Five Gators earn postseason recognition

  • After finishing his senior year with five homers and a team leading 25 stolen bases, Ben Brannen will continue his career at Shorter University.
    After finishing his senior year with five homers and a team leading 25 stolen bases, Ben Brannen will continue his career at Shorter University.
  • Sophomore Ben Pearson had 30 RBIs and six home runs in his first year with the Gators.
    Sophomore Ben Pearson had 30 RBIs and six home runs in his first year with the Gators.
  • Sophomore Connor Mitchem batted in 27 runs and hit five homers with a fielding percentage of .976 behind the plate.
    Sophomore Connor Mitchem batted in 27 runs and hit five homers with a fielding percentage of .976 behind the plate.
  • Sophomore Jayden Moss was named to the GIAA 2A All-State team as well as being named the 2A Position Player of the year.
    Sophomore Jayden Moss was named to the GIAA 2A All-State team as well as being named the 2A Position Player of the year.
  • Sophomore Lawson Moore was named the GIAA Class 2A Pitcher of the Year and Region Player of the Year after posting a .420 batting average with 10 home runs while compiling a 1.38 ERA during the 2026 season.
    Sophomore Lawson Moore was named the GIAA Class 2A Pitcher of the Year and Region Player of the Year after posting a .420 batting average with 10 home runs while compiling a 1.38 ERA during the 2026 season.

    Shortly after capturing a fourth-straight and fifth baseball state title in program history, Gatewood had five players receive All-Region and All-State honors.

    Sophomores Connor Mitchem, Lawson Moore, Jayden Moss, and Ben Pearson, along with senior Ben Brannen, earned All-Region and All-State honors following standout performances during the 2026 season.

    Moore and Moss also received major individual honors, with Moore earning GIAA Class 2A Pitcher of the Year and Region Player of the Year accolades, while Moss was named the GIAA Class 2A Position Player of the Year.

    Gatewood head coach Brandon Moss said Moore consistently filled the strike zone as opposed to just throwing as hard as he could. Moore’s performance on the mound backed up his coach’s praise, as the sophomore set a new school record with 105 strikeouts while issuing just 14 walks and allowing only 33 hits and 12 earned runs during a standout 2026 season. Moore finished the season with a 6-2 record that included four complete games, three of which came in the state playoffs.

    Alongside his impressive work on the mound, Moore also contributed offensively, batting .420 as the only Gator to hit above .400 for the season. Moore reached base on 37 hits with 35 RBIs and a team-best 10 home runs, along with 25 walks and only six strikeouts in 115 appearances at the plate.

    Meanwhile, Moss earned Position Player of the Year honors by batting .382 for the season with a .504 on-base percentage. He reached base 58 times with 34 hits, drew 20 walks, drove in 36 RBIs, and hit seven home runs while also fielding .989 at first base and committing just one error all season.

    Pearson made his impact felt in his first year with the Gators by batting .345 with 29 hits, six home runs, 30 RBIs, and 29 runs scored. In his first year as a starter, Mitchem drove in 27 runs and had 28 hits, including five home runs.

    Brannen capped his high school career with a final season in which he batted .358 with 29 hits, 21 RBIs, and five home runs. Brannen also led the Gators in runs scored with 38 and swiped a team-high 25 bases. He will continue his baseball career next spring at Shorter University, in Rome.

    Moss said after winning the 2A state title on May 29 that Brannen will be missed in the dugout next season but he’s confident the Gators have plenty of veteran talent left to fill the void.