Joe L Hughes IIGaston Gazette
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The Gaston Gazette and Shelby Star have released their all-area high school baseball teams, recognizing top performers from Cleveland, Gaston and Lincoln counties during the 2024 season.
Coaches from tri-county schools are sent nomination forms, with nominations from their team and others throughout the area helping with the selection process.
Here are the area’s top player, pitcher and coach, fans' choice for player of the year, in addition to the all-area team and honorable mentions.
FINAL AREA RANKINGS: Burns baseball, Kings Mountain softball top Gastonia, Shelby area's final 2024 rankings
TROLLING COMPETITION: How superstition helped Kings Mountain softball to NCHSAA 3A title series
WINNING PEDIGREE: After winning the NCHSAA 2A title, here's what Burns baseball plans for an encore
First team
All-Area Player of the Year: Colby Putnam, Burns
Class: Jr.
Why chosen: The Gardner-Webb recruit did a little of everything this season for the Bulldogs, helping them to a 31-3 record and a repeat NCHSAA 2A West crown. Putnam hit .495 with eight home runs, 14 doubles, 49 RBIs, and 12 stolen bases. He also was 13-2 as a pitcher, finishing with a 0.63 ERA and 136 strikeouts in 88 innings pitched. For his work, Putnam was voted an all-state performer by the state Baseball Coaches Association (NCBCA) and Southern Piedmont 1A/2A Player of the Year.
Tri-County Pitcher of the Year: Chase Ghantt, North Gaston
Class: Sr.
Why chosen: Ghantt was 6-1 this past season with a 0.54 ERA, allowing five runs (four earned) on 18 hits in 51 ⅔ innings. Opposing batters hit .106 against the Big South 3A Plitcher of the Year, who earned 92 strikeouts in the process. Ghantt threw a five-inning perfect game, two no-hitters, in addition to being credited with a save.
Fan’s Choice Player of the Year: Landon King, South Point
Class: Jr.
Why chosen: The Red Raiders’ junior outfielder received 24.2% of votes. A first team all-Big South 3A performer, King hit .393 with 13 extra-base hits — including four home runs — 22 RBIs and 10 stolen bases.
Coach of the Year: Alex Leonhardt, Burns
Why chosen: Led the Bulldogs to a 31-3 record, which included 30 consecutive victories to start the 2024 campaign. Burns claimed its second outright Southern Piedmont 1A/2A title in three seasons, in addition to its second NCHSAA 2A West title in a row.
Landon Jenkins, West Lincoln
Class: Jr.
Why chosen: Hit .424 this past season with two home runs and 13 RBIs.
Kellen Karr, North Lincoln
Class: Jr.
Why chosen: Was 5-0 this past season, finisning with a 1.70 ERA after allowing 10 earned runs on 11 hits with 72 strikeouts in 41 innings pitched. Opposing batters hit .087 against him during the 2024 campaign.
Meridian Leffew, Gaston Christian
Class: So.
Why chosen: An NCISAA 3A all-state performer, Leffew hit .516 with 16 extra-base hits — including seven home runs — 26 RBIs and 38 runs scored.
Evan Matile, East Lincoln
Class: Jr.
Why chosen: Voted an NCBCA 3A all-state performer, Matile hit .444 with four home runs, nine doubles and 35 RBIs.
Marshall McGowan, Burns
Class: Jr.
Why chosen: The Bulldogs’ leadoff man hit .495 this past season with 23 extra-base hits, including 11 home runs to go with 43 RBIs and 47 runs scored. McGowan was voted an NCBCA 2A all-state perfomer.
Evan Myers, Lincoln Charter
Class: Jr.
Why chosen: Finished with a 0.64 ERA, this after allowing nine runs (four earned) on 21 hits in 43 ⅔ innings. Voted Catawba Shores 1A/2A Pitcher of the Year, he set a new school record with 95 strikeouts with opponents hitting .137 against him.
Eli Newsome, Cherryville
Class: Sr.
Why chosen: Finished 8-2 this past season with a 0.98 ERA. In 64 innings pitched, Newsome allowed 21 runs (nine earned) on 36 hits with 126 strikeouts. Named to the NCBCA all-state 1A team, he also was credited with a save.
David Nicks, Gaston Christian
Class: Sr.
Why chosen: An NCISAA 3A all-state performer, he hit .444 with six home runs and 27 RBIs, helping the Eagles to a 16-5 record.
Brayden Patrick, Kings Mountain
Class: Sr.
Why chosen: A Big South 3A all-state performer, he hit .417 this past season with four home runs, 11 doubles and a triple, along with 20 RBIs and 20 runs scored. Patrick also excelled on the mound, going 7-1 with a 1.51 ERA. He allowed 16 runs (10 earned) on 26 hits in 46 ⅓ innings with 98 strikeouts.
Kandan Zollo, Kings Mountain
Class: Sr.
Why chosen: Led the Mountaineers with a .493 batting average, in addition to two home runs, eight doubles and a triple, 14 RBIs and 17 runs scored. Spending a large share of his season at catcher, the all-Big South 3A first team performer had a .991 fielding percentage with two errors on 225 total chances.
Second team
Patrick Blee, So., South Point
Elliott Dellinger, So., North Lincoln
Tripp Dow, Sr., Forestview
Dylan Howell, Sr., East Gaston
Aaron Main, Sr., Gaston Christian
Landry Ohmstead, So., Crest
Matthew Phuntek, Jr., East Lincoln
Mason Price, Jr., Stuart Cramer
Jacob Smith, Sr., Lincoln Charter
Trey Spees, Sr., East Lincoln
Aidan Taylor, Jr., Kings Mountain
Jackson Toney, Jr., Burns
Nick Williams, Sr., Burns
Honorable mention
Caleb Cloninger, North Gaston; Karson Cloninger, Lincolnton; Easton Davidson, Shelby; A.J. Davis, Piedmont Community Charter; Ty Detweiler, Stuart Cramer; Jacob English, West Lincoln; Liam Fulbright, Highland Tech; Hagan Hoyle, Burns; Zachary Kimmel, Hunter Huss; Julian McRae, Gaston Day; Jack Osterndorf, Mountain Island Charter; Parker Ramsey, Crest; Brayden Reynolds, Cherryville.
