By MICHAEL MURRAY

AMERICUS – The Southland Academy Raiders baseball program recently released the team’s Region 3-IAAA selections for the 2017 season.
Four Raiders were named to the All-Region team for their performances on the diamond this past spring, while one more team member earned Honorable Mention accolades.
Southland’s Harrison Bell, Hunter McCain, Michael Hudgins, and George Wall were each named to the All-Region squad.
Bell, a junior, racked up a .407 batting average in the spring of 2017, collecting five doubles, two homeruns, and 16 RBIs along the way. Bell crossed the plate 13 times for the Raiders this year.
As a pitcher for the Raiders, Bell tossed 23 innings, building up a 3.04 ERA and sending 24 prospective batters back to the dugout.
Upon Bell’s receipt of the All-Region honors, Southland head baseball coach, John Brady, told the Times-Recorder, “Harrison was our rock in the middle of our lineup. He was fantastic for us at the plate and gave us a chance to win when he was on the mound.”
Freshman, Hunter McCain, was also named to the All-Region team as a result of his .389 batting average last season, in which he tallied six doubles, 13 RBIs, and 13 runs scored. McCain spent 28 innings on the mound for the Raiders, dispatching 20 hopeful batters.
Following the announcement, Brady told the Times-Recorder, “Hunter had an outstanding year defensively at shortstop and really came on at the plate the second half of the year. He also logged some very important innings on the mound toward the end of the year.”
Hudgens, one of only two seniors on the team for the 2017 season, was the team’s go-to pitcher. Hudgens earned his spot on the All-Region team with a 2.93 ERA, striking out 31 opponents along the way and giving up only 10 walks. On Hudgins’ appointment to the All-Region team, Brady stated, “Michael had a great year leading us on the mound. He pounded the strike zone. Every time he was out there, he would give us a chance.”
Finally, sophomore, George Wall, earned the team’s final spot on the All-Region crew after putting together an impressive .340 batting average and drawing 10 walks during the season. Wall struck out only three times this spring and crossed the plate 14 times. In addition to his contributions in the batter’s box, Wall was a valuable asset from behind the plate as well. As a catcher for the Raiders, Wall threw out 10 runners attempting to steal.
“George really came on both offensively and defensively this season,” Brady said after the announcement. “He absolutely controlled the running game for us.”
Sophomore, Will Hubbard, earned honorable mention in the selection process with a batting average of .277 and only three strikeouts in the season. Hubbard crossed the plate 10 times this spring. On the hill for the Raiders, Hubbard did 17 innings’ worth of work, putting away 16 foes. When not on the mound, Hubbard served the Raiders at second base and did not commit any errors from that position throughout the season.
“Will did a great job for us in every facet of the game, especially defensively,” Brady stated. “At second, he was flawless and he played great at shortstop when Hunter pitched.”
Brady also announced that senior, Tyler Harrell, had been chosen to represent the Raiders in the senior All-Star game. “Tyler played really well for us in the outfield this season,” Brady said. “I’m very happy he was chosen to play one more time.”
In conclusion, Brady lamented to the Times-Recorder that the Raiders didn’t have any players selected for the All-State team. “I believe we had one or two that were very deserving,” he said. “That is just how the vote goes sometimes.”