Pensacola's baseball history runs deep with these 10 legends

From Don Sutton to Brandon Sproat, the Pensacola area has a rich baseball history.

It’s also the next sport on our list in USA TODAY’s companywide 250 for 250 series.

As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, USA TODAY Sports will celebrate the 250 greatest American sports figures of all time. Alongside that national recognition, the USA TODAY Network will spotlight the roots of the country’s sports culture: the high school athletes and sports figures who shaped communities and defined their states and regions.

Patriots Bryce Hatton (10) celebrates scoring the 3-2 game winning run against the Silverhawks in the bottom of the 7th inning during the Lake Howell vs Pace 6A Regional Quarterfinals baseball game at Pace High School on April 24, 2026.

The Patriots celebrate their 3-2 victory over the Silverhawks in the bottom of the 7th inning during the Lake Howell vs Pace 6A Regional Quarterfinals baseball game at Pace High School on April 24, 2026.

Patriots Bryce Hatton (10) hits a leadoff double in the bottom of the 7th inning against the Silverhawks during the Lake Howell vs Pace 6A Regional Quarterfinals baseball game at Pace High School on April 24, 2026.

Patriots Bryce Hatton (10) celebrates hitting a leadoff double in the bottom of the 7th inning against the Silverhawks during the Lake Howell vs Pace 6A Regional Quarterfinals baseball game at Pace High School on April 24, 2026.

Patriots Dax Brooks (24) belts a hit to move the runner to third base in the bottom of the 7th inning against the Silverhawks during the Lake Howell vs Pace 6A Regional Quarterfinals baseball game at Pace High School on April 24, 2026.

Patriots Bryce Hatton (10) takes third base on a hit by Dax Brooks (24) with 1 out in the bottom of the 7th inning against the Silverhawks during the Lake Howell vs Pace 6A Regional Quarterfinals baseball game at Pace High School on April 24, 2026.

Silverhawks Noah Crews (17) pitches in relief in the bottom of the 7th inning against the Silverhawks during the Lake Howell vs Pace 6A Regional Quarterfinals baseball game at Pace High School on April 24, 2026.

Patriots Braiden Cheshire (1) drives in the winning run to defeat the Silverhawks 3-2 in the bottom of the 7th inning during the Lake Howell vs Pace 6A Regional Quarterfinals baseball game at Pace High School on April 24, 2026.

Second baseman Connor McBratney (12) plays a shot by Patriots Braiden Cheshire (1) and gets set to throw to the plate in the bottom of the 7th inning during the Lake Howell vs Pace 6A Regional Quarterfinals baseball game at Pace High School on April 24, 2026. Patriots ___ (10) beats the tag at the plate to defeat the Silverhawks 3-2.

Patriots Bryce Hatton (10) safely slides across the plate ahead of the tag by Silverhawks catcher Isaiah Nieves (20) for the 3-2 game winning run in the bottom of the 7th inning during the Lake Howell vs Pace 6A Regional Quarterfinals baseball game at Pace High School on April 24, 2026.

More photos are coming soon.1 / 12

See Patriots thrilling walk off baseball victory

1 / 12

See Patriots thrilling walk off baseball victory

2 / 12

See Patriots thrilling walk off baseball victory

3 / 12

See Patriots thrilling walk off baseball victory

4 / 12

See Patriots thrilling walk off baseball victory

5 / 12

See Patriots thrilling walk off baseball victory

6 / 12

See Patriots thrilling walk off baseball victory

7 / 12

See Patriots thrilling walk off baseball victory

8 / 12

See Patriots thrilling walk off baseball victory

9 / 12

See Patriots thrilling walk off baseball victory

10 / 12

See Patriots thrilling walk off baseball victory

11 / 12

See Patriots thrilling walk off baseball victory

12 / 12

See Patriots softball defeat Raiders for district championship

More photos are coming soon.

Over the next coming months, we’ll honor some of the top athletes in Pensacola area history.

Escambia and Santa Rosa County baseball have won 21 state championships and 29 players have made the Major Leagues.

The 10 baseball selections represent some of the area’s best players from the past and in recent years, as well as three state championship winning coaches. All nominees are in alphabetical order.

Think we missed anyone? Email JFitzgerald@gannett.com to let us know who should have been included.

Jay Bell, Tate

Jay Bell #33 of the Arizona Diamondbacks bunts the ball during the game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field in Chicago on May 18, 2001.

Bell’s journey to an 18-year MLB career started at Tate, where he led the Aggies to a state runner-up finish in 1982 and the 4A state title in 1984. He was drafted eighth overall by the Minnesota Twins in the 1984 MLB draft and made his major league debut with the Cleveland Indians in 1986, hitting a home run on the first pitch of his first at-bat.

Bell batted .265 with 1,963 hits, 195 home runs, 860 RBIs and 1,123 runs scored across his MLB career. He was also a two-time All-Star, won the National League Gold Glove and Silver Slugger at shortstop in 1993 while playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates and scored the game-winning run for the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2001 World Series.

Bell also served as the bench coach for the Diamondbacks in 2005-06 and the Cincinnati Reds in 2014-15.

