Division I Baseball Team
Player of the Year CONNOR NOLAND
School Greenwood
Class Senior
Height 6-foot-3
Weight 205
Position Pitcher
The Scoop Noland finished off his senior season in style, leading Greenwood to the Class 6A state baseball title and throwing a shutout in the championship game. ... He also led the Bulldogs to a state football title in the fall at quarterback and will play both baseball and football at Arkansas. ... The right-hander further developed his slider, which he only started throwing near the end of last season, and it turned into his strikeout pitch this year. ... Noland was dominant on the mound with a minuscule 0.42 ERA and allowed just 21 hits in 66 1/3 innings to go with 123 strikeouts and was also a force at the plate, hitting .424 with 4 homers and 37 RBIs.
Did you know The two-sport star calls his golf game the most overlooked of his abilities as he's long off the tee. Noland started playing with his grandfather, Bucky Cox, at a young age. He's already taking classes at Arkansas during the first summer term.
Quotable"It was good to win two state championships, but the bonds we had with those guys and we had a cool trip to Arizona with the baseball team," Noland said. "It was just great experiences, and we made memories. It's definitely a year we won't forget."
Coach of the Year RON BRADLEY
School Springdale Har-Ber
The Scoop Bradley guided Springdale Har-Ber to its first state baseball title in his 39th year of coaching, finishing 31-4 overall and claiming the 7A-West Conference title. ... It was the seventh state finals for the 62-year-old coaching veteran, winning five of those. ... Firsts are big for Bradley as he also won the first state title in school history at West Fork in 1982 and also claimed the school's first state title at Claremore, Okla., in 1993 and did it again at Jenks, Okla., in 1997. ... He's won state titles in Class 2A, 4A, 5A, 6A and now 7A.
Did you know Bradley started the baseball program at Rogers State in Claremore, Okla., with a club team in 2004. The team practiced twice a week on a softball field with no fence and played for the national championship just eight years later in the NAIA World Series.
Quotable "Usually when you go through a run like that, you can look back and see games that you might should have lost, that you found a way to win. That really defines a championship club," Bradley said. "Having the opportunity to go back to the finals and play back-to-back is always special. To walk away with the championship in a game I felt like we played the most complete game we played all year in every phase of the game."
Newcomer of the Year HAYDEN SELDOMRIDGE
School Rogers High
Class Sophomore
Height 6-0
Weight 190
Position Catcher
The Scoop Seldomridge made an impact in the 7A-West, hitting a team-high .409 and leading the Mounties with 33 RBIs this season, after playing only junior varsity a year ago. ... He was the lone sophomore to earn all-state honors in the 7A-West and is already drawing some Division I college interest. ... The sophomore credited upperclassmen for helping him adjust to the varsity level and getting to know the pitching staff, but he also thought his approach at the plate also improved since his understanding of count and situations got better. ... Seldomridge said his biggest problem was overcoming a naturally quiet personality to be more of a leader as a catcher, despite being only a sophomore.
Did you know Seldomridge decided to spurn football this year, after starting a middle linebacker for the Mounties freshman team a year ago. He's settled behind the plate in baseball since age 10 but also played some third base.
Quotable "I feel like I had to be a little bit louder than I like to be. I'm more of a quiet person," Seldomridge said. "But just having the pitchers helping me out a lot, they showed me the ropes, and Colin McWhorter, who caught last year, just helped teach me through it all."
Player of the Year
Connor Noland Greenwood 6-3 Sr. Hit .424 with 4 home runs, 37 RBIs and 29 runs scored, while striking out just five times in 92 at-bats. The Arkansas signee also went 10-0 on the mound with a 0.42 ERA with 123 strikeouts and just 14 walks in 66 2/3 innings pitched.
Coach of the Year
Ron Bradley Springdale Har-Ber Led the Wildcats to their first state title in baseball and a 31-4 finish, after finishing second a year ago.
Newcomer of the Year
Hayden Seldomridge Rogers High 6-0 Soph. Hit a team-best .409 with 4 home runs and 33 RBIs for the Mounties, who lost in the Class 7A state semifinals to Conway.
All-State Team
Class 7A
Logan Chambers - Bryant
Houston King - Cabot
Zack Morris - Cabot
Evan Hiatt - Little Rock Catholic
Parker Gavazzi - Conway
Matt Lloyd - Conway
Jordan Wicks - Conway
Miller Mleimann - Fayetteville
Blake Adams - Springdale Har-Ber
Blake Benson - Springdale Har-Ber
Blaze Brothers - Springdale Har-Ber
Mac McCroskey - Springdale Har-Ber
Dylan Qualls - Rogers Heritage
Trent Bunting - North Little Rock
Weston McGhee - North Little Rock
Jackson Scrivner - Fort Smith Northside
Hayden Seldomridge - Rogers High
McKaden Templeton - Rogers High
Trevor Johnson - Van Buren
Landrey Wilkerson - Van Buren
Class 6A
Yates Pickett - Benton
Leighton Turbeville - Greenwood
Peyton Holt - Greenwood
Landry Jurecka - Greenwood
Connor Noland - Greenwood
Jonathan Smith - Jacksonville
Zane Ryne Neves - Jonesboro
Logan Orr - Jonesboro
Peyton McElroy - Marion
Jackson Randolph - Marion
Peyton Walker - Marion
Ben Henderson - Mountain Home
Gage McClain - Mountain Home
Bryson George - Russellville
Tanner Leonard - Searcy
Tyler Cleveland - Sheridan
Hunter Hicks - Sheridan
Chance Wallingsford - Sheridan
Dylan Adcock - Texarkana
Curtis Washington - West Memphis
Class 5A
Parker Edwards - Alma
Derek Perona - Farmington
Steven Stewart - Greenbrier
Cayden Wallace - Greenbrier
Westin Shelton - Greene County Tech
Ethan Bates - Hot Springs Lakeside
Trey Harris - Little Rock Christian
Bennett Shoptaw - Little Rock Christian
Carson Tollett - Little Rock Christian
Jacob Wagner - Little Rock Christian
Payton Campbell - Magnolia
Connor Harrington - Magnolia
Connor McCullough - Maumelle
Jaren Hill - Morrilton
Dylan White - Morrilton
P.J. Hilson - Nettleton
Aaron Vaupel - Nettleton
Derek Shollenbarger - Paragould
Gavis Glasgow - Pulaski Academy
Layne Hatcher - Pulaski Academy
Nick Fakouri - Sylvan Hills
Ryan Lumpkin - Sylvan Hills
Chaz Poppy - Sylvan Hills
Sam Fagan - Valley View
Will French - Valley View
Cade Rogers - Valley View
Connor Watson - Valley View
Cody Mitchell - Vilonia
Zak Whitis - Vilonia
Markevian Hence - Watson Chapel
Kaleb Hill - Watson Chapel
Ja'Kobi Jackson - Watson Chapel
Gianti Turner - Watson Chapel
Layne Hartsfield - White Hall
Zakc Montsinger - White Hall
Garret Wilson - Wynne
Sports on 06/12/2018