Wildcats Well Represented In All-District Awards

The 2025 season was an incredible one for the Sulphur Springs Wildcats, winning 20 games for the first time since 2013 and making it to the Area round of the playoffs for the first time since 2018. Now with the season finally completed, the All-District awards have been released and the Wildcats were represented very well. 

Defensive Player of the Year
Senior Alex Macias was named Defensive Player of the Year, after a career of being one of the most consistent and best defensive infielders in the region. Not only was Macias an elite defensive shortstop, but he also had by far the best offensive season of his career, hitting .338 with an OPS of 1.038.

The senior shortstop also had three triples, six doubles, one home run, 19 RBI, 29 runs scored and 14 stolen bases, all of which were Top 3 for the Wildcats this season. Coach Colt Gresham and the Wildcats are fortunate enough to be returning a vast majority of their talent for the 2026 season, but Macias will leave big shoes to fill as one of the few graduates.

Pitcher of the Year
Alex Whittle looked great as a freshman in 2024 and like someone who could potentially win a Pitcher of the Year award at some point in his career. Just a year later, Whittle was able to accomplish that as just a sophomore, leading the Wildcats pitching staff and helping them have their best season of the 2020’s. The lefty pitched in 12 games and made 10 starts, ending the year with a record of 7-3, with an incredible 1.66 ERA and a WHIP of 1.153.

Over 59 innings pitched, Whittle had a team-high 59 strikeouts and perhaps even more impressive, walked only 15 batters. Over a third of his innings were 1-2-3 innings and he held opponents to a .231 average, proving that he was not only a great strikeout pitcher but a very efficient pitcher in general. 

Few pitcher’s have looked better and accomplished more through their sophomore seasons, and with still two years left to headline the Wildcats pitching staff, the future looks very bright for both Whittle and the Wildcats. 

Newcomer of the Year
Perhaps the least shocking award of the year went to Deacon Carpenter, who was named Newcomer of the Year after one of the most impressive Freshman campaigns you’ll ever see. Carpenter hit .301 with an OPS of .974 over 117 plate appearances this year and led the team in both home runs (2) and doubles (8), along with 15 RBI. The freshman also had 30 runs scored and a ridiculous 24 stolen, both of which were team-high’s as well. 

Carpenter wasn’t just a huge contributor as a position player, but also as a pitcher, going 3-4 with a 3.11 ERA and a WHIP of 1.242 in 13 games pitched. The Newcomer of the Year struck out 58 batters in 42.2 innings pitched and perhaps most impressive of all, held opponents to a .164 batting average against him. 

As a pitcher, Carpenter spent his freshman season getting a lot of swings and misses and allowing very few hits, while doing the exact opposite of those things as a hitter himself. For most players, Carpenter wouldn’t have allowed for a ton of room to grow, but for the Newcomer of the Year, this incredible Freshman season was just the beginning of what looks to be a very decorated career as a Sulphur Springs Wildcat. 

1st Team All District 
Kaden Mitchell, Sr, Pitcher- Between his decorated career in both football and baseball, Kaden Mitchell is no stranger to the All-District awards. Mitchell left it all on the field his senior year, having arguably the best year of his career, both as a pitcher and a position player. 

On the mound this year, to say Mitchell’s numbers were ridiculous would be an understatement. Over 10 appearances and seven starts, Mitchell was a perfect 6-0 with a 1.17 ERA and a 1.009 WHIP. The senior had 48 strikeouts and just 23 walks in 35.2 innings pitched and held opposing hitters to an average of just .112 against him. 

All of that alone would have been enough to earn him All-District honors, but Mitchell was every bit as impressive at the plate as well, hitting .414 with a 1.052 WHIP in 104 plate appearances. Mitchell also had eight doubles, two triples, 20 RBI and 28 runs scored, being one of the best hitters and pitchers in East Texas. 

He was also selected as a THSBCA All-Star at 3B and will play in the small school All-Star game in Round Rock this coming Saturday at 12 p.m. Because of this, he was also selected as part of the 4A All-State Elite Team at 3B.

Jaxon Virgel, Fr, Outfield- The Wildcats were not only one of the better teams in their region in 2025, but one of the youngest as well, with a majority of their big contributors being underclassmen. Freshman Jaxon Virgel was one of the biggest of those and was named 1st Team All-District after hitting .333 with an .805 OPS in 99 plate appearances. 

Not only was the freshman impressive, but was at his best when the moments were the biggest, leading the team with a .406 average with runners in scoring posistion and having the second most 2-out RBI on the team. 

Virgel was great at the plate, and even better in clutch situations, and proved to be just as good on the base path’s and in the outfield. Now with a full season and multiple postseason series’ already under his belt, Virgel has a chance to be one of the best players in the region over the next three seasons. 

