BELL BUCKLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Baseball Coaches Association released the 18 finalists for the 2026 Mookie Betts Mr. Baseball award on Thursday morning, and Cascade’s Jayden Hathcock was one of the names nominated.

He is one of three finalists in Class AA, and he is joined by Caleb Cayce from White House Heritage as well as Brody Watson from Pigeon Forge.

Hathcock, a senior for the Champions, has had a dominant 2026 campaign for Travis Sheffield’s squad, leading Cascade to a District 9-AA Tournament title and being named Co-Pitcher of the Year for the District 9-AA regular season.

This season, Hathcock pitched a team-high 41.0 innings, giving up just 16 hits and nine walks while striking out 65 batters. He finished with an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 0.61, and in his time on the mound, Cascade has conceded just three unearned runs. When he hasn’t been on the mound, the Champions’ star lefty plays exceptional defense at first base.

At the plate, Hathcock posted a .329 average with an OBP of .407 in 91 plate appearances. He slugged four home runs and tallied 18 RBIs.