Kilcrease, Logue lead All-Albany prep baseball team
Southwest Georgia baseball enjoyed one of its finest seasons in recent memory.
ALBANY – Southwest Georgia baseball enjoyed one of its finest seasons in recent memory.
Worth County reached the state semifinals for the first time in school history. Baconton Charter broke through to its first-ever Final Four appearance. Deerfield-Windsor advanced to the GIAA Class AAA state championship series.
Those accomplishments made selecting the Albany Herald’s 2026 All-Albany Baseball Team one of the most competitive in years.
Three coaches had strong cases for Coach of the Year honors.
Worth County’s Will Smith guided the Rams to a 28-10 record and the first Final Four appearance in school history. Deerfield-Windsor’s Kyle Keen led the Knights to a 21-10 record and a berth in the state championship series. Both accomplished remarkable feats.
But this year’s Coach of the Year honor goes to Baconton Charter’s Marc Logue.
Taking over a program is never easy. Making history in your first season is something entirely different.
In his first year as head coach, Logue guided the Blazers to a 25-10 record and the first Final Four appearance in school history. He accomplished the feat with a roster that featured just three seniors, making the postseason run even more impressive.
Baconton Charter has long been one of Southwest Georgia’s most respected baseball programs, but no Blazers team had ever reached the state semifinals until this spring.
For leading that breakthrough season, Logue is the Albany Herald’s 2026 Coach of the Year.
If the coaching race was close, the Player of the Year selection was much easier.
Player of the Year
Avery Kilcrease, Worth County
No player in Southwest Georgia had a greater impact on winning than Kilcrease.
The Rams’ standout was dominant at the plate and nearly unhittable on the mound while leading Worth County to its historic Final Four run.
Kilcrease batted .437 with 10 home runs and 34 RBIs while serving as one of the most dangerous hitters in the region.
On the mound, he was even better.
The junior finished 11-3 with a sparkling 1.09 ERA and recorded 153 strikeouts, the highest strikeout total of any high school pitcher in Georgia this season.
Whether he was driving in runs or overpowering hitters, Kilcrease delivered whenever the Rams needed him most, making him the clear choice as the Albany Herald’s 2026 Player of the Year.
Pitcher of the Year
David Hutchins, Deerfield-Windsor
The senior right-hander anchored the Knights’ run to the GIAA Class AAA state championship series, compiling a 6-1 record with a 2.36 ERA while consistently delivering in the biggest games of the season.
Hitter of the Year
Hudson Coronati, Baconton Charter
Coronati sparked the Blazers’ historic Final Four run with a .435 batting average and was one of the most consistent offensive performers in Southwest Georgia.
Defensive Player of the Year
Brady Weaver, Worth County
The Rams’ standout catcher provided leadership behind the plate while helping manage one of the state’s most effective pitching staffs during Worth County’s historic season. He caught 259.2 innings, threw out 25 base runners and picked off six more. He owned a .988 fielding percentage with 346 total chances and had 44 assists.
First-Team Pitching Staff
- Collins Clark, Deerfield-Windsor
- DJ Easom, Worth County
- Daniel Cruz, Baconton Charter
- Cole French, Lee County
- Michael Merritt, Sherwood Christian
All-Albany First Team
- Lane Sceals, Deerfield-Windsor
- Graysen Spears, Lee County
- Knox Hillhouse, Lee County
- Gage Tomlinson, Deerfield-Windsor
- Jack Hampson, Terrell Academy
- Quinton Peterson, Baconton Charter
- Kingston Offord, Dougherty
- Luke Rogers, Worth County
- Colton Suggs, Baconton Charter
- Boyd Pollock, Deerfield-Windsor
- Brodey Hancock, Worth County
Second-Team Pitching Staff
- West Rushton, Deerfield-Windsor
- Colby Griffis, Worth County
- Brody Cowart, Terrell Academy
- Logan Mathis, Lee County
- Javion Tinch, Monroe
All-Albany Second Team
- Marcus Heath Jr., Dougherty
- CJ Richardson, Baconton Charter
- Kayden Logue, Baconton Charter
- Cole Lindsey, Lee County
- Kameron Vicks, Monroe
- Braiden Parrish, Sherwood Christian
- Nathan Taczy, Lee County
- Hunter Green, Terrell Academy
- Gabe Daniel, Deerfield-Windsor
- Drake Wiggins, Deerfield-Windsor
- Lyndon Worthy, Worth County
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