Editor’s Note: The All-County team is chosen with stats provided to The Advocate & Democrat as well as experiences in coverage and coaches recommendations
In a new season that saw new districts be built, Sweetwater found its way back to the Class 2A state tournament while Sequoyah and Tellico were tasked with competing in difficult District 3-2A and District 5-3A.
Kai Correll was essential to Sweetwater’s success in all phases, earning him the Player of the Year honor.
The talented senior batted .390, pitched with a 2.43 ERA and earned a .945 fielding percentage.
Correll’s 53 hits were the third most in the county as were his 17 extra-base hits the third most. Correll batted .390 with a .526 on-base percentage and a .551 slugging number. He found 14 doubles with 39 RBIs — a tied county high — and stole 20 bases.
On the mound, Correll tossed 67.2 innings with 54 strikeouts and 24 earned runs. He finished his campaign with a 2.43 ERA.
Defensively, Correll notched 52 putouts and one double play. With only three errors, Correll worked his way to a .945 fielding percentage.
As Sweetwater’s Tuesday arm, Caleb Powell delivered in several high-pressure games and earned the Pitcher of the Year honor. The senior tossed 61.2 innings and earned the county’s best ERA at 1.59. He escaped jams, leaving a total 53 runners on and struck out 44 batters while allowing 49 hits and 14 earned runs.
Powell also batted .296 with a .420 on-base percentage and 32 hits. He earned 19 RBIs and stole 10 bases across the season.
Defensively, Powell found 55 putouts and notched a .933 fielding percentage.
With expectations surrounding Sweetwater, Travis Watson did not waiver nor did his team. The Wildcats won 32 games this season, including the regular season and district tournament crowns — an improvement from last season — to help Watson earn Coach of the Year honors.
With three freshmen contributing regularly, Watson scheduled a slew of games to have the trio prepared for varsity-level competition by April, a key move in continuing the program’s success.
Ryan Hall batted .325 for the Chiefs. With a .462 on-base percentage and a .413 slugging stat, Hall was key for Sequoyah.
He finished with 26 hits, 18 RBIs and 14 runs scored while striking out only six times.
Hall led Sequoyah with 36 strikeouts through 51.1 innings. The junior allowed 70 hits and notched a 4.36 ERA.
In the field, Hall was a part of five double plays and earned a .936 fielding percentage to go with his 63 putouts.
Leading Sweetwater with 56 hits, a .438 batting average, a .534 on-base percentage, a .680 slugging percentage, 22 extra-base hits, 16 doubles and three home runs Blaine Watson and his bat were massive in Sweetwater’s success.
He also added 38 RBIs and 42 runs scored to go with 33 stolen bases.
On the mound, Watson pitched 27.1 innings with 11 earned runs and a 2.82 ERA. He struck out 27 batters. Defensively, Watson found 80 putouts and an .870 fielding percentage.
Tucker Lorenz wraps up a tremendous group of seniors in Sweetwater. Lorenz batted .385 with 55 hits, 14 doubles and 39 RBIs — a shared county best — and scored 42 times.
On the mound, he pitched 23.2 innings with 10 earned runs, 17 strikeouts and seven walks.
One of the best defensive players in East Tennessee and a leader in Sweetwater’s scheme, Lorenz found 147 putouts and was a part of 11 double plays. The shortstop was charged with only four errors, earning a .974 fielding percentage.
The ace in Tellico Plains was once again Peyton Dodson. The senior struck out 48 batters and allowed 27 earned runs in his 35.1 innings. He finished with 45 runners left on and a 5.35 ERA.
At the plate, Dodson led Tellico with 13 hits, one home run and 11 runs scored. He also created 33 putouts going along with one double play.
Sweetwater had several pitchers available to deliver when asked, but the constant was Cade Houser behind the plate. Houser caught 247.2 innings with 12 passed balls and 15 runners caught stealing.
He also was charged with nine errors and 209 putouts. He earned a .959 fielding percentage.
Houser batted .326 with 44 hits, seven doubles, 39 RBIs and 30 runs scored. He stole 28 bases.
Bryson Burgess established himself as a solid pitcher in Sweetwater. The freshman tossed 40 innings, allowing 39 hits and 18 earned runs while striking out 36 batters. He notched a 3.15 ERA and tossed a no-hitter in Sweetwater’s Region 2-2A semifinal win over CSAS.
At mainly second base, Burgess totaled 87 putouts and nine double plays.
He also hit with a .304 average and 35 hits. He also added 22 RBIs and 28 runs scored. Burgess also stole 12 bases.
Sweetwater’s relief expert Jayden Richesin continued with his strong career as a junior. He tossed 47.1 innings with 12 earned runs, 22 strikeouts and a 2.25 ERA. Richesin finished with 29 runners left on base and nine walks.
In the field, he found 70 putouts and three double plays. At the plate, Richesin batted .295 with a .434 on-base percentage and 36 hits. He found 25 RBIs and scored 29 times.
Nolan Dacus excelled as a freshman DH. The Wildcat batted .324 with a .473 on-base percentage and a .360 slugging number. He totaled 36 hits, two doubles and one triple to go with his 26 RBIs and 31 runs scored.
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