Frankfort, Fort Hill place 3 each of All-Area first team; 10 schools nab selections

Area champion Frankfort and Fort Hill led the way with three players each on the first team, and 10 schools had at least one selection to the 2026 Cumberland Times-News All-Area baseball squad.

The team was chosen at a meeting of the area’s head coaches on Monday. Eight coaches attended the meeting and 12 nominated players to be considered.

West Virginia Class AA state champion Frankfort (27-7) and Maryland Class 1A state quarterfinalist Fort Hill (12-10-1) were two of four schools with multiple first-teamers.

West Virginia Class A quarterfinalist East Hardy (21-12) and Maryland West Region I runner-up Northern (14-7) nabbed a pair of selections to the top squad, and Allegany (11-7), Hampshire (17-12), Keyser (11-18) and Mountain Ridge (5-15) had one each.

Including the first and second teams, Frankfort and Allegany led the way with five overall honorees, followed by Fort Hill and Hampshire with four, and Keyser and Northern with three.

Moorefield and Petersburg also had players named to the second team.

First Team Pitcher

Two repeat award winners, including the area’s ERA champion, and a reliable senior populated the three-player pitching staff.

Frankfort senior Lanson Orndorf headlines the group after winning a second consecutive Area Player of the Year honor.

The right-handed Charleston signee is a three-time All-Area first-team selection after leading all locals with a 0.58 earned-run average, going 11-3 with 112 strikeouts in 84 innings.

Orndorf was also Class AA All-State first team and first-team Division 1 All-Potomac Valley Conference.

Allegany junior Kohen Madden collected Pitcher of the Year for a second straight year.

Madden — named first-team All-State for all classes, including private schools, by Prep Baseball Report — went 5-2 with a 1.88 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 48 1/3 frames of work.

The right-handed power pitcher, who was Western Maryland Athletic Conference Co-Player of the Year along with Northern’s Landon Yoder and finished first-team All-WestMAC, makes a second straight appearance on the area’s top squad after a second-team nod as a freshman.

Frankfort senior Jaxon Hare elevates to the first squad after a second-team finish last season following a year in which he compiled an 8-1 record, 1.55 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 49 2/3 innings on the bump.

The righty, known for his exceptional control, also appeared on the Class AA All-State and All-PVC Division 1 first teams.

Catcher

Hunter Harr is the first-team catcher after leading all local full-time backstops in batting average (.415) and runners caught stealing (15).

The senior Keyser standout was a Class AAA first-team All-Stater and All-PVC D1 first-team member after racking up three home runs, one triple, 14 doubles and 19 runs batted in.

Harr was on the All-Area honorable mention squad last year.

Infield

The first-team infield features four shortstops and a power-hitting first baseman.

East Hardy senior shortstop Evan Hamilton makes his third consecutive appearance on the first team after batting .573 with eight home runs, five triples, 10 doubles, 30 RBIs and an area-leading 74 runs scored.

Hamilton, who was also Class A All-State first team, swiped a locally best 45 bases.

Frankfort senior Blake Jacobs joins Hamilton as a three-time first-team performer.

The shortstop, who is signed to the University of Charleston, garnered a .404 average, four three-baggers, 15 two-baggers, 23 runs batted in, 38 runs scored and 21 steals.

Jacobs was also named to the Class AA All-State and All-PVC Division 1 first teams.

Northern junior Jake Chambers, the lone corner infielder on the first-team unit as a first baseman, makes a second straight appearance on the top squad after doing so as a designated hitter in 2025.

The WestMAC batting champion, who also landed on the conference’s first team, tallied a .492 average, five home runs, five doubles, 30 ribbies and 27 runs.

Mountain Ridge junior shortstop John Delaney jumps up to the first unit after a second-team nod last season.

The Delaware commit, who was second-team All-State by Prep Baseball Report and first-team All-WestMAC, ended with a .542 mark at the plate, adding two home runs, two triples, nine doubles, 16 RBIs, 21 runs scored and 10 stolen bases.

Fort Hill junior Colt Resh rounds out the first team after hitting .441 with a triple, a double, 17 RBIs, 15 runs and 12 stolen bases.

The shortstop was also first-team All-WestMAC and was honorable mention All-Area last year.

Outfield

A trio of juniors patrol the outfield, led by the lone repeat player to the top squad, Bobby Brauer.

Brauer, who makes a second straight All-Area first-team appearance after landing on the second squad as a freshman, ended with a batting average of .400, adding three triples, 11 doubles, 14 RBIs and 25 runs.

Brauer also appeared on the All-WestMAC first team.

He’s joined by teammate Coye Resh. Known for his strong arm in center field, the Sentinel junior garnered a .437 average with two triples, five doubles, 21 runs batted in and 21 runs scored.

Resh, who was honorable mention All-Area last year, also made the All-WestMAC first team.

Hampshire junior Channing Wilt rounds out the outfield, doing so after helping the Trojans to their most wins in a season since 2013.

Wilt, who was Class AAA All-State second team and All-PVC Division 1 first team, had a .475 average with nine doubles, 14 RBIs, 36 runs scored and 37 stolen bases.

Wilt was honorable mention All-Area as a sophomore.

Utility

Senior Hunter Livengood was an indispensable member of Northern’s lineup, seeing time at catcher and second base and earning first-team utility honors in the process.

The All-WestMAC first-teamer garnered a .448 batting average, three home runs, one triple, nine doubles, 26 runs batted in and 16 runs scored.

Designated Hitter

The area’s batting champion, Mason Hamilton, lands on the area’s top team at designated hitter.

The East Hardy senior, who was second-team All-Area in 2024 and Class A first-team All-State this year, hit safely 55 times in 81 at-bats for a .679 average, tallying four home runs, two triples, 19 doubles, 51 ribbies, 49 runs and 29 steals.

Second Team

The second-team pitching staff is made up of Northern senior Landon Yoder, Petersburg sophomore Payton Metheny and Moorefield freshman Matthew Iman.

Frankfort junior Jesus Perdew and Allegany sophomore Liam Buck are the second-team catchers.

Making up the infield are Hampshire senior Brayden Hott, Fort Hill junior Carson Bender, Allegany junior Cole Ricker and Hampshire junior Mason Wolford.

Keyser senior Landon Tysinger, Frankfort junior Gunnar Bradshaw, Allegany junior Daulton Harper and Hampshire junior Mason Slade are the outfielders.

Keyser senior Lucas Williamson is the second-team utility man, and Allegany sophomore Max Fradiska rounds out the squad as the designated hitter.

Honorable Mention

Pitcher: Shayne Sisler (East Hardy), Rhett Sensabaugh, Carson Durst (Frankfort), Ayden Crabtree, Mark Richman (Hampshire), Silas Leith (Lighthouse), Blake Snyder (Moorefield), Hayden Williams, Cole Parks (Southern). Catcher: Dayton Dove (East Hardy), Jake Rice (Fort Hill), Zeke McDonald (Hampshire), Oliver Crites (Moorefield), Elliott Myers-Shirer (Northern), Reece Tasker (Southern). Infield: Braeden Laffey (Frankfort), Cole Holland (Keyser), Dane Van Slyke (Mountain Ridge), Owen Reel (Petersburg), Ryan Bird (Southern). Outfield: Levi Price (East Hardy), Cole Shanholtz (Frankfort). Utility: Hunter Beitzel (Northern), Kaleb Kuhn (Petersburg).

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