The Alexander City Outlook

2010 All-Outlook Baseball Team

The Dadeville baseball team was far from a one-man club, as the Tigers were solid defensively all around and could hurt teams with their line-up from top to bottom.

But, perhaps no player was as valuable to Dadeville’s run to the final four than Cameron Carleton, the 2010 Outlook Baseball Player of the Year.

Carleton, who finished the year with a 10-1 record on the mound and a .391 average at the plate, was at his best in the postseason. The rising senior tossed four complete games, all DHS wins, and struck out 33 batters in 27 innings pitched.

In Round 1 of the playoffs, Carleton shut out Northside on three hits, and he had a walk-off single to clinch game one against Sumiton Christian in Round 2. He had a big two-run double in the second victory of the Round 3 series against Slocomb and tossed a three-hitter against eventual state-champion Luverne in the semifinals.

“Cameron is a competitor that wants the ball every day,” DHS head coach Randy Nolen said. “He’ll pitch a complete game and turn around and ask to close out the next one. He seems to want it even more the more important the games get.”

While his fastball, which has been clocked at 91 miles per hour, is his bread and butter pitch, Nolen said the development of his change-up made him even more successful this season.

“He’s always had a real good breaking ball and until this year, he messed around with a knuckle change to keep people off balance,” Nolen said. “We worked with him hard to get him throwing a straight change and about a month into the season, he finally got comfortable with it.

“That pitch was huge for him down the stretch because a good hitter will time out your fastball, even if you’re throwing 88-90. Getting command on the change-up was a big deal.”

Carleton was chosen as a South All-Star for this summer’s North-South game. On the season, he posted a 1.24 ERA in 79 innings with 78 strikeouts against 32 walks.

Carleton’s work in the batter’s box was overshadowed by his performances on the mound. He had 54 hits and 45 RBIs in 45 games, including 12 doubles, two triples and two homers.

“He’s a streaky hitter, but he has good hands,” Nolen said. “If he does it right by letting his hands work and not yanking it, he is a really good up-the-middle and gap hitter. He works hard on his hitting.”

The Team:

Quinn Harrelson, OF, Dadeville

Harrelson was a run-producing machine for the Tigers, knocking in 70 runs in 45 games, by far the highest number around. Of the senior’s 58 hits, 33 went for extra bases, including 22 doubles, four triples and seven home runs. He batted .433 overall.

Gage Whiteard, OF, HBHS

In 28 games for the Generals, Whiteard recorded a hit in all but one contest and, amazingly, struck out just once the entire season. He had 50 hits altogether and finished with a .550 batting average. He also led the team in runs for his senior season.

Griff Gordon, OF/INF, BRHS

A four-year starter for the Wildcats, Gordon finished his career with a .455 average and a slugging percentage of .784. The Southern Union signee drove in 22 runs, doubled 18 times and hit three homers in 2010.

Walker Bynum, OF/P, Dadeville

Dadeville’s junior center fielder and No. 2 man in the rotation was solid in all phases of the game. Bynum was a .421 hitter and posted an ERA of 3.50 in 50 innings. He was 5-1 on the mound and could hit for power at the plate, as he closed with five home runs, 14 doubles and five triples.

Darius Reese, OF/P, BRHS

The clean-up hitter for BRHS, Reese was on base often with a .387 average. He drove in 34 runs with a number of clutch hits. Reese, a junior, was the most reliable pitcher for the Cats, going 4-1 with a 3.35 ERA. He struck out 31 in 31 1/3 innings and issued 10 walks.

Kyle Taunton, Utility, Reeltown

Taunton was the main force in getting the Rebels deep into the postseason. Taunton batted .562 and drove in 22 runs, in addition to winning eight games on the mound. The senior homered four times, hit eight doubles, stole 19 bases and played in the infield and outfield for RHS.

Levi Wilson, INF/P, Coosa

The top batting average in the area belonged to CHS senior Wilson, who hit .661 (39-for-59). He was also the area’s home run leader with nine. Wilson led Coosa with 30 RBIs, and he drew 21 walks to put his on-base percentage around the .750 mark.

Kyle Caldwell, INF/P, Dadeville

The speedy lead-off man for the Tigers played solid defense at shortstop and was a smart hitter and baserunner. He batted .351 in 131 at-bats, driving in 20 runs in swiping 26 bases. As a pitcher, the junior struck out 34 hitters and walked seven in 32 innings to go 5-1.

Chase Chaffin, C, Reeltown

The Rebel junior hit over .300 and was the top-hitting catcher in the area. He had 12 RBIs, eight doubles and eight stolen bases. RHS head coach Mike Jones said he was tough behind the plate and that Chaffin really excelled in the second half of the season.

Seth Johnston, DH, BRHS

An injury kept the BRHS junior mostly out of the field, but that didn’t stop Johnston from leading the club in RBIs with 35. He batted .352 with two homers, nine doubles and a .528 slugging percentage.

Corey Pouncey, P, HBHS

Pouncey was the go-to guy on the mound for Jason Johnson’s Generals. He went 5-2 overall and often entered in late-game situations, earning two saves. He led HBHS in innings pitched and strikeouts.

Cameron Carleton, P/INF, Dadeville

Carleton was named the Outlook’s Baseball Player of the Year on Thursday. He was 10-1 pitching with a 1.24 ERA. He fanned 78 hitters in 79 innings and was 4-0 in the postseason. As a hitter, the junior finished with a .391 batting average, 45 RBIs and two homers.

Honorable Mentions:

Kieran Sturdivant, OF, Dadeville (.366 avg, 3 HR); Anthony McKeithen, OF, Reeltown (.316 avg, 31 SB); Jayme Dewberry, OF/P, BRHS (.353 avg, 3-2 record); Brock Dunham, INF, Coosa (.339 avg)

*Players were nominated by the coaches.