By Kevin Askeland
MaxPreps.com
The final chapter in MaxPreps baseball All-American coverage closes by honoring the juniors, sophomores and freshmen. A total of 30 players were chosen in each class based on their performance during the 2008 season and the postseason honors they received. Players were not necessarily chosen based on potential.
MaxPreps All-American Junior Team (Class of 2009)
Rhett Nelson, Timpanogos (Orem, Utah), Pitcher
Nelson was named the state player of the year in Utah after going 10-0 on the mound with 76 strikeouts in 67.1 innings pitched.
Colton Cain, Waxahachie (Texas), Pitcher
Cain helped lead Waxahachie to the 4A championship game. He was 12-1 with 131 strikeouts in 81 innings and a 0.78 ERA. He also batted .486 with 16 doubles, nine home runs and 45 RBI. He was named to the Texas 4A all-state first team.
Garrett Gould, Maize (Kan.), Pitcher
Considered the most dominating pitcher in Kansas, Gould was 9-2 with a 0.61 ERA while striking out 95 batters in 57 innings. He was named the Kansas 6A pitcher of the year.
Zachary Von Rosenberg, Zachary (La.), Pitcher
Named the 4A player of the year in Louisiana after posting a 12-1 record with a 0.48 ERA and 117 strikeouts in 82 innings pitched.
Chad Thompson, El Toro (Lake Forest, Calif.), Pitcher
Earned MaxPreps All-State honors in California after leading El Toro to the Southern Section Division 2 championship with a 12-3 record and 121 strikeouts in 93 innings pitched.
Trevor Bauer, Hart (Newhall, Calif.), Pitcher
Bauer notched a 12-0 record with 106 strikeouts in 70.2 innings pitched. He was a first team All-State pick in California by MaxPreps.
Matthew Purke, Klein (Texas), Pitcher
Purke earned 5A all-state third team honors and All-Greater Houston first team accolades thanks to a 12-1 record and a 0.37 ERA with 147 strikeouts in 76.2 innings pitched.
J.D. Salles, Clovis West (Fresno, Calif.), Pitcher
Salles posted the best record in California with a 13-0 mark and a 0.80 ERA. He also batted .420 and was the Fresno area player of the year.
Max Stassi, Yuba City (Calif.), Catcher
Named to the MaxPreps All-American second team, Stassi batted .471 with 15 home runs and 45 RBI for Yuba City.
Michael Zunino, Mariner (Cape Coral, Fla.), Catcher
Zunino batted .436 with nine home runs and nine doubles while earning a spot on the Florida 5A all-state team.
Luke Bailey, Troup County (LaGrange, Ga.), Catcher
Bailey had a big season at Troup County, breaking his own school record by blasting 13 home runs. He also had 61 RBI and 17 doubles while batting .505.
Jeff Malm, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.), First Base
Malm earned MaxPreps first team All-American status after batting .564 with 69 runs, 28 doubles, and 73 RBI. He was also 8-2 as a pitcher with 75 strikeouts.
Justin Ringo, Stagg (Palos Hills, Ill.), First Base
Ringo ripped 15 home runs and 14 doubles while batting .538 and earning all-state honors.
Curt Powell, Farragut (Knoxville, Tenn.), Infield
Powell led Farragut to the state championship and batted .493 with eight home runs, 56 RBI, 59 runs scored and nine doubles. He is a MaxPreps second team All-American.
Nolan Arenado, El Toro (Lake Forest, Calif.), Infield
Arenado helped pace El Toro to a Southern Section championship and earned all-state honors by MaxPreps after batting .456 with 32 RBI, 11 doubles and four home runs.
Jonathan Meyer, Simi Valley (Calif.), Infield
Meyer batted .402 with 43 RBI and nine home runs while earning all-state honors by MaxPreps and leading Simi Valley to a Southern Section Division 1 championship.
Cameron Perkins, Southport (Indianapolis, Ind.), Infield
Perkins had the state’s highest batting average at .723 with 20 doubles, nine home runs and 56 RBI. He earned a spot on the MaxPreps All-American second team.
Michael Broad, Nova (Davie, Fla.), Infield
The shortstop batted .410 with 45 RBI and nine home runs and was named to the Florida 5A all-state first team.
Jake Schrader, Pasco (Dade City, Fla.), Infield
Named to the 4A All-State team, Schrader batted .472 with 46 RBI and five home runs.
Adam Pena, Sharyland (Mission, Texas), Infield
Pena was named to the Texas 5A All-State first team. He batted .509 with 54 RBI, 13 doubles and six home runs to go with 53 runs scored.
