Three Mustangs earn all-state recognition

A 32-24 record and a state championship allowed the Lovell Mustangs American Legion Baseball team to receive multiple honors at the conclusion of the 2025 season.

Three Mustangs have been named first team Class A All-State after also being named Class A West All-Conference. Manager Michael Jameson has been named the Class A Manager of the Year for the second straight season and third time in his coaching career.

Receiving all-state recognition were Tucker Jackson, Alex Hedges and Cash Wassmer. Jackson was also named Class A Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year, and he was named the state tournament Most Valuable Player after the Mustangs won the title in Sheridan.

Tucker Jackson

Jackson, a center fielder, pitcher and occasional catcher, was named first team all-state for the third season in a row. He batted .427 and had an OPS (on base plus slugging percentage) of 1.241 and a slugging percentage of .746. Of his 79 hits, he hit 17 doubles, six triples and 10 home runs. He drove in 66 runs and scored 64 runs. He also stole 16 bases.

As a pitcher, he finished the season with an 8-2 record and an earned run average of 1.36 with a batting average against him of just .197. He also was five for five in save opportunities. He walked 36 batters and struck out 118. He was also an outstanding defensive player in center.

“Tucker was one of our best pitchers throughout his career,” Jameson said, “and he improved year after year after we pulled him up as a 14-year-old. He’s been one of the best baseball players in the state of Wyoming and our best pitcher and, obviously, the player of the year for a reason. And so he’s meant a lot to our program, having some pop in his bat and the way he threw the baseball on the mound and just the way he did things. He’s going to be hard to replace.”

As a hitter, Jameson said, Jackson developed into a player who could hit the ball to all fields.

“Tucker did a good job of being willing to take that in and really build off of that, hitting the ball to right and center and left,” Jameson said. “Tucker had a great eye at the plate and great plate discipline, so he was able to get himself a lot of good pitches to hit, and he knew the (strike) zone and what pitches he liked. And so I think that put him in good position to make good contact on baseballs. And then his baseball IQ is really high. He had a good process and a good plan when he got up to bat. And then there was the time he put in the weight room and all the time he put in to improve.”

As a pitcher, Jackson had great velocity on his fastball, approaching 90 miles per hour, and he had pitching smarts, Jameson said.

“As hard as Tucker throws, he’s able to strike a lot of people out with that, and I think also, going along with his strength as a hitter, Tucker is smart and understands how to pitch,” he said. “And when you mix his ability and the IQ with that, it makes for a good pitcher on the mound. He was a guy that wanted the baseball in his hand and a guy that understood how to pitch and where to throw the baseball and what to do.

“Being a great offensive player, he was aware of other people’s approach and the thought process of how that goes. That whole combination made him a heck of a pitcher for us.”

Jackson was fast and athletic as a center fielder, Jameson said, adding, “I think the biggest thing with him was just getting good jumps and good reads on the baseball. He was able to read the ball off the bat and put himself in a good position to get to a lot of baseballs that other defenders may not have got to. That was the biggest thing that made him an elite defender.”

Alex Hedges

A shortstop and pitcher, Hedges was named to the first team after three years being named second team all-state. He batted .390 with a 1.049 OPS and 14 doubles, one triple and four round-trippers. He had 63 RBIs and scored 44 runs. He stole 24 bases. As a pitcher, Hedges was 6-6 with one save as he walked 32 and fanned 63. He was also a top fielder at shortstop.

“Alex is a guy that was so nice to have (hitting) behind Tucker,” Jameson said. “Tucker and Mac (Morgan) would get on, and Alex would be there to drive runs in. He did a phenomenal job for us offensively, capitalizing with runners in scoring position and driving those runs in. He hit with a lot of power and hit a lot of line drives.”

Hedges was a top pitcher for the Mustangs and a solid shortstop, Jameson said.

“He was definitely a guy that we relied on on the mound, and he made some quality appearances for us,” Jameson said. “His arm angle is a little bit tricky, kind of a three-quarter arm angle. It’s a little bit harder to pick up the baseball from him. He has a little zip to it, and it just kind of sneaks up on you. And then he was able to throw those off-speed pitches for strikes and just compete and battle for us. He was able to give us a quality outing every time he went out there.”

As a shortstop, Hedges had big shoes to fill to replace Carlos Rodriguez, but he filled them admirably, Jameson said.

“Alex did a phenomenal job for us,” he said. “He has the hands (and ability) to read hops and to get to baseballs. It’s one of those positions where we’ve had such a good defender there for so long, and then Alex just continued to set the bar high for whoever will take that spot over next year. He’s an elite defender and just did a phenomenal job for us. And it’s one of those things you take for granted how good those guys are, because they just do it so often. And so, yeah, he was able just to seamlessly move right over to shortstop, and he had an excellent year for us defensively.”

Cash Wassmer

Wassmer was the team’s starting catcher and also saw time on the mound. He was a top-three hitter on the team with Jackson and Hedges, batting .394 with 11 doubles and five triples, 31 RBIs and 65 runs. A faster-than-average catcher, he also stole 23 bases with a success rate of 92 percent.

He also started eight games on the mound and recorded a 2-4 record with 37 strikeouts in 12 games pitched (starting and relief).

A catcher himself during his playing days, Jameson appreciates Wassmer’s work behind the plate.

“He’s just got that mentality that he just competes at everything he does,” Jameson said. “He doesn’t want to get beat in anything. And whether it’s a passed ball or whatever it is, he’s just a competitive kid, and he’s got that high motor. And he’s one of the best defensive catchers in the state. And then offensively he did a great job at the top of the order, just doing what he did.

“There were times that we kind of questioned his approach and his thoughts, but he knows what he’s doing, and he has a plan. He’s a kid with an excellent baseball IQ. He watches baseball, and he understands and does things with a purpose. He’s just an athletic kid. Everything he does is 100 miles an hour, and so he’s going to give you everything he’s got. He’s just a blue-collar guy back there.”

Wassmer’s competitive nature applies to his pitching, as well, Jameson said, and although he needs some refining on the mound, he’s expected to be a key part of the rotation next season.

Jameson also had some thoughts on his third departing “senior” player (with Jackson and Hedges) – Lafe Files, a strong pitcher and outfielder for the Mustangs.

“Lafe has been an all-state and all-conference guy for us and just had a phenomenal career for us,” Jameson said. “He kind of highlighted it with that state tournament win. He’s obviously a kid that, I think, would have been very deserving of all-conference and all-state recognition, as well as a few other kids. He definitely was a huge part of our tournament run and the progression of the program with what he’s done for it. We’re definitely going to miss him and everything that he’s done for our program.”

Coach Jameson

Jameson’s Class A Manager of the Year award was well deserved, baseball board president Nick Wilson said.

“Coach Jameson is the cornerstone of this program,” Wilson said. “Few coaches can balance teaching the game at a high level while building relationships with the players the way he does. The boys love him because he genuinely cares about them, both on and off the field, and always brings out their best.”