Donavan Tate, the first high school player chosen in the Major League Baseball draft, is the MaxPreps Medium Schools MVP for the 2009 season.
MaxPreps Medium Schools National Player
of the Year - Donavan Tate, Cartersville
Courtesy Photo
A two-sport star who had signed to play football at North Carolina, Tate was chosen with the third overall pick in the Major League Baseball draft last month by the San Diego Padres.
An athletic outfielder, Tate led Cartersville High School to back-to-back state championships while hitting .560 and knocking in 63 runs.
The medium schools coach of the year honor goes to Rick Turner of Naples, who led his team to the Class 4A state championship in Florida, the first in school history. His Golden Eagles came within one game of finishing the season undefeated, posting a 33-1 overall record. Named as the Florida Dairy Farmers 4A Coach of the Year, Turner is 119-45 in his five years with Naples and he has won four district titles during that span. His team finished No. 2 in the MaxPreps Xcellent Top 100 national rankings.
Note: Some players also appeared on the MaxPreps All-American teams.
MaxPreps Baseball Medium Schools All-Americans
First Team
Garrett Gould, Maize (Kan.), Sr, Pitcher
Gould was the Gatorade State Player of the Year and the Coaches 6A State Player of the Year in Kansas after going 7-1 with a 0.82 ERA. In just 45 innings pitched, Gould struck out 107 batters. A Wichita State recruit, Gould was taken with the 65th pick in the MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Tyler Skulina, Walsh Jesuit (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio), Jr, Pitcher
Named the Division 2 state player of the year in Ohio, Skulina led Walsh Jesuit to the state championship game. He had a 9-0 record with 84 strikeouts in 56.1 innings pitched. He had a 0.75 ERA and opposing teams batted just .126 against him.
Justin Jones, Oakdale
Photo by Anthony Brunsman
Justin Jones, Oakdale (Calif.), Sr, Pitcher
The player of the year by the Modesto Bee, Jones was drafted in Round 7 of the MLB draft by the Chicago White Sox but has also signed to play at Cal-Berkeley. He posted a 22-0 record the past two seasons, 10-0 this year, with a 0.42 ERA as a senior with 118 strikeouts in just 66 innings pitched. He also batted .413. He’s struck out 242 batters in 136 innings over the past two seasons.
Shelby Miller, Brownwood (Texas), Sr, Pitcher
Quite possibly the top all-around pitcher in Texas, Miller was a 3A all-state pick after posting a 10-2 record with a 1.98 ERA. He struck out 153 batters in 77 innings pitched and was selected 19th overall in the MLB draft by the St. Louis Cardinals. Also solid at the plate, Miller batted .430 with five home runs and 37 RBI. He was the District 2-3A player of the year.
Jacob Turner, Westminster Christian (St. Louis, Mo.), Sr, Pitcher
The top player in the state of Missouri, Turner was 7-2 on the season, but struck out 118 batters and walked just 13 in only 58.1 innings pitched. An all-state player and a member of the St. Louis Dispatch All-Metro team, Turner was selected by the Detroit Tigers with the ninth overall pick in the Major League Baseball draft.
Josh Patton, Naples (Fla.), Sr, Pitcher
Patton was the player of the Year by the Naples News after leading the Golden Eagles to the Florida 4A state championship. He was the 4A state player of the year as well after going 12-0 on the mound with four shutouts, a 0.90 ERA and 97 strikeouts in 77.2 innings pitched. He also batted .355 with 19 RBI.
Zachary Von Rosenberg, Zachary High School
Courtesy Photo
Zachary Von Rosenberg, Zachary (La.), Sr, Pitcher
Von Rosenberg won four state championships in his high school career, one with Barbe as a freshman and three with Zachary. Von Rosenberg was the winning pitcher in each championship game as well and finished his senior year with a 12-1 overall record and a 0.48 ERA in 82 innings pitched. He also struck out 119 batters and walked just 12. At the plate, Von Rosenberg batted .471 with 19 doubles, 10 home runs and 43 RBI. He also stole 28 bases. He was the 4A state player of the year for the second straight year. The Pittsburgh Pirates nabbed Von Rosenberg with their pick in the sixth round of the MLB draft.
DJ Baxendale, Sylvan Hills (Sherwood, Ark.), Sr, Pitcher
The Gatorade Player of the Year in Arkansas, Baxendale led Sylvan Hills to 32 wins on the season. He was perfect on the mound with a 12-0 record and a 0.30 ERA in 69 innings pitched. He also struck out 115 batters and walked just 14. He also batted .359 with five home runs and 38 RBI. The Arkansas Democrat Gazette’s player of the year, who was 24-1 over the past two seasons, will play at Arkansas next year.
