By Kevin Askeland
MaxPreps.com
If the Aflac All-American Game is any indication, pitchers will be the top prospects among the class of 2009.
The MaxPreps Preseason All-American Team includes a number of pitchers who participated in the Aflac event last August, including Jacob Turner, Chad Thompson, Matt Purke and Tyler Matzek. That quartet helped the East and West pitching staffs combine for a staggering 25 strikeouts in a game eventually won by the East on a four-run rally in the ninth inning.
Matzek has risen to the top of the pitching class thanks to a fastball that continues to impress. Purke is also considered a high draft pick due to a fastball that has consistently hit in the 93 miles per hour range.
In the field, Yuba City’s Max Stassi heads the list of catching prospects after years of experience at the junior national level. In the outfield, football star Donovan Tate of Cartersville, Ga., has MLB scouts raving about his all-around skills.
Here’s a look at the rest of the 2009 MaxPreps Pre-Season All-American Baseball Team;
Jacob Turner, Westminster Christian Academy (Mo.), 6-4, 205, RHP
The North Carolina recruit started the Aflac All-American Game for the West and struck out a game-high five batters in five innings while hitting 92 miles per hour with his fastball. A second team All-Metro pick by the St. Louis Dispatch, Turner was 5-2 last year with a 1.45 ERA and 92 strikeouts (with only nine walks) in 48.1 innings pitched.
Chad Thompson, El Toro (Calif.), 6-8, 195, RHP
Thompson was named the Southern Section’s Division 2 Player of the Year after striking out 121 batters in 93 innings and posting a 12-3 overall record with a 1.28 ERA. He also helped lead the Chargers to the Southern Section Division 2 championship. He had one strikeout in his one inning at the Aflac All-American game, hitting 89 miles per hour with his fastball.
Matt Purke, Klein (Texas), 6-3, 180, LHP
Purke was one of the top pitchers in the state of Texas last season and has posted a 17-4 record over his sophomore and juniors seasons with 213 strikeouts in 125 innings pitched including 147 during his junior year. Headed to play at Texas Christian next year, Purke was a veteran of the summer all-star games as he played in the Aflac All-American Game and hit 93 miles per hour on the radar while striking out two batters in his one inning of play.
Garrett Gould, Maize (Kan.), 6-4, 195, RHP
A two-sport star at Maize, Gould was one of the top quarterbacks in the state of Kansas, but he decided not to play football this year in order to concentrate on baseball. Gould put in a solid effort at the Area Code Games in Los Angeles and posted a 9-2 record last year at Maize with a 0.61 ERA and 95 strikeouts in 57 innings pitched.
David Renfroe, South Panola (Miss.), 6-3, 195, RHP
Renfroe didn’t have overwhelming pitching totals his junior year at South Panola, where he rotated between time on the mound and in the field at shortstop. However the Mississippi signee was the star of the Under Armour All-American game at Wrigley Field as he earned MVP honors after striking out five batters in two innings and hit the game’s only home run. Renfroe, the state MVP last year, throws in the 88-92 miles per hour range.
Zachary Von Rosenberg, Zachary (La.), 6-5, 196, RHP
Headed to Louisiana State University, Von Rosenberg was the 4A player of the year in Louisiana last season. He posted a 12-1 record and struck out 117 batters in 82 innings pitched. Von Rosenberg pitched Barbe to a state championship as a freshman and then transferred to Zachary and guided the Broncos to a state title his sophomore season. The tall right-hander starts his senior season with 31 career wins and just six losses.
Tyler Matzek, Capistrano Valley (Calif.), 6-3, 185, LHP
Blessed with one of the best fastballs in the state, Matzek is California’s top pitching prospect after reaching 94 miles per hour during winter season workouts. Matzek was 7-3 last year with a 1.83 ERA and 81 strikeouts in 65 innings pitched. He is considered to be the top high school pitching prospect in this year’s Major League Baseball draft.
