2002 All-SD Baseball Team

ABOUT THIS TEAM: The 2002 All-Standard Democrat Baseball Team is a collection of the best baseball players in the Standard Democrat coverage area. Players were selected by position, based on their performance in the spring season. Teams in our coverage area include Sikeston, Oran, Chaffee, New Madrid County Central, Portageville, Charleston, Kelly, East Prairie, Richland, Dexter and Scott County Central. Photos were done by David Jenkins.

Lance Rhodes -- So.

* All year long Sikeston wasn't sure who its ace pitcher was. Rhodes proved it when he pitched 10 innings against the state's top ranked team and allowed one run with 10 strikeouts. On the year, Rhodes went 6-1 with a 1.43 ERA. He struck out 56 and walked 31 in 58 2/3 innings. He wasn't bad at the plate either, batting .311 with seven doubles and 16 RBIs.

Blake DeWitt -- So.

* Expectations were high for DeWitt after his monstrous freshman year. But there was no sophomore slump here. He led the team in runs (38), hits (44), triples (6) and average (.458). He also had eight doubles and 31 RBIs, both second on the team. As a pitcher he went 8-0 with a 2.50 ERA, striking out 58 and walking just eight in 50 1/3 innings. He is our choice for Player of the Year.

Jamie Puckett -- Sr.

* Puckett closed out his outstanding career at Sikeston with his best offensive and defensive season yet. With tremendous range at second base, not much could get by Puckett. At the plate, he led the Bulldogs in home runs (4) and stolen bases (7). He also hit .431 with seven doubles, 26 RBIs and 29 runs scored. His biggest hit was a game-tying 3-run homer in the bottom of the fifth off Kennett's ace pitcher Nathan Baker.

Tyler Cookson -- Jr.

* Yet another cog in the Oran offensive machine, Cookson was one of the best. He batted .417 with 27 RBIs and 33 runs. He also had 11 doubles with a home run. The consistent Cookson was also the ultimate contact hitter, striking out only seven times all year. The junior also provided solid glovework at first base for the Eagles.

Tyler Schlosser -- Sr.

* Schlosser had the capabilities to play anywhere on the field but his primary position was shortstop, where he possessed one of the best gloves in the area. He was the Hawks' MVP this year, hitting .465 with 13 RBIs and 15 runs scored. He had five extra base hits and had an on-base percentage of .589. Kelly got off to a slow start but became a district contender late in the year, primarily because of Schlosser's contributions.

Cody Boyer -- Sr.

* Boyer, who was mainly a catcher last year, was a full-time outfielder this season for the Bearcats. He improved his numbers in nearly every offensive category including a team-leading average (.446), RBIs (24), stolen bases (18) and triples (4). He also had 17 runs and he struck out only four times all year.

Trey Graviett -- Jr.

* In Oran's stacked lineup, Graviett provided the most power. He was among the team leaders in every offensive category in average (.414), runs (33), doubles (6), home runs (6), RBIs (31), stolen bases (11) and walks (22). He only struck out six times all year. He was also one of the best pitchers around, going 7-4 with a 1.79 ERA. He struck out 88 batters in 63 innings.

Drew Lawrence -- Jr.

* As the Bulldogs' everyday left fielder, Lawrence was as reliable as it gets. The junior batted .317 with 22 RBIs and 20 runs scored. He had the power to go deep but he could also lay down a bunt for a hit. In a pinch Lawrence was one used as a pitcher. He went out, picked up the win and allowed just one earned run in four innings.

Jacob Priday -- So.

* Priday had big shoes to fill in place of all-stater Kent Chappell, but the sophomore produced in a big way. With a cannon for an arm and tremendous instincts for a catcher, Priday was one of the Bulldogs' best hitters too. He batted .427 with a team-leading 34 RBIs and 12 doubles. He also had three triples and two homers to lead the team with 17 extra base hits while striking out only twice all year. And all of it was against some of the state's best pitching prospects.

Eric Bowling -- Sr.

* With a tall, lanky frame, the left-handed Bowling could be overpowering on the mound at times. Although his final numbers weren't great (2-3), he usually pitched against the best teams in the area. His most impressive game was against Oran in which he struck out 11 batters to get the win. At the plate he was even better, batting .404 with two home runs and 18 RBIs.

