Venice, Fla. — The Herald-Tribune has announced its 2026 All-Area Baseball Team, recognizing the standout athletes from Sarasota and Manatee counties who have excelled during the spring season.
Player of the Year: Carter Cox
Carter Cox of Venice High School earned the Player of the Year honor after finishing the season undefeated on the mound, posting a 13‑0 record with a 0.49 ERA and striking out 125 batters in 79.2 innings.
Veteran coach Craig Faulkner, also of Venice High, was selected Coach of the Year after guiding his squad to a Class 7A state title appearance and finishing the year with a 32‑2 record.
A Season of Excellence
Among the area’s most potent hitters, August Backman led the team with a .484 batting average, while Graham Houston posted a .426 average and committed to LSU. Wyatt Hossenlopp, a Navy‑bound prospect, hit .419, and Mateu Dalmau contributed a .422 average for Cardinal Mooney. Jake Armstrong of Cardinal Mooney posted a 2.45 ERA and a .321 average at the plate, and Caiden Cabral of Riverview batted .377.
Braedon Mackay of Sarasota combined a .350 average with a 0.64 ERA, and Jonathan Mauro of Venice hit .321 while pledging to Columbia. Kasen Poplin and his twin brother Kohen both shone on the mound, with Kasen’s 0.63 ERA and Kohen’s 2.02 ERA in 27 innings drawing attention. Jackson Riffe of Saint Stephen’s Episcopal posted a .550 average, and RJ Shields of Venice, committed to Mississippi State, batted .308.
Landon Stuart from Palmetto delivered a 2.36 ERA over 50.1 innings, while Sam Torres of Parrish Community collected 34 hits and batted .415, underscoring the depth of talent across the region.
Selection Process and Outlook
The All‑Area teams were compiled from coach nominations and the newspaper’s own research, ensuring that the selections reflect both peer recognition and statistical achievement. As the featured athletes look ahead to college commitments and future seasons, the 2026 cohort sets a high bar for the next generation of high school baseball in Southwest Florida.