1A CENTRAL LEAGUE: Tonopah, ace Serfoss net honors

Tonopah baseball coach Clark Jewett named senior Cody Serfoss the team captain after his junior season.

The ace right-hander “took the reins and led by example,” Jewett said, and it showed throughout his final season with the Muckers.

Serfoss went 9-3 and led Tonopah with 76 strikeouts, en route to the Muckers’ 21-10 record and a tie for the Class 1A Central League title. League coaches recently voted him league Player of the Year.

“If I needed a win, I went to him every time,” Jewett said. “There weren’t too many kids who could catch up to his fastball. He throws really hard.”

Serfoss, who also played shortstop, led Tonopah with a .551 batting average, and was second on the team with four home runs and 48 RBIs.

The Muckers bounced back from a 1-4 start to reel off 10 wins in a row, and finished one victory shy of a spot in the 1A state tournament.

Tonopah freshman pitcher Emitt Davis, junior third baseman Kalei Elliott, junior outfielder Julian Hirsch and senior utility player Reese Jones also received first-team all-league honors.

Second-team recognition went to Tonopah sophomore first baseman Taylor McLauchlin and freshman second baseman Seth Littlefield.

Jewett shared Coach of the Year with Beatty’s Brian Hayes, whose Hornets tied Tonopah at 7-1 atop the Central League standings.

The first team was filled out by Round Mountain senior pitcher Justin Browning, freshman shortstop Sergio Chavez and senior outfielder Kyle Winters; and Beatty junior catcher Isaias Flores, sophomore first baseman Jose Moreno, junior second baseman Ivan Maldonado and junior outfielder Ramiro Hernandez.

Second-team honors went to sophomore pitcher Ricardo Pelayo of Beatty; junior pitcher Curtis Shank and sophomore outfielder Gatlin Houston of Round Mountain; sophomore catcher Xavier Pena, junior third baseman Adam Reinke, senior shortstop Matt Johnson, junior outfielder Chasen Malden and senior utility player Ben Kirby of Indian Springs; and outfielder Jacob Villanueva of Spring Mountain.