Shelby Miller, Brownwood (Texas), 6-3, 195, RHP
Although just a second team all-state pick in Texas last spring, Miller impressed over the summer at several MLB combines to move up near the top of the list among high school pitching prospects. Already committed to Texas A&M, Miller is 18-7 over his past two seasons with 246 strikeouts in 141 innings pitched. He was 8-2 last year with a 1.11 ERA and 119 strikeouts and also had two no-hitters and a perfect game in consecutive outings. A solid hitter as well, Miller batted .413 with nine home runs last season.
Max Stassi, Yuba City (Calif.), 5-10, 190, C
Stassi is a veteran of all-star competition and has been a member of the junior national team for the past two seasons. Headed to UCLA, Stassi is the top catching prospect in California after batting .471 with 15 home runs and 45 RBI for the Honkers. He had one of the few hits in last year’s pitching-dominated Aflac All-American Game in Los Angeles.
Luke Bailey, Troup (Ga.), 6-0, 175, C
Bailey is quickly breaking all of the records at Troup High School as he surpassed his own school record of 12 home runs last year with a 13-home run effort as a junior. He also added 61 RBI last season and batted .505 while earning all-state honors. A member of the Aflac All-American team, Bailey also was invited to the East Coast Pro Showcase. Bailey will take his talents to Auburn next season.
Austin Maddox, Eagle’s View Academy (Fla.), 6-2, 220, C
Maddox has a great arm, as proven by his stint on the mound during the Aflac All-American game. Maddox pitched a perfect ninth inning to get the win, striking out two batters in the process. Headed to Florida next season, Maddox batted .511 last year with a 68 RBI.
Colton Cain, Waxahachie (Texas), 6-3, 225, 1B
Cain was one of the standouts at the Area Code Games in Los Angeles last year, leading the Rangers to a 4-1 record. Cain can do a little bit of everything. On the mound, Cain was 12-1 with 131 strikeouts in 81 innings last year and a 0.78 ERA. At the plate, he batted .486 with nine home runs and 16 doubles. He’s committed to play at Texas next year.
Justin Ringo, Stagg (Ill.), 6-0, 205, 1B
Although he’s listed as an outfield prospect at the next level, Ringo was a standout first baseman last season when he earned all-state honors at Stagg. One of the top home run hitters in Illinois, Ringo rapped 15 round-trippers to go with 14 doubles and a .538 batting average. Ringo signed a letter of intent to play at Stanford next year.
Jeff Malm, Bishop Gorman (Nev.), 6-3, 225, 1B
Malm is the best player on perhaps the best team in the country this year at Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas. As a junior, Malm was named the Gatorade State Player of the Year after batting .564 with 28 doubles and 73 RBI. He was also 8-2 on the mound. Malm is set to play at Southern California next season.
Deven Marrero, American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.), 6-1, 180, SS
Marrero improved his stock over the summer at the Under Armour All-American Game in Chicago. It was easy to overlook Marrero last season on an American Heritage lineup filled with future MLB draft picks, but he had an outstanding junior season with a .485 average, nine home runs and 46 RBI for the Patriots.
Jiovanni Mier, Bonita (Calif.), 6-2, 170, SS
A standout defensive back in football, Mier skipped football season this year to concentrate on his baseball future, which will take him to Southern California next year. The Miramonte League MVP last year, Mier is one of the nation’s top shortstops after batting .479 with 15 stolen bases. He started for the West in the Aflac All-American game.
Chad Kettler, Coppell (Texas), 6-1, 190, IF
Kettler is the shortstop for a Coppell team that could challenge for the national crown this year. The Oklahoma signee helped lead the Cowboys to a 6-5A championship last season while batting .410 with 13 doubles.
Christopher Owings, Gilbert (S.C.), 5-10, 165, MIF
Owings was named the 2A state player of the year in South Carolina last season after leading Gilbert to a state championship. Owings is a three-time member of the 2A all-state team and is considered the top player in South Carolina after batting .488 with 12 doubles as a junior. He’ll play at South Carolina next season.
Curt Powell, Farragut (Tenn.), 5-11, 165, SS
Powell is the leader of the Admirals, who could have one of the top teams in the country this year. As the team’s shortstop, Powell won state MVP honors in Tennessee after leading Farragut to a 44-3 record and a state title. He batted .493 with eight home runs with 56 RBI.
