The Mount Gilead baseball team went 6-13 on the year, but they had a pair players who stood out this season with postseason awards.
Sophomore Gage Baker put together a strong season on the pitcher’s mound and also anchored the infield at shortstop. This earned him a second team All-KMAC and honorable mention Central District III selection.
He batted .290 with a .394 OBP, while driving in 10 runs and scoring 16 times. He also swiped 13 bags. On the hill Baker went 2-4 but had a 3.61 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 40 and two-thirds innings.
Junior first baseman Cam Vickers was honorable mention All-KMAC and one of the most improved players on the team, according to Coach Mark Kennon.
“Batted in the four spot all season long,” Kennon said. “Played first base for the first time this season and got better every game he played.”
Vickers batted .397 with 10 RBIs, three doubles and a triple with an on base percentage of .444.
The team returns its entire pitching staff, but will need to replace holes left by third baseman Mason Barnum and right fielder Kyle St. Clair graduating. Kennon said everyone else will return with another year of varsity experience, and he hopes that a good offseason and winter workouts will get them ready for next spring.
Kennon was happy with their play despite the losing record, and the team’s persistence to get better as the season wore on. The Indians won five of the last six games, and showed that they had some fight.
“We were finally putting the ball in play and the defense was good,” Kennon said. “We have to start out the way we finished. We graduated eight seniors the year before, so this year was new for quite a few of them.”