Jake Marisnick, Riverside Poly (Riverside, Calif.), Outfield
Named to the All-Southern Section Division 1 team, Marisnick batted .495 with 22 RBI and had nine doubles, six triples and five home runs.
Kamm Washington, Park Vista (Boynton Beach, Fla.), Outfield
Washington made the 6A All-State first team after helping Park Vista reach the state finals. He batted .493 with 33 RBI and 27 runs scored.
Donovan Tate, Cartersville (Ga.), Outfield
One of the top athletes in the country, Tate could eventually play football and baseball in college. He helped lead Cartersville to the AAA state championship.
Johnny Bladel, Stone Bridge (Ashburn, Va.), Outfield
Bladel was one of the top outfielders in the Washington, D.C. area, earning Liberty County player of the year honors while batting .448 with three home runs.
Ryan Stetson, Ardrey Kell (Charlotte, N.C.), Outfield
The Northern Carolina 4A All-State selection batted .434 with 36 RBI and had 46 basehits.
Joey Rickard, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.), Outfield
Rickard had a huge season at the plate for the Gaels, leading the team with 12 home runs and a state record 84 runs scored. He batted .489 and had 54 RBI. He also went 7-0 on the mound and was an All-State selection.
Matt Hobgood, Norco (Calif.), Utility
The top junior in California, Hobgood batted .489 with 45 RBI and 15 home runs while boasting a 10-0 record on the mound with 100 strikeouts and a 1.34 ERA. He was named to the MaxPreps All-American first team.
Mychal Givens, Plant (Tampa, Fla.), Utility
Givens was a Florida 6A All-State selection while going 8-1 on the mound with a 1.79 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 43 innings pitched.
Nick Franklin, Lake Brantley (Altamonte Springs, Fla.), Utility
Franklin earned 6A All-State second team honors after helping lead Lake Brantley to a state championship. He batted .433 with six home runs, 38 RBI and 12 doubles.
K.C. Hobson, Stockdale (Bakersfield, Calif.), Utility
The son of former Boston Red Sox third baseman Butch Hobson, KC had 57 RBI, 17 doubles and seven home runs and also had a 10-1 mound record with 84 strikeouts in 60 innings.
MaxPreps Sophomore All-American Team (Class of 2010)
Chase Handy, Hokes Bluff (Ala.), Pitcher
Handy helped Hokes Bluff win a state title and was named to the 3A All-State first team while posting a 10-1 record.
David Speer, Staples (Westport, Conn.), Pitcher
An All-State first team pick in Connecticut, Speer was 8-1 while leading team to a conference championship. He posted a 0.65 ERA while striking out 75 batters in 64 innings. He allowed only six earned runs during the season.
Nate Gahafer, Riverdale (Fort Myers, Fla.), Pitcher
Gahafer went 9-1 with a 0.691 ERA with 71 strikeouts in 50.2 innings pitched. He was named to the Florida 4A All-State first team.
Ben Graff, Sonoma Valley (Sonoma, Calif.), Pitcher
Graff helped Sonoma Valley win the 3A North Coast Section championship as he posted an 11-2 record with 93 strikeouts in 82.2 innings pitched.
Mikel Beltran, Oxnard (Calif.), Pitcher
Beltran was one of the top pitchers in Ventura County, going 10-2 with 85 strikeouts. He was the pitcher of the year in the Pacific League and Ventura County.
Paul Paez, Bishop Amat (La Puente, Calif.), Pitcher
Paez was 11-0 for the Southern Section Division 5 champions, striking out 100 batters in 70.1 innings pitched with a 0.796 ERA.
Logan Ehlers, Nebraska City (Neb.), Pitcher
Ehlers struck out 112 batters in just 49 innings and had high games of 20, 19 and 18 strikeouts for the Pioneers.
Matt Maurer, North Medford (Medford, Ore), Pitcher
The top sophomore prospect in Oregon, Maurer was 9-2 for the Black Tornado with 95 strikeouts on the year.
Troy Stein, Medina Valley (Castroville, Texas), Catcher
Stein was the District 27-3A defensive player of the year while also batting .431 with 51 RBI, 53 runs scored and six home runs. He was named to the Texas 3A all-state second team.
Stuart Turner, Eunice (La.), Catcher
Turner was named to the Louisiana 4A All-State team after batting .533
Eduardo Sorondo, Marist (Bayonne, N.J.), Catcher
Sorondo earned All-Hudson first team honors after batting .563 with five home runs and 35 RBI.
Trey Mancini, Winter Haven (Fla.), First Base
Mancini found a spot on the Florida 5A All-State first team after batting .527 with four home runs and 39 RBI.
