Derrick Webb, Reporter12:25 a.m. EDT May 11, 2016
CHILLICOTHE - The Scioto Valley Conference unveiled its 2016 spring all-conference teams Tuesday and both Zane Trace's Pierce Mowery and Unioto's Brooke Blevins walked away with the biggest pieces of hardware.
Mowery was named the 2016 Baseball Player of the Year while Blevins took home 2016 Softball Player of the Year honors. Mowery's Pioneers won the league with a mark of 12-2 and posted an overall record of 20-7. Blevins' Shermans also topped the conference at 12-2 while going 19-7 overall.
During his senior year — the first full season of baseball he's played since eighth grade — Mowery hit like a mad man. In 96 official at-bats, the shortstop collected 49 base knocks, hitting .510. He also scored a league-leading 45 runs and stole 18 bases. When called upon, he also saw success on the mound, throwing nine innings and allowing just one earned run; an ERA of 0.78.
Blevins, also a senior, did her damage in the pitcher's circle and at the plate. In the circle, Blevins was 18-5 with a 1.49 ERA. In 164 innings pitched, she struck out 178 hitters while walking just 13. At the plate, she was 33-for-77 on the year, a .429 average. Going alongside those numbers was a total of 14 runs scored, four stolen bases, and a team-high 27 RBIs.
Blevins' head coach Brad Jadwin was adorned with 2016 SVC Coach of the Year honors as Unioto won its first conference title since 2013.
Joining Mowery with first-team baseball selections was teammate Trey Davis, Paint Valley's Anthony McFadden, Adena's Collin Cory and Braden Wilburn, Unioto's Clay Edler and Ryan Sigler, Westfall's Dustin Kaiser and Southeastern's Tanner Popp.
Davis hit .427 with a league-high 42 RBIs while McFadden posted a 0.82 ERA on the hill, going 6-1 and striking out a league-high 78 batters. Cory hit .444 (36-for-81) as the leadoff spot for the Warriors while Wilburn led Adena with a .452 average (33-for-73). Edler was magnificent on the bump, going 7-1 and giving up just eight earned runs in 47 1/3 innings. Sigler was 4-3 on the hill and struck out 46 batters. Kaiser hit .493 for the Mustangs while collecting 34 hits and scoring 24 runs. Popp hit .377 and went 6-5 on the bump, pitching 65 innings for the Panthers.
Second-team baseball selections are as follows: Teagan McFadden (Sr., Paint Valley); Jeremy Brooks (Jr., Zane Trace); Brian Smith (Jr., Huntington); Casey White (Jr., Unioto); Alex Wolff (Sr., Zane Trace); Riley Harris (Sr., Piketon); Justin Dye (Sr., Southeastern); Owen Diehl (Sr., Southeastern); JD Blevins (So., Adena).
Honorable mention baseball selections are as follows: Hayden Henness and Jonathan Thomas (Adena); Devon Byrd and Merfel Conley (Huntington); Skyler Knisley and Drake Stanforth (Paint Valley); Jacob Chester and Ethan Crabtree (Piketon); Rex Hartman and Carson Stauffer (Southeastern); Ryan Burns and Gavin Ogan (Unioto); Tyler Armentrout and Corbin Ferrell (Westfall); Joel Dunkle and Josh George (Zane Trace).
Joining Blevins with first-team softball selections were teammates Jayla Campbell and Jordyn Pierce, Paint Valley's Mikayla Newland, Westfall's Regan Stonerock and Becca Brown, Southeastern's Lexy Cooper, Zane Trace's Katie Unger, and Huntington's Rikki Magill.
Campbell, a freshman, stole 25 bases, had a league-high 27 hits and scored a league-high 38 runs while Pierce hit .360 with three home runs in the heart of the Shermans' order. Newland was dominant in the circle, going 14-6 and striking out 313 batters with a 0.21 ERA. Cooper hit .371 and stole 26 bases for Southeastern while Unger led the league in round-trippers with five alongside 23 RBIs. Magill hit .391 and scored 19 times.
Second-team softball selections are as follows: Lea McFadden (Fr., Paint Valley); D'Lani Swackhammer (Sr., Zane Trace); Emily Robinson (So, Westfall); Cameryn Alexander (Fr., Piketon); Gracie Smith (So., Piketon); Makayla Carroll (Jr., Southeastern); Summer Sigman (So., Unioto); Carly Carroll (Jr., Adena); Kelsie Robinson (Sr., Westfall).
Honorable mention softball selections are as follows: Brooklyn Detty and Devon Putnam (Adena); Kennedy DeBord and Brookelyn Neighbors (Huntington); Savannah Johnson and Madison Smith (Paint Valley); Faith Pack and Erykah Scott (Piketon); Cindellynn Murta and Audrie Wheeler (Southeastern), Payge Arledge and McKenna Jones (Unioto); Makayla Terry and Holley Webb (Westfall); Morgan Arledge and Taylor Stacy (Zane Trace).
dwebb@chillicothegazette.com
Twitter: @dw1509
