The 2024-25 baseball season saw many county-area players excel and reach new heights on the diamond.
Whether it was earned run averages(ERA) below 1.5 or a batting average north of .460, high-quality baseball was on full display.
Here are the county-area players that rose above the rest this season.
Most Valuable Player — Caden Brown(Newton High School)
Brown entered his senior season as one of the Rams’ key pieces as he played both ways once again. At the plate, the bat took a step up for Brown. The senior maintained a .364/.459/.545 slash line through the season and totaled 32 hits, 24 RBIs and 29 runs — but that was not all. On the mound, Brown took a significant step up. Brown was second on the team in innings pitched(36.1) and held a 3.28 ERA. Brown was a staple in the top of the Rams’ order and played a big part in the team capturing 19 wins and reaching the playoffs once again.
Breakout Player of the Year — Ian Miller(Social Circle High School)
It is safe to say that Social Circle found its second baseman for the foreseeable future. Sophomore Ian Miller completed his first season as the starting at second base for the Redskins and broke out in a big way. Miller held a .480/.606/.560 slash line in his second season of high school ball. Miller tallied 25 hits, 21 RBIs and 22 runs. Additionally, Miller walked 13 times to only six strikeouts on the year.
Pitcher of the Year — Chris Guillory(Newton High School)
After not pitching in the high school ranks as a sophomore, Newton junior Chris Guillory showed zero signs of rust on the mound as he proved to be the arm that the Rams needed. The Kennesaw State-commit led the team with 62.1 innings pitched and held a team-best 1.24 ERA. Buillory held opposing batters to a .159 batting average and struck out a total of 78 batters to only seven walks. With another season left, Guillory can look to improve even further as a senior.
Defender of the Year — Brayden Allen(Social Circle High School)
Perhaps no one player manned their position quite to the quality that Social Circle’s Bryaden Allen did in 2025. The junior held down the hot corner for a 30-win Redskins team and played there in almost every innings of the season. Allen’s combination of fielding ability, baseball IQ and his athleticism allowed him to be able to make a play on almost everything that came his way.
Coach of the Year — Delvin Jordan(Newton High School)
For the second consecutive season, Newton head coach Delvin Jordan is the All-Cov News Baseball Coach of the Year. After improving the team’s win total in 2024 that was accompanied by a playoff berth, Jordan helped increase the win total even more in 2025. The 19-win Rams went from a fourth place finish in region play to a second place finish that saw the team go 13-5 in region play. Newton’s 173 runs scored in last season were its most in nine years. In 2025, the Rams scored a total of 226 runs.
First Team
IF — Caden Brown(NHS)
Region 4-AAAAAA Dual-Player of the Year
.364/.459/.545, 32 H, 24 RBI, 2 HR, 18 SB
IF — Ian Miller(SCHS)
.480/.606/.560, 24 H, 21 RBI, 22 R
IF — Brayden Allen(SCHS)
.440/.536/.549, 40 H, 24 RBI, 38 R
IF — Luke Cross(SCHS)
.420/.483/.690, 42 H, 38 RBI, 3 HR, 46 R
C — Jeremiah Francis(NHS)
Region 4-AAAAAA First Team
.321/.524/.464, 18 H, 12 RBI
OF — Jake Blankenship(SCHS)
.372/.432/.500, 29 H, 26 RBI, 34 R
OF — Kris Ross(NHS)
Region 4-AAAAAA Second Team(Hitter), Honorable Mention(Pitcher)
.308/.406/.410, 24 H, 16 RBI, 19 R
OF — Barrett Bramlett(SCHS)
.308/.379/.359, 24 H, 21 RBIs, 28 R
DH/UTIL — Cooper Davis(SCHS)
.397/.598/.552, 23 H, 20 RBI, 19 R, 19 BB
P — Chris Guillory(NHS)
Region 4-AAAAAA Pitcher of the Year
62.1 IP, 1.24 ERA, 78 SO, .159 OBA
P — Caden Richardson(SCHS)
61.1 IP, 2.05 ERA, 70 SO, .202 OBA
P — Gehrig Knapp(SCHS)
42.1 IP, 2.83 ERA, 36 SO, 8-1 W-L
Second Team
IF — Amond Sands(EHS)
.371/.429/.471, 26 H, 10 RBI, 15 R
IF — Jayce Yearwood(NHS)
Region 4-AAAAAA Second Team
.274/.440/.321, 23 H, 30 R, 16 SB
IF — Dare’On Adkins(NHS)
.299/.377/.545, 29 H, 27 RBI, 28 R
IF — Chase Jordan(EHS)
Region 8-AAAA Second Team
.301/.372/.410, 25 H, 19 R, 7 2B, 22 SB
C — Eli Christian(EHS)
Region 8-AAAA First Team
.109/.183/.127, 6 H, 141 PO, .988 FPCT, 15 CS
OF — Devontae Hardeman(NHS)
Region 4-AAAAAA Second Team
.273/.341/.312, 21 H, 18 RBI, 20 R, 9 SB
OF — Payton Shaw(EHS)
.254/.369/.268, 18 H, 10 R, 8 SB
OF — Braydon Smith(EHS)
.254/.347/.317, 16 H, 9 RBI, 10 R
DH/UTIL — Garrett Brooks(SCHS)
.304/.423/.370, 28 H, 14 RBI, 42 R
P — Cooper Duncan(SCHS)
37 IP, 2.83 ERA, 46 SO, 5-0 W-L
P — Tripp Swords(EHS)
44.1 IP, 4.58 ERA, 60 SO
P — Parker Denmark(EHS)
Region 8-AAAA Honorable Mention
28.2 IP, 6.10 ERA, 23 SO
Honorable Mentions
Alcovy — Jacob Kitchens, Sam Minnifield, Evan Kenley
Eastside — Jayden Bloodworth, Kalen Stapp
Newton — Josh Brown(Region 4-AAAAAA Honorable Mention), Brandon Scott, Kendall Turner, Robert Jackson
Social Circle — Zach Smallwood, Jake Frachiseur
Stat breakdown:
Slash Line — [Batting Average]/[On-Base Percentage]/[Slugging Percentage]
H — Hits
RBI — Runs Batted In
R — Runs Scored
BB — Walks
SB — Stolen Bases
PO — Fielding Put-Outs
FPCT — Fielding Percentage
CS — Catcher Caught Stealings
IP — Innings Pitched
W-L — Pitcher Wins-Losses
SO — Pitcher Strikeouts
ERA — Earned Run Average
OBA — Opponents’ Batting Average Against