Sam Gamblin, Fr, Catcher- Yet another one of the young bright spots for the Sulphur Springs Wildcats is freshman catcher Sam Gamblin. Gamblin made a great debut, hitting .288 on the season with a .723 OPS, along with three doubles and 11 RBI. 

Perhaps even more impressive than his offense was his defense, especially in a premiere position behind the plate. Gamblin offered a high level of offensive production from a position that usually is lacking, and showed great leadership as a freshman. Coach Gresham and Co. will be thrilled to have such an important position locked up for the next three seasons and to see the heights Gamblin can reach after an explosive freshman year. 

2nd Team All-District

Ty Holt, Sr, Pitcher- The third and final Senior on the All-District list for the Wildcats is Ty Holt, who finished with the best year of his career. Holt made the most appearances on the mound of any Wildcat in 2025, pitching in 14 games. 

The senior finished the season without a single loss to his record, going 1-0 and was also perfect in his two save opportunities. In 22 innings pitched, Holt was incredibly efficient, finishing the year with an ERA of 1.27, allowing just four earned runs all season and allowed just five walks, while racking up 14 strikeouts along the way. 

Holt also made the most of his opportunities at the plate and came up big in clutch situations, having the sixth-most RBI on the team (13), despite having just the 10th most plate appearances (54). The senior also had incredible plate discipline, drawing a walk once ever 6.8 plate appearances, a number that was third best on the team. 

Whether it was on the mound, at first base or at the plate, Holt continuously made big contributions for the Wildcats and was part of a Senior class who saw the Wildcats not only snap their postseason drought, but also won their first playoff series in almost a decade. While accolades are great recognition for the significance a player made for their team, the roles that Holt, Macias, Mitchell and this senior class can’t be emphasized or stressed enough in the rebuild of the Sulphur Springs Wildcats baseball program. 

Mason Davis, So, Outfield- Yet another underclassmen who had a breakout season for the Wildcats was sophomore Mason Davis, who made a name for himself patrolling right field in 2025. The sophomore hit for a .267 average in 72 plate appearances and was even better in clutch situations, hitting an impressive .304 with runners in scoring position. 

While Davis made strong contributions at the plate, he arguably made even bigger contributions with his speed and his glove. Davis had the fourth most stolen bases on the team (14) and played great defensively in right field, even securing their 4-3 playoff win against Community by making a diving catch to end the game. 

Davis joins Carpenter and Virgel, who each played heavy amounts of time in the outfield for the Wildcats in 2025 on the All-District team. With all three of them returning for at least two more seasons, the Wildcats will have plenty of reliable options to hold down the outfield for them and will be doing so, already with playoff experience under their belt. The 2024 and 2025 seasons were great for Sulphur Springs, but 2026-2028 look to have the potential to be even better, with a great young cast returning for multiple seasons. 

Corbin Argenbright, Jr, Utility- Junior Corbin Argenbright was named 2nd Team All-District as the utility man, which was very fitting, given the versatility that Argenbright brings to the team. In 2025 Argenbright contributed in a number of ways, from pitching, to hitting, to catching, to multiple infield posistions. 

Offensively, the junior hit .261 in 96 plate appearances, with 11 RBI and nine runs scored, with five of his RBI coming with two outs. He also appeared in five games as a pitcher, keeping a solid ERA of 3.31, providing the Wildcats with depth in a number of ways. 

Argenbright will be one of the few seniors once again next season, and now has multiple years of varsity experience, giving him the opportunity to not only lead the team as a experienced veteran, but one who can fill in wherever he’s needed the most at any given moment. 

Honorable Mention 

Lane Fouse, Jr, First Base- Junior Lane Fouse marks the 10th Wildcat to get All-District honors, as he was named to the Honorable Mention list. In a year full of milestones, reaching the double-digit mark in players earning All-Distirct honors is yet another the Wildcats added to the list. 

Fouse was one of the oldest and most experienced Wildcats in 2025, and will look to take his leadership to an even higher level in 2026, after a strong junior campaign. Fouse saw over 100 plate appearances and finished the year with a .244 average, along with 15 walks, which was third best on the team. 

Not only did Fouse consistently get on base, but had 15 RBI and 17 runs scored on the season, both of which were fourth or better on the team. Fouse saw his average rise to .273 with runners in scoring position, coming through in clutch situations and driving in runs when the opportunity presented itself. 

While the Wildcats are in a great position and return a vast majority of the team next season, it will still be a pretty young team, considerably speaking. Players like Fouse and Argenbright and their veteran leadership will come in handy in 2026.