Noland, with ‘best average in last 20 FHS seasons,’ is Class AAA ‘Mr. Baseball’
Parker Noland, right, Farragut junior third baseman, is greeted by teammate Paul Komistek after Noland provided the Ads’ lone run, a fourth-inning solo homer, in a 2-1 loss to Seymour in a Section 1-AAA battle at FHS’s John Heatherly Field Saturday, May 19.
Hitting a sizzling .520 during the recently-completed season with 12 home runs and 43 runs batted in, “I think it’s the best (batting) average in the last 20 years,” Admirals skipper Matt Buckner said.
“He had 64 hits” in just 42 games (34-8 final FHS record). “He had 18 doubles, 33 walks and a .645 on-base percentage,” Buckner added.
Noland’s Class AAA Mr. Baseball honor was announced Tuesday, May 22, in Murfreesboro.
An infield starter since his freshman season in 2016, Noland “has always been a good hitter,” Buckner said. “... He hit in the four- and five-hole as a freshman.
“But (leading up to) this year, he really worked hard in the weight room, put on about 20 pounds in the off-season,” the coach added.
“It kind of took him to a whole other level as a hitter.”
Noland’s fourth-inning solo blast was the Ads’ lone run in a 2-1 Section 1-AAA loss to Seymour (23-12) at FHS’s John Heatherly Field Saturday afternoon, May 19, ending Farragut’s season.
He also doubled, while Jerry Hammons, Ads senior second baseman, also had two hits — the only four the team had against Eagles star pitcher Nate Payne (7-0, 0.50 earned run average).
Ads starter Landon Smiddy and senior twin relievers Zach and Ben Joyce combined to allow just two earned runs and seven hits.
