PIKEVILLE – Two of eastern Kentucky’s dominant high school baseball programs are front and center when it comes to Mountain Top Sports’ All-Area Baseball Teams.
Johnson Central and Lawrence County combined to land 14 players, including nine Golden Eagles, on the two elite squads.
Leading the way is Golden Eagle infielder and pitcher Ryley Preece. He hit .463 with 56 hits, including six home runs, five triples and 15 doubles while driving in 37 runs. Preece was 6-1 on the mound with one save and finished with an earned run average of 1.29.
Preece has been honored by being named Mountain Top Sports’ Player of the Year.
First-team pitchers included Johnson Central senior Andrew Music and freshman Connor Lemaster, Lawrence County junior C.J. Fairchild and freshman Bryce Blevins.
Johnson Central junior Chayce Meade was catcher, along with Paintsville senior Matt Baldwin.
In addition to Preece, infielders included Lawrence County junior Jackson Feltner, Johnson Central senior Blake Delong, Belfry junior Sean Cochran, Sheldon Clark eighth-grader Will Lafferty and Pike Central senior Jonathan Potter.
The outfield is made up of Paintsville sophomore Jake Hyden, Pikeville junior Jackson Hensley, Lawrence County senior Lucas Maynard and Shelby Valley junior Gabriel Brown.
Utility players were Johnson Central junior Hunter McCloud, Belfry sophomore Brett Coleman, Shelby Valley senior Jackson Lockhart-Wierwille and Pike Central junior D’Sean Prinkleton.
Lawrence County head Coach Travis Feltner was tabbed Coach of the Year after leading the Bulldogs to the 15th Region championship and a region-best 35-6 record. His team finished 19-0 in regional games and 8-0 in district matchups.
Sheldon Clark senior Parker Jarrell was named captain of the second team.
Here is a look at the 2019 Mountain Top Sports All-Area Baseball Teams:
Coach of the Year: Travis Feltner, Lawrence County
Player of the Year: Ryley Preece, Jr., Johnson Central
FIRST TEAM
P – Connor Lemaster, Fr., Johnson Central
P – Bryce Blevins, Fr., Lawrence County
P – Andrew Music, Sr., Johnson Central
P – C.J. Fairchild, Jr., Lawrence County
C – Chayce Meade, Jr., Johnson Central
C – Matt Baldwin, Sr., Paintsville
INF – Ryley Preece, Jr., Johnson Central (Capt.)
INF – Jackson Feltner, Jr., Lawrence County
INF – Blake Delong, Sr., Johnson Central
INF – Sean Cochran, Jr., Belfry
INF – Will Lafferty, 8th, Sheldon Clark
INF – Jonathan Potter, Sr., Pike Central
OUT – Jake Hyden, So., Paintsville
OUT – Jackson Hensley, Jr., Pikeville
OUT – Lucas Maynard, Sr., Lawrence County
OUT – Gabriel Brown, Jr., Shelby Valley
UTIL – Hunter McCloud, Jr., Johnson Central
UTIL – Brett Coleman, So., Belfry
UTIL – Jackson Lockhart-Wierwille, Sr., Shelby Valley
UTIL – D’Sean Prinkleton, Jr., Pike Central
SECOND TEAM
P – Jacob Fletcher, So., Lawrence County
P – Avery Browning, Sr., Belfry
P – Parker Jarrell, Sr., Sheldon Clark (Capt.)
P – Grayson Harris, Jr., Pikeville
C – Logan Conley, Sr., Floyd Central
C – Logan Billiter, Sr., Shelby Valley
INF – Braxton Ratliff, Sr., Paintsville
INF – Jon Fitch, Sr., Sheldon Clark
INF – Nate Brown, Jr., Pikeville
INF – Jonathan Potter, Sr., Pike Central
INF – Ryan Sartin-Slone, So., Johnson Central
INF – Gregory Kincer, Sr., Letcher Central
OUT – Zach Bentley, Sr., Betsy Layne
OUT – Cody Rice, Jr., Johnson Central
OUT – Brayden Slone, So., Prestonsburg
OUT – Trevor Hardin, Sr., Letcher Central
UTIL – Dawson Jude, Jr., Sheldon Clark
UTIL – Grant Davis, Sr., Johnson Central
UTIL – Kaleb Taylor, Jr., Belfry
UTIL – Brayden Hamilton, Jr., Floyd Central
UTIL – Samuel Brown, Fr., Shelby Valley
SPECIAL HONORABLE MENTION:
Kaleb Taylor, Austin Fields, Logan Windle, Belfry; Chase Hamilton, Jordan Frazier, Byron Tackett, Betsy Layne; Noah Rose, Hunter Ferran, East Ridge; Matt Combs, Caleb Hager, Floyd Central; Joshua Wright, Jenkins; Weston May, Johnson Central; Tyler Maynard, Austin Roe, Tyler Blackburn, Lawrence County; Jakob Slone, Manny Gibson, Ryan Lebrun, Letcher Central; Gunner Collins, Baron Ratliff, Paintsville; Garrett Clevinger, Seth Elkins, Jordan Blankenship, Phelps; Evan Coleman, Keegan Bentley, Pike Central; Brody Birchfield, Brady Clark, Nate Collins, Drake Potter, Pikeville; Payton Burke, Aaron Shepherd, Prestonsburg; Daylon Stafford, Dylan Fitch, Sheldon Clark; Lincoln Billiter, Hunter Mullins, Mike Mullins, Shelby Valley.
(Photo courtesy of Todd Conley)