Whichever phase of the game came next, Alan Perry looked to lead the way on the baseball diamond.

The Seymour High School junior was the leadoff hitter and shortstop and a force on the mound in 2017.

He has gained interest from several NCAA Division I programs, and the letters will continue to flow as he inches closer to his final game as an Owl.

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“I think if you look at Alan across the board, he plays all three phases of the game extremely well,” Seymour coach Jeremy Richey said. “You add in base-running, and he had 18 stolen bases this year. It’s his third great season, he has had a tremendous career so far, and you’re going to see his name in a lot more places in the record book by the time he graduates.”

For all of his accomplishments this season, Perry has been named the Jackson County 2017 Baseball Player of the Year.

On offense, Perry led the Owls with 27 hits and had an on-base percentage of .483. He scored 23 runs for the Owls on the season.

Perry aggressively pursued home plate, topping the Owls’ stats with 18 stolen bases.

“Being at the top of the order last year was an experiment for me, so I knew this year, I needed to improve on getting on base and being able to steal bases,” Perry said. “I thought that my speed and ability to get on base really improved.”

Defensively, he had a team-high 41 assists and a .899 fielding percentage.

“He is always talking,” Richey said of Perry. “You really notice it when the young pitchers are on the mound. He understands he needs to make them comfortable so they can throw well, which a shortstop should. Being a QB on the field and guard in basketball, he’s in a leadership role 365 days a year.”

Pitching, Perry was a perfect 6-0 on the mound.

Through 37 innings of work, he had an ERA of 1.76 while tossing 58 strikeouts and giving up 30 hits and 14 walks.

“To really be a part of the rotation this year was awesome,” Perry said. “The trust that coach Richey had in me to throw well meant a lot. I threw pretty well, and hopefully, it gives me the confidence for next year to throw in the big innings that Satoshi (Hirose) and Tyler (Bloom) threw.”

Perry said his favorite start was against rival Brownstown Central, when the team won 17-3 in five innings.

He was the winning pitcher and had four hits in the game.

Perry said playing quarterback in football and as the point guard in basketball has helped him grow as a leader on the diamond.

“I’ve always been comfortable in a leadership role,” Perry said. “I think I know how to lead both by example and communicating. Playing short almost comes natural for me because of everything that has come to set me up for it.”

For the second straight year, Perry was named All-Hoosier Hills Conference first team unanimously following the season.

Perry said he will likely make a college decision before the start of the 2018 baseball season.

He said he has interest from both college football and baseball programs, but baseball is at the top of his list right now.

“A lot of conversations have taken place with D1 coaches, but he will find the situation that fits him best,” Richey said. “He will have a lot of opportunities to choose where he wants to go. He’s going to put himself in position to be successful no matter where he goes. Anything Alan does, he give it all he has. He meets every challenge head-on.”

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Joining Alan Perry on the 2017 All-County baseball team:

Sy Zickler, Brownstown Central, senior

Season highlights: 26 hits, 4 2B, 1 HR, 16 RBI, 6 R, .342 AVG; .845 FP; 35 IP, 41 K, 16 H, 16 W, 10 ER, five wins, no-hitter versus Borden; All-Mid-Southern Conference.

Ty Maxie, Brownstown Central, senior

Season highlights: 18 hits, 7 2B, 2 3B, 21 RBI, 16 R, .225 AVG, 10 SB; FP .914; 44.1 IP, 50 K, 27 H, 13 W, 8 ER, four wins; All-MSC.

Carson Lambring, Brownstown Central, senior

Season highlights: 31 hits, 10 2B, 1 HR, 14 RBI, 26 R, 9 SB, .352 AVG; .969 FP.

Cody Williams, Brownstown Central, senior

Season highlights: 55 IP, 47 K, 11 W, 19 ER, 2.42 ERA, four wins.

Nick Marling, Brownstown Central, senior

Season highlights: 26 hits, 3 2B, 2 HR, RBI 14, 22 R, .447 AVG, 7 SB; .960 FP; All-MSC honorable mention.

Devin Stuckwisch, Brownstown Central, senior

Season highlights: 19 hits, 2 2B, 12 RBI; .985 FP; All-MSC honorable mention.

Jessie Fink, Crothersville, senior

Season highlights: 29 hits, 5 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 15 R, 11 RBI, .537 AVG; CHS Most Outstanding Senior, hitting award.

Satoshi Hirose, Seymour, senior

Season highlights: 24 hits, 9 2B, 1 HR, 20 RBI, 24 R, 10 SB, .333 AVG; .960 FP; 55.67 IP, 40 K, 20 W, 70 H, 35 ER, 4 wins; All-HHC, All-District.

Seth Maki, Seymour, junior

Season highlights: 22 hits, 5 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 14 RBI, 14 R, 5 SB, .373 AVG; .850 FP

Luis Munoz, Seymour, senior

Season highlights: 21 hits, 6 2B, 18 RBI, 13 R, .333 AVG, 8 SB; .971 FP; All-HHC honorable mention, All-District.

Tyler Bloom, Seymour, senior

Season highlights: 21 hits, 3 2B, 14 RBI, .328 AVG; .957 FP; 44.67 IP, 49 K, 19 W, 39 H, 19 ER; All-District.

Jake Moore, Trinity Lutheran, senior

Season highlights: 31 hits, 8 2B, 4 3B, 2 HR, 21 RBI, 30 R, .463 AVG, 15 SB; .957 FP; 62.2 IP, 102 K, 33 H, 31 W, 13 ER, six wins, no-hitter versus Orleans; school records for career IP 181.2, career Ks 242, career pitching wins 13, season Ks 102.

Jake VonDielingen, Trinity Lutheran, junior

Season highlights: 25 hits, 4 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 12 RBI, 28 R, .329 AVG, 25 SB; .969 FP; 38 IP, 60 K, 12 W, 12 ER, six wins.

Sam Crick, Trinity Lutheran, senior

Season highlights: 19 hits, 14 RBI, 17 R, .380 AVG; 1.0 FP

Kendall White, Trinity Lutheran, senior

Season highlights: 30 hits, 3 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 19 RBI, 18 R, .435 AVG; .947 FP.

Nick Mensendiek, Trinity Lutheran, senior

Season highlights: 23 hits, 2 2B, 2 HR, 12 RBI, 20 R, .319 AVG; .929 FP.

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Kyle Kramer, Brownstown Central, senior

Ian Martin, Brownstown Central, junior

Seth Borden, Brownstown Central, sophomore

Logan Collins, Crothersville, junior

Trevor Peters, Crothersville, sophomore

Logan Brewer, Crothersville, sophomore

Zach Carpenter, Seymour, senior

Ty McCory, Seymour, junior

Ross Kruse, Trinity Lutheran, senior

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2017 Jackson County Baseball Player of the Year

Alan Perry, Seymour, junior

Season highlights: 27 hits, 4 2B, 1 3B, 9 RBI, 23 R, .375 AVG, 18 SB, .483 OBP; .899 FP, 41 A; 37 IP, 58 K, 14 W, 30 H, 9 ER, .204 BAA, 1.76 ERA, 6-0 record.

Unanimous All-Hoosier Hills Conference (second straight year)

Currently fourth in assists (129) and stolen bases (34) at SHS

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