The 2024 season featured a return to form for the Evanston Legion A baseball team, with the Outlaws making a return to the Class A State Tournament for the first time in a couple of seasons, and finishing above .500 with a 23-22 record.

On the heels of that success, five Evanston players received postseason honors following the West District Tournament in Green River last month, with Walker Wilson, Ryder Wilson and Gavin Oliver named to the 2024 West All-Conference First Team. Braxton Bauer and Jacson Osborne were named to the West All-Conference Second Team.

With the Class A State Tournament also in the books as of last week, All-State teams were announced over the weekend, with Gavin Oliver named to the All-State First Team, and Walker Wilson and Ryder Wilson receiving All-State Second Team honors.

“Those five kids were our top stat leaders in just about every category, so the recognition was deserved,” said Outlaws skipper Nick Small.

Gavin Oliver

Oliver emerged as one of the Outlaws’ aces on the mound in 2024, finishing with a 5-2 record to lead the team in wins; he also led the team in  saves, with four. His 50 strikeouts were second on the team, and his ERA of 2.01 was lowest on the team.

Batting out of the No. 3 spot in the lineup, Oliver hit .395 for the season, leading the team in extra-base hits with 17 (8 doubles, 4 triples and 5 home runs) and driving in a team-high 52 runs.

When he wasn’t getting it done on the mound, Oliver was a solid fielder, playing primarily at shortstop for the Outlaws.

“Gavin pitched well for us down the stretch,” Small said. “It paid huge dividends, and played a big part in our success. He was also a solid bat in the lineup for us.”

Walker Wilson

Wilson once again had a stellar season for the Outlaws in all facets of the game, playing six different positions for the Outlaws at different points in the season, and joining Oliver as one of the top pitchers in the West District. The talented right-hander appeared in 15 games, posting a 4-4 record with an ERA of 6.28; he also led the team in strikeouts with 54.

Wilson got it done at the plate as well, hitting .382 with 39 RBIs out of the No. 2 spot in the lineup.

Now aged out of Legion ball, Wilson will be missed, not only for his play on the field, but for his leadership off it, according to Small.

“Walker is going to be a hard one to replace,” Small said. “He played six different positions for us this year, and at a very high level — it wasn’t just, ‘Hey, go fill this spot for us.’ Pitcher, catcher, shortstop, third base, left field, center field — all very critical positions for us, and positions where he had my and coach [Cody] Moore’s absolute trust. Being that versatile is huge, and will be hard to replace. He’s a kid that the younger players just gravitate to — he’s friendly, personable. He and Braxton are the gel that kind of held the team together.”

Ryder Wilson

The Outlaws’ leadoff hitter for most of the season, Wilson hit .377, and led the team in hits, with 55, including seven doubles, four triples and 28 RBIs.

Wilson also appeared in 20 games as a pitcher, compiling a 3-2 record with a 4.12 ERA (3-0 in save opportunities); he was third on the team in strikeouts, with 49.

When he wasn’t pitching, Wilson was lights out in center field, using his speed to cover a lot of ground, en route to a .965 fielding percentage.

“Ryder’s just a great athlete,” Small said. “He made a commitment a couple of years ago, and found the weight room — it’s really changed his game. He’s stronger, faster, more explosive and can run down just about any ball in center field. He’s just an anchor out there. As our leadoff hitter, he’s Top 2 or 3 in average, and the good news is, we get him back for one more year.”

Braxton Bauer

A fixture at first base the last couple of seasons for the Outlaws, Bauer showed his versatility late in the season by making the move to third base for the playoffs after an injury to Brecken Rich.

When the dust finally settled on the season, Bauer — another player whose time as an Outlaw is unfortunately at an end —  finished with a .362 batting average, smacking 46 hits — including 16 doubles and three home runs — and was second on the team in RBIs, with 49.

Bauer also appeared in 14 games as a pitcher, compiling a 3-0 record and a 6.79 ERA, striking out 26.

Along with Walker Wilson, Bauer could be counted on by Small to provide leadership to the younger players, and was rarely seen without a smile on his face, and an encouraging word for his teammates.

“Braxton is a very intelligent kid,” Small said. “He’s a very smart, savvy baseball player. To make that jump over to third base at the District Tournament, and not make a single error — just phenomenal job by him on that. I think he got snubbed — I really believe Braxton is a First Team All-Conference kid. He’s very personable, the kids love him. He’ll be missed.”

Jacson Osborne

No one worked harder in the offseason than Osborne to improve their game, according to Small, and it showed — the talented backstop hit .336 on the season, with 42 hits — including a pair of doubles and a home run — and 33 RBIs.

As a pitcher, Osborne made seven starts, going 3-3 with a 8.56 ERA, striking out 27.

“Jacson’s another kid who’s decided that baseball is going to be his thing, so he’s going to work to be the best he can be,” Small explained. “He’s spent a lot of time in the gym, and working with catchers down in Park City this last winter. To have the strength and grit to be able to catch a doubleheader in the heat of the summer — that’s pretty impressive. And at the plate — as far as ball velocity — Jackson hits the ball as hard or harder than anybody on our team. He’s a good, middle-of-the-lineup kid, moving the baserunners around.”