Introducing the 2026 All-Area Baseball Team, which recognizes the area’s best players from this past season by position. Schools making up the area are: Croatan, Dixon, East Duplin, Jacksonville, Lejeune, Northside, Richlands, Southwest, Swansboro and White Oak.
FIRST TEAM
Brayden Jones, (East Duplin), Fr., P, 5-2, 2.92 ERA, 44K, 36 IP, .237, 9 R, 9 RBI
Jariel Santos, (Northside), Sr., P, 2-7, 3.59 ERA, 75K, 37 IP.396, 15 RBI, 7 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR
Harrison Thomas, (Croatan), Jr., P, 5-3, 2.23 ERA, 73 K, 50.1 IP, .443, 31 RBI, 26 R, 10 2B, 3 HR, 8 SB
Vasco Sutton, (Jacksonville), Sr., C, .366, 21 R, 20 RBI, 11 2B, 4 HR, 11SB, 2-3, 3.56 ERA, 71 K, 39.1 IP. Second-time first-teamer.
Cole Jarman, (Southwest), Sr., 1B, .500, 29 RBI, 12 R, 9 2B, 5 SB, 6-2, 3.12 ERA, 60 K, 49.1 IP. Second-time first-teamer.
Tito Escalera, (Southwest), Sr., 2B, .479, 26 R, 8 RBI, 2 2B, 5 SB
Kevin Till, (Swansboro), Sr., 3B, .434, 16 R, 14 RBI, 7 2B, 17 SB
Jack Tuck, (East Duplin), Sr., SS, .429, 21 R, 17 RBI, 5 2B, 6 SB
Kannon Huffman, (Southwest), Jr., OF, .577, 28 R, 15 RBI, 9 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 31 SB. Second-time first-teamer.
DJ Schofield, (Swansboro), Soph., OF, .356, 16 R, 4 RBI, 6 2B, 6 2B, 3-1, 2.91 ERA, 32 K, 33.2 IP
Peyton Mayhew, (Northside), Sr., OF, .379, 21 R, 8 RBI, 7 2B, 2 3B. Second-time first-teamer.
Gavin Holmes, (East Duplin), Jr., Utility (P/3B/CF/LF/1B), .460, 25 R, 20 RBI, 7 2B, 3 3B, 13 SB, 3-2, 2.56 ERA, 22 K, 27.1 IP. Second-time first-teamer.
Nick Lacugna, (Dixon), Soph., Utility (OF/P), .296, 10 RBI, 7 R, 6 2B, 1 HR, 6 SB, 2-3, 2.57 ERA, 37 K, 37.2 IP
Chris Guslander, (Dixon), Sr., DH, .338, 11 R, 9 RBI, 3 2B, 2-5, 3.00 ERA, 56 K, 51.1 IP, 1 save
Sawyer Marshburn, (East Duplin), Sr., DH, .479, 13 RBI, 7 2B
SECOND TEAM
JP Murphy, (East Duplin), Sr., P, 4-0, 3.37 ERA, 43 K, 43.2 IP, .250, 19 R, 11 RBI, 1 3B, 8 SB
Mitchell LaRose, (Swansboro), Soph., P, 2-4, 1.33 ERA, 54K, 31.2 IP.288, 12RBI, 7R, 5 2B, 2 3B, 1HR, 12 2B,
Maguire Lewis, (Jacksonville), Sr., P, 3-2, 3.32 ERA, 38K, 31.2 IP, 13 R, 7 RBI, 5 2B
Augie Morris, (Croatan), Soph., C, .364, 19 R, 11 RBI, 2 2B, 1 3B, 8 SB
Kyler Ornoski, (Richlands), Jr., 1B, .324, 13 RBI, 7 R, 1 2B, 2-0, 2.11 ERA, 50K, 59.2 IP
Colton Holmes, (East Duplin), Sr., 2B, .261, 15 R, 14 RBI, 3 2B
Trent Leal, (Dixon), Sr., 3B, .231, 16 RBI, 15 R, 5 2B, 9 SB, 3-2, 2.18 ERA, 28K, 25.2 IP, 2 saves
Jacob Woody, (Croatan), Jr., SS, .338, 24 R, 20 RBI, 8 2B, 1 HR, 9 SB, 1-1, 4.85, 23 K, 21.2 IP
Tanner Brinson, (Richlands), Jr., OF, .338, 16 R, 7 RBI, 3 2B, 10 SB
Kaiden Cox, (Jacksonville), Jr., OF, .246, 19 R, 12 RBI, 6 2B, 14 SB
Hayes Lanier, (East Duplin), Fr., OF, .291, 17 RBI, 15 R, 2 2B, 7SB
Jonathan Pittman, (Jacksonville), Sr., Utility (P/OF), 4-2, 0.89 ERA, 1 save, 29 K, 23.2 IP, .231, 15R, 14 RBI, 5 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 15 SB
Cooper Torrence, (Richlands), Soph., Utility (P/C/IF), .333, 10 RBI, 3 R, 5 2B, 2 3B
Gavin Ramson, (White Oak), Jr., Utility (SS/P), .259, 11 R, 11 RBI, 2 2B, 1 HR, 16 SB
Mason Anderson, (Swansboro), Fr., DH, .341, 11 R, 11 RBI, 2 3B, 4 2B
Noah Keller, (Lejeune), Jr., DH, .453