There may not be a better raw talent we’ve seen than Ashton Roache. The Tallulah Falls GOAT and University of California commit was an on-base machine in 2026, and shattered the school record books. He’s now the BLITZ Player of the Year.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

.483 AVG (42 Hits)
4 HR · 36 RBI · 47 R
28 SB
16 2B · 3 3B · 23 XBH
.597 OBP · 18 BB · 11 HBP
4-3 · 1 Save · 3.83 ERA · 29 K

Ashton Roache owns the record book at Tallulah Falls. He leaves as the all-time leader in hits (113), HR (14), RBI (86), Runs (135), 2B (33), 3B (7), SB (92), BB (69), and HBP (45). He holds several single-season and single-game marks also, and finished his career with a lifetime .382 average. In 2026, he hit .483 with 42 hits, 23 of which were for extra bases. That included four homers, 16 doubles, and three triples. With 18 walks and 11 HBP, he also had a ridiculous .597 OBP and swiped 28 bases while scoring 47 times and driving in 36. He pitched some too, and went 4-3 with a save and a solid 3.83 ERA, striking out 29 in about 30 innings of work.

VOTING RESULTS

1. Ashton Roache – 60.75 pts (9 1st-place votes)
2. Gaven Sears – 59.5 pts (8)
3. Maverick Chitwood – 40.5 pts (2)
4. Landry Boling – 33.5 pts (2)
5. Alex Freeman – 22 pts
6. Maddox Patton – 18.75 pts
7. Easton Gailey – 14.25 pts
8. Owen Miller – 13.25 pts

Voting included our 21-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

Roache slightly edged out back-to-back winner Gaven Sears, with nine 1st-place votes. Sears had eight of those. Maverick Chitwood and Landry Boling also had a pair of 1st-place tallies each. This was one of the closes votes ever for Baseball POY.

HISTORY OF BASEBALL POY

• 2026 – Ashton Roache – Tallulah Falls SR IF
• 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

Roache is the first Tallulah Falls player to win the honors, and is the first Power 5 (Power 4) commit since Hudson Sapp of Dawson County in 2020 (Ole Miss). BLITZ Baseball POY winners include a handful of such talents – Roache (Cal), Sapp (Ole Miss), Tucker Maxwell (UGA), Spencer Adams (MLB Draft signee – UGA commit), and David Sosebee (UGA – went on to play in MiLB).

WHO WILL WIN IT NEXT YEAR?

---