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All-area baseball: Kyler Murray, Kent Myers, among dual sport stars on first-team

FIRST TEAM

Scott Balfantz, C, Irving Nimitz, Sr.

The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi signee was instrumental in helping turn Nimitz from cedar dweller (0-16 in district in 2010) to a playoff program (11 district wins and runner-up finish in 2014). A jack-of-all-trades (P/C/IF), Balfantz was the 6-5A MVP, hitting .344 with 37 RBIs, 16 runs and 16 doubles. He’s also his school’s valedictorian.

Kyler Murray, IF, Allen, Jr.

It’s no shock that the two-time football state championship MVP is as smooth on the diamond as he is on the field. The Texas A&M football pledge is the son of an 11 round MLB pick (father Kevin Murray) and the nephew of an All-American (uncle Calvin Murray). Murray hit .404, with nine home runs, 35 RBIs, 35 runs and 25 steals.

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J.T. VanGelder, IF, Frisco Liberty, Jr.

Frisco Liberty made the regional semifinals for the second-straight season, thanks in part to this slick-fielding second baseman. The District 9-4A defensive MVP, VanGelder didn’t commit an error over Liberty’s 14-game district schedule. Batting near the top of the lineup, he hit .397, with 25 RBIs and 26 steals.

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Kent Myers, IF, Sachse, Sr.

In an era where multi-sport athletes are a rarity, Myers showed it could be done at the highest level. The Utah State football signee was the District 11-5A MVP in baseball (as a shortstop) and football (as a quarterback). He finished with a .500 on-base percentage, 30 runs, and 22 steals – batting .444 with runners in scoring position.

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Brendan Venter, IF, Flower Mound Marcus, Jr.

District 5-5A was one of the most talent-laden districts in the state (its playoff teams went 14-3), and Venter was its MVP. The 6-3, 200-pound junior third baseman hit .294, with 20 RBIs, 10 doubles and 22 runs scored for the 5A Region I finalists. With a strong arm and quick bat, he will be one of the area’s biggest recruits in 2015.

Connor Wanhanen, OF, Flower Mound, Sr.

Wanhanen improved on a stellar junior season – where he was named to the SportsDayHS first team – by winning the 5A state title.  At the state tourney, the TCU signee went 4 for 7 with five runs scored. Flower Mound’s lead-off hitter and centerfielder, Wanhanen hit .421, scoring 52 runs and adding 10 doubles, 20 RBIs, and 21 steals.

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Steele Walker, OF, Prosper, Jr.

The 9-4A MVP announced on Tuesday that he was committing to Oklahoma – a fitting cap to a fantastic junior season. Walker posted a .516 on-base percentage, but he wasn’t a singles hitter. The centerfielder hit five home runs and 14 doubles, drove in 32 RBIs, scored 46 runs and added 13 steals for the Class 4A Region II semifinalists.

Cody Farhat, OF, Plano, Jr.

The Texas Tech pledge earned 10-5A MVP honors, helping Plano advance to the Class 5A Region II final. A centerfielder and lead-off hitter for Plano, Farhat terrorized opponents with his speed, posting team highs in runs (47) and steals (34). He hit .395, with three home runs, three triples, 12 doubles and 31 RBIs.

Garrett McCain, UTIL, Wylie East, Sr.

The 13-4A MVP and Oklahoma State signee went 9-1 with a 1.56 ERA and 96 strikeouts, hitting .493 with 33 RBIs, and 40 runs. Even in defeat, Wylie East’s left-handed ace came away looking impressive, allowing just four hits and one run in a 1-0 first-round loss, outdueled by Mount Pleasant’s Michael Kopech (a first-round MLB draft pick).

Joe Heineman, UTIL, Southlake Carroll, Sr.

Transitioning from a spot starter/reliever’s role into the heart of Carroll’s rotation, Heineman did so with a flourish. Named the District 4-5A MVP, he ended the season at 10-1, with a 0.89 ERA, two saves and 73 strikeouts for the 5A Region I semifinalists. Heineman also played shortstop, hitting .377 while providing solid defense.

Layne Looney, UTIL, Highland Park, Jr.

Highland Park coach Travis Yoder said that at the beginning of the 2014 season, he thought Looney might be a long reliever. Luckily, he stuck him into the rotation. The junior threw four no-hitters en route to unanimous 10-4A MVP honors, going 12-0 with a 0.88 ERA and 119 strikeouts. A part-time DH and catcher, he hit .370 with 20 RBIs.

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Jacob Patterson, P, Richardson Berkner,  Sr.

No one struck out batters with the same frequency as Patterson – but he didn’t do it by overpowering the opposition. Instead, the Texas Tech signee used pin-point control. Named 9-5A MVP, Patterson averaged nearly two strikeouts per inning (139 K in 71 IP), while walking only 10 batters. He finished the season at 6-3 with a sub-1.00 ERA.

Ben Leeper, P, Southlake Carroll, Jr.

The Stanford pledge and 4-5A pitching MVP was a huge reason why Carroll was considered a favorite for the 5A title, going 11-1 with a 0.90 ERA and 106 strikeouts. But it wasn’t meant to be; Leeper tore his UCL in the Region I quarterfinals against San Angelo Central, and Carroll lost to eventual champ Flower Mound in the following round.

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Tyler Ivey, P, Rockwall-Heath, Jr.

Ivey is another in the line of great pitchers developed by Heath coach Greg Harvey. The Texas A&M pledge pitched alongside Jake Thompson and Jovan Hernandez in 2012, going 5-3 as a freshman as Heath won the 4A title. This year, the junior was named the District 12-5A pitching MVP, going 12-2 with a 1.34 ERA and a team-high 117 strikeouts.

SECOND TEAM

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THIRD TEAM