By Mickey Smith
BULLARD—The school year is over, and with that comes the final lists for All-State recognition in Spring Athletics.
Holding true to what has become an annual tradition, Bullard placed two Baseball players and two Softball players among the state’s best.
Baseball (27-9;10-0), was a bit of a surprise with a new head coach, Chad Sherman coming home to Bullard, with several key positions to replace.
Softball (29-4;10-0), winning a tenth title in-a-row behind some key returnees and, a Head Coach yet to lose a league game in seven seasons, Julie Murry.
The best thing for Bullard Diamond enthusiasts…. all four All-Staters are juniors.
A third-time All-State selection in Softball at shortstop is a hard-throwing, wide-ranging, first-teamer, Kirsten Malone.
Joining her among First Team honors includes her classmate and pitcher/outfielder, Brooklyn Brannen.
Both shared District MVP honors in ‘25,
Malone also was named a ‘Best Preps Winner,’ hitting at a .531 clip, .638 on base %, and a hefty 1.101 slugging % batting out of the leadoff spot in the lineup.
Add in 52 hits, of which 8 doubles, one triple, team-leading 12 homers, 32 RBI’s, 66 runs scored, drawing 27 walks, struck out only nine times, and hit HBP three times, for the Paris Junior College commit.
Two more impressive statistics that really stand out with Malone among all else, Malone was fired on the base paths, going 17-for-17 in stolen bases, plus defensively having no errors in 67 chances at shortstop.
Brannen was outstanding in the circle pitching, adding another ‘hot bat’ right behind Malone in the lineup for one of East Texas’s most formidable 1-2 punches offensively.
Brooklyn held down a .362 average, .431 on base %, .533 slugging %, tipping 38 hits, 9 doubles, 3 homers, 31 RBIs, and scored 42 runs.
A speedster in centerfield when not pitching, Brooklyn was also the team leader in stolen bases, going 35-of-35, adding 3 sacrifices, walking 11 times, and striking out in 13 attempts.
Pitching, Brannen was a human lawn mower.
Striking out 256 batters, amassing a 21-2 record, in 132.2 innings pitched.
An amazing 1.1 earned run average, .927 WHIP, and a .128 AA.
The baseball Panthers won district undefeated too, and have two underclassmen named to the All-State team, Ty Rigsby, and Ethan Foster.
Rigsby was named the team’s Offensive Player of the year, holding down the ‘hot corner’ at third base all season, while his bat did the talking.
Rigsby out of the leadoff spot had a .344 batting average, .526 on base %, .591 slugging %, adding 12 doubles, four triples, and one homer in. Ty scored 34 runs, adding 17 runs batted in.
Foster, a transfer from Rusk was a triple-threat as District Pitcher of the Year, playing errorless outfield when not on the mound, and swinging a mean stick, primarily hitting third in the lineup.
At the plate, Foster was .387 on base %, had 23 hits, two doubles, four sacrifices, scoring 21 runs and seven RBIs.
On the hump, Foster held down a steady 1.676 ERA.