Kevin Self -- Coach

* While his Bulldogs were considered a preseason favorite to make it to state, it became a tall chore considering the path Sikeston had to take to get there. Self's Bulldogs defeated in order, No. 6 ranked Kennett, No. 1 North County and No. 3 Pacific to make it back to Columbia for the second year in a row. And not only did they win, they did it with each team's star pitcher on the mound. Sikeston finished 21-4, the best mark in school history. They defeated Jackson 17-0 to win the SEMO Conference Tournament and they clinched the regular season league title.

2nd team

Ryne Wood -- Jr.

Oran Eagles

* A model of consistency, Wood wasn't as flashy as some of his teammates but his production cannot be overlooked. He went 7-1 on the year with a 1.98 earned run average in 46 innings. Although mainly a control pitcher, he still struck out 45 batters and walked just 14. At the plate, Wood batted .370 with 16 RBIs and 36 runs. His .983 fielding percentage as a shortstop is hard to top.

Adam Garrett -- Sr.

* The slick-fielding Garrett has long been known as a defensive whiz. But the 5-foot-8 senior can hit some too. As Sikeston's leadoff batter the last three years, Garrett has been the table-setter. This year he hit .357 with 29 runs and 12 RBIs. On the mound, Garrett didn't allow a run in 13 innings, picking up two wins for the Bulldogs.

Willie Dooley -- Jr.

* The athletic Dooley combined his tremendous range with an outstanding arm at shortstop. He wasn't too shabby at the plate either, finishing among team leaders in average (.357), RBIs (14), doubles (6), triples (4), stolen bases (8) and runs scored (17).

Jake Kimball -- Sr.

* Kimball and the Eagles were the victims of more than a dozen rainouts, but when they did get games in, he was among the strongest hitters in the area. With a flare for the dramatic, Kimball led his team in home runs (3), RBIs (8), runs scored (9) and was second in average (.350). He was also one of the top pitchers on the team.

Brent Thomason -- Jr.

* Just a role player on last year's loaded Chaffee squad, Thomason had to step his game up this year and be a leader. The junior didn't disappoint as he led the team in average (.422), hits (27) and runs scored (24). He also had four doubles with 16 RBIs. Thomason was also one of the top pitchers on the team.

Chris Cota -- Sr.

* Despite a broken finger that kept Cota out for several games, the senior still went out and had a good year for the Bulldogs. At the plate, he batted .330 with 17 RBIs. In center field he was one of the best. His fully extended, over-the-shoulder catch ranks as the best defensive play of the year. On the mound he went 2-1 with a 1.81 ERA, including a no-hitter against Dexter.

Drew Moore -- Sr.

* Had injury not sidelined Moore late in the year, Kelly could've possibly given Notre Dame more of a challenge in the district championship. With his tremendous speed, the senior could cover plenty of ground in the outfield, making extra base hits in the gap a rarity. He was also good at the plate, batting. 343 with 14 runs, five steals, seven RBIs and six extra base hits. He also had a .500 on-base percentage.

Nathan Eaves -- So.

* A platoon man in right field early in the season, Eaves won the job with solid production at the plate and outstanding defense in the field. With tremendous speed, Eaves could cover plenty of ground. With a bat, the sophomore hit .344 with 15 RBIs and 16 runs scored while tying for the team lead in steals with seven.

Nathan Seyer -- Jr.

* Seyer batted leadoff for the Eagles but his numbers might resemble those of a cleanup hitter. He led the team in runs scored with 41 and stolen bases with 17, numbers that are indicative of a typical leadoff man. But he also had 41 hits with four doubles, two triples, five home runs and 30 RBIs to go with his .513 average. Behind the plate he threw out 17 of 27 base runners and had a .990 fielding percentage.

Chase Deason -- Sr.

Like Schlosser, Deason was a do-it-all player for the Hawks this year. He was one of the team's best pitchers with a 1.63 earned run average and a 2-to-1 strikeout to walk ratio. He was 3-1 with three saves on the year and he was voted the team's most improved player. At the plate, Deason batted .383 and had a .463 on-base percentage. He had 12 RBIs and four doubles on the year.