2017 Baseball Finalists

Austin Hicks

A three-time Class 1 state champion, Hicks closed out his high school career by leading the Cubs to a title three-peat. He was virtually untouchable on the mound, going 11-1 with a save and a 0.83 ERA. He struck out 116 batters in 75 ⅔ innings of work while walking just 14 batters. In the batter’s box, he hit .481 with 30 RBIs and filled in at both catcher and shortstop.  

Cole Nichols

A repeat finalist in baseball, the senior was the ultimate leadoff man, batting .449 and getting on base at a .515 clip while scoring 48 runs for Bell City. The shortstop added 11 doubles and five home runs while posting a .787 slugging percentage. Although his pitching was limited early in the season, he still finished 4-1 in 37 ⅓ innings on the mound with a 2.63 ERA, 44 strikeouts and eight walks.

Trey McDaniel

McDaniel showed off his all-around skillset in his final high school season, as the Southern Illinois signee went 10-1 on the hill with a 0.46 ERA and 202 strikeouts in just 85 ⅓ innings, with just 10 walks. With the bat, the Bear shortstop hit .577 with 42 RBIs, 15 doubles, four triples and five home runs for a .715 slugging percentage.

Ronin Rice

The senior earned the title of SEMO Conference Pitcher of the Year with a 6-1 record on the bump while posting a shiny 1.28 ER in 54 ⅔ innings. Offensively, he had a .429 on-base percentage and hit .343. Rice got the call on the mound when the Mules needed it most, including in the program’s first-ever sectional win, as he held Rockwood Summit to just one run in a 2-1 victory

Tyson Cox

An outstanding defensive shortstop, Cox also did it with the bat, hitting .443 with six doubles and 16 stolen bases. His performance not only earned him the honor of SEMO Conference Co-Player of the Year, but was also critical in helping the Mules make history, as they earned the first state quarterfinal berth in program history.

Ian Torrey

The pitcher and outfielder was a major contributor to a dangerous offensive team, as Torrey hit .442 on the year with 34 RBIs, 30 runs scored and a .556 on-base percentage. He hit the ball hard, as well, compiling 11 doubles, two triples and four home runs, while stealing 12 bags. On the mound, the junior struck out 44 batters in 39 ⅔ innings.

Braden Cox

The multi-sport standout is a baseball player first, and he showed it by shutting down the opposition from the hill and pounding opposing hurlers from the batter’s box. Cox hit .532 on the season with 28 runs batted in and 32 scored, an on-base percentage of .683, 11 doubles, a pair of home runs and 22 stolen bases. On the mound, Cox went 7-1 with a 2.29 ERA in 52 innings pitched, striking out 78 batters and walking just 17. He was the Scott-Mississippi Conference Player of the Year for a second consecutive year.

Riley Cain

The senior infielder and pitcher did it all for the Bulldogs, who advanced to a Class 2 quarterfinal. Cain hit .548 and slugged a whopping .929, with 11 doubles, three triples and five home runs. As a pitcher, Cain posted a 1.93 ERA and a 5-1 record in 40 innings of work, striking out 41 batters. He was named the Bootheel Conference Player of the Year.

Spencer Burnham

Burnham was named the Big Spring Conference Player of the Year, and his numbers make it clear why. The senior hit .486 with 13 doubles and six home runs, while shutting things down from the pitching mound. He went 7-1 with a 0.90 ERA and 107 strikeouts in 55 ⅓ innings, while walking just 16 batters.

Trey Smith

Smith just made things happen for the district title-winning Bulldogs. The center fielder got on base at a .581 clip, scoring 32 runs and stealing 12 bases. He hit .433 with 22 runs batted in, seven doubles and five home runs, with the extra bases pushing his slugging percentage to .761.