After having no selections a year ago, Platte County placed four players on this year’s Class 5 Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Association all-state teams after a 20-12 season.
Platte County junior Dayton Doll earned first-team honors in the infield while senior Isaiah Smith (pitcher) and sophomore Brennan McLaughlin (infield) made the second team. Taylor Stambersky, another junior, received honorable mention status as the third Pirates infielder on the lists.
The quartet became the first all-state players for Platte County since the 2022 Class 5 state championship season. In fact, the Pirates had four earn the honors from 2021-2023 before matching that number this year.
Spending the majority of the season at shortstop, Doll anchored the middle of Platte County’s lineup and led the team in triples (three), runs (33) and stolen bases (29). He hit .374 with .496 on-base and .545 slugging percentages while racking up 12 extra-base hits — eight doubles and one home run — and driving in 18.
Doll tied for the team lead in hits (37) and walked 22 times while striking out just eight times. He and senior outfielder Devin Wassmann were the final position player starters from the state title time two years ago.
McLaughlin debuted late in his freshman season at shortstop but moved over to third base for the majority of his sophomore campaign. He led Platte County in extra-base hits (16 with team-highs of 10 doubles and four home runs) and RBIs while slashing .396/.477/.681, while scoring 29 runs. The .681 slugging percentage also ended up tops for the Pirates.
In addition to the power hitting, McLaughlin also pitched 35 2/3 innings and finished with a 1-0 record, striking out 30 and walking 19 with a team-best 2.16 ERA.
Platte County ended up using a three-pitcher combination in most big games that also included Smith, a second-year contributor, senior ace Brayden Carter and McLaughlin. Smith started nine games and made 15 appearances, totaling 36 innings and posting a 4-1 record with a 2.53 ERA. The left-hander struck out 35 and walked just 13.
Stambersky put up steady offensive production all year and tied with Doll for the team-lead in hits at 37, while topping all players to appear in at least 50% of games with a .402 average. Stambersky collected 35 singles, walked 10 times and scored 23 runs while driving in 16.
A first-year starter, Stambersky began the season at third base but shifted over to second base in an infield shuffle of three eventual all-staters that also coincided with the team’s turnaround.
Platte County started 3-8 before putting together an eight-game unbeaten streak and winning 17 of 20 down the stretch to earn a berth in the Class 5 District 8 title game. Kearney won the championship season and kept the Pirates from a second playoff berth in three seasons.
However, seven seniors helped Platte County bounced back from finishing one game under .500 in the Class 5 title defense season, and the Pirates now return a decorated infield and 10 total players with significant starting experience.
POSTSEASON HONORS
BASEBALL
All-Suburban Conference Blue Division
First Team
C — Tyler Stearns, Sr.; 1B — Brian Chandler, Sr.; 2B — Taylor Stambersky, Jr.; SS — Dayton Doll, Jr.; 3B — Brennan McLaughlin, So.; OF — Rocco Marriott, So.; U — Liam Blacklock, Jr.
Second Team
RP — Isaiah Smith, Sr.
Honorable Mention
OF — Devin Wassmann, Sr.
Player of the Year — Dayton Doll, Jr.
MHSBCA All-State
First Team
IF — Dayton Doll, Jr.
Second Team
P — Isaiah Smith, Sr.; IF — Brennan McLaughlin
Honorable Mention
IF — Taylor Stambersky, Jr.
SOCCER
MISSOURI HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER COACHES ASSOCIATION
All-Class 3 Region 4 (Districts 7 and 8)
GK — Finley Kaser, Jr.
