe; Columbus — senior Colby Brabston, senior Austin Hicks and senior Robbie Tillman; Glenwood — senior Bryce Valero; Hardaway — senior Hunter Duke; Harris County — senior Timmy Brooks and senior Daniel Miller; Northside — junior Tray Richburg and junior Mack Williams; Pacelli –senior Peyton McLemore; Russell County — junior Logan Junior, junior Zac Rice and junior Austin Embrey
Second team: Brookstone — Jackson Milliner; Calvary Christian — Jesse Donohoe and Zachary Garcia; Central — Peyton Burton; Columbus — Sean Desrosier and Ben Schorr; Glenwood — Wes Johnson and Bryce Newman; Harris County — Kaden Killingsworth and Ryan O’Steen; Jordan — Bryce Long and Darius Stokes; Northside — Conner O’Neal, Hunter Poe and Clayton Weaver; Pacelli — Kaleb Watson; Russell County — Colton Wombles
Honorable mention: Brookstone — Trey Sanders; Calvary Christian — Peyton Holloway; Central — Bryce Davis and Brayden Pelkey; Columbus — David Livingston; Glenwood — Luke Davis; Hardaway — Ken Butler and Tristan Driver; Harris County — Cole Stanford; Jordan — Ty Bradley and Hunter Jackson; Northside — Walt McConnell and Conner Sizemore; Pacelli — Blake Dugan, Will Vinyard and Hunter Walker; Russell County — Jackson Huguley, Zach Henderson; Shaw — Cameron Dodson; Spencer — Morius Perryman
