Sardis' Carson Gillilan is the Gadsden Times baseball Player of the Year and headlines the Gadsden Times All-Area baseball team.
There is a first and second team that features four infielders, three outfielders, three pitchers, a catcher and a utility player. The players highlighted are some of the best of the best from the Gadsden area. Westbrook Christian made it to the state title series while Coosa Christian made it to their first semifinal in program history. Sardis made it to the quarterfinals in Class 5A.
Here is the Gadsden Times all area team:
Player of the Year: Carson Gillilan, Sardis
Gillilan was one of the best players on one of the best teams in the area this season. He was the leading hitter on a team that could hit with the best of them holding a .440 batting average. His five home runs and nine doubles propelled him to a .680 slugging percentage and a 1.231 OPS. He brought in 32 RBIs and scored 29 runs.
Coach of the Year: Jerry Windle, Westbrook Christian
The Warriors came into the playoffs ranked eighth in the final ASWA poll after a 16-10 regular season against some of the top teams in the area. Windle rallied his team to make a run to the state title series, leading him to be named the Gadsden Times area coach of the year.
Gadsden Times All-Area baseball team
First Team
C: Dylan Palmer, Ashville
Sophom*ore
Why chosen: Palmer brought in 30 RBIs while scoring 49 runs in 34 games this season. His batting average of .455 led all area catchers while he slugged .643 on the year.
INF: Carson Gillilan, Sardis
Senior
Why chosen: The Gadsden Times Baseball Player of the Year shined consistently for the Lions all season. Gillilan hit .440 while slugging .680 on the year.
INF: Mason McAteer, Collinsville
Freshman
Why chosen: McAteer had the leading batting average for all infielders in the area at .513. He hit seven doubles and five triples with 23 RBIs and 40 runs scored.
INF: Jeb Crane, Cherokee County
Senior
Why chosen: Crane brought in 32 RBIs and 37 runs scored, hitting four homers on the year with 12 doubles. He averaged a .507 batting average with a slugging percentage better than .800.
INF: Glavine Lamberth, Hokes Bluff
Junior
Why chosen: Lamberth hit .505 on the year with four home runs, scoring 38 times for the Eagles.
OF: Cash Hayes, Etowah
Junior
Why chosen: Hayes scored 34 times on the year while hitting .421, leading all outfielders in the area. He hit 10 doubles and stole 27 bases on 30 attempts.
OF: Brady Carden, Westbrook Christian
Sophom*ore
Why chosen: Carden hit .404 on the year bringing in 27 RBIs and scoring 22 times as he helped lead the Warriors to the state title series.
OF: Cayden McMichael, Southside
Sophom*ore
Why chosen: McMichael hit .400 on the year with 34 runs scored and 16 RBIs.
UTL: Blaze Gerhart, Sardis
Senior
Why chosen: Gerhart excelled on the mound, the infield and at the plate. Gerhart brought in 24 RBIs with 33 runs scored. He hit 11 doubles and five home runs while holding a 2.14 ERA with 68 strikeouts on the year.
P: Gavin Lang, Collinsville
Freshman
Why chosen: Lang held an ERA of 0.76 allowing 22 runs on the year. Lang went 9-1 this season.
P: Tyler Pierce, Boaz
Junior
Why chosen: Pierce is a selection for the North-South All-star game after a season where he held a 0.92 ERA. He went 7-2 with a perfect game on the year with 101 strikeouts.
P: Dylan Rainey, Westbrook Christian
Junior
Why chosen: Rainey held a 1.89 ERA and was the Warriors ace as they made it to the state title series. Rainey was also the catcher and hit .355 on the year with 29 RBIs and eight doubles.
Second Team
C: Luke Hollingsworth, Gaston
Junior
Why chosen: Hollingsworth was the best player for the Bulldogs, who got hot at the end of the year. He hit .438 on the year with 13 RBIs.
INF: Brayson Hayes, Hokes Bluff
Senior
Why chosen: Hayes hit .444 on the year with 32 RBIs and 23 runs scored.
INF: Jackson Mayo, West End
Junior
Why chosen: Mayo led the Patriots with a .441 batting average while bringing in 12 RBIs and 20 runs scored.
INF: McClane Mohon, Piedmont
Senior
Why chosen: Mohon brought in 48 RBIs and 36 runs scored, hitting 14 doubles. He averaged a .432 batting average with a slugging percentage more than .600.
INF: Slade St. Clair, Etowah
Senior
Why chosen: St. Clair hit .404 this season with 32 runs scored and 27 RBIs. St. Clair hit 15 doubles, leading the area.
OF: Ethan Williams, Plainview
Senior
Why chosen: Williams hit .402 this season with 45 runs scored and 29 RBIs.
OF: Triston Chaney, West End
Senior
Why chosen: Chaney hit .381 on the year with 22 runs scored.
OF: Landon Carroll, Sardis
Senior
Why chosen: Carroll hit .362 on the year with 26 RBIs and 31 runs scored. He hit 12 doubles and stole 10 bases.
UTL: Drew Layfield, Ashville
Senior
Why chosen: Layfield excelled on the mound, the infield and at the plate. Gerhart brought in 39 RBIs with 63 runs scored. He hit 10 doubles and stole 19 bases while holding a 2.18 ERA with 118 strikeouts on the year, leading the area. He was a major reason the Bulldogs won their first area crown in 20 seasons.
P: Shelby Houston, Southside
Freshman
Why chosen: The freshman shined for the Panthers all year making 13 appearances and holding an 1.89 ERA with 63 strikeouts.
P: Brady Kitchens, Glencoe
Senior
Why chosen: Kitchens was one of the top pitchers in Etowah County all year and came through in big moments for the Yellow Jackets. He averaged 10 strikeouts per seven innings for a total of 84 on the year.
P: Noah White, Plainview
Junior
Why chosen: White held a 1.28 ERA with 91 strikeouts on the year.
Honorable mention
Ashville: Easton Layfield (Fr. UTL); Boaz: Daniel Posey (Jr. C); Coosa Christian: John David Justus (Jr. UTL); Cherokee County: Jackson Aultman (Sr. P), Luke Young (Jr. OF); Etowah: Tray Gaddis (Jr. P); Fort Payne: Brannon Oliver (Jr. OF); Fyffe: Aubrey Baker (Soph. INF), Blake Dobbins (Jr. UTL); Glencoe: Trent Rowell (Sr. INF); Jacksonville: Matthew Salmon (Soph. INF); Plainview: Austin Anderson (Sr. P), Trey Rutledge (Jr. INF); Sardis: Conner Lowery (Sr. P), Levi Martin (Soph. OF), Russ Wiggs (Sr. INF); Southside: Kutter Johnson (Sr. UTL); Susan Moore: Corbin Hamric (Jr. P); Westbrook Christian: Cam Carden (Sr. OF), Brodie Johnson (Soph. INF); West End: Jace Golden (Sr. INF), Rocko Sainsbury (Sr. INF)
This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: The 2024 Gadsden Times All-Area baseball teams
