The Mount Pleasant Tigers put up their best season since 2014 and were strongly rewarded with a stout showing on the District 15-5A All-District team this week.  Head coach Tommy Stewart led the Tigers to an overall finish of 14-10-3 and a second-place district finish at 8-4.  The Tigers took Nacogdoches to three games in the first round of the playoffs, narrowly missing out on their first playoff series win in 8 years.  Mount Pleasant notched 11 district awards, a testament to the player’s hard work and team-first mentality that led to their success on the field.

Senior Keller Thompson was named a district All-Star nominee and 1st Team First Base. Thompson led the Tigers in multiple batting categories with 43 hits, 12 doubles, 5 home runs, 21 RBI, and 23 runs scored to go along with a .524/.576/.854 slash line.  Sophomore Harrison Wall was named district Sophomore of the Year for his performance on the mound. In 9 starts, Wall struck out 56 batters in 40.2 innings pitched for a 3-2 record and 1 save with a 1.89 ERA and 1.18 WHIP.

First Team All-District winners were seniors Jacob Bristow (RP), Braden Duff (OF), Tyson Minter (OF), and Skyler Nelson (IF).  Bristow was a key reliever from the bullpen making a team-high 15 appearances and putting up a solid 4-0 record with a 2.17 ERA and striking out 51 batters in only 38.2 innings pitched.  Duff anchored the outfield and was solid at the plate posting a .365/.476/.529 line finishing second on the team in hits, doubles, triples, RBI, and runs scored.  Minter was solid in the field with a .926 fielding percentage and led the team in walks with 24.  Nelson was the second best hitter for the Tigers with a line of .383/.490/.543 including 31 hits and 17 walks.

Second Team honors went to seniors Layne Pinckard (C) and Evan Grissom (OF) along with sophomores Mason McMinn (UTIL) and Drew Dyke (P).  Pinckard was the primary catcher for the Tigers leading the team with 187 putouts and a .975 fielding percentage.  Grissom played the outfield and was the second on the team with a .968 fielding percentage.  McMinn played mainly middle infield finishing third on the team with 5 double plays and Dyke started 13 games posting a 5-3 record with a 3.93 ERA and 58 strikeouts in 53.1 innings.

Honorable Mention went to designated hitter Will Luck.  Luck was posting a solid .256/.464/.308 line before suffering an ankle injury during district play that ended his season prematurely.

By Drew Barkley
Photos by John Whitten