ALL-CCC BASEBALL: STJ's Dickens earns Player of the Year honor

St. James senior Jimmy Dickens suffered a season-ending injury but did enough to earn the All-CCC Player of the Year honor. (File Photo)

By TIM GAYLE

No one ever questioned Jimmy Dickens’ determination to win.

The senior outfielder for St. James was pitching in the regular season finale when he suffered a freak injury that threatened to sideline him for the upcoming 3A state playoffs.

“At Holtville, right before the playoffs, he dislocated his kneecap,” St. James coach Keith Lucky said. “He popped it back into place behind the mound at Holtville and finished that game. Then he couldn’t walk on it for two or three days and we’re fixing to start playoffs.

“I’m just proud of him for gutting it out in the playoffs because I needed his bat in the lineup.”

Dickens was the leading hitter for the Trojans this season, batting .411 with an on-base percentage of .566. He had 37 hits, eight doubles, two triples and four home runs. He led the team in runs scored (32), drove in 30 more runs and was 15 of 16 in stolen bases. He also started the third game of every area series and had 47 strikeouts and an earned run average of 3.80 in 35 innings.

Capital City Conference coaches voted Dickens as the CCC Player of the Year.  

“He’s got the size, the arm strength, the speed, plus he’s a left-handed hitter,” Lucky said. “The whole season, he never tapered off. He was the most consistent guy at the plate, day in, day out. He’s just one of those players that every coach would love to have. He never got too high, he never got too low. He really works. I’ve never seen him not. There’s just that drive to win.”

Capital City Conference coaches selected first-year Montgomery Academy coach Brad Parker as the CCC Coach of the Year after leading the Eagles to their first playoff berth since 2019.

“Our guys, preseason, did our goals for the season and they all wanted to make the playoffs,” Parker said. “None of them had ever been to the playoffs. I told them they only get one chance to change it all in this first year and they really bought in. I was super proud of them. They put in the time and the effort. As a team, the thing I’m most proud of is how much grittier we played, a little bit more of a blue-collar mentality.”

ALL-CAPITAL CITY CONFERENCE BASEBALL TEAM

1B -- Charlie Cutler, Sr., St. James

2B -- Mason Hawkins, Sr., Trinity

3B -- Hays Marks, Fr., Montgomery Academy

SS -- Reid McBride, So., Montgomery Academy

C -- Sal Barranco, Jr., Catholic
OF -- Jimmy Dickens, Sr., St. James

OF -- Fred Lewis, Jr., Catholic

OF -- William Marks, Jr., Montgomery Academy

P -- PJ Shelton, Sr., Trinity
P -- Ethan Levanda, So., Catholic
P -- Vincent Desautels, So., Montgomery Academy
DH -- Teilan Long, So., Alabama Christian
Util -- Land Sharpless, Fr., Trinity

PLAYER OF THE YEAR -- Jimmy Dickens, St. James

COACH OF THE YEAR -- Brad Parker, Montgomery Academy

Honorable Mention: Wilson Aman, So., 2B, St. James; Will Blackwell, Fr., P, Catholic; J.B. Braswell, Sr., 3B, St. James; Luke Catchings, Sr., P-OF, St. James; John Michael Cox, Jr., OF, Trinity; Mason Craig, Sr., OF, St. James; Ethan Dabney, So., C, Alabama Christian; Beau Gainey, So., SS, Alabama Christian; Paxton Haigler, Jr., P-2B, Montgomery Academy; Luke Hall, Sr., SS, Trinity; Alex Heilman, Jr., 1B, Alabama Christian; Jordan Jackson, Jr., 2B, Catholic; David Johnson, So., 2B-SS, Alabama Christian; Dawson Knowles, Sr., C, St. James; Kingston Nelson, Jr., OF, Montgomery Academy; Will Vucovich, So., 3B, Catholic.