2026 Herald-Whig All-Area Baseball Team

Published 12:12 pm Friday, July 24, 2026

The 2026 Herald-Whig All-Area team features sluggers, base stealers, pesky contact hitters, ace pitchers and relievers.
Several area teams made deep postseason runs, highlighted by North Shelby finishing third in Class 1 in Missouri.
On the Illinois side, Brown County and Illini West won regional championships and the Chargers reached the sectional championship game.

MVP: Wes Robertson, Illini West

No player made as much of an impact as Robertson did, at both the plate and the mound. He batted .515 and had a 2.28 ERA and is headed to John Wood.

Finalists: Liberty’s Reed Sparrow and Quincy’s Cameron Lawson

Hitter of the Year: Reed Sparrow, Liberty

Sparrow was a force in the middle of the Eagles lineup this season, batting .513 with seven home runs and 37 RBIs.

Finalists: Illini West’s Wes Robertson and Palmyra’s Raeson Miller

Pitcher of the Year: Ethan Carlisle, Illini West

Carlisle was Illini West’s ace this season, posting an ERA of 1.85 with 99 strikeouts.

Finalists: North Shelby’s Ty Bacon and Central’s Collin Likes

Freshman of the Year: Bennett Straube, Hannibal

Straube entered the Hannibal lineup midseason and emerged as a top hitter, batting .366.

Finalists: QND’s Matt Many and North Shelby’s Lane Pollard

Coach of the Year: Scott Gaines, North Shelby

Gaines guided North Shelby to a third-place Class 1 finish, and the Raiders made an eight-win improvement.

Finalists: Illini West’s Zack Burling and Brown County’s Jared Hoots

Starting Lineup

C: Logan Kroeger, Palmyra junior
Kroeger was a first team All-Clarence Cannon Conference selection after batting .403 with a .547 on-base percentage, 18 runs, 29 hits, seven doubles, three triples, two home runs and 28 RBIs. He only committed two errors all season.

1B: Reed Sparrow, Liberty junior
Sparrow split time between third base, shortstop, first base and pitcher, putting up a monster season for the Eagles. While he played first base the least, it was the best fit for him on the team with the quality of shortstops and third basemen on the team. He batted .513 with a 1.609 OPS, 30 runs, 40 hits, 11 doubles, four triples, seven home runs, 37 RBIs and seven stolen bases. On the mound, he posted a 2.60 ERA with 58 strikeouts in 43 innings pitched.

2B: Raeson Miller, Palmyra senior
Miller led Palmyra with a .517 average, while also finishing with a 1.308 OPS, 25 runs, 34 hits, 10 doubles, one triple, two home runs, 32 RBIs and five stolen bases. He was a first team All-CCC selection that split time between shortstop, second base and pitcher. Miller is headed to John Wood.

SS: Cameron Lawson, Quincy senior
Lawson was a disruptive force out of the leadoff spot for the Blue Devils, setting a team record with 42 stolen bases. He batted .454 with a 1.078 OPS, 40 runs, 54 hits, 12 doubles, one triple and 23 RBIs. On the mound, the John Wood commit had 45 strikeouts in 33 innings pitched.

3B: Matt Boylen, Brown County junior
Boylen led Brown County with a team-high .446 average and had a .613 on-base percentage, six doubles, two home runs and 26 RBIs. He was a Class 1A All-Stater.

LF: Cooper Scott, Hannibal senior
Scott was a second team Class 5 All-Stater and earned first team All-North Central Missouri Conference honors. He batted .421 with a .545 on-base percentage, 48 hits, 45 runs, seven doubles, three triples, 18 RBIs and had a single-season Hannibal program-high of 44 stolen bases. He also set Pirates’ career records with 145 hits, 139 runs and 126 stolen bases. On the mound, he posted a 2.31 ERA and 1.27 WHIP with 38 strikeouts in 39.2 innings pitched.

CF: Gavin Doellman, Quincy Notre Dame senior
Doellman closed out a special senior season that saw him stand out in football, basketball and baseball. He batted .415 with a .441 on-base percentage, .831 slugging percentage, 22 runs, 27 hits, five doubles, two triples, six home runs, 30 RBIs and 12 stolen bases. Doellman has committed to the Western Illinois University football team.

RF: Grady Blue, Illini West junior
Blue batted .354 with a .458 on-base percentage, 41 runs, 40 hits, five doubles, three triples, two home runs, 38 RBIs and 18 RBIs.

