Panther baseball should have plenty of talent returning next spring.
After Franklin won nine of their last 11 games to earn a state playoff berth this spring, Mountain Seven coaches met for their annual postseason meeting. There they selected three Panthers to the All-Conference team and three Honorable Mentions, including four underclassmen and no seniors.
Brock Bradley
Franklin’s everyday first baseman and a power hitter at the plate, Brock Bradley earned his first-ever All-Conference nod this spring.
On offense the junior was a true heart-of-the-order hitter, finishing fourth on the team in hits (19) and RBIs (12). Among Panthers with more than 50 plate appearances he finished third in slugging percentage (.397), while his .302 average ranked fifth. He also tied for fourth on the team with six stolen bases. At Smoky Mountain April 1, he belted one of Franklin’s five home runs this spring, helping spark the team’s red-hot second half of the season.
On defense he was one of the team’s surest gloves at first base, recording 32 putouts and two double plays in 37 total chances.
“To kind of move up and be the five-hole hitter through the last part of our season – kind of the meat of the conference and our harder games – what he did, stepping up, and the numbers he put up in conference play were a little bit shocking to me,” said head coach Jared Greenwood. “I knew he was helping us in the field and I could see it, but I did not know his numbers were that good, so it was really awesome to be able to go in there and throw those numbers out at a conference meeting. For him to get selected for that, I couldn’t have been more happy for him, because he really worked his butt off.”
Will Rauers
With a Sports Illustrated N.C. Player of the Week, an Asheville Citizen Times WNC Player of the Year, and an All-State nod from the N.C. Baseball Coaches’ Association, Will Rauers turned in one of the program’s greatest seasons in recent memory.
At the plate he led the team far and away in RBIs (30) and home runs (3), and finished second in hits (28) and runs scored (22). Among players with more than 50 plate appearances, he led the team in on base-plus-slugging (1.164) and finished second in average (.412). Once on the basepath the sophomore harassed opposing pitchers, finishing second team-wide with 14 steals.
On the mound he led the team far and away with a miniscule earned runs average (0.91), allowing just six hits and five runs while racking up 18 strikeouts and a save in 15 and one-third innings pitched, often in critical high-stress situations. When not on the mound he was also one of the team’s best infielders, posting 49 putouts, five assists and three double plays in 62 chances.
“The thing about Will is, he’s got really high expectations for himself, which is great in a player,” said Greenwood. “He worked extremely hard last offseason to get to where he was this year, and the crazy part is he’s coming back for two more years and finally got his arm healthy. … I’d have to go back and ask about some of those years – maybe the three [Tim] Hawkins years – they had some good ballplayers with Blake Gibson and Tyler Harrison and Tye Chastain, but I don’t know the last time a sophomore was selected for All-State. That’s a really big accomplishment and honor for him, so super-proud of him for what he did this year as a sophomore.
Anderson Terrell
An Honorable Mention as a freshman and First Team honoree as a sophomore, Anderson Terrell should be a force for years to come.
At the plate Terrell joined Rauers as one half of Franklin’s dynamic offensive duo, leading the team in runs scored (27), hits (34) and extra-base hits (11). Among Panthers with more than 50 plate appearances he led the team in average (.447), and finished second in on base-plus-slugging (1.151) and RBIs (16). Once on the basepath he was a threat to score from anywhere, leading the team with 17 stolen bags.
In the field he spent most of his time at third base, posting 35 putouts and six assists in 49 total chances. Occasionally he was also pressed into service on the mound, racking up 15 strikeouts in 12 and two-thirds innings.
“A.T. is a baseball dude – I know he plays other sports, but he’s a baseball dude – and with his mentality, the way he approaches the game, I’ll just be honest, I expected it,” said Greenwood. “He’s the guy that’s going to be in your lineup every day, he’s going to show up every day, he’s really good at third base, and when he’s healthy he’s a competitor on the mound. He threw some really good innings early before his arm got a little tendinitis. … I think if he would have stayed healthy and his pitching numbers would have been where they probably could have been, I think he’s another All-State selection this year.”
Addix Sutton/Paxton Sutton/Caden Mason
In addition to their All-Conference teammates, three more Panthers earned Honorable Mentions, including Addix Sutton, Paxton Sutton and Caden Mason.
One of the team’s most reliable players on offense and defense, Addix Sutton served as one of the team’s unquestioned leaders. Among players with more than 50 plate appearances, the junior led the team in on-base percentage (.513), and also finished third in both average (.333) and runs scored (20). He finished fourth in stolen bases (6) and hits (19), including nine RBIs and three doubles, and earned a whopping 21 free bases (eight walks and 13 hit-by-pitches) to just seven strikeouts. Playing mostly in center field he was also one of the team’s surest gloves, committing just two errors in 39 total chances.
A freshman starting the bulk of Franklin’s games, Paxton Sutton showed off a readymade skillset this spring. Among players with at least 50 plate appearances (he posted 50 exactly), he led the team in both average (.476) and on-base percentage (.520), and finished third in hits (20) over teammates with dozens more at-bats. Once balls were put in play Sutton played with reckless abandon, often crashing into outfield walls or sliding into bases full bore. Playing mostly in left field, he committed just one error all season, and also tied for fourth with six stolen bags.
Franklin’s top-of-the-rotation pitcher as a sophomore, Caden Mason played a key role for the Panthers this year. Leading the team far and away in innings pitched (46 and one-third) the underclassmen was a true workhorse, posting the team’s second-lowest earned runs average (5.14). He posted a 2-1 win-loss record over 12 appearances, dealing 29 strikeouts to 59 hits, 48 runs and 31 walks.
“If you look at their numbers in-conference, they were really good,” said Greenwood of the Honorable Mention trio. “Addix had a really good year this year compared to a sophomore slump last year, if you want to call it that. And then Paxton was playing out of his mind – I think if he stays healthy, his numbers probably make it a very hard decision on the three All-Conference. He hit .470-something through most of the season, and he was hurt. And then Caden Mason threw the ball well; he just ran out of juice towards the end of the year a little bit, which was not his fault. We used him a lot, and we had to use him a lot. And then you go back and you look at all that and you’re like, ‘Wow, they all get to come back and do this again?’ That’s what’s pretty special.”