The Missouri Baseball Coaches Association has released its 2017 All-State teams.
Six players from the Daily American Republic coverage area received recognition across three different classes.
Following an extraordinary season in which they reached the quarterfinals for the first time in program history, three Poplar Bluff players were named to the Class 5 all-state team. Prior to this season, only four Poplar Bluff players had been enshrined with all-state honors.
Senior Ronin Rice was selected first-team all-state as a pitcher after posting a team-low 1.26 ERA. He was 6-1 with 29 strikeouts and 15 walks.
At the plate, Rice, who will play for Lindenwold-Belleville next fall, hit . 375 with 10 runs 13 RBIs, a .455 on base percentage and an extra-base hit.
Junior Tyson Cox joined Rice as a first-team all-state infielder. Cox had a team-leading .446 batting average with 33 hits, 10 RBIs, a .500 on base percentage, a home run and eight extra-base hits.
Senior Michael Anagnostopoulus was named a second-team all-state list. The Mules' leader in games played over his four-year career with 76, posted a .423 batting average with 30 hits in 71 plate appearances.
Anagnostopoulus scored 25 runs as the Mules' leadoff man, recorded 19 RBIs, hit four home runs and had 12 extra-base hits.
Rice, Cox and Anagnostopoulus were also named to the All-SEMO Conference team as well as the Class 5 District 1 all-district team.
In Class 3, Trey McDaniel laid claim to a third straight all-state selection. The Greenville senior was named a second-team all-state DH/Utility player after wrapping up a stellar career with the Bears.
McDaniel had a .577 average with 42 RBIs and five home runs this season.
The Souther Illinois-Carbondale commit put up staggering numbers on the mound as well. His career strikeout mark eclipsed 651 this year, while his 386 strikeouts in four spring seasons alone rank sixth all-time in the MSHSAA record book along with his 1.25 ERA, this is eighth among the state's best.
McDaniel, who was recently named a Semoball Awards finalist, recorded three consecutive seasons with 300-plus strikeouts, struck out 20 batters in a game earlier this season and holds a 44-7 career record on the hill.
The four-time all-conference and all-district selection was equally as good at the plate when he had a chance. McDaniel was walked 90 times in his career and still managed a .408 batting average with 10 home runs and 135 RBIs.
Teammates Spencer Burnham and Todd Wilcoxon enjoyed a successful season in which they helped the Van Buren Bulldogs win their first district title for the first time since 1999.
The Van Buren seniors wrapped up rewarding careers with the Bulldogs as they were named to the Class 2 all-state team.
Burnham struck out 107 batters and posted a 7-1 record with a 0.903 ERA to earn second team all-state honors as a pitcher.
The Big Spring Conference Player of the Year and all-district selection also hit.486 with 23 RBIs, 13 doubles and six home runs.
Wilcoxon made first-team as a DH/Utility player after hitting .636. He had 35 hits, including 11 doubles, a triple and a home run. He also scored 25 runs and stole 21 bases with a .718 on base percentage.