Seven area ball players were recently recognized by NCPreps.com as members of the All-State Team for their work this past season.
Joining Clark Cota (verbal commitment to the University of North Carolina) from Topsail in the 2A classification was a trio from the North Brunswick state runners-up, senior Jacob Shumate, Jared Strange and rising junior Shelton Perkins.
West Brunswick’s Markel Jones (N.C. State) received a nod on the 3A team, while Hoggard aces Joe O’Donnell (N.C. State) and Bryan Sammons (Western Carolina) were named to the 4A club.
Jones is working this summer alongside Shumate on the Whiteville Post 137 team, while O’Donnell and Sammons pitch for Wilmington Post 10. Cota is playing with a number of teams this summer, including a showcase team out of Virginia and Hampstead Post 137.
Jones batted .351 his senior year for the Trojans, while the speedster stole 23 bases on 24 attempts. Cota hit a .591 for Topsail, with 12 doubles and 30 RBIs. He also went 7-2 on the mound with an ERA of 0.96.
North Brunswick went to the State Championship Series this past season with big performances by Perkins and Shumate on the hill, while Strange added stability to the middle infield and as the team’s leadoff man. Strange batted .366 with 30 runs scored. Perkins was 8-3 on the mound and Shumate pitched some big innings for the Scorpions down the stretch.O’Donnell and Sammons led Hoggard to a Mideastern Conference Championship as the southpaw (Sammons) dominated opposing hitters all season with a 10-1 record.
