The Kentucky High School Baseball Coaches Association released their All-State teams on Monday with five Northern Kentucky student-athletes on it.
Making the first team was Covington Catholic junior Jackson Reardon, Ryle sophomore AJ Curry made the second team while Cooper senior Mark Nowak, Ryle senior Sam Eppley and Campbell County sophomore Tyler Schumacher made the third team.
Reardon won 9th Region Player of the Year honors and NKAC Division I co-Player of the Year and was named to the NKAC and NKBC All-Conference teams. He hit .463 this season with a team-high 15 doubles, six triples and tied for a team-high three homeruns. Reardon stole 20 bases and walked (18 times) more than he did striking out (14 times) in 121 official at-bats. Reardon was the Colonels primary shortstop and has committed to the University of Cincinnati.
Curry was the NKAC Division I co-Player of the Year with Reardon, NKBC Division I Player of the Year and selected as a sophomore showcase All-Star for the 9th Region. He led the state in batting average for the majority of the season, finishing with a .571 batting average in helping the Raiders to a 9th Region championship and state quarterfinal appearance. Curry’s first season in Union was one for the record books, breaking the program’s single-season hits record with 72 hits on the year. On top of leading the team in hits and batting average, he led the Raiders in runs scored (43), RBI (35), doubles (20), homeruns (6) and walks (31). Curry also pitched 21 innings this season with a 2-2 record and two saves, sporting a 2.33 ERA. He struck out 35 batters and walked 18.
Nowak made the NKAC All-Conference team and NKAC All-Conference team. He led the Jaguars in batting average (.411), at-bats (107), hits (44), runs scored (32), RBI (22), doubles (10), triples (4), stolen bases (28) and struck out just five times in 107 official at-bats. He also threw 34 innings for the Jaguars this season with a 2.26 ERA. He struck out 60 batters compared to just 18 walks.
Eppley was one of the aces for the Ryle staff this season, going 7-2 with a 2.16 ERA in 55 innings pitched. He struck out 86 batters and walked 30 and allowed 35 hits. At the plate, he hit .280 with 13 RBI and 10 doubles in 93 at-bats.
Schumacher led the Camels in hitting with a .424 batting average in 99 at-bats. His 42 hits were tops for the team, along with triples (3), and tied for first in doubles (8). On the bump, Schumacher posted a 5-1 record with a 2.80 ERA in 35 innings pitched. He struck out 43 batters to 17 walks.
McCracken County’s Miller Green was named 2024 Mr. Baseball.