Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
Hoover’s Mason Blasche (15) pitches during game one of a second-round Class 7A playoff series against James Clemens at Hoover High School on Thursday, May 2, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
The Alabama Sports Writers Association has released its 2024 all-state baseball team, recognizing some of the top performers from this spring.
Many of those high school baseball players hail from local schools.
Hoover’s Mason Blasche made the Class 7A first team as a utility player. At the plate, Blasche hit .398 with a .513 OBP, hitting five homers. As a pitcher, he struck out nearly a batter an inning and went 5-2 with a 2.43 ERA, including a pair of saves.
Three players from Hewitt-Trussville made the first team. Dylan Lewkutz was the ace of the staff for the Huskies this year, posting a record of 7-2 with a 1.68 earned run average. He struck out 60 batters in 70 2/3 innings of work.
Steele Hall, a Tennessee commit, was a first-team infielder. He sparked the Huskies offense with a .331 batting average and .448 on-base percentage. He drove in 23 runs and stole 31 bases on the year as well.
Brett Moseley was on the first team as an outfielder. He was the stat leader in many categories for Hewitt. He posted a .404 average and .516 OBP, knocking in 34 runs and swiping 31 bases.
Hewitt-Trussville’s Christian Helmers made the second team as a pitcher. He was tremendous for the Huskies, going 7-2 with a 1.26 ERA for the year.
John Paul Head of Vestavia Hills made the second team as a utility player, spending time behind the plate and at third base. He hit .359 in addition to an impressive .500 OBP.
Oak Mountain pitcher Bryson Morman, Chelsea’s Chase Lackey (utility) and Hewitt-Trussville’s Cam Simpson (designated hitter) were named honorable mention.
Morman had a stellar season for the Eagles, striking out 64 batters over 51 1/3 innings. He went 6-2 with a 1.23 ERA and at one time threw 25 consecutive scoreless innings.
Lackey hit .337 with 33 hits and Simpson hit .340 with 27 runs batted in.
In Class 6A, Caleb Barnett and John Robicheaux of Mountain Brook earned first-team honors. Barnett made the team as a pitcher, but contributed heavily hitting and pitching. Barnett got on base at a .567 clip, hitting eight homers and driving in 32 runs. As a pitcher, he was a perfect 7-0 with a 1.04 ERA, striking out 10.9 batters per seven innings.
Robicheaux made the team as an outfielder, but also contributed as a pitcher. On the mound, he was 7-3 with an impressive strikeout rate as well, punching out 9.2 batters per seven innings. He hit .427 with 33 runs driven in.
Jake Souders of Briarwood was on the first team as a utility player. As a third baseman and a pitcher, he hit .408 with 20 RBIs, and won six games for the Lions.
Mountain Brook’s Kenneth Diddell was selected as a second-team pitcher. He posted a 1.33 ERA and racked up 11 saves.
Homewood’s Jack Ross found his way on the second team as well, posting an impressive 8-2 mark with a 1.88 ERA.
James Graphos of Mountain Brook made the team as a utility. The infielder hit .372 with 45 hits and 33 stolen bases on the year.
