2012 All-Metro baseball team
The Selection Process
This is the eighth year for All-Metro teams selected by The Eagle, recognizing the best high school athletes in team sports throughout Sedgwick, Butler and Harvey counties. Nomination ballots were sent to baseball coaches at high schools in Sedgwick, Butler and Harvey counties.
Coaches were asked to return the ballots with nominations of the best players within those counties that they saw this season, including their own players.
The team was selected by Joanna Chadwick after tabulating nominations, her own evaluation of the players and additional input from coaches and other media members.
Seth Holman
Senior pitcher
Carroll
Holman carried Carroll (20-5) to the Class 5A tournament and pitched the final innings of the championship game to hold off Blue Valley for the title. Holman finished the season with a 4-2 record, a 1.11 ERA, 47 strikeouts and 11 walks in 44 innings.
Brandon Mercer
Senior pitcher
Heights
Mercer helped Heights (14-9) oust East (18-4) in its regional for a 6A tournament berth. A two-time All-Metro selection, Mercer finished with a 4-1 record, a 0.73 ERA, 51 strikeouts, and his first no-hitter. He has signed to play at Newman.
Jacob Jones
Senior pitcher
Northwest
Jones helped pull Northwest (16-5) out of an early three-game losing streak to win 16 of its remaining 17 regular-season games. Jones pitched Northwest to a 3-1 victory over Carroll in the second game of a doubleheader to clinch a share of first place in City League. Jones went 6-2 with a 1.85 ERA and 62 strikeouts to eight walks.
Taner Thurman
Senior catcher
Maize South
Thurman’s .493 batting average led Maize South to a 17-5 record and an AV-CTL Division IV championship. Thurman only struck out 10 times of 67 at-bats, and had a .726 slugging percentage (four doubles, four triples, one HR). He had 37 RBIs and eight stolen bases.
Andrew Newlin
Senior first baseman
Trinity Academy
Newlin hit .393 and stole 13 bases while helping Trinity (20-4) reach the Class 4A tournament. Newlin had five triples, 15 RBIs, and scored 25 runs. Newlin was an even bigger asset to Trinity’s defense, and finished the season with no errors.
Michael Bird
Senior second baseman
Mulvane
Bird topped the school record of 42 hits in a season by one and had eight doubles and a .564 slugging percentage. He helped lead Mulvane (21-5) to an AV-CTL Division III title, and win its regional. Bird had a .457 batting average, nine RBIs and scored 24 runs with a .485 on-base percentage.
Max Hagan
Senior third baseman
Kapaun
Hagan led Kapaun out of an 0-3 start to finish 15-8 and reach the 5A tournament. A two-time All-Metro selection, he hit .405 with nine doubles. He also led Kapaun to a share of first-place in the City League for the first time since 1998.
Austin White
Senior shortstop
Goddard
White, a three-time All-Metro selection, propelled Goddard (20-4) to a fourth-place finish in Class 5A. With a senior-led team, White took the reins on offense, leading Goddard with a .406 batting average, six doubles, four triples, 24 RBIs and 16 stolen bases.
Justin Burba
Senior outfielder
Campus
Burba lived up to preseason All-America honors by hitting .453 while leading Campus (18-5) to the 6A tournament. Burba is a two-time All-Metro selection who’ll play at Oklahoma. He finished with five doubles, six triples, two home runs, 27 RBIs and 29 stolen bases.
Daniel Kihle
Senior outfielder
Andale
Kihle (3-0, 1.19 ERA, three saves) pitched Andale (17-6) to an upset victory over Maize South to reach its regional championship game. He also played outfield and hit .424 with five doubles, seven triples, 22 RBIs, 26 runs and 19 stolen bases. Kihle plans to walk-on at Wichita State next year.
Nick Ragias
Senior outfielder
East
Ragias helped East (18-4) through a 12-0 run to start the season and finish with a share of first place in the City League. Ragias hit .382 with four doubles, 16 RBIs, 22 runs and 18 stolen bases. Ragias signed to play at Garden City Community College next year.
JC Baxley
Junior utility player
Campus
Baxley pitched and caught for Campus, starting a 6A quarterfinal game at catcher and relieving teammate Kyle Smith on the mound in the fourth inning. He was not only a defensive asset, but also hit .452 with 10 doubles, 33 RBIs and five stolen bases. He was 5-2 as a pitcher with a 1.40 ERA and 49 strikeouts to 19 walks in 45 innings.
Ryan McBroom
Senior designated hitter
Maize
McBroom, a two-time All-Metro player, was an offensive threat with a .425 batting average, a .600 slugging percentage, seven doubles, two triples, and one home run. McBroom scored 21 runs and had 15 RBIs and was 12 for 12 on stolen bases.
Charlie Ebright
Coach
Carroll
Carroll was 20-5 and won Class 5A. This year’s championship marks Carroll’s second under Ebright — the only two in school history — making it the only City League team to earn two titles since South in 1980. Ebright was named coach of the year in 2005 and 2010.