Thursday, April 18, 2024
Granbury pitcher Ryan Felton was selected as the 2021 Pitcher of the Year in voting by the District 5-5A baseball coaches.
Granbury High School senior Ryan Felton was selected as the overall Pitcher of the Year In voting by the coaches for the 2021 season’s all-District 5-5A baseball honors, while two Pirates made the first team and three teammates landed on the second team.
In addition to Felton earning one of the district’s five superlative awards, two GHS juniors - pitcher Tyler Sudderth and centerfielder Matthew Walters – were named to the first team. Three GHS seniors - shortstop Brock Mueller, third baseman Cameron Collins and pitcher Taylor Calcote – made the second team.
The Pirates made the playoffs as the fourth-place team in the six-school district (5-5), and finished with a 23-9 season record – the third-most victories in GHS baseball history. They advanced to the area (second) round of the playoffs before being eliminated by Mansfield Timberview in a pair of one-run games, 8-7 and 2-1.
GHS head coach Brad Eppler noted that the Pirates finished the season strong despite tough times that included the 2020 season being wiped out by COVID-19 and the lingering pandemic precautions this season.
“It was a great group, in the toughest time in the history of high school baseball,” Eppler said. “Twenty guys played well together, and played very well for each other. Without a cohesive team dynamic, you don’t win 23 games. It was a lot of fun to be on the field with those guys. They were a fun group to be around.”
Eppler noted that the only team in the district that ended up winning more than 23 games was Aledo, which advanced all the way to the Region I-5A championship series before being eliminated by Amarillo High late last week. Aledo won the first game of that best-of-three series, 2-1, but lost the next two, 6-3 and 8-1. As always, the all-district names are withheld until all four teams from the district are out of the playoffs.
In district play Felton posted a 3-1 record and a 1.56 earned run average. He struck out 43 batters and walked only five in 27 innings.
Sudderth had a 1.37 earned run average in district. He struck out 34 and walked only 11 in 30.2 innings.
Walters’ batting average in district was .348. He had 16 hits including two home runs and three triples.
Mueller posted a .268 batting mark in district, recording 11 hits including one double.
Collins hit .270 in district with three doubles among 10 hits.
Calcote was 1-0 in district and 5-1 overall. His district ERA was 2.43, while striking out 37 and walking 21 in 23 innings.
There were no honorable mention all-district picks for the Pirates.
Aledo senior Creed Willems was voted as the district’s Most Valuable Player. Senior Ranse Radtke of Wichita Falls Rider and Junior Max Belyeu of Aledo were named Offensive Co-MVPs. Three Azle players rounded out the superlative award-winners – seniors Bricen Finch and Luke Smith as co-Defensive MVPs and sophomore Tyler Akers as Newcomer of the Year.
Sudderth was one of five who voted as first-team all-district pitchers, including two from Aledo. Walters was one of five outfielders on the first team. Calcote and three other pitchers made second-team all-district. Mueller was one of two shortstops and Collins was one of two third basemen who made second-team all-district.
Aledo got the nod in the voting for Coaching Staff of the Year. The Bearcats were 9-1 in district, and finished the season with a 30-10-2 mark. By district rule, coaches did not vote for their own players after they nominated them.
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