KING — West Stokes baseball put together a season defined by resilience, and three Wildcats have the hardware to show for it.
Sophomore Bentley Joyce earned All-State and All-District recognition, while senior Kahle Lickfeld and freshman Trenton Fraley were both named All-District, capping a season in which West Stokes overcame a rocky start to reach the second round of the NCHSAA 4A State Playoffs.
The Wildcats opened the year 1-9 before turning things around to finish 10-13 overall. West Stokes found its footing in conference play, going 7-5 in the Northwest 3A/4A Conference to finish third, before riding that momentum into the postseason.
Kahle Lickfeld earned All-Conference, All-Region and All-County honors in 2026 after starring on the mound and in the field. Lickfeld will continue his baseball career at Concord University, where he was recruited as both a pitcher and position player.
Michael Mullins
Joyce, in his first varsity season, was the headliner. He batted .349 with 29 hits in 83 at-bats, including nine doubles and five home runs, while driving in 24 runs and scoring 15 more. He posted a .639 slugging percentage and a .375 on-base percentage. On the mound, Joyce was equally dominant, going 5-3 with a 2.07 ERA over 47.1 innings, striking out 68 batters while limiting opponents to a .241 batting average. His combined body of work earned him All-State, All-Region, All-Conference and All-County honors.
Lickfeld, a senior committed to play and pitch at Concord University, closed out his prep career with another all-around performance. He hit .299 with 20 hits in 67 at-bats, drawing 21 walks to post a .473 on-base percentage, and added six doubles, a triple and a home run while driving in 18 runs and scoring 27. He also stole 15 bases. On the mound, Lickfeld went 2-6 with a 2.85 ERA across 39.1 innings, striking out 64 while holding opponents to a .205 average. The honors were nothing new for Lickfeld, who was All-Region, All-Conference and All-County as a junior and senior, and All-County and All-Tournament as a sophomore.
Fraley, meanwhile, announced himself as a name to watch after just one varsity season. The freshman hit a team-best .388 with 31 hits in 80 at-bats, including five doubles, and scored 19 runs while stealing five bases. He also drew enough walks to finish with a .462 on-base percentage. Fraley earned All-Region, All-Conference and All-County honors in his debut campaign.
West Stokes freshman, Trenton Fraley, earned All-Region, All-Conference and All-County honors after leading the Wildcats with a .388 batting average and 31 hits during the season.
Courtesy Photo
With Joyce and Fraley both underclassmen, West Stokes appears poised to build on this season’s turnaround as it looks to climb back into the postseason picture next spring.