Robbinsville – With the 2026 baseball and softball seasons now in the rearview mirror, the annual All-Smoky Mountain Conference awards have been announced.
A combined 14 Knights were peppered across the lists for both sports, with four baseball players making the cut and 10 softball standouts taking up roster spots.
Baseball
Thanks to a solid, well-rounded campaign, senior Luke Lovin was Robbinsville's lone All-Conference player.
Lovin finished the year with a .423 average – the third-highest on the Black Knights – with a team-best 30 hits, 22 RBI and one triple also on his resume. Lovin also swiped 23 bases, which was second in the race.
He also became Robbinsville's ace, going 5-2 on the mound and a 2.51 ERA. Lovin recorded 81 strikeouts and issued just 27 walks.
Elsewhere, sophomores Peyton Brooks, Benton Gibby and Rylen Orr all earned All-Conference honorable mentions.
Brooks had the second-highest batting average for Robbinsville, slugging his way to a .429 mark – which included 24 hits, 17 RBI, three doubles and one home run.
As a pitcher, Brooks was 1-1 and punched out 16 batters.
Gibby turned in a .321 average, with 18 hits, 10 RBI, one double and a club-leading 25 stolen bases.
Orr completed his 2026 season with a .323 average, 21 hits, 17 RBI and seven doubles. He was 3-5 as a pitcher, recording a 4.74 ERA and striking out 40 batters.
Robbinsville finished 10-10 this season (and fourth in the division, with a 7-7 record). The Black Knights hosted their first playoff game in decades as a result, knocking off North Stokes 8-0 before falling in their first second-round appearance since 2011 at Andrews, 6-4.
Softball
The 1A state champions dominated the All-Conference line-up.
Freshman Ella Nelms was nothing short of phenomenal, earning the Pitcher of the Year accolade after a flawless 22-0 season that included 228 strikeouts (against a mere 24 walks); just 35 hits and one home run coughed up; and a slim 0.29 ERA.
Daphne Barlow was rightly named the league's Player of the Year. The sophomore shortstop batted .447, which included 42 total hits, 14 doubles, three triples and a team-high five home runs.
Rounding out the All-Conference Lady Knights were Khaygen Buchanan, Sophie Roberts, Kynadee Spencer, Suri Watty, Dreylee Webster and Anna Williams.
Buchanan morphed into a slap-hitter this year and led the team in batting average (.519) as a result. Touted for both her offensive and defensive speed, Buchanan ultimately had 28 hits (27 were singles), one triple and 16 RBIs. She also swiped 18 bases, good for second on the team.
A senior, Roberts settled into her role as the team's designated player nicely – after serving as a backstop during her sophomore and junior seasons. She batted .386, with 32 hits, 12 doubles, two home runs and 31 RBI.
Spencer concluded her sophomore year with a .330 average, 33 hits, five doubles, one triple, one home run and 19 RBI. She also toted the workload inside the circle when Nelms suffered a midseason injury, posting a 5-1 record with 16 strikeouts and a 1.27 ERA.
Chattanooga State-commit Watty put a bow on her time with the Lady Knights by turning in a .432 average, 38 hits, 12 doubles and 28 RBI. She also logged 12 1/3 innings of relief as a pitcher, striking out two batters in four games.
Webster emerged as a leader for her senior year, as the junior backstop had a .380 average, 27 hits, seven doubles, three home runs and 19 RBI.
Lastly, Williams capped her Robbinsville career with a .412 mark at the plate, with 21 hits, two doubles, two triples, three home runs and 18 RBI. She also stole 19 bases, a tie for the team lead that she shared with Spencer.
Sydney Adams and Loxley Burke each received an Honorable Mention for their 2026 contributions, as well.
Adams batted .295, with 12 hits, four doubles, two home runs and 14 RBI. Meanwhile, Burke had a .519 average, which was mixed with 14 hits, four doubles, one home run and 14 RBI.
Robbinsville won its first state championship in program history in 2026, finishing the year 27-2 overall. The Lady Knights also clinched the program's 18th conference title (and ninth in a row).
The Graham Star is working out details to release a special commemorative magazine that will highlight Robbinsville's historic season.