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Kale Thaxton added his name to the list of Duncan Baseball All-Staters with an incredible senior season Ben Whitehead

July 25, 2010

Kale Thaxton set for All-State Baseball Game

Ben Whitehead The Duncan Banner The Duncan Banner Sun Jul 25, 2010, 09:12 PM CDT

DUNCAN — Forgive Kale Thaxton if you try to pinch him and he doesn’t wake up from his dream. That’s because his dream is a reality.

Thaxton closed out the 2010 baseball season for the Duncan Demons batting .550 with seven home runs, 48 RBIs and 40 stolen bases. He played a significant role in helping Duncan get back to the state tournament for the second time in three seasons.

He was voted to the Louisville Slugger High School All-American Honorable Mention team earlier this summer and has been playing for the Oklahoma Baseball Academy since graduation. Thaxton will continue playing baseball at the next level as he’s signed to play at Redlands Community College.

Before that, Thaxton will play in one more game, the 2010 Oklahoma All-State Baseball game. He said he’s thrilled to have been picked for the game which will be played at 7 p.m. today at J.L. Johnson Stadium on the campus of Oral Roberts University.

“Just being selected is a big honor and I want to go up there and play well,” Thaxton said. “It’s a chance to play with all the best players in the state and it’s great that I was noticed and picked by the coaches.”

Thaxton was originally selected as an alternate infielder and was bumped up when an infielder from Weatherford decided to play in the All-State football game.

Playing in the All-State game is something Thaxton said he’ll always remember, but what he’ll remember most about his senior season is playing with the teammates he had at Duncan.

“Being a part of that team with all those guys, that’s what it was all about,” he said. “All the hard work we put in paid off and we made it to the state tournament. That was a big goal of ours and to accomplish it with my teammates was a great deal. I’m definitely going to miss playing with those guys.”

Whatever pressure there is for representing Duncan, Thaxton said he’s not feeling any of it.

“A lot of people don’t hear about us down here (in Duncan),” he said. “We’re not in a conference and teams from Oklahoma City and Tulsa don’t play us so they don’t know about us. I’m just going to go up there and if I get to play, I’m going to give it my best.”

This summer, Thaxton has played at each of the infield positions, aside from first base. Up until this summer, he had only played second base and shortstop. Getting a shot a third has helped him prepare for any role that’s asked of him.

“It’s been fun playing every single day,” said Thaxton. “I’ve gotten a lot of work in at different positions. The competition in the summer is much better because I’m seeing better pitchers every day. It’s been good for preparing me for college.”

- Ben Whitehead is the sports editor of The Duncan Banner. He can be reached at 255-5354, Ext. 165, or via e-mail at ben.whitehead@duncanbanner.com.

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