By Brice Cherry

Tribune-Herald youth sports editor

Even from the crib, Midway’s Todd Glaesmann could talk a good game.

“It’s funny, my parents look back and I think my first word was actually ‘ball,’ ” Glaesmann said. “From then on, they definitely knew I was going to be an athletic kid.”

Some 17 years later, Glaesmann is still having a ball, displaying a natural ability — and affinity — for all manner of sports. The athletic, rangy junior outfielder led the region finalist Panthers in batting average (.473), triples (five) and RBIs (56), and his 11 home runs tied Salado’s Justin Schiller for the Central Texas lead.

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» Selections: First and second teams, honorable mention

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Now, Glaesmann’s gifted batting stroke has earned him the Tribune-Herald’s Player of the Year award on the annual Super Centex Baseball Team.

Even though Glaesmann frequently makes it look easy on the diamond, that doesn’t mean he’s just coasting on his talent. His sharp batting eye was honed last summer through hours in the batting cage and by playing select ball.

“I worked on it in the offseason,” Glaesmann said. “Then it’s funny, once you start hitting, it keeps going. You find that stroke, and I just tried to ride it as long as I could.”

Glaesmann found his groove in an early season, nondistrict game against Class 5A Cedar Park.

“It rained all day, and we didn’t think we were going to get to play,” he said. “We started the game and we were down a couple of runs, and I ended up hitting a triple that gave us the lead. That kind of started my hitting streak.”

Glaesmann didn’t just win games in the batter’s box. The starting quarterback for Midway’s football team, he utilized his cannon arm and athletic instincts in playing a mean left field.

“Todd made a diving catch against Midlothian in the playoffs that kept them from scoring some runs,” Midway coach Tom Gladney said. “That was a really big play. He’s definitely very athletic, and he’ll move over to center field next year with (Ryan) Gebhart gone.”

Without question, Glaesmann will lose some protection in the batting order next year, as several of the team’s top hitters — Gebhart, Jarvis Smith, Cody Gummelt, Hayden Chick — have graduated.

But what Glaesmann won’t lose is his childlike enthusiasm.

“We hit 44 home runs as a team, and we’ll lose a lot of that,” Glaesmann said. “But I think if our pitching is stable, we can scratch a couple of runs across every game and get as far — or farther — than this year.”

Coach of the Year: Joel Kuehl, Bosqueville

The coins didn’t bounce Joel Kuehl’s way during the state baseball playoffs.

In the end, he didn’t give a flip.

In his first year as Bosqueville’s baseball coach, Kuehl adeptly led the Bulldogs on a dominant run through the Class 1A playoffs, culminating with a 10-3 win over Flatonia in the state championship game. All that, despite losing every coin flip throughout the postseason.

“When we lost the home-team flip to Flatonia in the final game, I told the guys, ‘Guess what? I lost another flip,’ ” Kuehl said. “They were happy.”

Kuehl’s Bulldogs played with a cool demeanor that belied their inexperience — the team had but one senior on its roster. The players merely followed the lead of their unflappable new coach, who knew a little something about state tournament glory, having won a softball state title last year as a Bosqueville assistant and a baseball title in 2003 as an assistant at Midway.

“(That experience) allowed me to relax a lot more,” Kuehl said. “It allowed me to focus on the kids and keep them relaxed. You know, as a coach, if you get tense, your kids are going to get tense. And if you stay relaxed, your kids are going to be relaxed.”

Kuehl’s message to his team on the opening day of practice was a simple one — let’s make a run at it. Ultimately, the Bulldogs ran like greyhounds, outscoring their playoff foes, 82-36, on the way to the school’s first team title in a boys’ sport.

“I knew we could make the playoffs,” Kuehl said. “I wasn’t sure of how long of a run or how deep that would be, but it ended up being all the way, and I’m pretty happy about it.”

Newcomer of the Year: Kent Miller, Crawford

As a junior varsity player in 2007, Kent Miller often dreamed about playing in the late game.

This year, he proved to be a ready-for-prime-time player.

Hungry for his shot on the varsity, Crawford’s sophomore first baseman feasted on opposing pitching, delivering a .551 average, 54 hits, 19 doubles, five home runs and 41 RBIs.

“We all were (eager to move up),” Miller said. “Me, Kendall (Knuppel), Chase (Lynch), we all were wanting to play for the varsity last year, to get in the playoffs and stuff.”

Miller and the Pirates did just that, winning district and knocking off Olney and Brock before falling to eventual state finalist Mildred in a best-of-three regional semifinal series.

Even with a cadre of Crawford seniors departing, Miller thinks the 2009 Pirates are capable of reaching the grandest stage of all.

“The expectations are pretty high,” he said. “We want to go farther than we did last year and hopefully make the state tournament.”

bcherry@wacotrib.com

757-5714

2008 Super Centex Baseball Team

Player of the Year: Todd Glaesmann, OF, Midway /  Video interview

Newcomer of the Year: Kent Miller, 1B, Crawford /  Video interview

Coach of the Year: Joel Kuehl, Bosqueville /  Video interview

Catchers: Michael Stranacher, Axtell; Cody Johnson, China Spring; Brad Maddux, Clifton; Nick Baker, Fairfield; Tyler Powell, Gatesville; Cody Lovejoy, Lorena

Infielders: Weston Popham, Axtell; Hunter Kosar, Bosqueville; Terrance Bratton, Connally; Dujuan Prater, Copperas Cove; Alex Shaw, Dawson; Evan Simpson, Fairfield; Thomas Weber, Gatesville; Charlie Curry, Blaine Perkins and Tyler Lewis, Groesbeck; Matt Johnson, Mexia; Scooter Rhodes, Stephen O’Beirne and Anthony Guajardo, Midway; Josh Wrzesinski, Reicher; Johnny Nix and Matt Fritsch, Salado

Outfielders/Utility Players: Mike Hicks, China Spring; Billy Mee, Copperas Cove; Cameron Blenden, Crawford; Matt Harris, Fairfield; Matt Madison, Cade Wilson and Ricky Kinsey, Groesbeck; Max Farmer, Lorena; Cody Price, Mexia; Steven Matthews, Valley Mills; Jarrod Harris, West

Pitchers: Aaron Randolph, Bosqueville; John Ropple, Copperas Cove; Kendall Knuppel, Crawford; Waylon Pruitt, Gatesville; Taylor Burrow, Groesbeck; Wade Elliott, Fairfield; Sam Stroder, Frost; John Speights, Mexia; Ryan McClaran, Whitney