Luke Maile, Covington Catholic (Park Hills, Kent.), Sr, Catcher
The state player of the year in Kentucky, Maile batted .514 with 11 doubles and 12 home runs. He scored 56 runs and had 55 hits and 55 RBI for Covington Catholic. The Boston Red Sox selected Maile in the 43rd round of the MLB draft.
Darren Farmer, West Lauderdale (Collinsville, Miss.), Sr, Catcher
The state player of the year in Mississippi by the Clarion Ledger, Farmer led West Lauderdale to the 4A state championship by batting .535 with 11 doubles, 18 home runs and 60 RBI. He had 33 home runs in his career. The Milwaukee Brewers chose him in the 50th round of the MLB draft.
Josh Leyland, San Dimas
Photo by Heston Quan
Josh Leyland, San Dimas (Calif.), Sr, Catcher
Named the MVP of the All-Southern Section Div. 4 team, Leyland was chosen in the 16th round of the MLB draft by the Oakland Athletics. Leyland was also the MVP of the San Gabriel Valley Tribune All-Area team and batted .506 with 38 RBI, five doubles and 11 home runs.
Robbie Erlin, Scotts Valley (Calif.), Sr, First Base
The MVP of the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League and the Santa Cruz Sentinel’s All-County team, Erlin was chosen in the third round by the Texas Rangers during the MLB draft. Erlin posted a 9-1 mound record with a 0.34 ERA and 125 strikeouts in just 62 innings pitched. He had four shutouts and one no-hitter and pitched 45 scoreless innings during the seasons. Erlin was also a force at the plate, hitting .510 with 28 RBI and 33 runs scored.
Garrett Methvin, Spring Hill (Longview, Texas), Sr, First Base
A 3A all-state pick and the East Texas pitcher of the year by the Longview News Journal, Methvin was 14-1 with 186 strikeouts and a 1.27 ERA in 93.2 innings pitched. He also batted .410 with 16 doubles, 32 RBI and six home runs.
Jordan Carroll, Madison County (Madison, Fla.), Sr, First Base
Named the 3A state player of the year by the Florida Dairy Farmers, Carroll was 11-0 on the mound with a 2.12 ERA and 68 strikeouts. He helped lead Madison County to a 23-4 overall record and a spot in the state 3A regional semifinals. At the plate, Carroll batted .469 with 13 doubles, nine home runs, 39 RBI and 32 runs scored.
Bobby Borchering, Bishop Verot (Fort Myers, Fla.), Sr, Infield
The Fort Myers News-Press player of the year, Borchering was also the first player from Florida chosen in the MLB draft, going to the Diamondbacks with the 16th overall pick. The third baseman batted .494 with 13 home runs, 37 RBI and 33 runs scored.
Max White, Durant (Okla.), Sr, Infield
White had an impressive season at the plate for Durant, leading the Oklahoma City area in batting average (.576), home runs (16), RBI (67), runs scored (58) and triples (9) and strikeouts (126). He also had 35 stolen bases, and was 8-4 on the mound with a 1.13 ERA. The all-state pick will play at Oklahoma next year.
Jake Schrader, Pasco (Dade City, Fla.), Sr, Infield
The Tampa Tribune player of the year ahead of the likes of Alonso's Thomas Dorminy, Plant's Mychal Givens and Mitchell's Patrick Schuster, the Pasco shortstop batted .554 and led the Tampa area with 13 home runs. He also had 46 RBI and had 21 extra basehits out of his 36-hit season total.
Caleb Denmark, Bolles (Jacksonville, Fla.), Sr, Infield
Denmark was the leading hit for a team that won the 3A state championship in Florida. He was also runnerup behind Madison County’s Jordan Carroll for 3A state player of the year honors. Denmark batted .462 with 49 RBI, 13 doubles and nine home runs on the season.
Kyle Farmer, Marist (Atlanta, Ga.), Sr, Infield
The quarterback for the football team, Farmer was also one of the state’s best shortstops, batting .584 with 65 runs scored, 12 doubles, 52 RBI and 12 home runs. He was named to the Baseball Coaches Association All-District 3 team. He has signed to play baseball at the University of Georgia.
Ryan Wilkins, Cathedral (San Diego, Calif.), Sr, Infield
Named the MVP of the San Diego Section by the Union-Tribune, Wilkins batted .426 with 39 RBI, seven doubles and eight home runs. He also was 8-1 on the mound with 99 strikeouts and a 2.23 ERA in 66 innings pitched. Named the Medium Schools state MVP by Cal-Hi Sports.
MAXPREPS MEDIUM SCHOOLS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Donavan Tate, Cartersville (Ga.), Sr, Outfield
The No. 1 high school player chosen in the MLB draft, Tate went with the No. 3 overall pick to the San Diego Padres. Committed to play at North Carolina on a football scholarship next year, Tate was one of the state’s top baseball players after batting .560 with 50 runs, 17 doubles, five triples, seven home runs and 63 RBI.
