2024 all-area baseball team: League leaders and record-setting numbers define success

QUINCY — League-leading hitters, dominant pitching performances and record-setting run producers helped define success throughout the prep baseball season.

Here is a look at the 2024 Muddy River Sports all-area baseball team:

Owen Rigg, Catcher, Senior, Southeastern

Rigg was selected to play in the 47th annual Illinois Coaches Association All-Star Baseball Game at Hornberger Field on the Illinois Wesleyan University campus after earning unanimous first-team All-West Central Conference honors. The College of Lake County signee hit .475 with a .656 on-base percentage, six doubles, one home run, 15 runs scored and 10 stolen bases.

Brennan Tomhave, First base, Senior, Pittsfield

Tomhave’s 6-foot-3 length and even longer wingspan helped him become a defensive stalwart, committing just two errors during the Saukees’ 21-win season. He hit .373 with a .515 on-base percentage, 10 doubles, one home run and 19 RBIs. On the mound, he went 4-2 with a 2.10 ERA and 58 strikeouts over 43.1 innings.

Rylan Compton, Second base, Sophomore, Palmyra

A first-team All-Clarence Cannon Conference selection, Compton burst onto the area scene with a steady offensive hand. He his .435 with a 5.10 on-base percentage to go with five doubles, a team-leading 22 RBIs and 17 runs scored.

Colby Robertson, Shortstop, Senior, Illini West

The all-Robertson left side of the infield was quite dynamic for the Chargers, who won 28 games and reached a Class 2A sectional championship game. The senior defensive anchor was a first-team All-Prairieland Conference selection as he hit .431 with a .545 on-base percentage, eight doubles, 21 RBIs, 45 runs scored and 16 stolen bases.

Wesley Robertson, Third base, Sophomore, Illini West

Playing alongside his older brother, Robertson developed into one of the most productive hitters in area history. He sets a single-season Illini West record with 50 RBIs, while hitting .481 with a .560 on-base percentage and a 1.272 slugging percentage. He collected 12 doubles and four home runs, while striking out just seven times in 131 plate appearances. The Muddy River Sports Player of the Year also went 4-0 on the mound with a 1.53 ERA and 30 strikeouts.

Tykell Hammers, Outfield, Junior, Quincy High School

The second-leading hitter in the Western Big 6 Conference with a .432 average in league play, Hammers proved to be a consistent threat batting third in the Blue Devils’ lineup. Overall, he hit .327 with six doubles, three home runs and 28 RBIs and was solid defensively in left field while earning first-team all-conference honors.

Mason Miller, Outfield, Senior, Camp Point Central

Asked to pitch 34 innings — he struck 51 batters in the process — Miller was more effective in center field. An appointee to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Miller hit .481 with a .527 on-base percentage, collecting seven doubles, two triples and six home runs. The first-team All-West Central Conference selection drove in 33 runs, scored 22 runs and stole 14 bases.

Dylan Ross, Outfield, Junior, Monroe City

A first-team All-Clarence Cannon Conference selection, Ross patrolled center field without making an error this season. He hit .474 with a .535 on-base percentage from the No. 4 spot in the order. He drove in 13 runs with five doubles and a triple and stole 10 bases.

Preston Brewer, Pitcher, Junior, Canton

The 6-foot-7 Brewer showed he can put his length to good use on the diamond as well as the hardwood. One of 10 players named to the all-area team in basketball, the right-hander went 6-1 with a 1.26 ERA and 80 strikeouts as he led the Tigers to the Class 2 District 6 semifinals. Brewer also hit .333 with seven doubles, two home runs and 12 RBIs.

Nick Bruns, Pitcher, Junior, Illini West

An 8-0 record and an eight-inning complete game victory in the regional semifinal proved Bruns is a big-game pitcher. He fashioned a 2.15 ERA in 52 innings with a 1.37 WHIP and 52 strikeouts as the Chargers finished 28-5 with a regional championship and the second-most wins in program history.

Cody Shaffer, Pitcher, Senior, Mendon Unity

Arguably the most consistent and most dominant arm in the area this spring, the Black Hawk College signee fashioned a 7-1 record with a 1.12 ERA in 56.1 innings. He also struck out 112. Offensively, Shaffer was the ideal three-hole hitter, batting .439 with a .539 on-base percentage. He had nine doubles, four triples, two home runs and 36 RBIs, while scoring 26 runs and stealing 17 bases.

Gage Scott, Utility, Junior, West Hancock

A first-team All-West Central Conference selection, Scott was the epitome of pitching to his defense. The right-hander struck out just 38 batters over 37.1 innings, but he fashioned a 2.06 ERA. Scott also hit .384 with 11 doubles, one triple, one home run, 24 runs scored and 18 RBIs.

Kyle Taylor, Utility, Senior, Quincy

Taylor became just the fifth QHS player in the last 37 years to lead the Western Big 6 Conference in hitting, compiling a .442 average. Overall, the starting shortstop hit .375 with 27 runs scored, nine doubles and 14 stolen bases. He also finished third in the WB6 in strikeouts, mowing down 39 batters in league play. He had 64 strikeouts overall in 36.2 innings with a 3.25 ERA.

Abram Wiewel, Utility, Junior, Quincy Notre Dame

Wiewel was tasked with pitching against the Raiders’ toughest opponents and delivered time and again. The unanimous first-team All-West Central Conference selection worked five or more innings in seven of his nine starts and allowed two earned runs or fewer in five starts. He fashioned a 1.83 ERA with 69 strikeouts over 49.2 innings, going 3-4 in the process. He also hit .369 with seven doubles and 19 RBIs.

Kane Wilson, Utility, Senior, Hannibal

One of the most feared hitters in the area before the season began, the first-team All-North Central Missouri Conference selection lived up to that billing as he hit .404 with seven doubles, one triple, six home runs, 36 RBIs and 34 runs scored. Wilson turned into a front-line pitcher this spring as well, going 6-2 with a 2.16 ERA over 45.1 innings with 24 strikeouts and 10 walks.