East Lincoln's Hills leads All-SPC baseball team

East Lincoln’s Parker Hills was voted Southern Piedmont 1A/2A Conference baseball player of the year by the league’s head coaches, the league announced Monday.

Hills, a junior catcher/pitcher, batted .371 with a team-best five home runs during the regular season and compiled a 6-3 pitching record with one save, a 1.94 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 39 2/3 innings. He led the Mustangs to a third-place tie in the SPC’s regular-season standings. East Lincoln later won the conference tournament and reached the second round of the 2A state playoffs.

Highland Tech’s Rob Schafer was voted the league’s coach of the year even though the Rams finished last in the seven-team SPC with an 0-12 record. Schafer, in his fourth season as Highland Tech’s head coach, did field one his most competitive teams, however. The Rams finished 2-17 overall.

You can reach Phillip Gardner at 704-869-1843.

All-Southern Piedmont 1A/2A Conference baseball team

North Lincoln (5) — Josh Belk, Byron Sherrill, Johnny Walker, Daniel Courtney, Andrew Stidham

Cherryville (4) — Thomas Bess, Ryan Craft, Dylan Hastings, Blake Mosteller

Bessemer City (3) — Seth Weekly, Luke Kiser, Travis Blake

East Lincoln (3) — Jarrett Ross, Parker Hills, Clayton Dellinger

West Lincoln (3) — Trey Drewery, Cameron High, Dustin Richardson

Lincolnton (2) — Jacob Hoover, Drew Kirksey

Highland Tech (1) — Heath Leagon

Player of the year — Parker Hills, East Lincoln

Coach of the year — Rob Schafer

Final Southern Piedmont standings

Team                  Conf        All

North Lincoln          11-1          16-8

Cherryville            8-4            16-9

East Lincoln           7-5            18-10

Bessemer City       7-5            13-12

West Lincoln           7-5            11-14

Lincolnton              2-10          3-17

Highland Tech        0-12          2-17