Seth Schwindenhammer, Limestone (Bartonville, Ill.), Sr, Outfield
The Red Sox selected Schwindenhammer in the fifth round of the MLB draft and have already signed the slugger, who belted 15 home runs with 52 RBI. An all-state pick, Schwindenhammer was also the Peoria Journal Star player of the year. In two seasons, Schwindenhammer had 29 home runs and 92 RBI.
Max Walla, Albuquerque Academy (Albuquerque, N.M.), Sr, Outfield
The state 4A player of the year, the Gatorade State Player of the Year and the Albuquerque All-Metro player of the year, Walla was an outstanding offensive and defensive player. He batted .555 with 10 doubles, 12 home runs and 40 RBI. He also was 13-0 on the mound with a 1.09 ERA and 112 strikeouts in 57.2 innings pitched. He went to the Milwaukee Brewers in the second round of the MLB draft.
Matt Taylor, Columbus (Ga), Sr, Outfield
The Bi-City Player of the Year in Columbus, Taylor led the Blue Devils within a game of the state championship. He posted an 11- 1 record this year with a 1.11 ERA. He also batted .398 with eight home runs and 38 RBI. He was taken by the Pirates in the 50th round of the MLB draft.
Andrew Miller, St. Paul's Episcopal
Courtesy Photo
Andrew Miller, St. Paul’s Episcopal (Mobile, Ala.), Sr, Outfield
One of the top defensive outfielders in the country, Miller batted .511 and had 28 stolen bases for St. Paul’s. Signed to play at Alabama, Miller was 10-2 on the mound with a 1.39 ERA.
Luke Bole, Hartselle (Ala.), Sr, Outfield
Bole earned state player of the year honors in Alabama after leading Hartselle to the 5A state championship and a national best 50 wins. Bole batted .412 with 68 basehits, 73 RBI and 20 home runs. He also scored 53 runs. One of the team’s pitchers, Bole was 11-4 on the mound.
Brandon King, Martinsburg (W.V.), Sr, Utility
Named the West Virginia player of the year, King is believed to hold the state career home run record with 38. He hit 15 as a senior with 55 RBI, 12 doubles and 55 runs with a .454 batting average. On the mound, King was 8-2 with a 1.53 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 55 innings pitched. He led his team to a state championship and has signed with Washington Nationals, who selected him in the 27th round of the MLB draft.
Brian Schroeder, Kennedy, (Iselin, N.J.), Sr, Utility
Schroeder led Kennedy to a state championship in Group III as one of the state’s best pitchers and as an outstanding hitter as well. He was 12-0 with six saves, 119 strikeouts and just 23 walks in 79 innings pitched. At the plate, Schroeder batted .565 with 39 RBI, 11 doubles and nine home runs.
Kyle Crockett, Poquoson (Va.), Jr, Utility
The Virginia state AA player of the year and the all-area MVP by the Newport News Daily Press, Crockett led Poquoson to a 28-1 record and the AA state championship. He was 13-0 on the mound with a 0.91 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 89.1 innings pitched. He also batted .434 with three home runs and 21 RBI.
Ben Bracewell, Briarwood Christian (Birmingham, Ala.), Sr, Pitcher
Named the state player of the year and the metro player of the year by the Birmingham News, Bracewell was 15-0 on the mound with a 0.47 ERA with 156 strikeouts. He was also solid at the plate with a .411 batting average, 42 RBI and 10 home runs.
For the purposes of compiling this team, MaxPreps defines the following state divisions as medium schools:
Alabama 5A; Alaska – all schools; Arizona 3A; Arkansas 6A, 5A; California – Northern Section Div. 1; North Coast Section 2A; Sac Joaquin Section Div. 4; Central Section Div. 3; Southern Section Div. 4, 5; San Diego Section Div. 3; Central Coast Section Div. 3; Colorado 4A; Connecticut LL, L; Delaware Div. 1; Florida 4A, 3A; Georgia 4A, 3A; Hawaii Div. 2; Idaho 4A; Illinois 3A; Indiana 3A; Iowa 3A; Kansas 6A, 5A; Kentucky 5A, 4A; Louisiana 4A; Maine A; Maryland 2A; Massachusetts Div. 2; Michigan Div. 2, 3; Minnesota 2A; Mississippi 4A; Missouri Class 3; Nevada Class 3A; New Hampshire Class M, I; New Jersey Public Group 3, 2, Non Public Group B; New Mexico 4A; New York A; North Carolina 3A, 2A; North Dakota A; Ohio Div. 2; Oklahoma 5A, 4A; Oregon 5A; Pennsylvania 3A; Rhode Island Div. 1; South Carolina 3A; Tennessee 2A, Div. 2; Texas 3A; Utah 4A, 3A; Vermont Div. 1; Virginia 2A; Washington 3A, 2A; West Virginia 3A; Wisconsin Div. 2
