Nine Putnam County High School baseball players were named to the All-Region 4-AA list last week. Six were first-team selections, with three named to the second team.
Hunter Holder (pitcher), Wade Johnston (pitcher), Mark Winslette (catcher), Jackson Dodd (second base), Gates Lanzarone (shortstop), and Tanner Lukens (third base) were first-team selections, while BJ Ruff (pitcher), Ethan Whatley (outfield), and Branan Griffin (outfield) were named to the second team.
Holder, Winslette, and Ruff were seniors this season. They accomplished a lot in their careers at Putnam County, helping lead the War Eagles to the Class AA state playoffs the past four years.
Putnam County head coach Mike Phiel spoke highly of his seniors at the end of the season.
He said Holder, Winslette, and Ruff were the team’s leaders under his direction.
“I got emotional talking to them after our last game. I went over to face them and realized this was the last time they’d play for me,” Phiel said. “They’ve been with me the last four years. There were many emotions. I told them what we’ve been through during the past four years has been incredible.”
Holder, Winslette, and Ruff are part of a 2024 class that made the postseason every year of their careers.
They helped the Putnam County baseball program win 68 games over the past four seasons.
“Those kids went to the playoffs four years in a row,” Phiel said. “That’s quite an accomplishment for them.”
Next season, the War Eagles will return Johnston, Dodd, Lanzarone, Lukens, Whatley, and Griffin. These six players will make up the heart and soul of a team hoping to return to the playoffs again.
Putnam County went 13-14 overall in 2024 but finished a solid 12-2 in the region. The War Eagles dropped their first-round series to No. 2 seed Worth County, a team that made the Class AA quarterfinals last month.
Phiel will miss his seniors but with most of the roster set to return, he likes his team’s chances next season, too.
“We pretty much only played 10 guys, and of course, three of them are graduating,” Phiel said. “We will lose all that leadership, consistency, and toughness they brought, but the remaining guys all played this year and are returning. There’s a lot of hitting production, and almost our entire defense is coming back. I think every single kid returning next season pitches, so the future is bright.”