At the end of each season, The News-Press and Naples Daily News select All-Area teams honoring the best athletes for every varsity sport. Coaches from area schools are sent nomination forms and are asked to nominate and rank their athletes as well as those from other teams. That data combined with our research led to the selection of the All-Area teams. The criteria for this All-Area team was as follows: pitchers (5), catchers (2), infielders (5), outfielders (4), utility (1), two-way (1).
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Joey Lawson
School: Bishop Verot
Year: Senior
Position: Two-way
Joey Lawson is someone not many teams wanted to face this season.
The right-handed arm, which sits in the low to mid 90s, has been effective during his high school career. With each season that’s come and gone, he’s only gotten better. That was on display again in his senior season.
His efforts on the mound, where he pitched to a 0.95 ERA, and hit .325 with four home runs and a team-high 25 RBI have earned him the Southwest Florida Baseball Player of the Year for the second consecutive season.
The last time a Lee County player won back-to-back Baseball Player of the Year awards was Estero’s John Tolisano in 2006 and 2007, and most recently, Naples two-way star Johnny King won the Southwest Florida Player of the Year award in 2023 and 2024 before being drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays.
“I couldn’t be more proud of it,” Lawson said. “Especially knowing the people that have done it. I’ve known Johnny since I was 6 years old. I’ve played baseball with him forever. After him doing it, being able to do it is pretty cool.”
Question: What challenges does being a two-way player bring?
Lawson: Honestly, it’s difficult. At practices, you have to focus on pitching stuff and then hitting stuff. Whatever hitters are doing, something that you might want to do, you’re busy doing your throwing stuff. So you have to miss a lot of it. It’s really hard mentally, just because if I’m not pitching, you have to really lock in on hitting. The whole game is tough, but other than that, it’s pretty fun. There’s nothing really super difficult about it, just balancing what you do and what you don’t do.
How is North Carolina viewing you, as a pitcher or hitter?
Lawson: North Carolina is mainly pitching, pitching first. But they’re gonna give me the chance to hit. If I hit good, then I’ll hit. If I don’t, I’ll just pitch.
What made the Tar Heels the right fit for you?
Lawson: I went to my FSU visit, and loved it. I went to North Carolina right after, and everyone was telling me when I’m picking a school, you’re just gonna know. Once I got to North Carolina, they’re practicing up on the concourse, and I was just sitting there, and was like, ‘This is the place I want to play baseball.’ This is it. Being able to have my brother (Timmy) up there is pretty cool, playing baseball at the next level with him.
You faced two top-15 teams in the country in Venice and Jesuit this year. What were those outings like for you?
Lawson: Venice was the greatest pitcher’s duel I’ve ever been a part of in my life. It was unbelievable. Especially now with pitch counts, seeing both team’s pitchers go 105 pitches and go nine innings, which is absurd for only having 105 pitches, that was the craziest thing in the world. After that game, just knowing that we can hang with the No. 1 team in the country, we competed with them for nine innings. Being able to know that was a big confidence boost. Being able to look back on it, I can enjoy it. At one point in the sixth inning, I was thinking neither team was going to score, and the game would go 30 innings. I love games like that. It was a true pitcher’s duel, and it was unbelievable to be a part of.
What’s something you want to work on before the next level?
Lawson: Fine-tuning, I’d say. Holding runners is a big thing I’m working on. All my pitches, right now, move to the glove side. I think really developing other pitches that’ll move towards the arm side will be really fun to do. Pitch science and experimenting with other pitches will be awesome.
FIRST TEAM
Nico Ayars
School: Bishop Verot
Year: Sophomore
Position: Utility
Highlights: Ayars was a sparkplug at the top of the order for the Vikings, rotating between catcher and outfield. He hit .352 with eight doubles, three home runs, and 18 RBI with 17 runs scored, adding a .964 fielding percentage.
Brayden Habuda
School: Canterbury
Year: Senior
Position: Infield
Highlights: The South Alabama-bound shortstop was a big piece to Canterbury’s success in 2026. Habuda hit .411 with seven doubles, a triple, and five homers to go along with 25 RBI and 38 runs scored.
Logan Hawkins
School: Island Coast
Year: Senior
Position: Infield
Highlights: Hawkins was a consistent presence in the heart of the Gators order, batting .458 with 10 doubles, a triple, a home run, 20 RBI, adding 29 runs scored and 18 stolen bases. He also had a .982 fielding percentage for Island Coast, which made a regional semifinal.
