Blatt named Pitcher of the Year

By Tom Peavy

Published: May 31, 2008

As if there was any doubt, Opelika and Auburn each had several players earn spots on the Alabama Sports Writer’s Association All-State baseball team.

Opelika, which finished the year as the Class 6A runner-up with a 42-4 record, had two players named to the All-State first team and two others earn honorable mention recognition.

Auburn spent all season in the state’s Top 10 before falling to Russell County in the playoffs to finish with a 20-9 record. And the Tigers had two players named honorable mention.

But the biggest award winner of all local players was Opelika’s Zach Blatt.

Blatt, an Auburn University signee, was named the Class 6A Pitcher of the Year and was also named to the state’s Super 10.

In his senior campaign, Blatt finished with a 12-2 record with a 1.56 ERA and 105 strikeouts.

Teammate Mike Love also earned first-team honors as an outfielder after hitting .471 with nine homers.

Chase Dawson was named an honorable mention pitcher and Jonathon Campbell was named an honorable mention utility player.

Whitt Dorsey and Creede Simpson were Auburn’s representatives on the team.

Dorsey was named honorable mention catcher after hitting .370 with nine home runs.

Simpson, an Auburn signee, was named honorable mention shortstop after hitting a team-best .500 on the year with a team-best 16 stolen bases and a team-best 35 runs scored.

One other local athlete also earned state recognition.

Beauregard’s Raley Vincent was named an honorable mention outfielder in Class 4A after a year where he hit .406, had a .708 slugging percentage, 36 RBI and seven homers.

In a race that wasn’t even close, Hokes Bluff superstar Tyler Stovall earned Mr. Baseball honors.

Stovall was named the Class 3A Player of the Year and added Mr. Baseball to his growing list of honors which includes the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year.

A 6-foot-1, 185-pound left-handed pitcher who consistently tops 90mph with his fastball, Stovall had a 14-1 record and 1.00 ERA with 187 strikeouts. He set state career records for wins (54) and strikeouts (683).

An Auburn University signee, most figure Stovall will never set foot on the Plains.

He is projected no less than a second-round Major League Draft pick and some have him as high as a Top 12 pick.

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