Outlaws announce all-league picks

Outlaws baseball had eight players selected to all-league teams, including seniors Joey Morgan and Jardon Weems, junior Justin Harrer, and freshman Ryan Funk, who were all first-team picks.

Morgan was selected first-team all-league catcher. Joey is a four-year varsity player, and finished this year with a batting average of .435. He put up 12 RBI during league play, and scored 14 runs for the Outlaws. He pitched 29 innings, and had a miniscule .875 ERA. Joey recorded 36 strike-outs over the course of conference play, and finished with a perfect 6-0 record on the mound. Morgan was also voted Most Valuable Player by his teammates.

"Joey is one of the best catchers in the state at all levels, and is the highest recruited catcher in the state," said Coach Steve Hodges. "He has a strong arm, and can shut down other teams' running game. He was also a dominant pitcher, and shut down other teams' offense. His fastball is in the mid-80s, and he has a great change-up. He pitched our opening game, and pitched in the semi-final.

"He's also a great batter," added Hodges. "He has good contact, can hit to all fields, and can hit in pressure situations."

Weems earned first-team recognition at infield. Jardon is also a four-year varsity starter, and played at third, and at catcher for the Outlaws. He hit .362, and was voted Mr. Team for inspiration.

"Jardon is an excellent defensive player, and is very versatile," stated Hodges. "He can make plays under pressure, and he can hit to the opposite field very well."

Harrer (junior) was selected first-team infield. Justin is a three-year varsity player, and hit .364 this year, and led the team with 12 stolen bases. He was also one of the Outlaws' pitchers, and had a league ERA of .950. Justin pitched 24 innings for the Outlaws, and was undefeated in league at 5-0. Justin was given the Slugger Award by his teammates.

"Justin has lots of power in his swing, and he's very fast on the bases," said Hodges. "He can do a lot at the plate. He's a multi-tool guy, and can hit for power and average, and he can bunt. When he pitches he keeps his fast-ball down, and he has a great breaking-pitch."

Freshman Ryan Funk also earned first-team honors (utility) and was voted Mr. Hustle by his teammates. Funk hit .429 during league play.

"Ryan is a very versatile young man," said Hodges. "He played with a lot of maturity this year. He hits for power, and can spin balls to all fields, which makes him a tough out."

Second-team all-league honors went to juniors Ben Larson, Cody Kreminski, Jonathan Luz, and sophomore Alex Olivier.

Larson was a second-team outfield selection and hit .400 during league. Ben played at right field, which according to Hodges is the toughest field to play in the Outlaws' ballpark. He was voted Most Improved by his teammates.

"Ben did a good defensive job for us, and has the ability to hit the ball to all fields," said Hodges.

Kreminski earned second-team all-league infield. Cody was injured part of his freshman season, and was out all last year with injuries. He came back this year, and did a great job at first base for the Outlaws.

"Cody has a lot of power, so he has pop in his bat," said Hodges. "He has the ability to hit extra base-hits. He's shown a lot of improvement coming back from injury."

Luz also earned second-team honors at infield. Jonathan played second base for the Outlaws.

"Jonathan has very good range, is very quick at second base, and can turn the double play," said Hodges. "He shows a lot of speed on the base path."

Sophomore Alex Olivier rounded out the all-league picks, and earned second-team all-league outfield. Alex played at center field, and was an excellent defensive player.

"Alex is a great outfielder, who covers a lot of ground, and takes a lot of hits away from batters," said Hodges. "He's also a very good base-stealer, and an excellent bunter."

Several players also earned all-state recognition. Joey Morgan was named first-team all-state catcher for the third year in a row: Jardon Weems was a third-team infielder all-state pick for the second year in a row, Justin Harrer earned second-team all-state infielder and Ryan Funk was honorable mention utility. Coach Steve Hodges was selected to coach in the senior all-state game in Roseburg.