The Shoemaker baseball team set a program record with 19 wins during the 2024 season, and three Grey Wolves who played integral parts were recognized by District 22-5A’s coaches.
Joe Phillip Guzman, Damian Montanez and Aiden Toth earned superlative honors, taking up
three of the league’s five highest awards on the all-district list, which was recently released.
Guzman, a junior, was voted the offensive MVP, Montanez, also a junior, netted the defensive MVP award and freshman Aiden Toth received the newcomer of the year distinction.
Rounding out the superlatives were senior Mason Law of Lake Belton, who was named the district’s overall MVP, and Belton junior Cole Haisler, who earned pitcher of the year.
Shoemaker finished tied for second at 11-3 with Belton in district play and grabbed 22-5A’s second seed into the playoffs. The Grey Wolves played Montgomery Lake Creek in the bi-district round but couldn’t get past the Lions, who were a regional finalist last season.
During district play, Guzman didn’t strike out in 52 plate appearances, had a .610 batting average (a school record, head coach Russell Johns said), produced 25 RBIs, and led the league in hits (25) and stolen bases (14).
Though district statistics are taken into account for post-season awards, overall, Guzman produced a .531 batting average, had a team-high 43 hits and 33 RBIs.
Montanez, a center fielder and pitcher, didn’t make an error on 43 total chances across The Grey Wolves’ 28 games, and added his pop at the plate as well, delivering a team-high 37 RBIs and a program-record five home runs.
Toth batted .329 with 25 hits and 22 runs during his first season.
The awards continued for Killeen ISD players among the first-team all-district selections, including Chaparral’s Geno Ybarra (pitcher) and Shoemaker’s Gustavo Marquez (pitcher).
Going into the playoffs, the Bobcats’ first such postseason journey in Year 2 as a program, the left-handed Ybarra had recorded 59 strikeouts. He also led the team in batting average, hits and RBIs.
Second-team all-district selections were Shoemaker’s Peter Santiago (pitcher), Chaparral’s Michael Schubert (pitcher), Aiden Hurst (pitcher) and D’Angelo Allison (outfield), and Killeen’s Cole Hammer (shortstop).
All-District 22-5A
Superlatives
MVP: Mason Law, sr., Lake Belton
Offensive MVP: Joe Phillip Guzman, jr., Shoemaker
Defensive MVP: Damian Montanez, jr., Shoemaker
Pitcher of the year: Cole Haisler, jr., Belton
Newcomer of the year: Aiden Toth, fr., Shoemaker
First Team
Pitchers: Geno Ybarral, Chaparral; Gustavo Marquez, Shoemaker; Easton Drake, Belton; Brandon Holley, Lake Belton
Catcher: Braxtan Cope, Lake Belton
First base: Jacob Quigley, Belton
Second base: Bryce Davis, Lake Belton
Third base: Clint Beck, Lake Belton
Shortstop: Ethan Cuevas, Waco University
Outfielders: Nabor Lopez, University; Peanut Brazzle, Lake Belton; Cameron Bartz, Lake Belton; Reese Rumfield, Belton
Designated hitter: Kaden Ward, Lake Belton
Utility: Manny Sanchez, University
Second Team
Pitchers: Aiden Hurst, Chaparral; Michael Schubert, Chaparral; Peter Santiago, Shoemaker; Matt Turrubiartez, University; Matthew Stanford, Lake Belton.
Catcher: Marcus Jimenez, University
First base: Peyton Flanagan, Lake Belton
Second base: Austin Wood, Belton
Third Base: Juan Guerrero, Waco
Shortstop: Cole Hammer, Killeen
Outfielders: D’Angelo Allison, Chaparral; Sam Shepard, Belton; Carlos Perez, University; Brandon Bell, Lake Belton
Designated hitter: Rayshaun Peoples, Belton
Utility: Reginald Lewis, Waco
