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DCC’s Hickman D9and10Sports D9 Baseball Player of the Year; Fox, Fox, Anderson Honored; All D-9 Team Named

Clock wise from top left (Carter Hickman, Brandin Anderson, Adam Fox, Brayden Fox)

WARREN, Pa. – When you become the first District 9 baseball team in nine years to win a PIAA baseball title, the awards are sure to follow.

That holds true for the DuBois Central Catholic Cardinals, who swept the 2022 D9and10Sports.com District 9 Baseball Awards.

Junior second baseman/pitcher Carter Hickman is the Player of the Year, senior pitcher Brandin Anderson is the Pitcher of the Year, freshman outfielder Brayden Fox is the Rookie of the Year, and Manager Adam Fox is the Manager of the Year.

The Cardinals went 22-4 on the season winning their final 15 games and the PIAA Class 1A title, the first by a D9 team since Johnsonburg won the 1A crown in 2013 and the first PIAA title for DCC since 2001. DCC won three of its four PIAA playoff games by 10 runs, including a 12-2 victory over Halifax in the PIAA title game.

Hickman was a major catalyst behind the title-winning squad hitting .416 with eight doubles, two triples, 20 RBIs, and 17 runs scored while recording an OPS of 1.096. He was just as good if not better on the mound going 11-0 with a 1.25 ERA. In 50 ⅓ innings of work, he struck out 54, walked 34, and hit a batter. Opponents hit .149 against him.

               

Carter Hickman – Photo by Melanie Spellen

As good as Hickman was on the mound, it was Anderson who was tasked with taking the mound in the two most important games of the season – the District 9 title game against Clarion-Limestone and the PIAA title game against Halifax, and the senior headed to Youngstown State delivered on both occasions in a big way going five scoreless innings in the D9 title game and pitching a complete game in the PIAA title game giving up just two runs.

In fact, in three playoff appearances, Anderson was 3-0 with a 1.11 ERA.

On the year, Anderson went 5-2 with a 2.90 ERA. In 50 ⅓ innings of work, he struck out 60, walked 37, and hit one while opponents batted .198 against him. Disregard a tough opening game against Indiana when the senior was tagged for five runs without recording an out, and his ERA was 2.22. He also got stronger as the year went on throwing to a 1.62 ERA in his final eight games.

Brandin Anderson – Photo by Melanie Spellen

                          

Brayden Fox burst onto the scene in 2022 hitting .456 with five doubles, three triples, and a D9-leading 38 RBIs while also scoring 29 runs with a 1.106 OPS. He also saw a limited amount of time on the mound going 2-1 in 10 ⅔ innings with a 2.62 ERA. He struck out seven and walked four. Fox becomes a two-time 2021-22 Rookie of the Year having also earned the honor in football, where he plays for Brockway as part of a co-op.

Brayden Fox – Photo by Melanie Spellen

Adam Fox guided DCC to its first title in 21 years and did so with a starting lineup that featured three freshmen in it for the PIAA title game. He also artfully managed the innings of one of the top pitchers in District 9, Cole Sansom, who was coming off arm surgery and couldn’t pitch more than about 30 innings in any game, turning Sansom into the top relief pitcher in D9. His use of defensive positioning was probably the best among D9 managers.

Adam Fox hugs his son Brayden Fox after DCC won the PIAA state title – Photo by Melanie Spellen

 

               

In addition to the major award winners, an All-District 9 first- and second-team were named.

2022 D9and10sports.com All-District 9 Baseball First Team

C – Ethan Wells, Sr., Johnsonburg: .393, 6 HRs, 3 doubles, 28 RBIs, 14 runs scored, 1.261 OPS
1B – Dom Allegretto, Sr., Johnsonburg: .453, 1 HR, 3 doubles, 2 triples, 12 RBIs, 27 runs scored, 1.153 OPS
2B – Kaden Dennis, Jr., Jonsonburg: .452, 3 doubles, 19 RBIs, 16 runs scored, 1.027 OPS
Co-SS – Dawson Smail, So., Clarion: .508, 12 doubles, 1 triple, 11 RBIs, 29 runs scored, 1.323 OPS
Co-SS Aiden Zimmerman, Jr., Johnsonburg: .483, 4 HRs, 8 doubles, 1 triple, 25 RBIs, 31 runs scored, 1.448 OPS
3B – Jake Sikora, Jr., Punxsutawney: .389, 6 doubles, 1 triple, 16 RBIs, 10 runs scored, 1.037 OPS
OF – Morgen Billotte, Jr., Clearfield: .459, 1 home run, 9 doubles, 1 triple, 22 RBIs, 21 runs scored, 1.167 OPS
OF – Brayden Fox, Fr., DuBois Central Catholic: .456, 5 doubles, 3 triples, 38 RBIs (led D9), 29 runs scored, 1.106 OPS
OF – Cam Marciniak, Sr., Johnsonburg: .491, 6 doubles, 3 triples, 20 RBIs, 21 runs scored, 1.305 OPS
Utility – Bryson Bain, Sr., Redbank Valley (SS/P): .367, 1 home run, 2 doubles, 2 triples, 21 RBIs, 17 runs scored, 1.023 OPS; Pitching: 6-5, 3.76 ERA, 48 ⅓ inning pitches, 47 strikeouts
Utility – Mallick Metcalfe, Jr., Karns City (1B/P): .420, 1 HR, 5 doubles, 2 triples, 15 RBIs, 18 runs scored, 1.192 OPS; Pitching: 3-1, 2.23 ERA, 31 ⅓ innings pitches, 32 strikeouts, 11 walks
DH – Isaac London, Sr., Punxsutawney: .485, 7 doubles, 18 RBIs, 23 runs scored, 1.154 OPS
SP – Brandin Anderson, Sr., DuBois Central Catholic: 5-2, 2.90 ERA, 50 ⅓ innings pitched, 60 strikeouts, 37 walks, .198 opponents’ batting average against (also hit .302)
SP – Carter Hickman, Jr., DuBois Central Catholic: 11-0, 1.25 ERA, 50 ⅓ innings pitches, 54 strikeouts, 34 walks, .149 opponents’ batting average against (Also hit .416 with 20 RBIs)
SP – Branson Carson, Sr., Moniteau: 4-1, 0.91 ERA, 38 innings pitches, 74 strikeouts, 24 walks (Also hit .319)
RP – Cole Sansom, Sr., DuBois Central Catholic: 6 of his 8 appearances were in relief. He was 0-0 with a 0.47 ERA. 15 innings pitched, 34 strikeouts, 9 walks, .040 opponents’ batting average against (Also hit .347 with 21 RBIs, 22 runs scored)

