Stars of the 36th All-Area Baseball Team
The News-Gazette's 36th All-Area baseball team assembles the region's most promising seniors, a group that reads like a who's who of high school standouts. Representing schools such as St. Joseph-Ogden, Champaign Central, Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin, Unity, Mahomet-Seymour, Armstrong-Potomac and Monticello, these players combine eye‑catching statistics with vivid personal interests that extend far beyond the diamond.
Trevor Ames, a two-time All-Area first‑team choice from the Spartans, arrives with a .451 batting average, 11 home runs and 67 RBI, while also excelling on the mound with an 8‑0 record and a 1.28 ERA. His next step is Morton College, where he plans to continue both his baseball career and his studies. Off the field, Ames admits a weakness for honey buns, imagines a pet donkey, and confesses that he would dominate the Olympics in bowling. Christmas is his favorite holiday, and his dream dinner companions include Larry Bird, his grandfather Ames and Denzel Washington. He pictures Hollywood star John Cena portraying him on screen, and his bucket list features hikes through the Tetons, shark‑catching adventures and a pilgrimage to every MLB stadium.
Cruz Dubois, a senior at Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin and a two‑time All‑Area first‑team pick, brings a .529 batting average, five homers and 32 RBI to the lineup, complemented by a 1.18 ERA and 28 strikeouts in just 17 innings. His ambitions mirror many of his peers: a professional baseball career, a love of seeds as a snack, and a bucket list that includes travel, Olympic dreams in track and field and skydiving. He envisions dinner with Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart and Druski, and imagines Robert Downey Jr. playing him in a film.
Brayden Henry of Unity, another two‑time All‑Area first‑team selection, offers a .333 average, three home runs and 24 RBI, while posting a 1.31 ERA over 26 2/3 innings. Though his career goal is to become an astronaut, his snack of choice is Goldfish crackers, and he dreams of a white tiger as a pet. He sees himself competing in the Olympics for golf and would love Ryan Reynolds to portray him on the big screen, with a bucket list that includes moon visits, a tour of all 50 states and a desert llama ride.
The roster also features Tyler Henry, a Unity signee bound for Danville Area Community College, who posts a .379 average, 21 RBI and a 2.41 ERA with 60 strikeouts. His snack is Hot Cheetos, and he too would choose a white tiger as a pet, while picturing a future in the Olympics for basketball. He dreams of a movie role played by Tom Cruise and lists a bucket list that includes a men’s college basketball championship game, a lottery win and a trip abroad.
Other notable names on the team include Bryson Houchens, a St. Joseph-Ogden slugger headed to Morton College, who boasts a .403 average, 11 home runs and 57 RBI, and a career aspiration of becoming a professional baseball player. He prefers Cheez-Its, imagines a zebra as a pet, and would love to see Kevin James portray him in a film. Similarly, Ryan Pipkins, a Champaign Central sophomore, leads his team with a .466 average, 46 RBI and a 1.47 ERA, while dreaming of an MLB career and picturing a gorilla as a pet. His bucket list includes owning a Corvette, skydiving and exploring New Zealand.
Asher Pruemer, the All‑Area Player of the Year from St. Joseph-Ogden, enters college at Morton College with an 11‑0 record, a 1.12 ERA and 93 strikeouts in 75 innings. His snack is Gushers, and he would keep a hippopotamus as a pet. He envisions a water‑polo Olympic career and would love Charlie Sheen to play him in a movie, with a bucket list focused on visiting every MLB stadium.
The team's narrative extends beyond statistics, weaving in dreams of Olympic glory in sports ranging from curling to basketball, culinary preferences from beef jerky to granola bars, and cinematic fantasies that pair actors like Dwayne Johnson, Tom Cruise and Keanu Reeves with these young athletes. Their holiday celebrations, bucket‑list ambitions and imagined dinner guests paint a picture of a generation that sees baseball as a springboard to broader horizons.