Dominant season leads to top awards for Glenwood

It’s rare to see a pair of players as dominant as the ones that led the Glenwood baseball team to an AISA Class 3A state championship this season.

Tyler Cadenhead was a force at the plate and on the mound, and Carson Hicks was so dominant he set a school record for wins in a season en route to earning MVP honors at state.

Cadenhead earned the 2016 Ledger-Enquirer All-Bi-City Player of the Year honors, while Hicks garnered the Pitcher of the Year award.

Their leader, Tim Fanning, earned Coach of the Year honors.

Cadenhead’s success at the plate stands out more than anything else. He hit .485 with 20 doubles, 10 home runs and 58 RBIs. In 176 plate appearances, the senior struck out just four times and hit safely in 45 of the 47 games played.

Not bad.

“He does a great job of seeing the ball,” Fanning said. “You know when he’s up there, he’s going to put the ball in play, and that always gives you a chance to do something.”

On the mound, he was 7-2 with a 1.00 ERA and 79 strikeouts in 56 innings pitched. He will stay in the area for his college ball, having signed with Columbus State.

Cadenhead was strong on the mound, but the real ace of the staff was Hicks. Hicks set a school record for wins with a 13-1 record for the season, a 1.08 ERA and 92 strikeouts in over 71 innings pitched. He was the top player in the state finals as Glenwood topped Autauga for the title.

“His command on the mound was great,” Fanning said. “Our depth of pitching was phenomenal all year, and we knew that coming in.”

It certainly was. In addition to Cadenhead and Hicks, Daniel Holley had a 9-2 record, a 1.66 ERA and over 67 innings pitched. The question for Fanning was how the offense would handle the long season. It was strong early, but, as in any season, there were ups and downs.

“We started hot, hit a lull and then got back to basics down the stretch,” Fanning said. “That meant putting runners in motion, playing some small ball and putting pressure on defensive players.”

The result was obvious. Glenwood went 46-5 on its way to the state championship.

Now, as is the case every year, Fanning has his attention on the future. Cadenhead and Hicks graduate, but Fanning is excited about the number of key players the team will return. Like with most coaches, his job will change just a little bit. This year, it was about pushing his team to a championship level. Next year will be helping them maintain the sense of urgency that got them to the top this year.

This story was originally published June 3, 2016 at 8:40 PM with the headline "Dominant season leads to top awards for Glenwood."