By Kevin Askeland
MaxPreps.com
The Major League Baseball season is winding down with the World Series getting underway this week. While some sports fans divert their attention from football toward baseball for the annual Fall Classic, a number of high school football standouts have decided to pass up this season on the gridiron altogether in order to focus their attention on baseball.
Here’s a look at the top 10 baseball standouts who have decided not to play football this year.
10. Brooks Pounders, Temecula Valley, Calif.
An imposing figure on the baseball diamond, Pounders was an aptly named defensive end at Temecula Valley the past two seasons. However he decided to concentrate on baseball during his senior season after ripping 10 home runs and knocking in 39 runs. Pounders also went 7-3 on the mound with 70 strikeouts and pitched one perfect inning in the Aflac All-American Game in Los Angeles.
9. Garrett Gould, Maize, Kan.
Gould was an All-State quarterback at Maize last year, throwing for 1,772 yards. He also earned All-State honors in baseball, posting a 9-2 record with 95 strikeouts in 57 innings with a 0.61 ERA. He decided not to play football this year after a summer that included participation in the Under Armour All-American Game in Chicago and the Area Code Games in California.
8. Jake Rodriguez, Elk Grove, Calif.
Only a junior, Rodriguez has decided to forgo gridiron action this year after leading the Elk Grove Thunder Herd in rushing during his sophomore year with 695 yards on 106 carries. Elk Grove was 12-1 last year, losing only in the Sac-Joaquin Section semifinals. In baseball, Rodriguez had a phenomenal junior season, batting .536 with 21 RBI and seven triples.
7. Dylan Floro, Buhach Colony, Calif.
The quarterback at Buhach Colony as a junior, Floro decided to concentrate on baseball his senior year after a fabulous junior season on the mound. In earning all-district honors, Floro was 12-1 with a 0.75 ERA and 139 strikeouts in 93 innings pitched. Floro is considered one of the top pitching prospects in the country for the class of 2009.
6. Jiovanni Mier, Bonita, Calif.
Mier was being recruited as a potential college cornerback, but he missed part of last season with an injury and decided not to play this year. He had 28 catches for 346 yards and seven touchdowns along with five interceptions on defense as a junior. In baseball, Mier batted .479 with 30 RBI and 11 doubles. He was the starting shortstop for the West in the Aflac All-American Game in August.
5. Colton Cain, Waxahachie, Texas
Cain played as a sophomore on the Waxahachie varsity football team, but has since concentrated on baseball. He emerged as one of the bright spots at the Area Code Games in Long Beach in August with his ability to hit with power and for his ability on the mound. Last year, he led Waxahachie to the 4A state championship game while going 12-1 on the mound with 131 strikeouts in 81 innings and a 0.76 ERA. He also batted .486 with nine home runs, 45 RBI and 16 doubles.
4. Cohl Walla, Lake Travis, Austin, Texas
Walla was the top returning receiver for the Texas 4A state champion Lake Travis Cavaliers. He caught 65 passes from quarterback Garrett Gilbert for 1,009 yards and 12 touchdowns. However he decided to forgo his senior year in football after a solid showing at the Area Code Games in Long Beach in August. For his junior season on the diamond, Walla batted .369 with 27 RBI and four home runs.
3. K.C. Hobson, Stockdale, Bakersfield, Calif.
The son of former Boston Red Sox third baseman Butch Hobson, KC quarterbacked Stockdale last season, but will concentrate on baseball this year. He had 57 RBI, 17 doubles and seven home runs and was 10-1 on the mound last year. He also struck out 84 batters in 60 innings.
2. Braxton Lane, Sandy Creek, Ga.
Lane was projected to be one of the top receivers in the state of Georgia this year after catching 55 passes last season, but he decided to concentrate on baseball instead. The nephew of former Kansas City Chief running back McArthur Lane, Braxton played in the outfield for the East at the Aflac All-American Game in Los Angeles in August.
1. Jake Marisnick, Riverside Poly, Calif.
One of the standouts at the Area Code Games in August, Marisnick was a talented receiver for Riverside Poly on the gridiron last year. He caught 56 passes for 866 yards and five touchdowns and also had four interceptions and 62 tackles on defense. Considered a college football prospect, Marisnick decided to focus on baseball this year instead of playing his senior year of football. As a junior, Marisnick batted .495 with five home runs, six triples and nine doubles. An outstanding outfielder as well, look for Marisnick to be drafted in the first couple of rounds of the MLB draft.
Bonus
Donavan Tate, Cartersville (Ga.) and Todd Glaesman, Midway (Texas)
Both Tate and Glaesman rank among the elite baseball players in the country with Tate playing in the Aflac All-American Game and Glaesman participating in the Area Code Games. Both announced in August that they would forgo their senior season on the football field in order to concentrate on baseball. Tate, the son of former University of Georgia standout Lars Tate, had a change of heart and rejoined the football team in early September. He is one of the top running back prospects in the country, but is expected to be drafted high in the MLB draft next June. Glaesman had to be voted back on to the team at Midway after deciding to play football near the middle of September. He has rejoined the team as a receiver, but could end up playing quarterback again, a position he played last year.
