Craig Allison for the Gazette-Mail
By Dave Morrison
For the WVSWA
Ripley – There aren’t many stories on Ripley super sophomore shortstop Bryson Casto that don’t involve baseball.
There was the time he was about four years old. His dad Shane, a former player and now his high school coach, handed him a bat and told the family that whatever hand he grabbed it with would be his dominate side.
He grabbed it with the left and to this day bats left and throws right.
At six he was using what was a prodigious 30-ounce, 20-inch Easton and hit the ball so well opponents thought it was an illegal bat.
He was offered by a Division 1 school (in the days when you could do that) prior to starting his eighth-grade year, and committed to that school, West Virginia University, three months later.
Now a new chapter has been added:
Casto, who helped lead the Vikings to the state title with a 5-0 win against Frankfort, was named captain of the Class AAA all-state team, released today by the West Virginia Sports Writer’s Association.
Casto was named to the first team as a utility player, and the statistics show he really can do it all on the diamond.
At the plate he hit .500 (44-88) with nine doubles, a triple, a home run, 25 RBIs and 41 runs. He walked 29 times, stole 30 bases, and had a .617 on-base percentage.
In the field he had a .974 fielding percentage (only two errors in 77 chances).
On the mound he was 7-0, throwing 53 2/3 innings with a sparkling 0.26 ERA, giving up just two unearned runs all season. He struck out 71 and walked just 14.
Casto was offered by West Virginia University on Aug. 14, 2022, and he committed in November of that same year.
“We were at a camp (in the late summer of 2022) and he motioned for me to come to the dugout,” Shane Casto said
“I thought he was hurt or something. He says ‘Dad, I think they’re going to offer me a scholarship (meaning WVU). I said, ‘Get back in the dugout.’
“He said, ‘They want to talk to you and mom.’ So, I was talking to coach (Steve) Sabins (then a top assistant at WVU and now the head coach) and it started becoming clear. I said, ‘Coach are you offering him a scholarship? You do realize he hasn’t stepped foot in an eighth-grade classroom.’”
They were.
They did.
Ironically, Casto can’t talk to his future coach outside of summer camps at the school, the rules in recruiting having changed since, but both parties remain firm.
The date was special to Shane because it was Aug. 14, his brother Steve’s birthday. It just so happens Steve was working in the Morgantown area and stopped by the camp that day.
“He got to share that with us, so it made it even more special,” the coach said.
And Casto has done little since to slow down, climbing the ranks to state champion and now captain of the Class AAA all-state team.
Some of Casto’s other honors include 2024 1st Team AAA All State, 2024 first team Rawlings/ABCA All Region, 2024 second team Rawlings/ABCA All American 2024 Rawlings/ABCA Freshman All American, 2025 Perfect Game Preseason All Region, 2025 Cardinal Conference Player of the Year, 2025 1st Team All Cardinal Conference.
His teammate Jackson Curry was named to the team as a utility player as well.
Curry hit .387 (36-93) with five doubles, four tiples, three home runs, 30 runs and 29 RBIs. He walked 23 times and stole 18 bases.
He fashioned a 9-1 record on the mound with two saves. He worked 48 2/3 innings, gave with just 18 earned runs (2.59 ERA) with 53 strikeouts and 26 walks
He threw a complete game three-hit shutout in the state title game.
The lone senior did it all for the Vikings.
He started at shortstop for two years then moved around to third for a while when he didn’t pitch. This year, when centerfielder Eli Phalen was going to pitch it left a hole.
“Jackson asked me what was going to do in center and said he would do it,” Casto said. “I sent him out to hit him some and he threw an absolute rocket to third base. That solved that problem.
“He said all he wanted to do was win and play. Didn’t matter where. All these guys bought in and it made this a special team.”
Ripley’s home, Class AAA Region 3, really had a big season, with seven of the huge regions nine teams spending at least a week in the Class AAA Top 10.
That was represented in the 2025 all-state team.
Sissonville was one of those teams and the Indian’s Eli Simonton earned the other utility spot, after hitting .480 with 47 hits (eight double, four triples and 42 runs and he had a 10-2 mound record, tossing 76 innings with 103 strikeouts and a 1.72 ERA.
The pitchers include Bridgeport senior Jacob Stavrakis (7-2, one save, 55 innings, 1.66 ERA, 46 strikeouts) and a pair of juniors who helped their teams make the state tournament in Lanson Orndorf of Frankfort (7-3, two saves, 76 strikeouts, 2.85 ERA) and Blake Withrow of Winfield (7-0, 0.77 ERA, seven ranked runs, 66 strikeouts).
The catcher is Michael Romano, Bridgeport (Sr.).
The Indians backstop hit .319 and had 33 runs. He walked 24 times.
The infielders include Cole Cunningham of Independence, Blake Jacobs of Frankfort, Carson Currey of Bridgeport, and Cam Peschl of Fairmont Sr.
Cunningham was captain of the Class AA team last spring.
As a senior this season, Cunningham hit a team-best .446 with 41 hits, including 13 doubles four home runs, 23 runs and 31 RBIs.
Jacobs hit .426 (40-94) with 11 doubles, a tiple, four homers with 45 runs and 45 RBIs.
Bridgeport’s Currey hit .395 with 13 doubles, a triple, a home run and 24 RBIs.
Peschl helped Fairmont Senior to the state tournament earlier this month with a .406 batting average. He had 41 hits, including 10 doubles, three triples, and 38 runs. During the season the senior played seven different positions.
Region 3 was chock-full of outstanding outfielders and four – Shady Spring’s Cutter Boggs, Greenbrier East’s Zion Detko, Independence’s Degan Williams and PikeView’s Landon Wyatt -were named to the first team, along with state runner-up Frankfort’s Jacob Nething.
