Vote in the People’s Choice semifinals to name the baseball player of the year
Two players scored upset wins in Round 1 voting. Log your vote for the semifinals today.
Olivia Bennett 
The race for the 205focus.com People’s Choice Award for Alabama Baseball Player of the Year is heating up after a dramatic opening round. Underdog powerhouses made their presence known, with No. 8 seed John Stowers of St. Paul’s and No. 7 seed Levi Nickoli of Homewood both pulling off major upsets.
Semifinal Showdown
Stowers shocked the field by taking down Mr. Baseball winner and top-seeded Will Adams of Hoover, securing 54 percent of the vote. Meanwhile, Nickoli dominated his matchup against second-seeded Jace Riggan, the standout from Class 7A state champion Hewitt-Trussville, by capturing 63 percent of the vote.
Joining them in the final four are Bob Jones slugger Kamrin Jenkins and Hartselle’s ace Asher Doepel, the reigning Class 6A player of the year. The semifinal brackets are officially set: Stowers faces Jenkins, while Nickoli squares off against Doepel. Voting is open now and runs through Sunday, with the championship round kicking off this coming Monday.
Tale of the Tape
No. 8 John Stowers (St. Paul’s) vs. No. 4 Kamrin Jenkins (Bob Jones)
Stowers, an Auburn signee, put together a stellar .311 campaign with 10 home runs and 28 RBIs. He was equally effective on the mound, finishing 6-2 with a 2.24 ERA and a save. Jenkins, a powerhouse who recently decommitted from Missouri, lit up the box score with a .364 average, 16 homers, 41 RBIs, and 17 stolen bases.
No. 7 Levi Nickoli (Homewood) vs. No. 3 Asher Doepel (Hartselle)
Doepel proved his championship mettle by leading Hartselle to back-to-back Class 6A titles, earning state tournament MVP honors in each of those two seasons. The Northwest Florida commit hit .384 with 28 RBIs and 51 runs scored, while adding a 5-1 record and four saves on the mound. He will be tested by Auburn signee Nickoli, who posted a blistering .398 average with 62 runs scored and 63 stolen bases, paired with a dominant 0.51 ERA and four total saves.
Cast Your Vote
The stakes are high as these athletes compete to take home the prestigious 205focus.com People’s Choice Trophy. Use the links below to make your voice heard in the semifinal round.
If the voting graphic does not appear, click here to vote in the Stowers vs. Jenkins matchup.
If the voting graphic does not appear, click here to vote in the Nickoli vs. Doepel matchup.
