Eight Albany area baseball players earn Georgia Dugout Preview All-State honors

Eight Albany area high school baseball players made the Georgia Dugout Preview All-State Teams, released this week.

In Class AAAAAA, Lee County senior Smith Pinson earned honorable mention acclaim. The right-handed pitcher/third baseman went 7-1 this season with a 1.38 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 55 2/3 innings, in addition to hitting .324 with six doubles and 24 runs scored. He will play college baseball at Kennesaw State.

Westover put four players on the AAAA honorable mention all-state list — seniors Rodney Bullard (infielder) and Antonio James (outfielder/right-handed pitcher) and juniors Cameron Cromer (first base/outfield) and Alex Ingram (shortstop/outfield).

Bullard hit .387 with 11 RBIs, 38 runs and 38 stolen bases, James hit .446 with eight doubles, 28 RBIs, 33 stolen bases and 30 runs, Cromer hit .348 with 22 runs, 28 RBIs and 16 stolen bases and Ingram hit .348 with 20 RBIs, 31 runs and 28 stolen bases.

James also went 5-3 on the mound with a 3.26 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 38 2/3 innings.

In A Public, the honorable mention all-state list included Pataula Charter juniors Andrew Hartsfield (center field/right-handed pitcher) and Kade Haywood (third base/right-handed pitcher), and Baconton Charter senior Haden High (shortstop/right-handed pitcher). Hartsfield hit .396 with nine doubles, 17 RBIs, 33 runs and 15 stolen bases, and went 4-4 as a pitcher with a 3.72 ERA, two saves and 57 strikeouts in 43 1/3 innings. Haywood went 7-2 on the mound with a 0.90 ERA and 103 strikeouts in 54 1/3 innings. He also hit .480 with two home runs, two triples, five doubles, 35 RBIs, 31 runs and 12 stolen bases.

Joe Whitfield