Messenger file photo by Chris McCarthy
By Chris McCarthy, Publisher/Editor
Samuel Dutton is heading off to Baton Rouge in style.
Last Sunday (June 13), the 2021 Westbrook Christian graduate and LSU incoming freshman was named to the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s Super All-State baseball team. The honor came one day after Dutton was selected as both the Class 2A Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year.
After missing the second round of the state baseball playoffs with a shoulder injury, Dutton (pictured above) was the team’s designated hitter in the quarterfinals and returned to centerfield for the semifinals and championship series. His production played a big part in the Warriors’ first-ever state championship on May 18 in Montgomery, in addition to a 29-9 record and a 14th consecutive area title. In what turned out to be his final high school pitching performance, Dutton threw fourth no-hitter of the season in a 19-0 five-inning win over Lamar County in the first round of the state playoffs on April 23. After hitting the Bulldogs’ leadoff batter in the top of the first inning, Dutton sent down the next eight batters while racking up seven strikeouts.
Dutton put up some stellar numbers on the mound this past season. In 53 innings, he allowed 14 hits, three earned runs and five walks while striking out 117 batters. He went 9-0 and posted a 0.39 earned run average, which was the sixth-lowest all-time in one season. Dutton pitched seven shutouts that included four no-hitters and one perfect game. According to the Alabama High School Athletic Association season records, Dutton’s ERA was the sixth-lowest all-time, his four no-hitters tied for first all-time and his seven shutouts tied for fifth all-time. His 32 and two-third consecutive scoreless innings this season was fifth all-time. In 97 at-bats, Dutton finished with 50 hits (including nine doubles and one triple), four home runs, 39 RBI, a .515 batting average and a .621 on-base percentage.
For his high school varsity career from 2017 to 2021, Dutton posted the lowest career ERA at 0.77; finished 19th in strikeouts with 377 and finished 26th in career wins with 29.
Joining Dutton on the Super All-State team were Maddux Bruns of UMS-Wright, Brennen Norton of Cullman, Mason Swinney of Phil Campbell, Grant Taylor of Florence, Slate Alford of Bob Jones, Trey Higgins of Oxford, Pico Kohn of Chilton County, Riley Quick of Hewitt-Trussville and Charlie Keller of Mobile Christian. Bruns was named Mr. Baseball.