Brookwood Baseball Garners Accolades

After the most successful season of Brookwood Baseball in the past near decade, one in which the Warriors advanced to within a game of the GISA AAA State Championship, the team was recognized with multiple postseason player awards.

Five members of the team earned All-Region distinction after finishing 7-2 against Region competition, including sweeps of rivals Southland and Valwood. Four seniors and a Sophomore found their names on the list. Coastal Carolina signee Jacob Lauderdale, Tallahassee Community College signee Harper McLendon, Andrew College signee Parker Mirick, and Covenant College signee Josh McCaskill each earned All-Region in their final year of high school baseball. Sophomore Zack Counts, who led the team in HRs with 7 on the year, was a young addition to the honor.

McCaskill played a reliable First base all year starting every game. The senior had 2 HRs, a .340 on-base percentage, and was fourth on the team with 15 RBI.

Lauderdale, one of the Warriors’ starting pitchers and primary Shortstop, earned Co-Region Player of the Year along with Auburn commit Hayden Murphy of Tiftarea Academy.

Warriors’ Head Coach Daniel Funt commented, “This is an outstanding group of young men.  I'm proud of their accomplishments and how they helped the team be successful. It is awesome to have this recognition in the Region and at the State level.”

The strength of the team all year was outstanding starting pitching and defense and that showed in All-State voting from coaches across the association. Lauderdale, Mirick, McLendon, and Counts were also named All-State players in GISA AAA. 

Lauderdale went 6-2 on the mound, sporting a 2.10 ERA and led the team with 77 strikeouts in less than 56 innings. At the plate he batted .348 with 2 HRs and 19 RBI. 

McLendon starred everywhere as a Pitcher and Utility player, going 6-3 with 2 saves from the mound. He worked a 1.22 ERA and struck out 61 batters in just 51 innings. At the plate, he hit .309, was second on the team hitting 6 HRs, batted in 24 runs, and stole 15 bases.

Mirick was another starting pitcher and played primarily Third base in the field. On the mound he went 7-3 with a 1.91 ERA, striking out 76 in less than 59 innings pitched.

The youngest of the group was Counts, a Sophomore who caught every game for the team behind the plate and batted mostly leadoff. A key to the Warriors defense, Counts threw out 36% of baserunners. He led the team with a .379 batting average, cranked 11 doubles, 7 HRs, and had 18 RBI.