Brent Patterson couldn’t forget Will Morrison’s first start as a full-time varsity member if he tried.

No stranger to otherworldly arm talent, the longtime Cullman baseball coach held little doubt Morrison — a relatively unknown sophomore at the time — possessed all the attributes necessary to become a good pitcher capable of winning games and competing at the highest level.

Talk about calling your shot.

Morrison wrapped up an incredible career this spring with a dominant senior season, notching Class 6A Pitcher of the Year and Super-All State accolades. The Auburn signee also took home first-team honors (pitcher) when Collegiate Baseball Newspaper released its annual High School All-American Teams.

There’s one more achievement to add to his résumé.

Morrison — was there any doubt? — is The Times’ 2018 All-Area Baseball Player of the Year.

He heads up an impressive quartet at the top of this year’s All-Area Baseball Team, which also includes teammates Grayson Taylor (Hitter of the Year) and Michael Myers (Pitcher of the Year), as well as West Point’s Seth Ward (Coach of the Year).

In order to fully appreciate Morrison’s transformation into an elite pitcher, let’s go back and take a closer look at his aforementioned start on Opening Day two years ago.

It was anything but a superb outing for the right-hander, who surrendered five runs (two earned) on three hits in three forgettable innings. He also walked two batters and allowed a home run as the Bearcats lost to Class 7A Bob Jones by a final score of 5-4.

So, why does it stand out so much for Patterson?

The answer lies in what happened following the rough performance.

“He asked me and coach (Shannon) Fondren to watch him try out a new arm slot,” Patterson said. “The results were immediate. We went down to the bullpen and worked on it right then. It’s something that really developed, and we were along for the ride. I think the first outing showed him the usual stuff would not get varsity hitters out at a high level. We knew he’d throw harder and his breaking ball would be a lot better as he matured, but he knew he had some different stuff available.

“His first two starts after dropping down, I told coach (Jonathan) Romine, ‘There’s a guy who can go out and win us a Game 3 in the playoffs.’ We knew he had become special after that.”

Morrison’s discovery ended up setting the table for a remarkable career on the mound.

In 30 starts following his 2016 debut, he allowed more than two runs (earned or unearned) just five times en route to finishing his tenure at Cullman with a 28-7 record.

This spring, he crafted an 0.64 ERA, 0.61 WHIP and 101 strikeouts — all personal bests — in 77 innings and helped the Black and Gold reach the state semifinals for a fifth consecutive season. 

Offensively, he batted .344 with six home runs and 39 RBIs.

Morrison’s career stats: 238 innings, 149 hits, 38 walks, 264 strikeouts, 1.28 ERA and 0.78 WHIP. 

He also messed around and threw a pair of no-hitters.

That level of consistency is something Patterson never thought he’d see from a high school pitcher.

“Will just had instant command,” he said. “He could really, really, really sink the baseball. He can go over the top, down low and anywhere in between. But to say he was going to be as great as the stats indicate now … that may have been a lie. He was and is really, really, really special.”

As special as former Cullman standouts Keegan Thompson, Caleb Clay, Chase Mallard, Drew Bryson, Whit Ford, Jacob Heatherly and Matt Drake?

Absolutely.

“He ranks up there with the greats,” Patterson said. “It’s hard to compare guys of different years from all the different teams, but Will’s right up there. When you look at his consistency, his ability to do it over the long haul, what you could count on, his command, the teams he beat, the guys he faced, his numbers … you put him up there really high, because very, very few people are able to do it across three years.

“It was a special thing to watch Will develop from a 10th-grader into a senior who led the pitching staff. Will Morrison learned behind some great guys and took the reins when it was his turn.”

Taylor, a Class 6A All-State first-teamer (designated hitter) and Collegiate Baseball High School All-American (first-team shortstop), put together one heck of a senior season at the plate for the Bearcats.

The Belmont signee amassed a .364 batting average and .486 on-base percentage to go along with 10 home runs, 43 hits, 42 RBIs, 35 runs, 19 walks, eight stolen bases and three triples against some good competition — both in-state and out — and made tough plays look routine at his infield position.

Myers, meanwhile, carved out an 8-1 record with a 1.97 ERA and 0.82 WHIP in 61 innings of work.

He allowed only 40 hits and 10 walks and struck out 59 batters. The Snead State signee also won three games in the playoffs and struck out a career-high 16 hitters in a March contest against Houston (Tenn.).

Ward led West Point to 22 triumphs this season. Under his guidance, the Warriors amassed their fourth Cullman County Baseball Tournament crown since 2011 and reached the playoffs for the first time since 2003 en route to recording their first-ever postseason series victory — an opening-round sweep against Pleasant Grove. 

Drew Bryson, who will take over the program next season, also played a crucial role as an assistant.

Cullman (Cooper Beck, Brennen Norton and Weston Norton), Fairview (Dayne Black, Truman Boyd and Lane Schnittker) and West Point (Levi Allred, Kolton Easterwood and Matt McDonald) all tallied three selections on the first team.

Bryant Ridgeway (Addison), Matt Hancock (Good Hope), Tyler Legg (Good Hope), Alex Campbell (Hanceville) and Travis Hopper (Vinemont) comprised the rest of the honorary squad.

See below for The Times’ complete 2018 All-Area Baseball Team, including honorable mentions.

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The Times’ 2018 All-Area Softball Team

Player of the Year: Will Morrison, Cullman

Hitter of the Year: Grayson Taylor, Cullman

Pitcher of the Year: Michael Myers, Cullman

Coach of the Year: Seth Ward, West Point

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First Team

Bryant Ridgeway, Addison

Cooper Beck, Cullman

Brennen Norton, Cullman

Weston Norton, Cullman

Dayne Black, Fairview

Truman Boyd, Fairview

Lane Schnittker, Fairview

Matt Hancock, Good Hope

Tyler Legg, Good Hope

Alex Campbell, Hanceville

Travis Hopper, Vinemont

Levi Allred, West Point

Kolton Easterwood, West Point

Matthew McDonald, West Point

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Honorable Mentions

Addison: Hayden Lee, Braxton Preuitt

Cold Springs: Jake Abbott, Ayden Alexander

Cullman: Peyton Colvard, Hayden Henderson

Fairview: Scoot Bennett, Garrett Dunn

Good Hope: Preston Bagwell, Harper Chiaranda

Hanceville: Isaac Holmes, Dalton Rice

Holly Pond: Thomas Bell, Jacob Ring

St. Bernard: Anthony Diaz, Gavin Whaley

West Point: Sam Briehn, Hunter Persall