DH: Hayden Gratton, Pittsfield
Gratton led Pittsfield with a .511 average, and also compiled a 1.132 OPS, 44 runs, 48 hits, six doubles, three triples, seven home runs, 27 RBIs and 16 stolen bases. He was a Class 2A All-State selection and will be headed to play baseball at Augustana College.

UM: Wes Robertson, Illini West senior
Robertson batted .515 with a .637 on-base percentage, .859 slugging percentage, 57 runs, 51 hits, 11 doubles, seven triples, three home runs, 48 RBIs and 21 RBIs. On the mound, he posted a 2.38 ERA with 79 strikeouts in 56 innings pitched. He has committed to John Wood.

P: Ethan Carlisle, Illini West senior
Carlisle is headed to John Wood after being the Chargers’ ace the past couple of seasons. He posted a 1.85 ERA with 99 strikeouts in 68 innings pitched. He batted .316 with a .430 on-base percentage, 30 runs, 30 hits, four doubles, two triples, one home run, 18 RBIs and 15 stolen bases.

P: Eli Snodgrass, Mark Twain senior
Snodgrass had a monster senior year for the Tigers, going 7-3 with a 2.00 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 48 innings pitched on his way to an All-State selection. At the plate, he was even more dangerous, batting an astronomical .625, along with nine doubles, four triples, three home runs and 36 RBIs. Snodgrass played third base and shortstop when not on the mound and has committed to Hannibal-LaGrange University.

Reserves

C: Alex Arthaud, Hannibal senior
Arthaud was a first team All-NCMC selection after batting .347 with a .424 on-base percentage, .517 slugging percentage, 41 hits, 13 doubles, two triples, one home run and 30 RBIs. He has committed to John Wood.

C: Mason Ritter, senior
Ritter batted .288 with a .390 on-base percentage, 30 hits, seven doubles, one triple, one home run and 15 RBIs. He really made his mark defensively, only making one error behind the plate and threw out 18 runners attempting to steal.

C: Luke Ippensen, Camp Point Central sophomore
Ippensen solidified the catching position for the Panthers and he batted .414 with a .506 on-base percentage, 25 runs, 29 hits, six doubles, one home run, 19 RBIs and 17 stolen bases.

1B: Eli Johnson, Quincy Notre Dame sophomore
Johnson took a step up in his sophomore season, batting .400 with a .500 on-base percentage, .750 slugging percentage, 23 runs, 32 hits, 11 doubles, one triple, five home runs and 26 RBIs. On the mound, he had a 2.65 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 34.1 innings pitched.

1B: Cash Jones, Illini West junior
Jones batted .330 with a .453 on-base percentage, .550 slugging percentage, 32 runs, 33 hits, five doubles, one triple, five home runs and 47 RBIs. He had a 3.86 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 32.2 innings pitched.

2B: Kale Pollard, North Shelby sophomore
Pollard hit a team-high .321, and had a .449 on-base percentage, 11 runs, 18 hits, three doubles and 11 RBIs.

2B: Eli Bisby, Illini West sophomore
Bisby took over the second base job and responded with a .414 batting average, second-best on the team. He also had a 1.118 OPS, 58 runs, 41 hits, seven doubles, one home run, 21 RBIs and a team-high 27 stolen bases.

2B: Rylan Compton, Palmyra senior
Compton earned second team All-CCC honors after batting .330 with a .416 on-base percentage, 30 runs, 29 hits, three doubles, five triples, two home runs, 16 RBIs and four stolen bases. He had a 1.43 ERA with 10 strikeouts in 14.2 innings pitched.

2B: Denny Hocking, Liberty senior
Hocking batted .373 with a .505 on-base percentage, 35 runs, 31 hits, four doubles, three triples, one home run, 15 RBIs and 14 stolen bases.

2B/SS: Kaden Ferguson, Pittsfield senior
Ferguson batted .442 with a .538 on-base percentage, 43 runs, 42 hits, nine doubles, one triple, 23 RBIs and 25 RBIs.

SS: Collin Dieterle, Brown County junior
Dieterle brought some power to the Hornets’ lineup after slugging seven home runs and leading the team with 28 RBIs. He batted .369 with 10 doubles and scored 41 runs.

SS: Avery Frese, Mendon Unity senior
Frese set Unity’s all-time hits record this season and batted a team-high .373. He posted a 1.037 OPS with 25 runs, 25 hits, six doubles, one triple, one home run, 21 RBIs and 12 stolen bases. He went 6-2 on the mound with a 5.63 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 46 innings.