Ryan Ford, Plano West (Plano, Texas), First Base
One of the top hitters for the state champions as he batted .349 with 10 doubles, nine home runs and 62 RBI while earning 5A All-State first team honors.
Pat Gallagher, Reno (Nev.), First Base
An All-State selection, Gallagher batted .345 and had six home runs, 14 doubles and 46 RBI while scoring 28 runs.
Austen Smith, Pensacola Catholic (Pensacola, Fla.), Infield
Smith earned Florida 3A All-State second team honors and batted .431 with 43 RBI, 11 doubles and eight home runs.
Jake Rodriguez, Elk Grove (Calif.), Infield
Rodriguez led the Sacramento area in batting average with a .536 mark. He also had seven triples and was the sophomore player of the year in California by Cal-Hi Sports.
Delino DeShields, Woodward Academy (College Park, Ga.), Infield
The son of the former Major League Baseball standout, DeShields earned all-area honors by the Atlanta Journal Constitution after batting .590 with nine home runs and 17 stolen bases.
Steve Cole, Huntsville (Ala.), Infield
Cole was named to the Alabama 6A All-State first team and batted .460 during the regular season.
Kaleb Barrow, Jackson Prep (Jackson, Miss.), Infield
One of the leading home run hitters in the state, Barrow batted .419 with 14 home runs, 12 doubles and 51 RBI.
Garin Cecchini, Barbe (Lake Charles, La.), Infield
Cecchini helped lead Barbe to a 5A state championship and earned All-State first team honors while batting. .455.
James Ramsey, Brandon (Fla.), Outfield
Ramsay was named the player of the year in Hillsborough County and was a Florida 5A All-State selection. He batted .467 with nine doubles, three home runs and 30 RBI.
Ben Gamel, Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville, Fla.), Outfield
Gamel was the top sophomore in the Jacksonville area after batting .475 with 45 runs scored for the state champions. He was named to the Florida 4A All-State team.
Brett Thomas, Poway (Calif.), Outfield
Thomas batted .430 with 31 RBI and seven doubles for the state’s No. 1 ranked team, according to MaxPreps.
Krey Bratsen, Bryan (Texas), Outfield
Bratsen racked up 49 RBI and had a .461 batting average with eight home runs and nine doubles and found a spot on the Texas 5A All-State second team.
Kyle Conkle, Fort Payne (Ala.), Outfield
Conkle was selected to the Alabama 5A All-State first team. He averaged .573 at the platewith 34 RBI, 14 doubles and five home runs.
Reggie Golden, Wetumpka (Ala.), Outfield
Golden earned a spot on the Alabama 6A All-State first team while batting .459 with 11 doubles, 11 home runs and 53 RBI.
Chase Harrison, Lutheran (Orange, Calif.), Utility
Harrison was the Trinity League MVP after batting .328 with 19 RBI, three doubles and three home runs for the Lancers.
Nate Mallinder, Oneida (N.Y.), Utility
Mallinder was selected All-Mohawk Valley after batting .460 with five home runs and seven doubles and going 4-1 on the mound.
J.R. Bradley, Nitro (W.Va.), Utility
Bradley made the West Virginia 3A All-State team after batting .400 with seven home runs and 47 RBI and going 9-1 on the mound.
Kevin Koziol, Brother Rice (Chicago, Ill.), Utility
Koziol earned All-State honorable mention honors after belting a school record 11 home runs and accumulating 48 RBI.
MaxPreps Freshmen All-American Team (Class of 2011)
Phillip Pfeifer, Farragut (Knoxville, Tenn.), Pitcher
Pfeifer was the top pitcher for the state champion Admirals, going 13-1 on the mound with a 1.14 ERA and 112 strikeouts in 68 innings pitched. He was the District 4-AAA pitcher of the year.
Toller Boardman, Bellaire (Texas), Pitcher
Boardman made the District 20-5A second team for Bellaire and was one of the team’s top pitchers en route to a spot in the 5A Region III championships.
Matthew Troupe, Granada Hills (Calif.), Pitcher
Troupe was named the newcomer to watch by the Los Angeles Daily News after leading Granada Hills to the LA City Section Invitational championship with a four-hit shutout.
Reed Seeley, Robert E. Lee (Baytown, Texas), Pitcher
Seeley was selected to the District 21-5A second team. He had a 3-3 mark with a 2.14 ERA in district play.
Chase Sparkman, Brandon (Fla.), Pitcher
Sparkman earned 5A All-State status in Florida after going 7-0 with four saves and a 2.77 ERA and striking out 32 for Brandon.
