Creston, Lenox athletes earn all-state baseball honors

Five area athletes earned all-state baseball honors following the 2024 season.

Creston had junior Parker Varner and senior Cael Turner were named to the Class 3A all-state third team.

Lenox had sophomore Dawson Evans earn second-team Class 1A all-state honors while senior Carter Reed and junior Gabe Funk were recognized on the third team.

Creston

Varner earned his all-state spot as a pitcher after earning both all-conference and all-district honors at the position.

Varner excelled in multiple statistics including wins (9), pitching appearances (17), pitching starts (13), innings pitched (69) and opponents at bat (270).

His 13 starts was the most by any pitcher in the state and his 17 appearances tied him at second-highest in the state.

He had 77 strikeouts, the 11th most in the state.

Varner lost only two games he started and came in to save one game. His nine wins on the mound tied for third-best in the state.

In nearly 300 batters, he walked only 11. His 1.52 ERA was a team-low.

Turner was an asset to the Panthers in many areas of the game, placing on all-district and all-state spots as a utility player.

He primarily pitched and played shortstop defensively for the Panthers this season.

Turner’s 71 strikeouts this season was the 17th best in the state. He pitched 12 games this season. His ERA was 2.70.

At short stop, Turner led the defense in assists with 58. He had 27 outs himself and a .895 fielding percentage.

Turner had a .405 batting average. His 15 doubles was ninth-best in the state. This season he scored 30 runs and had 22 RBIs.

Lenox

Evans earned his position as a shortstop, though it was his prowess at the plate that makes him stand out.

His five triples ranks third in the state and his 72 total bases ranks fifth.

He also ranked in the top 10 in doubles (12) and hits (44).

Despite being named as a shortstop, he was also a stellar pitcher for the Tigers. He pitched 10 games, striking out 35 batters and allowing 20 runs for a 1.45 ERA. Against him, batters had a .149 batting average.

In the infield, he had 35 outs and 48 assists on 94 chances for a .883 fielding percentage.

Reed earned his position as a catcher, but also served the Tigers as a pitcher.

His senior season was capped by a five-inning perfect game against Sidney, 10-0, in their postseason opener.

He pitched 10 games for the Tigers, winning five with a 2.01 ERA. His 53 strikeouts led the Lenox bullpen. On defense, his fielding percentage was .967 with 86 outs, 33 assists and only four errors on 123 total chances.

At catcher, he only allowed four stolen bases, a statistic that sets him apart from other Class 1A catchers.

On the plate he had 27 hits, 27 runs and led the Tigers with 25 RBIs. With nine walks and 12 times hit by the pitch, his on-base percentage was .453.

Funk, a state track and field champion, had 29 stolen bases on 31 attempts. It ranked 20th in the state. His 38 runs were second only to teammate Reed’s 39. With 30 hits, 16 walks and 10 times hit by the pitch, Funk’s on-base percentage was .505.

Named as an outfielder, Funk had 41 outs and 14 assists on 58 chances. With only three errors, he had a .948 fielding percentage.