Travis Fryman, Tate

Tigers third baseman Travis Fryman talks with folks outside the batting cage before he takes batting practice the game against Milwaukee on July 3, 1996, at Tiger Stadium. Fryman played for the Tigers from 1990–1997, consistently hitting above .260. In 1992, he was selected to the American League All-Star team and won the Silver Slugger Award as the best offensive shortstop in the American League.

Fryman followed Bell at Tate, leading the Aggies to the 4A state championship in 1986 before being drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the first round of the 1987 MLB Draft. He played for the Tigers from 1990-97 and the Indians from 1998-2002.

Fryman was a five All-Star, winning a Silver Slugger in 1992 and a Gold Glove in 2000. He batted .274 with 223 home runs, 1,022 RBIs, 1,776 hits and scored 895 runs in his career.

Richard LaBounty, Pensacola Catholic

Catholic High School coach Richard LaBounty works from the dugout Wednesday night in a game against Mosley.

LaBounty played for the UWF baseball team from 1982-83, but made his biggest impact in the Pensacola Catholic athletic department. He was the Crusaders head baseball coach from 1984-2016 and 2023-25 and the athletic director from 1988-2025.

He went 774-251-1 in his time at Pensacola Catholic, winning 18 district championships, three state championships and a national championship in 2013 after a 30-0 season. Catholic also finished state runner-up three times and made 24 state playoff appearances during his tenure.

The Crusaders athletic department added six sports during LaBounty’s tenure and is widely regarded as one of the best in the Pensacola area.

Jim Presley, Escambia

No. 24 Jim Presley

Presley played at Escambia and was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the fourth round of the 1979 MLB Amateur Draft. He made his MLB debut in for the Mariners in 1984, playing eight years mainly as a first and third baseman, batting .247 with 135 home runs and 495 RBIs.

Presley went into coaching after his playing career, serving as the Arizona Diamondbacks hitting coach from 1998-00, the Florida Marlins hitting coach from 2006-10, and the Baltimore Orioles hitting coach from 2011-14. With the Orioles he coached under Buck Showalter, a Century graduate.

Addison Russell, Pace

Chicago Cubs shortstop Addison Russell runs the bases after hitting a solo home run in the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game two of the National League Championship Series at Dodger Stadium on October 15 in Los Angeles.

Russell starred at Pace, helping the Patriots winning the 5A state championship and ESPN national championship in 2010 and finish 5A state runner-up in 2012, batting .358 during his senior season.

Russell was drafted 11th overall by the Oakland Athletics in the 2012 MLB Draft before being traded to the Chicago Cubs organization in July 2014. He debuted in 2015 as one of the top prospects in baseball, then in 2016 was a National League All-Star and the starting shortstop on a Cubs team that won its first World Series since 1908.

He last played in the majors in 2019, and hit .242 with 60 home runs and 253 RBIs in his MLB career.

Kevin Saucier, Escambia

Kevin Saucier

Nicknamed “Hot Sauce,” Saucier helped Escambia win a state championship in 1974 and was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the second round of that year’s MLB Amateur Draft.

He made his MLB debut in 1978 and pitched five years as a reliever, recording a 3.31 ERA in 139 career games, helping the Phillies win their first World Series in 1980.

Buck Showalter, Century

Showalter helped Century win a state championship in 1974, the first step in a long career in baseball.

He played at Chipola College and Mississippi State, where he was an All-American in 1977. The New York Yankees drafted him in the fifth round that year, and he played seven seasons in the minor leagues before getting into coaching.

Showalter’s got his first manager job with the Yankees (1990-95) before later managing the Diamondbacks (1998-2000), the Texas Rangers (2003-06), the Baltimore Orioles (2010-18) and the New York Mets (2022-23). He has a 1,727-1,665 record as a manager, leading teams to six postseason appearances and four Manager of the Year awards.

Don Sutton, Tate

Don Sutton

The Pensacola area’s first star, Sutton helped Tate win a state title in 1962 before graduating in 1963. He played briefly at Gulf Coast Community College before signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Sutton pitched 23 seasons in the majors from 1966-88, most notably for the Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers, and was inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame in 1998. A four time All-Star, Sutton won 324 games and recorded 3,574 strikeouts, with the latter ranking seventh all-time in MLB history.

Charlie Warner, Jay/Pace

Former Pace High School Baseball Coach Charlie Warner makes a few remarks after being inducted into Pensacola Sport Hall of Fame Wednesday night.

Warner won more than 600 games in a 30-plus year as a high school coach, setting a standard for his generation of area coaches. Most of his success came at Pace, where he led the Patriots to state championships in 2006 and 2010, the ESPN National Title in 2010 and five state semifinal appearances.

Mark Whiten, Pensacola

Mark Whiten

Whiten didn’t play baseball until his senior at PHS in 1984, but quickly took to the game. He played at Pensacola State College, until being drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1986.

Whiten played for eight teams in an 11-year MLB career, and is best known for tying a pair of MLB records with a four home run, 12 RBI game on Spet. 7, 1993 while playing for the St. Louis Cardinals. He batted .259 with 105 home runs and 423 RBIs in his career.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola baseball legends who shaped the game

Source

13.05.2026

9 minutes read