Black Diamondsd honored at awards banquet

Members of the Sallisaw Black Diamonds baseball team were honored and recognized at the 2024 Sallisaw Black Diamonds Awards Banquet, which took place Wednesday night at the Sallisaw Middle School cafeteria.

Braxton Lamb received the Black Diamond Award as well as being named Co-Infielders of the Year with Luke Pack.

Brock Streun was named the Offensive Player of the Year thanks to a .539 batting average and a .657 on-base percentage, while Cole Stephens was named the Defensive Player of the Year.

Creed Nelson was named the Pitcher of the Year, while the Outfielder of the Year Award went to Broque Oft.

Thanks to a team-leading 55 stolen bases, Pack was awarded the Stolen Base Leader plaque.

Parker Pratt got the Career Achievement Award, while Brodi Nickell was named the Courtesy Runner of the Year thanks to his 33 stolen bases in that role.

Dagan Grizzle, Easton Wolfe and Kase Adams were all honored with the Rookie of the Year Award, while Cole Mayfield was awarded the Newcomer of the Year Award.

The honors began as all eight members of the All-District 4A-6 Team, Streun, Lamb, Stephens, Mayfield, Oft, Nelson, Pack and Pratt, were recognized with certificates.

All team members got Letter S Awards for participation — Mayfield, Grizzle, Wolfe, Adams, Pratt, Nickell, Pack, Oft, Nelson, Lamb, Stephens, Streun, Brodie Cameron, Caleb Hightower, Chase Stephens, Coleman Wasson, Donald Smith, Frankie Sullivan, Gauge Webb, Garin Marshall, Gracin Marshall, Johnny Velasquez, Kace Choate, Landon Clawson, Levi Scavo, Matthew McGrew and senior manager Madison Mattingly.

All six seniors, Streun, Stephens, Pratt, Gracin Marshall, Lamb and Mattingly, were awarded albums, while the five senior players were awarded bats.

Sallisaw coach Curtis Wartchow mentioned some of the season’s highlights, in which the Black Diamonds went 23-11 and missed by one game of advancing to the Class 4A State Tournament.

The Black Diamonds had the fifthbest stolen base mark in the state of 285, with a 95-percent success rate as Black Diamonds were only caught stealing seven times. The members of the Class of 2024 won 64 games in their career.

The Black Diamonds got on base 218 times via bases on balls, while striking out 191 times. Wartchow mentioned the importance of the ratio of getting on base more times than striking out.

The team’s batting average was .313, with a .468 on-base percentage.