Baseball victors get spoils

 This is an example of the victors indeed getting the spoils.

Of the six local players who recently were selected to the N.C. Baseball Coaches Association all-state team, each provided huge contributions to help their teams to successful seasons.

Topsail and Dixon, two of this area's better clubs, each placed three on the 1-A team as selected by the state coaches.

Senior Thomas Jones and juniors Brock Jaeger and Dan Redinger represented the Pirates while junior Chris Huie, sophomore Patrick Batchelor and freshman Rookie Davis made it from the Bulldogs.

And while each individual had brilliant enough seasons to garner an all-state spot, it was their ability to propel their squads to new heights that may also have assisted in their selections.

Jones, Jaeger and Redinger spearheaded Topsail into a fine postseason run, which ended with the Pirates finishing second in the NCHSAA 1-A playoffs. Topsail just happened to run out of gas to Cherryville in the state championship series, dropping both contests in the best-of-three set.

Still, the defeat can't overshadow an overall playoff performance from the Hampstead-based team. The Pirates advanced as the Coastal Plains 1-A Conference's second seed by claiming a handful of road games.

Meanwhile, Huie, Batchelor and Davis were key figures in the Bulldogs' historic season that saw Dixon seize its first Coastal Plains Conference crown since 1995 and just the program's third league title since 1977.

Great seasons

Yes, each of these six provided plenty of influences to lift their sides and their numbers spoke for themselves.

Jones, a right-hander, went 8-3 on the mound with 133 strikeouts and an ERA of 0.95, yielding just 10 earned runs the entire season. He also batted .359 with 26 RBIs.

Jones has stymied his opponents each time I have seen him and I remember particularly a pitching dual with Davis in which the future North Carolina-Willington Seahawk struck out 17 and allowed just two hits in a complete-game effort in April's meeting in the Touchstone Energy Baseball Classic in Richlands.

The Pirates went on to win 4-1.

Jaeger, a third baseman, hit .409 with 33 RBIs. He also had a standout outing on the mound in Richlands, striking out 15 and carrying a no-hitter into the seventh inning against Northside. Redinger, a shortstop and catcher, batted .371 with 33 runs and offers a leadership type of presence inside the dugout, much like he does while quarterbacking the Pirates' football team.

Conversely, Dixon's talented trio was just as good.

Huie hit .493 with 38 RBIs, including an area-leading nine home runs. He also emerged as a leader, showcasing he is a true coach on the field while providing a strong influence at catcher. And while Huie has more experience, being young didn't seem to bother Batchelor and Davis.

In just his second year, Batchelor, a pitcher and shortstop, batted .493 with 36 RBIs, and went 7-5 with a 2.62 ERA. Batchelor is athletic enough to play any position, much like Davis, who predominantly played third base and contributed in ways that I have never seen from a freshman baseball player.

Davis hit .493 with 30 RBIs and was a solid infielder. Expect his talents to continue to progress as well as his name recognition.

Until then, Davis and his all-state comrades can enjoy their selections to the 1-A all-state team given to them for their individual performances as well as their influences on their clubs.

And having this much talent is a spoiler for any coach.