At the end of each season, The Herald-Tribune selects All-Area teams to honor the best athletes in every sport. Coaches from Sarasota and Manatee County schools are sent nomination forms and are asked to nominate and rate their athletes as well as those from other teams. That data, combined with our research, led to the selection of the All-Area team.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Carter Cox
School: Venice
Year: Senior
Highlights: Cox went 13-0 this season with a 0.49 ERA, striking out 125 in 79.2 innings, helping Venice to its first state title appearance since 2019. The Florida commit broke Venice’s strikeout record and has the most wins in school history. He also hit .324 with 23 hits, 13 RBIs, and 20 runs scored.
FIRST TEAM
Jake Armstrong
School: Cardinal Mooney
Year: Senior
Highlights: In 54.1 innings, Armstrong had a 2.45 ERA, striking out 43. He also had a .321 batting average, tallying 35 hits, 25 RBIs, five doubles, and four triples in 103 plate appearances.
Kole Ayrault
School: Sarasota
Year: Senior
Highlights: Ayrault hit .390 with 32 hits, 24 RBIs, and 21 runs scored for the Sailors. He is committed to the Florida State College of Jacksonville.
August Backman
School: Venice
Year: Junior
Highlights: The outfielder led the team with a .484 batting average, recording 46 hits, 29 RBIs, and three home runs in 95 plate appearances. Backman is committed to Florida.
Caiden Cabral
School: Riverview
Year: Senior
Highlights: Cabral, who plays second base, had a .377 batting average, recording 26 hits, 14 doubles, and two triples in 85 plate appearances.
Mateu Dalmau
School: Cardinal Mooney
Year: Senior
Highlights: Dalmau, who plays first base, had a .422 batting average, recording 35 hits, 25 RBIs, five doubles, and four triples in 103 plate appearances.
Beau Daniel
School: Venice
Year: Junior
Highlights: Daniel, who plays first base, had a .316 batting average, recording 27 hits, 25 RBIs, and two home runs.
Wyatt Hossenlopp
School: Cardinal Mooney
Year: Senior
Highlights: Hossenlopp had a .419 batting average, producing 36 hits, 22 RBIs, eight doubles, and one triple in 101 plate appearances. He is committed to Navy.
Graham Houston
School: Venice
Year: Junior
Highlights: Houston finished the season with a .426 batting average, tallying 46 hits, 29 RBIs, and three home runs in 95 plate appearances. The shortstop is committed to LSU.
Braedon Mackay
School: Sarasota
Year: Junior
Highlights: Mackay had a .350 batting average, recording 28 hits, 32 RBIs, seven doubles, and a team-high four home runs. Over 22 innings pitched, he had a 0.64 ERA, striking out 17.
Jonathan Mauro
School: Venice
Year: Junior
Highlights: Mauro finished the season with a .321 batting average, producing 23 hits and 14 RBIs in 71 plate appearances. The catcher is committed to Columbia.
Mark Metcalf
School: Sarasota
Year: Senior
Highlights: Metcalf batted .360 with 32 hits, including a triple and three doubles, with 32 runs scored, 30 stolen bases, and 12 RBIs. He signed to play for North Florida.
Kasen Poplin
School: Venice
Year: Junior
Highlights: In 13 appearances, Poplin finished the season with a 0.63 ERA in 44.2 innings of work, striking out 53. Poplin is committed to Liberty.
Kohen Poplin
School: Venice
Year: Sophomore
Highlights: In the regular season, Poplin went 4-0 in 27 innings, striking out 30 and walking five for a 2.02 ERA.
Jackson Riffe
School: Saint Stephen’s Episcopal
Year: Senior
Highlights: Riffe led Sain Stephen’s with a .550 batting average, tallying 22 hits, 15 RBIs, eight doubles, and one home run. He also finished the season with a .633 on-base percentage, .825 slugging percentage, and a 1.458 OPS.
RJ Shields
School: Venice
Year: Junior
Highlights: Shields had a 0.308 batting average, tallying 24 hits, 17 RBIs and one home run. As a closer for the Indians, the Mississippi State pledge pitched 20 innings, striking out 26 in the regular season, while also playing outfield.
Landon Stuart
School: Palmetto
Year: Junior
Highlights: Stuart had a 2.36 ERA in 50.1 innings, striking out 34 in 204 batters faced.
Sam Torres
School: Parrish Community
Year: Senior
Highlights: The infielder had 34 hits, 12 doubles, 10 triples, and three home runs, hitting .415 this season.
SECOND TEAM
Tyler Brown, Parrish Community
Macade Carey, Venice
Gabriel Conn, Saint Stephen’s Episcopal
Evan Kuell, Lakewood Ranch
JT Nguyen, Palmetto
Chase Nye, Palmetto
Evan Poznanski, Sarasota Christian
Ian Robinson, Parrish Community
Maddox Volk, Venice
Evan Whitlock, Sarasota
Blake Willis, Palmetto
HONORABLE MENTION
Bayshore: Jordan Greene
Bradenton Christian: Joey Puccia
Braden River: Jackson Williams
Cardinal Mooney: John Badala, Kevin Brinkworth
Lakewood Ranch: Carter Sprague
Manatee: Malachi Cleto, Ashton Hovda, Cooper Richardson
Parrish Community: Mason Plese, Vincent Barry
Riverview: Jack Peggs, Sebastian Yustiz
Sarasota: Mason Moeller, Brycen Volz
Sarasota Christian: Justin Brock, Collin Lawson
Saint Stephen’s Episcopal: Alec Vidal
Venice: Randall Riley
COACH OF THE YEAR
Craig Faulkner
School: Venice
Highlights: In his 28th season with Venice, Faulkner led his team to a 32-2 record and a Class 7A state title appearance for the first time since 2019. Venice played a national-level schedule, spending time at No. 1 in most national high school polls.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: 2026 Herald-Tribune All-Area Baseball Team, Player of the Year
Reporting by Emma Moon, Sarasota Herald-Tribune / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
