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David Leong
Mountain Brook's Caleb Barnett (9) waits for the pitch during a game between Mountain Brook and Boaz on Friday, Apr. 4, 2025, at Mountain Brook High School in Birmingham, AL. Photo by David Leong.
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David Leong
Mountain Brook pitcher Bryant Diddell (11) throws a pitch during a game between Mountain Brook and Boaz on Friday, Apr. 4, 2025, at Mountain Brook High School in Birmingham, AL. Photo by David Leong.
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Photo by James Nicholas
Mountain Brook Baseball
Mountain Brook infielder Paul Barnett (4) during a game between Mountain Brook and Gardendale High Schools on Friday, May. 2nd, 2025, at Gardendale High School Baseball Field. Photo by James Nicholas
The Alabama Sports Writers Association has released its 2025 all-state baseball team, recognizing some of the top performers from this spring.
Several standout players from local schools earned honors across Classes 7A, 6A and 5A.
Mountain Brook had three players earn spots in Class 6A. Senior Caleb Barnett made the first team as a designated hitter, while junior pitcher Bryant Diddell and sophomore Paul Barnett, who was named a designated hitter, both landed on the second team.
Caleb Barnett hit five homers and drove in 28 runs, finishing with a .521 on-base percentage. Diddell went 5-3 on the mound, posing a 1.84 earned run average, striking out 85 hitters. Paul Barnett also hit five homers, knocking in 29 runs.
Hewitt-Trussville led the way among local teams with five players honored. Senior Steele Hall was named the Class 7A Player of the Year and earned first-team honors as an infielder. The Tennessee signee capped off a stellar career by sparking the Huskies offense all season long. Pitcher Christian Helmers joined Hall on the first team after another strong campaign.
Hall wreaked havoc on opposing teams, hitting for a .484 average, with 60 hits, eight homers and 35 RBIs. He stole 33 bases and finished with a .554 OBP. Helmers posted a 9-1 record and 1.55 ERA. He threw a no-hitter as well.
Freshman Hudson Mitchell made a name for himself by earning second-team recognition as a pitcher. Senior designated hitter Cooper Huffman was also on the second team, and catcher Drew Ollis was selected as an honorable mention.
Mitchell was dominant in his freshman season, winning 11 games with a 1.11 ERA. Huffman hit for a .351 average with 32 RBIs. Ollis had a .495 OBP.
Vestavia Hills also had four players earn all-state honors. Junior outfielder Cross Tonsmeire and senior designated hitter Will Langston were named to the 7A first team. Junior infielder Gavin Smith made the second team, and senior William Tonsmeire received honorable mention in the outfield.
Cross Tonsmeire got on base at a .526 clip and stole 21 bases. Langston hit four homers and drove in 31 runs. Smith knocked in 40 runs and had a .544 OBP. William Tonsmeire had a .500 OBP as well.
Hoover placed two players on the Class 7A first team. Outfielder Will Adams and designated hitter Jaxson Wood, both juniors, were key contributors for the Bucs and earned well-deserved recognition.
Adams was one of the top players in the state. He got on base at a .608 clip, hitting eight home runs, tallying 46 hits and earning 35 walks. Wood also hit eight home runs, knocking in 43 runs.
Chelsea’s Aiden Hughes was selected as the Class 6A Player of the Year and made the first team as a pitcher following a dominant senior season. His teammate Paxton Stallings earned honorable mention as a utility player. Hughes hit .442 in addition to his exploits on the mound. He posted a perfect 9-0 mark with an 0.94 ERA. Stallings had a 2.14 ERA on the mound and knocked in 29 runs.
Homewood’s Jack Ross was a first-team selection as a pitcher in Class 6A. Senior Will Dobbins also made the second team as an infielder after a strong season at the plate and in the field. Ross posted a 10-1 record with a 1.15 ERA, firing two shutouts. Dobbins hit .391 and drove in 34 runs.
Briarwood freshman Ivan Hand was named to the Class 5A second team as a pitcher, turning heads with a standout debut varsity season. Hand went a perfect 8-0 with a 1.46 ERA.
