4A All-State: State champ Sugar-Salem and Marsh Valley top postseason honors

SUGAR CITY — East Idaho’s top 4A teams were well represented on the All-State baseball teams released this week.

State champion Sugar-Salem took top individual honors as senior Dawson McInelly was selected Player of the Year and Brady Gardner was tabbed Coach of the Year after leading the Diggers to a second straight state title and 22-4 record.

Sugar-Salem landed three more players on the first team and Marsh Valley, which finished third in the state tournament, earned two first-team selections.

McInelly was named Idaho Gatorade Player of the Year earlier this month after hitting .558 with a .663 on-base percentage and a 1.325 slugging percentage. He also led the state with 14 home runs. On the mound, he finished 8-0 with a 0.31 earned run average.

The Diggers’ Jackson Gardner was also a two-way threat, finishing 8-1 with a 1.57 ERA and 72 strikeouts while also hitting .337 with 39 RBIs and three homers.

Senior Will Chappell hit .488 with eight home runs and 33 RBIs for the Diggers and is a BYU signee.

Ben Aldrich had a big state title game, hitting a home run and earning the win with four scoreless innings on the mound. He hit .395 with four home runs and 24 RBIs after missing all of last season with an injury.

Marsh Valley’s duo of Tate Whitworh and Bo Larsen were a force in the lineup.

Whitworth finished with 55 hits, nine triples and scored 56 runs while hitting .556.

Larsen, a catcher and third baseman, hit .522 with four home runs, 42 RBIs and added 17 stolen bases.

4A

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Dawson McInelly, Sugar-Salem, sr., SS/P

COACH OF THE YEAR: Brady Gardner, Sugar-Salem

Note: All-Idaho teams are selected by the state’s coaches. The Idaho Statesman publishes the results.

ALL-STATE FIRST TEAM

Titus Vidlak, Fruitland, so., SS/2B

Jackson Gardner, Sugar-Salem, sr., P/2B

Tate Whitworth, Marsh Valley, jr., SS/P

Jahzyon Sylva, Payette, jr., SS/P

Quinn Hood, Fruitland, sr., 1B/DH

Bo Larsen, Marsh Valley, sr., 3B/C

Will Chappell, Sugar-Salem, sr., CF

Chance Martell, Homedale, jr., SS/C

Carson Kile, Cole Valley Christian, so., 3B/P

Ben Aldrich, Sugar-Salem, sr., 3B

Blake Wilson, Cole Valley Christian, sr., UTIL/DH

ALL-STATE SECOND TEAM

Kace Malstrom, Sr., RF, Sugar-Salem
Eric Wylie, Jr. P/3B, Timberlake
Lukas Hall, Jr., C/RF, Homedale
Ruger Scott, Sr., P/CF, Marsh Valley
Nate Grosvenor, So., RF/C, Fruitland
Owen Baker, Jr., P/3B, Fruitland
Hank Carter, Sr., 1B, Sugar-Salem
Luke Nelson, Jr., SS/P, Teton
MaCraye Bruning, Jr., SS, Kimberly
Bryce Johnson, Sr., CF/1B, South Fremont
Lucas Guray, So., CF/P, Cole Valley Christian