3B: Cole Browning, North Shelby senior
Browning was a second team Class 1 All-State selection and helped push the Raiders to a deep postseason run. He batted .313 with a .410 on-base percentage, 17 runs, 21 hits, two doubles, three home runs and 24 RBIs. On the mound, he went 4-1 with a 2.66 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 29 innings pitched.

3B: Briggs Wiskirchen, Camp Point Central junior
Wiskirchen provided some thump in the lineup for Central, batting .385 with a .476 on-base percentage, .654 slugging percentage, 15 runs, 20 hits, three doubles, three home runs and 19 RBIs in just 63 plate appearances.

3B: Rowan Stegeman, Quincy Notre Dame sophomore
Stegeman batted .380 with a .985 OPS, 15 runs, 27 hits, eight doubles, one home run and 24 RBIs.

CF: Luke Huston, Camp Point Central sophomore
Huston was a first team All-WIVC selection after batting .417 with a .533 on-base percentage, 18 runs, 30 hits, five doubles, 23 RBIs and seven stolen bases.

CF: Elijah Parsons, Mendon Unity senior
Parsons shifted over to center field this season and did not make any errors. He batted .365 with a .453 on-base percentage, 18 runs, 23 hits, six doubles, nine RBIs and four stolen bases.

OF/2B: Jack Sefton, Brown County junior
Sefton was a valuable player for Brown County at several different positions, as well as pitching. He earned second team All-Conference honors.

OF: Jacob Salisbury, Quincy senior
Salisbury batted .410 with a .489 on-base percentage, 25 runs, 32 hits, four doubles, nine RBIs and 23 RBIs.

1B/OF: Ryan Harris, Pittsfield freshman
Harris batted .380 with a 1.021 OPS, 26 runs, 38 hits, eight doubles, five home runs, 47 RBIs and nine stolen bases. On the mound, he had a 4.20 ERA with 35 strikeouts in 26.2 innings pitched.

DH/IF: Patrick Arthaud, Hannibal senior
Arthaud batted .368 with a .445 on-base percentage, .615 slugging percentage, 18 runs, 43 hits, 12 doubles, one triple, five home runs and 50 RBIs. He has committed to Quincy University football.

UM: Bennett Straube, Hannibal freshman
Straube batted .366 with a .430 on-base percentage, .573 slugging percentage, 24 runs, 30 hits, eight doubles, three triples, one home run, 17 RBIs and nine stolen bases.

Pitchers

Ty Bacon, North Shelby sophomore
Bacon was North Shelby’s ace and helped lead them to a Class 1 state third-place finish, earning second team All-State honors. He went 6-2 with a 2.62 ERA with 66 strikeouts in 45.1 innings pitched.

James Day, Quincy senior
Day posted a 2.24 ERA with 46 strikeouts in 40.2 innings pitched this season. He also played third base, batting .337 with a .393 on-base percentage, 21 runs, 34 hits, four doubles, one triple, one home run, 28 RBIs and 12 stolen bases.

Bryant Horstmeier, Palmyra junior
Horstmeier was Palmyra’s top pitcher and was a second team All-CCC selection this season. On the mound, he went 5-2 with a 3.23 ERA and 40 strikeouts with 34.2 innings pitched.

Connor Flynn, Brown County junior
Flynn split his time between pitching and playing first base, earning the win the Class 1A regional championship game over Camp Point Central. He went 7-2 with a 2.24 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 43.2 innings pitched. At the plate, he batted .385 with eight doubles, 27 RBIs and 20 runs scored.

Bobby Harris, Pittsfield senior
Harris went 4-2 with a 2.48 ERA and struck out 38 batters in 36.2 innings pitched. At the plate, he had a .227 average and .381 on-base percentage.

Collin Likes, Camp Point Central junior
Likes had a breakout year for the Panthers, posting a 8-1 record. He had a 2.25 ERA and 63 strikeouts in 53 innings pitched.

Myer Maxwell, Brown County junior
Maxwell was Brown County’s ace in his junior campaign, pitching in some of the biggest games for the Hornets.

Bennett Plenge, Clark County junior
Plenge posted a 1.61 ERA with 37 strikeouts in 34.2 innings pitched, emerging as one of the top arms in the area.

Lane Pollard, North Shelby freshman
Pollard went 6-1 with a 0.98 ERA and had 43 strikeouts in 35.2 innings pitched this season.

Nolan Sparks, Payson Seymour senior
Sparks was Payson Seymour’s top arm this year, posting a 3.11 ERA and a 4-3 record with 39 strikeouts in 45 innings pitched. He set the school’s all-time hits record this season and batted .284 with a .479 on-base percentage and stole 24 bases.

