By ERIC VICCARO
sports@bowienewsonline.com

Bowie High School freshman pitcher Heston Tole was named District 3A-8 newcomer of the year.
Meanwhile, Nocona’s Jeremy James was selected as a first-team utility player as district awards were presented on Tuesday – after Holliday and Jacksboro bowed out of the Conference 3A-Region I playoffs.
“It was a no-brainer for Heston to be newcomer of the year after the year he had,” Bowie head baseball coach Ryan Rogers said.
Rogers was equally pleased with Tole’s production as a hitter as with Heston’s presence on the mound. Tole was Bowie’s No. 2 or No. 3 hitter in the batting lineup, and he was a regular starter.
Tole pitched 54-2/3 innings, surrendering 19 earned runs with striking out 64 and finishing with a 2.43 earned-run average.
At the plate, Tole recorded a .412 batting average with 10 doubles, four triples, two home runs, 23 RBIs and 26 runs scored overall – district and non-district contests.
James hit .289 and had a .426 on-base percentage this season, with a pair of doubles in District 3A-8 games only.
On the bump, James had eight game starters and had 33 innings of work with one win and a 4.66 ERA. Read more, and see the complete District 3A-8 first team and special honors, in the May 27 Bowie News.

Heston Tole is congratulated by Bowie head baseball coach Ryan Rogers after hitting a home run during a District 3A-8 game at Holliday in late April. Tole was named district newcomer of the year. (News file photo by Eric Viccaro)