2023 MaxPreps All-America Team: Christian Rodriguez of Stoneman Douglas headlines high school baseball's best

Stoneman Douglas (Parkland, Fla.) has won three straight Class 7A state championships and one constant presence on those three teams is MaxPreps National Player of the Year Christian Rodriguez.

As a sophomore, Rodriguez went 8-0 with 114 strikeouts for a team that went 28-2. As a junior, Rodriguez went 7-1 with 64 strikeouts and a 1.11 ERA on an Eagles team that finished 30-2.

This year, Rodriguez and the Eagles had their best season yet, finishing No. 2 in the MaxPreps Top 25. Stoneman Douglas went 29-0 with Rodriguez as the ace of the staff, going 12-0 record with a 0.69 ERA and 117 strikeouts. He finished his career with a 29-2 record and 310 career strikeouts.

Rodriguez is the first from the Sunshine State to be named MaxPreps National Player of the Year. He has committed to play at the University of Florida.

Coach of the Year honors go to Danny Wallace of Flower Mound (Texas). The Jaguars entered the postseason at 25-8-2 with three straight losses and were ranked outside of the top 10 in Class 6A. Another loss to Prosper in the first game of the Bi-District playoffs had Flower Mound one loss away from elimination.



Things turned around for Wallace's crew, however, as the Jaguars won 12 of their next 13 playoff games, knocked off No. 1 seed Cypress Woods in the semifinals and edged Pearland – the preseason No. 1 by Texas High School Baseball – to claim the 6A championship. Flower Mound finished the season 37-9-2, giving Wallace 673 career wins.

2016 — Kyle Muller, Dallas Jesuit (Dallas)
2017 — Jordan Adell, Ballard (Louisville, Ky.)
2018 — Nolan Gorman, O'Connor (Phoenix)
2019 — Bobby Witt Jr., Colleyville Heritage (Colleyville, Texas)
2020 — No selection due to COVID
2021 — Jack Walker, Barbe (Lake Charles, La.)
Past MaxPreps National Coaches of the Year
2008 — Kendall Clark, Plano West (Texas)
P — Christian Rodriguez, Stoneman Douglas (Parkland, Fla.)
6-0 | 200 | Senior
The top pitcher on the nation's No. 2 team and the three-peat Class 7A champions, Rodriguez went 12-0 on the season including a 0.69 ERA in 70.2 innings with 117 strikeouts. For his career, Rodriguez was 29-2 with a 1.19 ERA and 310 strikeouts.

P — Landon Victorian, Barbe (Lake Charles, La.)
6-3 | 185 | Junior
One of the nation's top pitchers, Victorian led Barbe to a 39-1 record and its 12th state championship. He picked up the 5-1 win over Sulphur in the semifinals of the Non-Select Division 1 playoffs and finished the season with an 8-0 record, 80 strikeouts, a 0.97 ERA and just four walks in in 50.1 innings.

P — Cam Johnson, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)
6-5 | 240 | Senior
One of top left-handed pitching prospects posted a 6-0 record for the MaxPreps National Champions with a 0.78 ERA and 43 strikeouts in 27 innings pitched.

P — Alex Clemmey, Bishop Hendricken (Warwick, R.I.)
6-6 | 210 | Senior
A potential selection in next month's MLB Draft, he led Bishop Hendricken to a 23-3 record by going 7-1 with 98 strikeouts in just 41 innings.



P — Steven Echavarria, Millburn (N.J.)
6-2 | 180 | Senior
Perfect Game ranks him as the top prospect in the state as a pitcher although he excels as a hitter as well. He struck out 80 and had a 0.28 ERA in 50 innings. He hit .305 with 22 runs, 35 RBI, seven doubles and five home runs.

P — Caylon Dygert, Magnolia West (Magnolia, Texas)
6-1 | 190 | Senior
The All-Greater Houston Pitcher of the Year by the Chronicle led the Mustangs to a Class 5A state championship. He went 14-0 with a 0.47 ERA and 100 strikeouts in 88.2 innings.

P — Dylan Loy, Pigeon Forge (Tenn.)

P — Drake Gabel, West Linn (Ore.)
6-1 | 195 | Senior
Outdueled Jesuit's Noble Meyer, who is considered a first-round MLB Draft pick, in the Class 6A state championship game and was named Pitcher of the Year by the Associated Press. He posted an 8-0 record with 74 strikeouts and a 0.12 ERA in 58 innings. He also batted .311 with seven doubles and four triples.

P — Jake Brown, Sulphur (La.)
6-2 | 190 | Senior
Ranked as the top player in the state by Perfect Game, he led the Golden Tors to the Class 5A semifinals. He had a 10-2 record on the mound with a 1.71 ERA and 118 strikeouts in 73.2 innings. He was also strong at the plate with seven home runs, five doubles and four triples while batting .336.