Brody Tomhave, Pittsfield sophomore
Tomhave emerged as one of the Saukees’ top pitcher this season, going 4-0 and posting a 2.29 ERA with 39 hits in 36.2 innings pitched. At the plate, he batted .412 with a .532 on-base percentage, 24 runs, 35 hits, 11 doubles, one triple, one home run, 18 RBIs and 16 stolen bases.

Noah Wells, Quincy junior
Wells posted a 2.81 ERA with 69 strikeouts in 47.1 innings pitched. At the plate, he batted .321 with a .450 on-base percentage, 19 runs, 26 hits, nine doubles, two triples, four home runs, 26 RBIs and 11 stolen bases.

Honorable Mention

C: Knox Dunham, Pittsfield freshman
Dunham took over for Luke Saxe and excelled behind the plate for the Saukees, posting a .974 fielding percentage. He batted .371 with a .438 on-base percentage, 17 runs, 33 hits, eight doubles, one home run, 29 RBIs and 13 stolen bases.

C: Michael Kassing, Brown County junior
Kassing took over for Jack Buss behind the plate for Brown County and excelled in his new role. He earned second team All-Conference honors.

C: Hunter Miller, Payson Seymour senior
Miller was the Indians’ leading hitter this season, batting .344 with a 1.046 OPS, 21 hits, four doubles, two home runs and 19 RBIs.

C: Easton Sanders, South Shelby sophomore
Sanders earned second team All-CCC honors.

1B: Gavin Edgar, Liberty junior
Edgar batted .333 average with a .947 OPS, 15 runs, 26 hits, five doubles, four triples, 22 RBIs and five home runs.

2B/P: Ian Burbridge, Canton senior
Burbridge was the lone senior for Canton this season.

SS: Reid Holliday, Hannibal junior
Holliday batted .291 with a .415 on-base percentage, 32 runs, 34 hits, seven doubles, four triples, 21 RBIs and 39 stolen bases.

SS: Caleb Petersen, Camp Point Central junior
Petersen finished his junior campaign batting .325 with a .416 on-base percentage, 21 runs, 25 hits, six doubles, one triple, one home run, 18 RBIs and five stolen bases.

3B/P: Sawyer Allen, Mendon Unity senior
Allen batted .366 with a .903 OPS, 20 runs, 26 hits, two doubles, one home run, 17 RBIs and six stolen bases. He had two saves and posted a 3.07 ERA with 22 strikeouts in 13.2 innings pitched.

IF: Adler Gray, Mendon Unity sophomore
Gray batted .340 with a .525 on-base percentage, 12 runs, 18 hits and 14 RBIs.

IF/P: Grady Coleman, Bowling Green junior
Coleman was a second team All-EMO selection.

CF: Bo Bacon, North Shelby senior
Bacon batted .300 with a .443 on-base percentage, 25 runs, 18 hits, two doubles, one triple, 21 RBIs and six stolen bases.

OF: Beau Luaders, Liberty sophomore
Luaders batted .329 with 16 runs, 25 hits, one double, two triples, 14 RBIs and a team-high 17 stolen bases.

OF: Aiden Hocker, Illini West senior
Hocker batted .322 with 25 runs, 39 hits, six doubles, two triples, one home run, 38 RBIs and 11 stolen bases.

OF: Collin Bernard, Pittsfield sophomore
Bernard batted .352 with a .463 on-base percentage, 20 runs, 31 hits, five doubles, 20 RBIs and 10 stolen bases. He posted a 4.69 ERA with 30 strikeouts in 31.1 innings pitched.

OF/P: Kaden Marth, Quincy Notre Dame sophomore
Marth moved from the middle infield to the outfield for his sophomore season, and batted .301 with a .419 on-base percentage, 21 runs, 25 hits, four doubles, one home run, 13 RBIs and seven stolen bases. On the mound, he had a 3.55 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 25.2 innings pitched.

OF: Max Heimer, Palmyra sophomore
Heimer batted .329 with a .405 on-base percentage, 26 runs, 23 hits, five doubles, 17 RBIs and six stolen bases on his way to a second team All-CCC selection.

OF: Brendan Scherder, Bowling Green junior
Scherder was a first team All-EMO Conference selection.

OF: Landon Jones, Monroe City sophomore
Jones was a second team All-CCC selection.

UT: Blaize Kauble, Monroe City sophomore
Kauble was also a second team All-CCC selection.

UT: Paden Olson, Marion County senior
Olson played several positions with the Mustangs, including as a pitcher.