Shady Spring’s Boggs, who started his career with a 19-game hit streak, finished the year hitting .411 with 35 runs and 21 RBIs.
“Cutter was a game changer for us on both sides of field this year,” coach Kendrick Epling said. “In centerfield we knew that anything hit to him or in his proximity, he was going to make the play, and then on the offensive side, we knew he was going to put the ball in play and give us a chance to put runs on the board. He’s special and very rarely do you get a freshman that did what he did this year.”
Detko had a big year after moving from the cleanup spot last year to the leadoff spot this season. He hit .465 with 11 doubles, three triples, five home runs with 42 runs scored.
“Zion had a great year,” Greenbrier East coach Cory Mann said. “He put the work in last offseason, and it showed. His maturity and approach lead our team all year. In the outfield he covered the gaps and made some great plays. He has a mature approach at the plate and carries himself like a professional. I’m excited for him to continue his career at the University of Charleston.”
Williams and Wyatt were Class AA all-staters last season as freshmen.
Williams hit .436, with a team-best 44 hits (he has 90 for his career) and seven doubles, two triples, four-home runs, 31 runs ana team-best 37 RBIs.
Wyatt finished his sophomore season hitting .442 with 42 hits (85 career) with 11 doubles, two triples, three home runs, 30 runs and 32 RBIs.
“Landon took a major step forward this year in the weight room and got bigger, faster and stronger, said his coach and dad Josh Wyatt. “He took pride in taking hits away in the outfield and finished the year with a perfect fielding percentage. At the plate he saw the benefits of the weight room, leading the team in extra base hits, RBIs and runs scored. They’re in the weight room every week and looking to continue on their success next year.”
Frankfort’s Nething finished the season hitting .402 (41-102) with nine doubles, three triples two home runs, 34 runs and 35 RBIs.
Wooden plaques in the shape of West Virginia that include the player’s name, school, licensed WVSWA logo, year of the honoree are available to All-State first-team, second-team, and honorable mentions, and can be purchased from the Bear Wood Company through WVSWA.org or Bearwoodcompany.com
CLASS AAA
First Team
P – Jacob Stavrakis, Bridgeport (Sr.)
P – Lanson Orndorf, Frankfort (Jr.)
P – Blake Withrow, Winfield (Jr.)
C – Michael Romano, Bridgeport (Sr.)
IF- Blake Jacobs, Frankfort (Jr.)
IF – Cole Cunningham, Independence (Sr.)
IF – Carson Currey, Bridgeport (Sr.)
IF- Cameron Peschl, Fairmont Senior (Sr.)
OF – Zion Detko, Greenbrier East (Sr.)
OF – Jacob Nething, Frankfort (Sr.)
OF – Degan Williams, Independence (Soph.)
OF – Cutter Boggs, Shady Spring (Fr.)
OF – Landon Wyatt, PikeView (Soph.)
Util – Bryson Casto, Ripley (Soph.) (CAPT)
Util -Eli Simonton, Sissonville (Sr.)
Util – Jackson Curry, Ripley (Sr.)
Second team
P – Sam Barnett, Shady Spring (Jr.)
P – Jaxon Hare, Frankfort (Jr.)
P – Riley Johnson, Herbert Hoover (Soph.)
C – Brayson Downey, Winfield (Jr.)
C – Peyton Keller, Ripley (Soph.)
IF -Lucas Williamson, Keyser (Jr.)
IF – Ira Mylott, Nicholas County (Sr.)
IF- Matt Masters, Fairmont Senior (Sr.)
IF- Hunter Harr, Keyser (Jr.)
OF – Cooper Floyd, Robert C. Byrd (Jr.)
OF – Preston Keiffer, Winfield (Sr.)
OF – Tristan Harless, Herbert Hoover, Jr.
OF – Uriah Cutter, Frankfort (Sr.)
Util – Caleb Burns, Nicholas County (Sr.)
Util – Brady May, Greenbrier East (Jr.)
Util – Luke Rohrig, Bridgeport (Soph.)
HONORABLE MENTION: Dawson Adkins, Lincoln County; Garrett Adkins, Lincoln County; Ryder Aman, Lewis County; Henry Anderson, Brooke; Guy Avolio, Bridgeport; Levi Barnett, Independence; Kasen Baun, Bridgeport; Trevor Bigalow, Fairmont Sr.; Brady Bledsoe, East Fairmont; Aiden Calvert, Shady Spring; Logan Canfield, Fairmont Sr.; Xavier Carvelli, Robert C. Byrd; Micah Cuthbert, Independence; Severio Destito, Robert C. Byrd; Brady Dyer, Wayne; Colton Edwards, Lincoln; Cater Gillespie, Grafton; Brayden Gorby, Fairmont Sr.; Charlie Hanks, Nitro; Coleton Hellems, Nicholas County; Brody Ilderton, Winfield; Eli Hilling, PikeView; Zakk Jordan, Point Pleasant; Parker Keller, Ripley; Carrson Lambert, Point Pleasant; Gunner Lucas, Chapmanville; Nelson Lynch, Greenbrier East; Landon Meadows, Ripley; Garrett Moats, Lewis County; Kyle Moore, Berkeley Springs; Andrew Murdock, Brooke; Owen Music, East Fairmont; Bralin Peters, Lincoln County; Logan Prater, Wayne; Eli Pridemore, Chapmanville; Owen Sondericker, Bridgeport; Andrew Topping, Chapmanville; Jacob Vance, Chapmanville; Barrett Van Camp, Sissonville; Jackson Waskis, North Marion; Channing Wilt, Hampshire; Aleks Zanieski, Weir.
