JD Cochran wore his West Point uniform with pride — and it showed time and time again.

Look no further than this past season, when the recent graduate provided an MVP-worthy effort to help the Warriors corral their sixth straight county title.

Or when he battled through a slow start at the plate to finish with quality numbers going up against the team’s typically loaded schedule under coach Drew Bryson.

Cochran wrapped the spring with a .358 batting average to go along with a .454 on-base percentage and .873 OPS — adding 17 RBIs, 11 walks and four stolen bases while striking out just five times in 81 at-bats. On the mound, he racked up a 6-6 record with a 3.50 ERA, 53 strikeouts and only 14 walks in 54 innings pitched.

Those numbers led to him being named Overall MVP of the All-County Team — as decided by the coaches.

Combine that with a productive career — steady being a word that comes to Bryson’s mind — and that’s why Cochran is The Times’ All-Area Player of the Year.

“JD just provided a steady presence,” Bryson said. “He was a solid No. 1 pitcher for us, and we always felt like we had a chance to win when he had the ball in his hand. And while it took him several games to get going at the plate, he was really good down the stretch and did a great job battling it out each at-bat to provide what we needed in the heart of the order. He was hitting around a .450 clip the back half of the season when it mattered the most.”

Addison’s Stone Talley (Hitter of the Year), Fairview’s Jaxson Robertson (Pitcher of the Year) and Fairview’s Nick Dumas (Coach of the Year) picked up the other top honors on this year’s All-Area Baseball Team.

Talley put together a strong sophomore campaign for the Bulldogs, batting .447 with a .482 on-base percentage, .702 slugging percentage and 1.184 OPS. He claimed 42 hits, 32 RBIs, 24 runs, 18 stolen bases, 13 doubles, 10 walks, three home runs and a triple to help Addison reach the second round of the playoffs. He then netted Class 1A All-State (second-team infielder) honors in the offseason.

Robertson, meanwhile, compiled a 6-3 record with a 2.29 ERA — doing so against some tough competition. The sophomore right-hander, who tossed one shutout, registered 36 strikeouts in 49 innings and held opposing hitters to a .211 batting average.

He was later named All-County Pitcher of the Year.

Lastly, Dumas led the Aggies to a 21-13-1 record — the program’s most wins since 1997 — as well as a playoff berth and in-season ranking in Class 5A.

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

Editor’s Note: The All-Area Team was handpicked myself after reviewing the 2024 season and speaking with most of our local baseball coaches. However, with a limited number of spots available and plenty of talented players in which to choose from, it’s possible some deserving candidates were left out.

---

The Times’ All-Area Baseball Team

Player of the Year

JD Cochran, West Point

---

Hitter of the Year

Stone Talley, Addison

---

Pitcher of the Year

Jaxson Robertson, Fairview

---

Coach of the Year

Nick Dumas, Fairview

---

First Team

Kiah Lake, Addison

Cole Bales, Cold Springs

Josh Winfrey, Cold Springs

Bennett Johnson, Cullman

Carson Stancil, Cullman

Nic Gregory, Fairview

Conner Scott, Fairview

Carter Rutherford, Good Hope

Nelson Arteaga, Hanceville

Jake Cornelius, Hanceville

Kollin Brown, Holly Pond

Michael Foust, Vinemont

Jake Hale, Vinemont

Josh Cherry, West Point

Gus McKenney, West Point

---

Honorable Mention

Addison: Lane Stewart, Tucker Thompson

Cold Springs: Matt Williams

Cullman: Tanner Gaines, Brooks Heatherly, Cooper Loftin

Fairview: Lucas West

Good Hope: Carter Naramore

Hanceville: Gabe Ognilla

Holly Pond: Sawyer Olinger, Carson Ryan

Vinemont: Kayden Henderson, Jaxon Holcomb

West Point: Boston Freeman, Jay Lamar