 

2022 D9and10sports.com All-District 9 Baseball Second Team

Co-C – Ashton Stonbraker, Sr., Punxsutawney: .333, 5 doubles, 17 RBIs, 3 runs scored, .958 OPS
Co-C – Tate Minich, Jr., Redbank Valley: .426. 3 HRs. 7 doubles, 1 triple, 28 RBIs, 23 runs scored, 1.147 OPS
1B – Shane Sunderlin, Sr., Curwensville: .456, 9 doubles, 1 triple, 23 RBIs, 13 runs scored, 1.171 OPS
2B – Ken Lavrich, Sr., Cranberry: .488, 5 home runs, 6 doubles, 10 RBIs, 18 runs scored, 1.562 OPS
SS – Kaden Brezinski, Jr., DuBois Central Catholic: .361, 3 home runs, 8 doubles, 30 RBIs, 25 runs scored, 1.081 OPS
3B – Trey Fleming, So., A-C Valley/Union: .410, 3 doubles, 2 triples, 17 RBIs, 13 runs scored, .934 OPS
OF – Kaden Clark, So., DuBois: .434, 1 HR, 6 doubles, 1 triple, 9 RBIs, 16 runs scored, 1.133 OPS
OF – Aiden Snowberger, Fr., DuBois Central Catholic: .410, 1 HR, 8 doubles, 24 RBIs, 34 runs scored, 1.078 OPS
OF – Joe Tettis, Jr., Elk County Catholic: .340, 2 HRs, 5 doubles, 2 triples, 15 RBIs, 14 runs scored, 1.020 OPS
Utility – Jamison Rhoades, Sr., Brookville (C/P): .388 3 HRs, 8 doubles, 1 triple, 16 RBIs, 20 runs scored, 1.125 OPS
Utility – Sawyer Prince, Sr., Port Allegany (1B/P): .444, 6 doubles, 1 triple, 9 RBIs, 16 runs scored, 1.145 OPS; Pitching: 4-2, 2.47 ERA, 39 ⅔ innings pitched, 76 strikeouts, 18 walks
DH – Jacob Obman, Sr., Moniteau: .367, 3 HRs, 4 doubles, 2 triples, 18 RBIs, 9 runs scored, 1.151 OPS
SP – Bryson Huwar, Sr., Clarion-Limestone: 5-2, 2.39 ERA, 52 ⅔ innings pitches, 68 strikeouts, 19 walks, .206 opponents’ batting average against (Also hit .443 with 3 home runs)
SP – Jake Mullins, Sr., Curwensville: 6-2, 1.91 ERA, 47 ⅔ IP, 70 strikeouts, 18 walks, .204 opponents’ batting average against (Also hit .393)
SP – Alex Ognen, Sr., Smethport: 7-2, 1.77 ERA, 47 ⅓ innings pitched, 86 strikeouts, 31 walks, .185 opponents’ batting average against (Also hit .519)
RP – Logan Lutz, Fr., Clarion-Limestone: Made all 10 of his appearances in relief. 0-1, 2.17 ERA, 19 ⅓ innings pitched, 21 strikeouts, 7 walks, .244 opponents’ average against (Also hit .350 with 18 runs scored)

Player of the Year: Carter Hickman, Jr., DuBois Central Catholic
Pitcher of the Year: Brandin Anderson, Sr., DuBois Central Catholic
Rookie of the Year: Brayden Fox, Fr., DuBois Central Catholic
Manager of the Year:: Adam Fox, DuBois Central Catholic

Also see: All-District 10 award winners and All-District team

                       

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