Sunday, May 5, 2024
Freshman pitcher Blake Bramlett was selected as the District 5-5A Newcomer of the Year, and seven other Granbury Pirates were honored with first and second-team selections to the all-district baseball rosters released on Monday.
Granbury’s southpaw gained lots of attention for his time on the mound, where he started seven games and was 2-2 with a 3.967 earned run average.
Bramlett recorded 32 strikeouts in 30 innings of work, but he was even more impressive with his bat as he led the Pirates with a .391 average, and his .940 on-base percentage produced 22 scored runs for the Pirates. Bramlett’s 26 singles were also a team-high.
“That’s a pretty cool deal, and he did it so quietly,” GHS head coach Brad Eppler said. “When the district coaches came together, they started talking about him. They were saying things like that he hit two against us, or he hit this or that against us – he hit .405 during district. That’s pretty good for a leadoff hitter.”
Putting a freshman into your starting lineup means you have confidence in their abilities, and it’s something Eppler’s not afraid to do in suitable cases.
“Blake is a very solid defender. He’s unassuming, and he’s a staple in the outfield,” Eppler said. “He understands the angle to take. He’s got a great baseball IQ.”
Three Pirates were first-team all-district selections as pitcher Tyler Sudderth, outfielder Matthew Walters and catcher Cooper Thomas were selected by vote of the district’s coaches.
Sudderth pitched and played first and second base depending on situations for Granbury this season, and the Tarleton State University commitment recorded a team-high 70 strikeouts while pitching 55.2 innings. The righty’s 2.52 ERA was best among the Pirates’ starters. He also batted. .277 and drove in 13 runs.
Walters helped lift GHS into the playoffs when Eppler called him to the mound to get the Pirates into the playoffs and a bi-district championship. Walters pitched just 19 innings but went 3-0, striking out 22 batters and recording a stunning .368 ERA. The Cornell University signee batted .360 and tied for the team lead in RBI with Braxton Heffernan with 24.
Junior catcher Cooper Thomas batted .378 and translated that into a .956 on-base percentage. Thomas pounded In 21 runs off his 34 total hits, and smacked three home runs and 25 singles. Thomas had a team-high 175 putouts and committed just six errors in 203 chances.
Four Pirates were selected to the all-district second team — outfielder Heffernan, pitcher Tyler Guidry, second baseman Levi Martinez and third baseman Parker Bradley.
Just a sophomore, Heffernan used his .360 batting average to lead the Pirates in RBI with 24 (tied with Matthews). He added five home runs, three triples, a .676 slugging percentage, and an on-base percentage of 1.136.
Guidry, a junior, had a 5-2 pitching record in nine starts for the Pirates, with 31 strikeouts and a 2.917 ERA. He also had 18 RBI and 20 hits in 75 plate appearances.
Martinez is the second of two freshmen on Granbury’s varsity and batted .313 and showed the ability to put the ball in the gaps, with 13 of his 15 hits going for singles. Martinez has a great glove and recorded a .953 fielding percentage, making just two errors this season.
Bradley started at third base and was a cog in the pitching machine as the senior fielded at a .932 percentage, with 20 putouts. Bradley had a 2-2 pitching record over 23.2 innings and notched 17 strikeouts. He drove in 18 runs, and he rapped seven doubles.
Russell@hcnews.com | 817-573-7066 ext. 231
