Vote: Who is the best high school corner infielder in baseball in Battle Creek area?
BATTLE CREEK - The B.O.B. is back!
B.O.B. stands for the Best Of Battle Creek. Each week throughout the spring, we are going to ask, "Who is the Best Of Battle Creek?" as we look at each position in baseball and softball among the city and area high school teams.
Nominations for each position come from the area baseball and softball coaches with a little information on each player, and then it will be up to the Enquirer readers to decide who is the B.O.B.?
MORE:
Area's Top Pitchers in High School Baseball
Area's Top Catchers in High School Baseball
Each week we will give readers choices from the area high school baseball and softball teams and open our online poll for voting — with a winner decided by the following Tuesday.
VOTE HERE:Who is the top high school Corner Infielder in baseball in Battle Creek area?
Or, scroll down to the bottom of the story for the online poll.
Next up to bat in baseball are the corner infielders on the city and area teams.
Here are the nominations:
Brock Butler
School: Homer
Class: Sophomore
Why he is the 1B/3B in the Battle Creek area: A great leader with a high baseball IQ, Brock Butler is hitting in the middle of the Homer lineup and is among the top offensive producers for the Trojans as a sophomore. Playing first base, Butler is hitting .393 with a .533 on-base percentage.
Landon Evans
School: Gull Lake
Class: Senior
Why he is the 1B/3B in the Battle Creek area: Earning honorable mention all-league honors last year, Landon Evans is having a big senior season as he is hitting .390 with eight extra-base hits and eight stolen bases in the early going. A good defensive first baseman that combines great speed with power, he has committed to play at Calvin College next year.
Gavin Eyre
School: Climax-Scotts/St. Philip co-op
Class: Junior
Why he is the 1B/3B in the Battle Creek area: A player that can do a little of everything for the Climax-Scotts/St. Philip co-op team, Gavin Eyre excels at third base and can also pitch. At the plate, he is hitting .467 with an on-base percentage of .667 with 20 runs scored. On the mound, he has struck out 25 in 14 innings with a 2.44 ERA.
Owen Jackson
School: Union City
Class: Senior
Why he is the 1B/3B in the Battle Creek area: A four-year starter and a member of the Union City district title team in 2022, Owen Jackson moved to first base this year and is a captain and emotional leader for the Chargers. An honorable mention all-league pick a year ago, he is batting .281 this year with 15 runs scored and 11 stolen bases.
Caden Overby
School: Pennfield
Class: Junior
Why he is the 1B/3B in the Battle Creek area: A second-year varsity player with standout skills, Caden Overby is a solid defensive first baseman for Pennfield with a .927 fielding percentage. The junior is key to the Panther lineup, batting in the top part of the lineup throughout the season and is the leading returner on the team in most offensive categories.
James Shelton
School: Battle Creek Central
Class: Junior
Why he is the 1B/3B in the Battle Creek area: James Shelton is a key piece of an improving Battle Creek Central club. Batting .294 at third base, he is a major part of the Bearcats lineup and has shown good speed on the bases with 16 stolen bases.
Jackson Sinclair
School: Olivet
Class: Senior
Why he is the 1B/3B in the Battle Creek area: Jackson Sinclair is having a standout senior season for Olivet as the three-year starter was an all-league selection a year ago and has built on that in his final campaign with the Eagles. This season, Sinclair is hitting .347 at the plate and has shown excellent defensive skills with only three errors over the past three years.
Blake Wagner
School: Harper Creek
Class: Junior
Why he is the 1B/3B in the Battle Creek area: A second-year varsity player, Blake Wagner has been a big bat in the Harper Creek lineup this year with a .438 batting average and a .591 on-base percentage. A leader on the infield for the Beavers, the first baseman is also a standout defensive player with a .957 fielding percentage.
Memphis Wirtz
School: Lakeview
Class: Freshman
Why he is the 1B/3B in the Battle Creek area: Memphis Wirtz has had a great start to his high school career. The freshman is hitting in the middle of a potent Lakeview lineup and driving in runs by the bunches. With a breakout campaign, the first baseman has had an easy transition to varsity baseball.
Contact Bill Broderick at bbroderi@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow him on Twitter @billbroderick.
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This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: Who is best 1B/3B in high school baseball in Battle Creek area?