Rob Woodcock, Marin Catholic (Kentfield, Calif.), Pitcher
Woodcock was named to the Marin County Athletic League first team and was also a first team small schools all-state selection by Cal-Hi Sports.
Blake Wesley, Zachary (La.), Pitcher
Wesley earned All-District 6-4A honors after helping lead Zachary to the Louisiana 4A state championship.
Dillon Peters, Cathedral (Indianapolis, Ind.), Pitcher
Peters earned all-city honors in Indianapolis after posting a 7-0 record with a 0.46 ERA and 78 strikeouts in 45.1 innings pitched.
Bryce Harper, Las Vegas (Nev.), Catcher
Harper was named to the Nevada All-State team and was the Northeast Division Player of the Year after batting .590 with nine home runs and 57 RBI.
Cole Lankford, Lamar (Houston, Texas), Catcher
Lankford found a spot on the District 20-5A first team and batted .396 on the season.
Eric Van Meetren, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.), Catcher
Although he played on a star-studded team filled with upperclassmen, Van Meetren still managed to get in 80 at-bats and hit .338 with 18 RBI, five doubles and two home runs for the state champion Gaels.
Dylan Folds, Hawkinsville (Ga.), First Base
Folds earned All-Middle Georgia first team honors after batting .522 with three home runs.
Brandon Sedell, American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.), First Base
Sedell earned 3A All-State honorable mention after batting .370 with eight home runs and 33 RBI for the state champion Patriots.
Nick Tanielu, Federal Way (Wash.), Infield
Tanielu earned all-area honors and was an All-State pick after averaging .421 with five doubles and two home runs.
Casey Turgeon, Dunedin (Fla.), Infield
Named to the Florida 5A All-State third team, Turgeon batted .420 with 42 runs scored for the state champs.
Nick Dini, Monroe Township (N.J.), Infield
Dini batted .391 with 36 base hits and was one of the top freshmen in New Jersey.
Christian Lopes, Valencia (Calif.), Infield
Lopez batted .408 with 10 home runs, 33 runs scored and 24 RBI in earning all-area honors by the Los Angeles Daily News.
Nick Masonia, Brooks (Killen, Ala.), Infield
Masonia was named the player of the year by the Florence Times Daily after walloping 16 home runs and hitting at a .569 clip. He was also named to the 4A All-State team.
Tyler Baker, Shawnee Heights (Tecumseh, Kan.), Infield
Baker earned all-state honors after knocking in 31 runs and hitting for a .457 average.
Dan Mioni, Mohawk (Bessemer, Pa.), Infield
Mioni was an all-section selection for Mohawk and was one of the team’s top power hitters.
Billy Flamion, Central Catholic (Modesto, Calif.), Outfield
Flamion led Central Catholic to a section championship by batting .441 with six home runs, 40 RBI, five triples and 31 runs scored.
Matt Rossi, Pacelli (Columbus, Ga.), Outfield
Rossi helped lead Pacelli to a state championship while batting .459 with 10 home runs and 48 RBI.
Tim Barry, Oak Forest (Ill.), Outfield
Barry earned all-state honors after batting .495 with 13 home runs and 73 RBI.
Sasha Kuebel, University (St. Louis, Mo.), Outfield
Kuebel was honorable mention all-state after averaging .395 at the plate with 27 RBI, eight doubles and three home runs.
Austin Darby, Cheyenne Mountain (Colorado Springs, Colo.), Outfield
Darby earned honorable mention to the Colorado 4A All-State team after batting .523 on the season.
John Nogowski, North Florida Christian (Tallahassee, Fla.), Outfield
Nogowski helped lead North Florida Christian to the state 2A finals, batting .427 with 10 doubles, two home runs and 35 runs scored. He earned Florida 2A All-State honorable mention.
Ernest Baldwin, Largo (Upper Marlboro, Md.), Utility
Baldwin batted .605 with 44 runs and 43 RBI for Largo. He was also 4-2 on the mound with a 1.91 ERA and 66 strikeouts.
Robby Spencer, Chapin (El Paso, Texas), Utility
Named to the District 1-4A first team and batted .421 with 32 RBI while playing shortstop for Chapin.
Daniel Mengden, Westside (Houston, Texas), Utility
Mengden was a District 20-5A first team selection whose season highlights included a walkoff home run in a 1-0 win over Cy-Fair in the playoffs.
Jake Cave, Hampton Christian (Hampton, Va.), Utility
Cave batted .562 with 12 home runs, 10 doubles and 58 RBI and was also 7-0 on the mound with a 1.80 ERA while earning All-Tidewater first team honors.