Jonathan Meyer, Simi Valley (Calif.), 6-1, 195, IF
Meyer made his mark last year by leading Simi Valley to the Division 1 championship in the Southern Section. Meyer earned Division 1 MVP honors and was the Ventura County player of the year after batting .402 with 43 RBI and nine home runs. He’ll play at Cal-State Fullerton next season.
Brian Goodwin, Rocky Mount (N.C.), 6-1, 185, OF
Goodwin came up with the game-winning hit in the Aflac All-American Game last summer and earned the game’s MVP award. Goodwin batted .473 last season with 45 runs scored while leading Rocky Mount to the 3A state title.
Donavan Tate, Cartersville (Ga.), 6-3, 200, OF
Possibly the top football-baseball athlete in the country, Tate has signed with North Carolina to play football. However Tate may never make it to play for the Tar Heels, considering that he is one of the top outfield prospects in the country and is considered a first-round pick in the 2009 MLB draft. An all-state player while leading Cartersville to the state title, Tate started in the Aflac All-American Game and sparked the East rally with a ninth-inning single that led to a four-run rally in a 4-2 win.
Jacob Marisnick, Riverside Poly (Calif.), 6-4, 200, OF
Marisnick was easily the most impressive hitter at the Area Code Games in Long Beach last summer. Also considered a defensive standout, Marisnick will take his talent to Oregon next season. As a junior, Marisnick earned all-state honors after batting .495 with nine doubles, six triples and five home runs at Riverside Poly.
Randal Grichuk, Lamar Consolidated (Texas), 6-0, 177, OF
Grichuk was one of the top home run hitters in the country last season after blasting 18 bombs for Lamar Consolidated. He also hit one out at the Area Code Games and was a finalist in the 2009 International Power Showcase Championship in Tampa last month. Grichuk has signed to play at Arizona next season.
Kyrell Hudson, Evergreen (Wash.), 6-2, 185, OF
Hudson has risen to the top of the class among prospects in the Northwest. Committed to Oregon State, Hudson will play both football and baseball for the Beavers. The speedy outfielder had a busy summer as he played in the Aflac All-American Games, the Area Code Games and the Under Armour All-American Games last year.
Max Walla, Albuquerque Academy (N.M.), 5-10, 180, OF
The state player of the year in New Mexico as a junior, Walla already has his name in the state record book. He is fourth in hits in a season (48), second in home runs (16), and he will probably rise among the state’s all-time career leaders this year.
Mychal Givens, Plant, (Fla.), 6-1, 180, RHP/SS
Considered possibly the best all-around talent in the class of 2009, Givens is a smooth defensive player at shortstop and a pitcher with seemingly unlimited potential. In brief appearances on the mound at the Aflac All-American Game and the Under Armour All-American Game, Givens hit 96 miles per hour on the radar gun. He had an 8-1 mound record last year with a 1.79 ERA.
Matt Davidson Yucaipa (Calif.), 6-3, 216, 3B/P
The home run derby champion at the Aflac All-American Game, Davidson excels on the mound and at the plate. He had 48 strikeouts in 40 innings pitched as a junior and struck out 82 batters in 69.2 innings as a sophomore. He was also named the freshman state player of the year by Cal-Hi Sports in 2006. Headed to Southern California, Davidson batted .329 last season with seven home runs. He had six home runs and 30 RBI as a sophomore.
Matt Hobgood, Norco (Calif.), 6-4, 245, RHP/1B
Tabbed as the Southern California player of the year as a junior by the LA Times, Hobgood batted .489 with 45 RBI and 15 home runs. However he may make his mark as a pitcher, as he was 10-0 at Norco with 100 strikeouts and a 1.34 ERA. He’ll play at Cal-State Fullerton next season.
K.C. Hobson, Stockdale (Calif.), 6-3, 210, 1B/P
Hobson was impressive at the plate and on the mound last year for Stockdale. The son of former Boston Red Sox third baseman Butch Hobson, K.C. belted seven home runs and 17 doubles last year with 57 RBI. On the mound Hobson was 10-1 with 84 strikeouts in 60 innings. Played in the Area Code Games at first base.
