The Alabama Sports Writers Association

JACKSONVILLE – Daphne’s Vic Moten and Bob Jones’ Braden Booth, after spectacular seasons, have won the state’s top softball and baseball awards.

Booth was named Mr. Baseball and Moten was named Miss Softball, the Alabama Sports Writers Association announced Sunday at its annual convention.

Sumiton Christian’s Yancey Young won the annual Jimmy Smothers Courage Award.

The Smothers Award is named for the late Jimmy Smothers, a longtime sports editor of the Gadsden Times, and goes to a high school athlete who overcame adversity and starred in their sport.

Booth is a senior who has signed with Mississippi State. Moten is a junior and is the fourth underclassman to win Miss Softball.

Booth led the Patriots to the Class 7A championship this spring. On the mound, he was 13-1 with a 1.51 ERA and 127 strikeouts in 83 1/3 innings. At the plate, he hit .429 with 10 home runs and 49 RBIs in 51 games. Booth scored 57 times and had .554 on-base and .779 slugging percentages.

Moten threw 22 shutouts, including 17 no-hitters and two perfect games, compiling a 35-4 pitching record with an 0.46 ERA. Batters hit .079 with 463 strikeouts off her in 212 1/3 innings. With a bat, Moten knocked in 43 runs and scored 63 times in 51 games, hitting .407 with 15 home runs. She posted .524 on-base and .800 slugging percentages.

The previous underclassmen to win Miss Softball were: Kenleigh Cahalan (2022), Madi Moore (2014) and Anna Thompson (2004).

Young, diagnosed with a tumor behind his heart last year, remained a part of Sumiton Christian’s Class 1A baseball championship team. He went through chemotherapy, including a session the week of the state semifinals, and was taking 16 pills a day during the playoffs.

He played in just 14 games and had 33 plate appearances this season, but his finale was memorable. In Sumiton’s championship-sealing win, Young was 3-for-4 with three RBIs.