Gaven Sears launched 11 round-trippers and proved to be even better than a year ago – which earns him back-to-back BLITZ POY awards.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

.463 AVG (44 Hits)
11 HR
34 RBI
7 SB
23 HBP
30 BB (20 IBB)
1.521 OPS

You can have the homers and RBIs. But the average, OBP, and OPS is ridiculous. 1.521 OPS included 11 homeruns, 34 RBI, and seven SB. The 30 walks (including 20 IBB) and 23 hit by pitches is an INSANE exhibit of patience, toughness, and grit.

VOTING RESULTS

1. Gaven Sears – 39.5 pts (5 1st-place votes)
2. Maverick Chitwood – 34.5 pts (3)
3. Reid Giles – 23.75 pts (1)
4. Steven Taveres – 18.25 pts (1)
5. Preston Bannister – 16.75 pts (2)
6. Chase Pollock – 14.75 pts (1)
7. Gunnar Akins – 11.75 pts

Voting included our 13-person panel made up of sports reporters, writers, video producers, former coaches, players, GHSA officials, and sports experts. The voting is Heisman-style, with the following points system:
1st place votes: 5 pts; 2nd: 3 pts; 3rd: 2 pts; 4th: 1 pts; 5th-6th: 0.5 pts; 7th-8th 0.25 pts

This had so much parity to it…Sears captured the most 1st-place votes, and edged out Maverick Chitwood of Habersham. Six of the seven finalists all had 1st-place tallies.

HISTORY OF BASEBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR

• 2025 – Gaven Sears – Banks County JR UTIL
• 2024 – Gaven Sears – Banks County SO P/C/3B
• 2023 – Julian Horner – Dawson County JR OF
• 2022 – Hampton Hutto – Commerce JR 1B/DH
• 2021 – Brady Wilson – Rabun County SR C/P
• 2020 – Hudson Sapp – Dawson County SR OF/P
• 2019 – Hudson Sapp – Dawson County JR OF/P
• 2018 – Palmer Sapp – Dawson County SR SS/P
• 2017 – Kooper Briley – Stephens County SR SS
• 2016 – Tucker Maxwell – Dawson County SR OF
• 2015 – Joseph Mancuso – Union County JR P/1B
• 2014 – Spencer Adams – White County SR P/SS
• 2013 – Brett Westmoreland – White County SR 1B
• 2012 – Zach Wall – Hayesville JR P/SS
• 2011 – David Sosebee – White County SR P/3B
• 2010 – David Sosebee – White County JR P/3B

Sears is the only from Banks County to claim the honors, and now has it back-to-back. He is just the third ever to take it multiple times.

WHO WILL WIN IT NEXT YEAR?