Six members of Putnam County’s baseball team earned All-Region recognition this year.
The postseason awards list was highlighted by senior utility player Gates Lanzarone, who was named the 2026 Region Player of the Year.
War Eagles head coach Stephen Phillips said Lanzarone’s impact on the program went far beyond statistics.
“He was very well deserving,” Phillips said. “The young man just did a great job this year, not only at the plate, but defensively and on the mound. He was a guy I could count on in any situation to come through.”
Phillips said Lanzarone’s versatility and leadership also made him one of the top players in the area and helped ease the transition when Phillips arrived at Putnam County two years ago.
“Having a player like that does make it a lot easier to coach,” Phillips said. “Him buying into what we were trying to accomplish was huge for the success of our team this year.”
Lanzarone starred at shortstop while also contributing on the mound and at the plate throughout the season.
Phillips called him an “all-around athlete” and believes Lanzarone has a chance to make an immediate impact at the collegiate level when he continues his baseball career at Reinhardt University.
“I think they’re getting a really good player who could go in there as a freshman and contribute,” Phillips said. “He’s just an all-around great baseball player that’s fun to coach.”
Fellow seniors Wade Johnston, Ethan Whatley, Jackson Dodd, and Branan Griffin were All-Region first-team selections, while Wyatt Sims and Trace Watkins earned second-team honors. Each played a major role in contributing to Putnam County’s success this season.
Phillips praised Dodd for his clutch hitting and Johnston for his competitiveness on the mound.
“At the plate, Jackson was as clutch as you could ask for,” Phillips said. “And on the mound, Wade had gotten to a point where he wanted the ball. He wasn’t scared to compete.”
Griffin battled through adversity during the season after suffering an injury during football season, but still became one of the team’s top contributors.
“Branan had a knee injury from football season, but still came out there and gave it 100 percent every single day on a bad leg,” Phillips said.
He also pointed to Whatley’s growth and maturity throughout the season.
“Ethan Whatley just matured and grew up and became the player that he’s become,” Phillips said. “This past year has been amazing to watch.”
Sims and Watkins rounded out the War Eagles’ All-Region selections after both filled important roles throughout the season.
Phillips said Sims’ versatility was invaluable to the team.
“Wyatt was the player for us this year that played every single position but first base,” Phillips said of Sims. “He pitched, played second, shortstop, every position.”
Watkins, meanwhile, developed into an important contributor after returning to baseball in recent seasons, Phillips added.
“Trace was a guy who didn’t play his freshman and sophomore year and then came out last year when I came to Putnam,” the coach said. “He really grew as a baseball player, fell in love with the game again, and got an opportunity to really help us in a lot of big situations.”
Although Putnam County will lose a large senior class, Phillips said he believes the foundation established by this year’s group will continue to benefit the program.
“This group is going to be hard to say goodbye to,” Phillips said. “They’ve come in here and set a tone for the classes that come behind them.”
He added, though, that several younger players are waiting in the wings and should continue the program’s development over the coming seasons.
“I really think those guys over the next couple of years are going to get bigger and stronger. And they love the game; they love to compete,” Phillips said. “This senior group left a standard, but I think these young guys coming back are going to be a big part of Putnam continuing to get better.”
Putnam County finished its 2026 season with a 16-14 overall record and an 11-4 mark in region play. After finishing second in the region behind Social Circle, the War Eagles earned the No. 12 seed for the postseason but were upset at home in the first round by No. 21 Jeff Davis.