P — Noble Meyer, Jesuit (Portland, Ore.)
6-5 | 200 | Senior
The top right-handed high school pitching prospect in the MLB Draft, Meyer is a two-time state player of the year in Oregon. He went 10-2 as a senior with a 0.40 ERA, 142 strikeouts in 69 innings. He also batted .359 with 27 RBI and five home runs.

C — Luke Stevenson, Wake Forest (N.C.)
6-1 | 210 | Senior
One of the top power hitters in the nation, he earned Class 4A state MVP honors after hitting 17 home runs with 58 RBI. He batted .512 and also scored 38 runs and hit 11 doubles.



C — Blake Mitchell, Sinton (Texas)
6-1 | 200 | Senior
Ranked the No. 1 prospect in the state of Texas by Perfect Game, he's a potential first-round draft pick. He helped the Pirates reach the Class 4A state semifinals and led them in numerous offensive categories, including runs (49), hits (42), RBI (41), doubles (15) and home runs (6).

C — Zion Rose, IMG Academy
6-1 | 210 | Senior
The Brother Rice (Chicago) transfer could be one of the first catchers to come off the board in the MLB Draft. He led the Ascenders in runs with 38 and also had 26 RBI, nine doubles, four triples and four home runs while batting .395.

1B — Bryson Eldridge, James Madison (Vienna, Va.)
6-7 | 235 | Senior
Led the Warhawks to a Class 6 state championship and was named the Class 6 POY by the Virginia High School League. On the mound, Eldridge was 11-0 with 88 strikeouts and 1.30 ERA in 53.2 innings. At the plate, Eldridge batted .420 with 25 RBI, six doubles and nine home runs.

1B — Easton Shelton, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas)
6-5 | 225 | Senior
The Gaels won the state championship for the first time since 2015 thanks in part to the play of Shelton, who led the team in multiple offensive categories. He batted .400 with a team high 48 RBI, 44 hits, 39 runs and 12 home runs. He led the state in home runs and set a state record with a deep shot in seven straight games.

IF — Arjun Nimmala, Strawberry Crest (Dover, Fla.)
6-1 | 170 | Senior
The top high school shortstop prospect ahead of the MLB Draft, Nimmala earned all-state honors in Florida after batting .479 with 29 RBI, seven doubles, three triples and six home runs.

IF — Trent Caraway, JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.)
6-2 | 205 | Senior
The Lions won their second straight Southern Section championship with Caraway leading the way. He batted .462 and broke the school record for base hits in a season with 49. Former MLB No. 1 draft pick Royce Lewis held the previous record. Caraway also had 20 RBI, 11 doubles and seven home runs and was named Southern Section Division 1 Player of the Year.



IF — Walker Martin, Eaton (Colo.)
6-2 | 185 | Senior
Led the Reds to the Class 3A state championship and a 29-0 record. Martin was the national leader in home runs with 20 and also batted .633 with 75 RBI, 64 runs and 11 doubles. He also had a string of nine straight games with a home run.

IF — Kevin McGonigle, Bonner/Prendergast (Drexel Hill, Pa.)
5-11 | 185 | Senior
Could be one of the top middle infielders selected in the MLB Draft this week. He led the Friars to the Class 5A semifinals while batting .530 with 34 runs, 22 RBI, eight doubles, four triples and six home runs.

IF — Colin Houck, Parkview (Lilburn, Ga.)
6-2 | 193 | Senior
A football standout at quarterback, Houck is also one of the nation's top power-hitting middle infielders. He hit .487 with 56 runs, 50 RBI, 14 doubles, three triples and eight home runs.

IF — Sam Stafura, Walter Panas (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.)
6-0 | 185 | Senior
A potential first-round draft pick, he led the Panthers to a Section 1 championship and a Class A state runner-up finish. He batted .516 with 50 runs, 40 RBI, 14 doubles, four triples and 11 home runs.

OF — Dillon Head, Homewood-Flossmoor (Flossmoor, Ill.)
6-0 | 180 | Senior
Expected to be one of the top few high school outfielders chosen in the MLB Draft, he earned all-state honors while batting .485 with 10 doubles, two triples and six home runs. He also scored 36 runs and had 31 stolen bases.

OF — Max Clark, Franklin Community (Franklin, Ind.)
6-1 | 190 | Senior
Regarded in some circles as the No. 1 high school prospect in the country. Clark batted .646 on the season and finished with a career batting average of .551. He also had 45 runs, 33 RBI, nine doubles, five triples and six home runs.



OF — Walker Jenkins, South Brunswick (Southport, N.C.)
6-3 | 215 | Senior
The Class 3A POY by the state coaches association, he's the top prospect in the country according to Perfect Game. He batted .417 with 33 runs scored, 32 walks and two home runs.

OF — Donovan LaSalle, Barbe
6-3 | 185 | Senior
Prep Baseball Report named him POY in Louisiana. He led Barbe to a 39-1 record and its 12th state championship by batting .510 with 14 doubles, three triples and 10 home runs. He also scored 57 runs and drove in 43.

