The State’s best: Meet the 2022 all-area high school baseball team
A look at The State’s all-area baseball team from Midlands-area high schools for the 2022 season.
▪ Cory Arthur, P/1B, Ben Lippen: Senior was 8-2 with 1.16 ERA in helping the Falcons to an appearance in the SCISA Class 3A championship game. Signed with Anderson.
▪ Zac Cowan, INF/P, Blythewood: Senior was all-state selection and Class 5A Player of the Year in helping Bengals to school-record 30 victories. Had a .374 batting average, 10 doubles, six home runs, 41 RBIs and 17 stolen bases. Also 2-0 pitching with 1.40 ERA and six saves. Signed with Wofford.
▪ BJ Etheridge, P, Brookland-Cayce: Junior all-state selection was 9-2 with a 1.57 ERA and 77 strikeouts in 57.1 innings. At the plate, he hit .324 with 24 RBIs.
▪ John Allen Forrester, P, Airport: All-state and S.C. Select all-star selection was 6-2 with 1.07 ERA with 80 strikeouts in 65.1 innings. He also hit .396 with six homers and 24 RBIs. Signed with Newberry.
▪ Nathan Hall, INF, Lexington: All-state and S.C. Select All-Star selection hit .443 with 11 homers and 36 RBIs this season. Signed with Clemson.
▪ Parker Hocutt, INF, Cardinal Newman: Senior North-South selection hit .465 with 40 hits, a homer and 15 stolen bases.
▪ Beau Hollins INF/P, River Bluff: Sophomore all-state selection and Region 5-5A Player of Year hit. 351 with six homers and 36 RBIs. Was 8-2 with a 1.87 ERA and 67 strikeouts in 52.1 innings this season. Committed to play at South Carolina.
▪ Todd Hudson, OF/P, River Bluff: Senior all-state and S.C. Select all-star selection hit .412 with seven homers and 35 RBIs. On the mound, he was 7-0 with a 2.16 ERA. Signed with Liberty.
▪ Shane Keup, P. Dreher: All-state and S.C. Select All-Star selection was 9-3 with a 1.30 ERA, 107 strikeouts in 70 innings pitched. At the plate, he hit .398 with 19 RBIs. Signed with Winthrop.
▪ Skylar King, P/OF, Brookland-Cayce: All-state and S.C. Select all-star selection hit .451 with six homers, 31 RBIs and 16 stolen bases. On the mound, he was 7-2 with 53 strikeouts in 43 innings. Signed to play at West Virginia.
▪ Michael Lindler, C, Mid-Carolina: Junior all-state selection hit .392 with five homers, 33 RBIs and 11 doubles.
▪ Matthew Lively, OF, Chapin: Senior North-South selection hit .328 with four homers, 10 doubles and 28 RBIs.
▪ Grant Loggins, P/INF, AC Flora: Junior all-state selection was 7-0 with a 2.02 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 45 innings. At the plate, he drove in eight runs.
▪ Cole Long, P, Lexington: Senior and S.C. Select all-star selection was 7-0 with a 2.44 ERA and 68 strikeouts in 54.1 innings. At the plate, he hit .389 with four homers and 27 RBIs. Signed with North Greenville.
▪ Walker Mitchell, INF, River Bluff: Junior all-state selection hit .366 with five homers and 22 RBIs this season. Committed to play at Coastal Carolina.
▪ Blake Morrison, Airport: Senior and North-South game selection was 7-0 with 1.45 ERA, two saves and 57 strikeouts in 53 innings. Signed with Newberry.
▪ Alex Nevils, C/DH, Blythewood: All-state and S.C. Select selection hit .410 with five homers and 18 RBIs after missing the beginning of the season after two hip replacement surgeries. Signed with Wofford.
▪ John Rollings, INF, Blythewood: Junior all-state selection hit .433 with 10 doubles and 29 RBIs.
▪ Kevin Samonsky, Dutch Fork: Junior all-state selection hit .452 with 17 RBIs. On the mound, he was 2-0 with three saves and 1.40 ERA.
▪ Jake Sears, INF/C, AC Flora: Senior all-state and North-South selection hit .435 with two HR and 22 RBIs this season for the Falcons. Signed with North Greenville.
▪ Peyton Starkey, INF/P, Gray Collegiate: All-state and North-South all-star selection hit .398 with nine doubles and 23 RBIs. On the mound, he was 9-1 with a 1.42 ERA, 61 strikeouts in 49 innings. Signed to play at Francis Marion.
▪ Kevin Steelman, P/OF, Blythewood: Senior SC All-Star selection was 9-0 with 2.00 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 40.1 innings pitched. At the plate, he hit .349 with seven homers and 23 RBIs. Signed with College of Charleston.
▪ Brent Stukes, INF/P, Gray Collegiate: Junior all-state selection was 5-2 with a 1.23 ERA and 108 strikeouts in 74 innings pitched. At the plate, he hit .329 with a homer and 21 RBIs.
▪ Tucker Toman, INF/P, Hammond: Hit .487 with 7 homers and 27 RBIs and .887 slugging percentage. On the mound, he was 1-1 with four saves in seven appearances. MLB Pipeline ranks Toman as the 42nd best prospect for the 2022 Major League Draft. Signed with LSU.
▪ Davis Wright, P, Blythewood: Senior all-state and North-South selection became the school’s all-time career wins leader this year. In 2022, he was 7-1 with 1.54 ERA, 68 strikeouts in 45.1 innings pitched. Signed with Spartanburg Methodist.
——Player of the Year——
Tucker Toman, Hammond
——Player of the Year, reader’s choice (Fan vote)——
John Allen Forrester, Airport
Honorable Mention
Jack Austin, Ben Lippen; Cade Bouknight, Batesburg-Leesville; Cooper Burkett, Gilbert; Max Branham, Lugoff-Elgin; Zander Buchan, AC Flora; Zach Cowart, River Bluff; Phillips Daniels, AC Flora; Cannon Dorsey, Hammond; Braden Fournel, Lexington; Caleb Gipson, Dreher; Matthew Haffner, Cardinal Newman; Gabe Herold, Lexington; JP Hornick, Chapin; Clark Hubbard, Dutch Fork; Austin Lancaster, Richard Winn; Stephen Lang-Splitter, Blythewood; Austin Laughlin, Cardinal Newman; Reece Marcum, Lexington; Caleb McCants, Blythewood; Ty Marshall, Brookland-Cayce; Blake Martin, Dutch Fork; Jace Martin, Mid-Carolina; Parker Mergo, Brookland-Cayce; Banks Munn, Lugoff-Elgin; Jaiden Myers, Pelion; Blake Palyok, Airport; Noah Pegues, Pelion; Thomas Powell, River Bluff; Caden Reeves, Chapin; Dylan Richardson, Hammond; Julian Scott, Irmo; Savion Smith, Gray Collegiate; Mason Turner, Brookland-Cayce; Gray Wells, Chapin; Stephen West, AC Flora; Jack Weston, Hammond; Jake Whitener, Ben Lippen; Rob Wilson, Richard Winn; James Wilson, Spring Valley; Corbin Wright, Airport; Bentley Yeatts, Hammond
This story was originally published June 7, 2022 at 5:10 PM.
