Standley Named North Zone Player of the Year
By GARY STALLARD
AC Athletics
Several Angelina College baseball players landed on the postseason superlatives list, with Roadrunner Cole Standley taking home Region XIV North Zone Player of the Year honors.
Other ‘Runners included Brayden Pate (2nd Team Second Base), Connor Ficarra (2nd Team Outfield), Ethan Muniz (2nd Team Pitcher), Jorge Arcia-Palma (Honorable Mention Catcher) and Gavin Harmse (Honorable Mention Outfield).
Standley, a sophomore from Woodville High School in Woodville, also earned 1st Team All-Region honors following a season in which he led the team in hitting with a .409 batting average, 10 homers and 18 doubles, and 52 runs batted in (good enough for fourth place in all of Region XIV). Standley finished with a slugging percentage of .787 for the season.
Pate, a freshman from Gilmer High School in Gilmer, hit at a .362 clip with 13 RBI, 28 runs scored and four stolen bases.
Ficarra, a sophomore from Cinco Ranch High School in Katy, drove in 35 runs and scored another 28 while batting .281. Ficarra also stole 11 bases on the season.
Muniz, a redshirt freshman and right-handed pitcher from Cinco Ranch High School in Katy, struck out 55 batters in 59 innings pitched, winning seven of the 11 games he started in 2026.
Freshman Arcia-Palma, from St. Pius X High School in Caracas, Venezuela, finished with a .379 batting average, homering five times, driving in 26 runs and scoring another 31. He also threw out nine would-be base stealers from his position behind the plate.
Harmse, a freshman from Lumberton High School in Lumberton, came on strong in the latter part of the season after battling through an early injury. Harmse finished with a .365 batting average, three homers and 21 RBI in 20 games played.
The Roadrunners finished their 2026 campaign with an overall record of 25-20 in head coach Jon Phillips’ first season at the helm.
The email address for AC’s Sports Information Director is gstallard@angelina.edu.
Photo caption:
Cole Standley
Angelina College’s Cole Standley, a Woodville High School product, earned Region XIV North Zone Player of the Year honors following the 2026 season. Standley, who also earned 1st Team All-Region honors, was one of six Roadrunners named to the postseason superlatives list. (Gary Stallard photo for AC Athletics)