Blake Lavenia
School: Bishop Verot
Year: Senior
Position: Pitcher
Highlights: Lavenia came through in a big way for the Vikings in his final season, compiling a 7-0 record with a 1.06 ERA. He allowed just seven earned runs over 46 1/3 innings, striking out 43 to help Verot to an 18-9 finish.
Ian Long
School: Canterbury
Year: Senior
Position: Pitcher
Highlights: Transferring from SFCA, Long came through as a consistent arm. The senior had a 7-2 record with a 1.61 ERA, striking out 55 over 52 1/3 innings pitched. He faced plenty of top 100 opponents in IMG National, IMG Royal, St. John Neumann, ECS, Landon (Md.), and Chaminade-Madonna.
Anthony Meady
School: Canterbury
Year: Senior
Position: Pitcher
Highlights: The Rutgers-bound righty was busy against elite competition, pitching to a 7-3 record with a 2.41 ERA, striking out 64 over 61 innings pitched while facing top 100 opponents like Venice, St. John Neumann, Bishop Verot, and North Cobb Christian (Ga.). At the plate, Meady hit .284 with five homers and 17 RBI.
Luke Parrish
School: St. John Neumann
Year: Junior
Position: Outfield
Highlights: Parrish appeared in all 35 games Neumann played. At the plate, he hit .316 (31 of 98) with eight doubles, two triples, and two home runs with 18 RBI, adding 34 runs scored with 26 walks.
Jackson Perkins
School: Evangelical Christian
Year: Junior
Position: Pitcher
Highlights: Perkins burst onto the scene as the Sentinels’ ace, posting to an 8-2 record with a 1.59 ERA, striking out 87 over 61 2/3 innings pitched. The FACA District 18 Class 1A Player of the Year also hit .350 with three doubles, three triples, two home runs, and a team-high 29 RBIs.
Ashby Piatt
School: Canterbury
Year: Junior
Position: Pitcher
Highlights: Piatt was sidelined early with a foot injury, but when he returned, he dealt on the mound. The USF commit pitched to a 5-0 record with a 1.54 ERA, striking out 41 over 36 1/3 innings. At the plate, Piatt hit .485 with four doubles and 10 RBI in 35 at-bats.
Taylor Reidy
School: St. John Neumann
Year: Sophomore
Position: Catcher
Highlights: Reidy hit .329 with four doubles, five home runs, and 21 RBI, adding 25 walks and splits of .527/.570/1.097 against the toughest schedule in Southwest Florida. Behind the plate, Reidy had a .996 fielding percentage with north of 230 attempts.
Nick Renteria
School: Community School
Year: Sophomore
Position: Outfield
Highlights: Renteria was a tone setter for the Seahawks at the top of the order, hitting .424 with seven doubles, three triples, a pair of home runs, and 20 RBI to go along with 42 runs scored and 12 stolen bases. Renteria walked 24 times and finished with an OPS above 1.200.
Austin Schoolcraft
School: Island Coast
Year: Senior
Position: Outfield
Highlights: Schoolcraft was solid in the outfield when he wasn’t on the mound, hitting .407 with 16 extra base hits and 21 RBI. He added 15 stolen bases and a .927 fielding percentage. On the mound, Schoolcraft struck out 58 over 50 innings pitched as Island Coast’s top arm.
Ever Silvente
School: Canterbury
Year: Senior
Position: Catcher
Highlights: The Miami-Dade signee hit .447 (42 of 94) with seven doubles, four triples, and four home runs with a team-high 27 RBI.
Cutter Smith
School: Community School
Year: Senior
Position: Infield
Highlights: The UAB-bound shortstop showed elite plate discipline for the Seahawks, hitting .481 with eight doubles, a triple, and a home run with 22 RBI and 25 runs scored. Smith also walked 28 times.
Slater Smith
School: Evangelical Christian
Year: Senior
Position: Outfield
Highlights: Smith provided a consistent bat for the Sentinels, hitting .397 with 31 hits, five doubles, a pair of triples, and 26 RBI to go along with 30 runs scored. He also walked 22 times for an OBP of .529.
Anthony Tenuto
School: Canterbury
Year: Junior
Position: Infield
Highlights: Tenuto’s bat came to life after a sub-.200 season at the plate a year ago, hitting .417 (35-84) with seven doubles, a home run, and 21 RBIs.
