By Shannon Fagan, WEIS Sports Director
COMING FRIDAY: All-Cherokee County Softball
The 2025 high school baseball season was about making up for lost time for Cherokee County Warrior Carson Tittle.
A knee injury he suffered in football took away much of his junior year, but he wasn’t going to let another similar injury cost him his senior baseball season.
“I knew this team needed me,” Tittle said. “I tore my ACL during football season and I’m just glad it happened early instead of late. I had time to rehab it and get back to 100 percent.”
Not only did Tittle battle back in time to play, he delivered – especially in the big games.
Against area rival Alexandria on April 10, Tittle went 3-for-3 at the plate, including a grand slam to left field in the bottom of the fourth inning and a run-scoring double to left in the second.
He was also impressive on the mound, scattering three runs on five hits with a pair of walks in five innings in the Warriors’ 6-3 win.
The win clinched the runner-up spot from Class 4A, Area 12 for the Warriors (18-15) and their first playoff berth since 2022, Tittle’s freshman year.
In the Cherokee County Tournament championship game against Spring Garden back on March 7, Tittle shrugged off two unearned runs in the top of the first inning and held the Panthers scoreless the rest of the way, scattering four hits, a pair of walks and 11 strikeouts in a 3-2 victory that clinched the Warriors’ second straight county title.
Tittle also led the Warriors at the plate, going 2-for-2 with a double, two runs and a RBI.
“The role he played for us, I can’t describe how big it was for us this year. He was able to do it all for us,” Warrior first-year head coach Josh Decker said. “The thing I was the most impressed about with him was how big of the spots he came up in. He didn’t run from the big moments. It was incredible to watch.”
It wasn’t just incredible for Decker and the Warriors to watch. It made the other Cherokee County baseball coaches take notice as well. They selected Tittle as their 2025 All-Cherokee County Baseball Most Valuable Player.
“It’s an honor,” Tittle said. “There are a bunch of good players in this county and a bunch of good players on this team who are also deserving of this award. I’m just proud to represent this game.”
In 33 games last season, Tittle batted .398 with 11 doubles, a home run, 20 walks, 11 hit by pitches, two sacrifice flies, 30 runs and 29 RBIs.
On the mound, he went 6-1 in 59 2/3 innings. He gave up 15 earned runs on 53 hits with 16 walks and 58 strikeouts.
Even though Tittle’s storybook senior season has now ended, he won’t be hanging up his baseball cleats anytime soon. He signed with Gadsden State back on April 14.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Tittle said of playing college baseball. “I’m ready to start a new chapter in my life.”
It wouldn’t surprise Decker if Tittle’s new chapter continues to inspire at the collegiate level just like he did with the Warriors.
“It’s a blessing to be able to go on and play at the next level,” Decker said. “There’s pressure there. You’ve got to be tough. You’ve got to be gritty, but he’s the type of kid who flourishes in those types of situations. The reason they recruited him is he’s what they like. He’s going to go on and represent our program well and do great things. I couldn’t be more proud for him.”
Tittle wasn’t the only Warrior who had a storybook senior season.
Ben Elsberry battled his way back from a serious car accident a year ago. Doctors didn’t give him much of a chance to survive, and if he did, he was looking at some form of brain damage.
Elsberry not only survived, but he worked his way back into the Warrior pitching rotation. In 51 innings, he went 6-3 with a 3.29 ERA with 46 strikeouts to earn the Cherokee County baseball coaches’ All-County Pitcher of the Year.
“Ben was another kid who had a fantastic year, coming off what he came off of,” Decker said. “It’s crazy how many parallels there are between him and Carson.
“You look at what we preach day in and day out about toughness and grit, the types of people we want to be, not just ball players, but as fathers and husbands, they take on that image daily just because of what they’ve been through. It was evident in the way they played this year. I couldn’t be more proud of him to also be able to go on and sign at the next level (with Southeastern Baptist College in Laurel, Miss.).”
Cedar Bluff senior infielder Hunter Stallings and Spring Garden senior catcher Hayes Garmon were also chosen by the county coaches as Offensive and Defensive Most Valuable Players respectively.
Stallings batted .456 with 10 doubles, six home runs, a pair of triples, 17 walks, 33 runs and 44 RBIs in 30 games for the Tigers.
Garmon garnered a .523 batting average with 13 doubles, a home run, 33 walks, 27 runs and 25 RBIs in 26 games for the Panthers.
The 2025 All-Cherokee County Baseball selections are listed below.
2025 All-Cherokee County Baseball Selections
County Most Valuable Player: Carson Tittle, Cherokee County
County Pitcher of the Year: Ben Elsberry, Cherokee County
Offensive MVP: Hunter Stallings, Cedar Bluff
Defensive MVP: Hayes Garmon, Spring Garden
First Team
Hunter Allmond, Gaylesville
Connor Bates, Spring Garden
Nate Black, Cherokee County
Caleb Edmondson, Cedar Bluff
Zane Edwards, Spring Garden
Cam Gifford, Sand Rock
Adam Griffith, Cherokee County
Morgan Tucker, Sand Rock
Parker Wilson, Cherokee County
Luke Young, Cherokee County
Second Team
Lathan Amos, Sand Rock
Alex Baty, Gaylesville
Issac Bishop, Cedar Bluff
Carson Bostick, Spring Garden
Kaden Bullard, Sand Rock
Jacob Chambers, Cedar Bluff
Collin Hendon, Gaylesville
James Hunter, Cherokee County
Clayton Sadler, Spring Garden
Grey Simpson, Spring Garden
Honorable Mention
Kuper Bradley, Cedar Bluff
Aiden Bobbitt, Cherokee County
Case Hill, Cherokee County
Evan Hill, Cherokee County
Joel Hunter, Spring Garden
Kane Robison, Sand Rock