Cole Travers
School: St. John Neumann
Year: Senior
Position: Infield
Highlights: The Stetson signee may not end up going to DeLand after his breakout senior season that has him being looked at by multiple MLB clubs. Travers raked against the toughest schedule in the area, hitting .464 with 46 hits, 12 doubles, one triple, and nine home runs with 34 RBI. Travers walked 21 times and had the best OPS in the area, sitting at 1.452.
SECOND TEAM
Owen Augustine, Fort Myers
Greg Carrasco, Palmetto Ridge
Gus Fusco, St. John Neumann
Romero Gist, Mariner
David Hansen, Evangelical Christian
MJ Hough, St. John Neumann
Nate Jaquez, Island Coast
Casey Johnson, Barron Collier
Harrison Kabel, Island Coast
Darien Kester, St. John Neumann
Ryder Lutz, Evangelical Christian
Michael Magas, Canterbury
Xavier Muentes, Mariner
Cam Otterbeck, Community School
Alan Overmyer, Barron Collier
Jhon Rodriguez, Bishop Verot
Jake Sedmack, Bishop Verot
Braylon Sheffield, Bishop Verot
HONORABLE MENTION
Aubrey Rogers: David Amaya, Jayden Bartlett, Matt Perazza
Barron Collier: Andrew Maroney, John Minerva, Owen Owler
Bishop Verot: Brody Baxmann, Carter Chalder, Jayden Salazar
Bonita Springs: Travis Holappa, Lincoln Must, Mason Williams
Canterbury: Noah Kiefer, Adams Mejia, Maddux Wolff
Cape Coral: Steven Bobovnick, Julious Sinboualay, Collin Thess
Community School: Ryder Brown, Carson Honick, Jack Milewicz
Cypress Lake: Andres Carrasquel, Fernando Carrasquel, Matt Miller
Dunbar: Hayden Burley, Javier Diaz, Lazaro Tio Sanchez
East Lee County: Wyatt Boyce, Jax Filler, Angel Mangual
Estero: Evan Goeller, Rylan Greenleaf, Trevor Jones
Evangelical Christian: Anthony Cabrera, Harlen Haugen, Nick Tobia
First Baptist: Joey DeSalvo, Will Hedlund, Easton Hicks
Fort Myers: Adler Cervio, Alex D’Altrui, Luke Pellicer
Gateway: Sean Collins, Kevin Rodriguez Marrero, Devyn Vitiello
Gateway Charter: Jack Anastasio, Lisban Ramirez, Jakob Rivera
Golden Gate: Daniel Garcia, Jonh Mairena, Abel Nunez
Gulf Coast: Brandon Borrego, Tommy Eaton, Johnny Kacinas
Ida Baker: Nick Conticelli, Caden Fricano, Yadel Pena
Immokalee: AC Morales, Adrian Ramirez, Kristian Trevino
Island Coast: Aiden Bonagura, Lonnie Campos, Archer Ellis
Lehigh: Isais Alvarado, Bryan Fundora, Gerald Santana
Lely: Arturo Jaime, Carson Kimbler, Romel Rodriguez
Mariner: Ryan Kotarski, Antonio Marino, Colin Raftery
Naples: Nico Blanco, Ethan Katz, Charlie Rieger
North Fort Myers: Blaize Baldepina, Roderick Medina, Payton Stirrup
Oasis: Preston Baty, Carson Cody, Logan Muncy
Palmetto Ridge: Tommy Cox, Gabe Garcia, Jayden Herrera
Riverdale: Tayt Chili, Alex Manetta, Brett McKee
St. John Neumann: Roman Howery, Anthony Kanellos, OB Osceola III
South Fort Myers: Owen Kircher, Tito Reyes, Fernando Valenzuela
SFCA: Leo Montufar, Brady Moore, Starling Nunez
Village School: Nolan Baxter, Antonio Calerio, Jack Devicaris
COACH OF THE YEAR
Charlie Maurer
School: St. John Neumann
Highlights: Maurer guided the Celtics to their second Final Four in four seasons, leading the group to a 21-14 record. That journey included plenty of top 100 opponents and Game 3 wins over Evangelical Christian in the regional semifinals and Canterbury in the regional finals.
Follow Sports Reporter Alex Martin on X at @NP_AlexMartin or via email: amartin@usatodayco.com. For the best sports coverage in Southwest Florida, follow @newspresssports and @ndnprepzone on Instagram.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Meet the 2026 SW FL Baseball All-Area team, Player of the Year
Reporting by Alex Martin, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Fort Myers News-Press
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