OF — Drew Burress, Houston County (Warner Robins, Ga.)
5-9 | 175 | Senior
Although his stats weren't quite as high as last year, Burress still was among the state leaders in multiple categories with an additional accomplishment he didn't have last year — a state championship. He batted .430 with 59 RBI, 52 runs, 17 doubles and 13 home runs. He finished his career with 30 home runs, 28 doubles and 132 RBI in two seasons.

OF — Tayshaun Walton, IMG Academy
6-3 | 220 | Senior
One of the top high school outfield prospects in the MLB Draft. He led the Ascender offense with a .473 batting average and 37 RBI. He also scored 27 runs and had seven doubles, six triples and a home run.

UT — Blake Wolters, Mahomet-Seymour (Mahomet, Ill.)
6-4 | 215 | Senior
One of the nation's top two-way players earned all-state honors by the coaches association. He batted .442 with 45 runs, 37 RBI, 10 doubles, nine home runs and three triples. He will likely be drafted as a pitcher, however, as he went 7-1 with a 0.42 ERA and 106 strikeouts in 48.2 innings.

UT — Cooper Pratt, Magnolia Heights (Senatobia, Miss.)
6-5 | 205 | Senior
Led the Chiefs to a 40-3 record – including a 36-game win streak to finish the season – while posting a 10-0 record and a 0.14 ERA with 66 strikeouts. He also batted .469 with 50 RBI and 38 stolen bases.



UT — Carson Rucker, Goodpasture Christian (Madison, Tenn.)
6-2 | 193 | Senior
Named Mr. Tennessee as a junior, Rucker had another outstanding season leading the Cougars to the Division II Class A final. Rucker was among the national leaders with 81 RBI, 57 runs, 18 home runs, 16 doubles and a .500 batting average.

P — Hunter Dietz, Calvary Christian (Clearwater, Fla.)
6-6 | 230 | Senior
One of three pitchers for the Class 3A state champions who could get drafted. Dietz, who has committed to Arkansas, went 9-0 with a 1.47 ERA and 102 strikeouts.

P — Collin Clarke, Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.)
6-3 | 195 | Senior
The Trinity League Pitcher of the Year led the Eagles to the Southern California Division 1 regional championship. He went 10-2 with 85 strikeouts and a 1.41 ERA

P — Justin Lee, Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.)
6-4 | 200 | Senior
Earned POY honors from the Los Angeles Times after leading the Knights to the No. 1 seed for the Southern Section Division 1 playoffs. The UCLA commit posted a 9-1 record with 102 strikeouts and a 1.24 ERA in 67.1 innings.

P — Jacob Gholston, Flower Mound (Texas)
6-6 | 202 | Senior
The Dallas Morning News POY led the Jaguars to the Class 6A state championship. He posted a 12-2 record with a 0.97 ERA that included 111 strikeouts.

P — Hayes Harrison, Oxford (Ala.)
6-0 | 180 | Senior
In leading the Yellow Jackets to the Class 6A state championship, Harrison was the state tournament MVP. For the year, he had a 13-0 record with a 0.13 ERA and 82 strikeouts. He was also solid at the plate with a .382 batting average and 38 RBI.



P — Taylor Rabe, Greenville (S.C.)
6-5 | 195 | Senior
Posted an 8-0 record with a 1.19 ERA and 101 strikeouts in 53 innings pitched. At the plate he batted .364 and had 28 RBI.

P — Bryce Johnson, Eastlake (Sammamish, Wash.)
6-3 | 215 | Senior
The top pitcher in the state led the Wolves to the Class 4A state championship. He went 12-0 with a 0.37 ERA and 110 strikeouts in 76.1 innings.

P — Alex Conover, Tuttle (Okla.)
6-2 | 190 | Senior
Excelled at the plate and on the mound while leading the Tigers (37-4) to the Class 4A state championship. He batted .385 with 37 runs, 28 RBI, 10 doubles, eight home runs and two triples. On the mound, he was 11-0 with 87 strikeouts and a 0.56 ERA in 60.2 innings.

P — Michael Castaneda, Valley Christian (San Jose, Calif.)
5-11 | 185 | Senior
The top pitcher on the Central Coast Section championship team posted a 13-1 record with a 1.19 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 82.1 innings.

P — Dominic Voegele, Columbia (Ill.)
6-2 | 180 | Senior
An all-state choice by the Illinois coaches association and the player of the year by the St. Louis Post Dispatch. He went 10-0 with 111 strikeouts and a 1.04 ERA in 67.1 innings. He was also a big threat at the plate, batting .488 with 51 RBI, 20 doubles, two triples and 12 home runs.

C — Alex Sosa, Viera (Fla.)
6-1 | 195 | Senior
In leading the Hawks to the Class 6A state championship game, Sosa batted .471 with 26 RBI, nine doubles and three home runs. The North Carolina State commit is considered a potential early round pick in the MLB draft.



C — Connor Harrison, De La Salle (Concord, Calif.)
6-2 | 210 | Senior
Led the Spartans to a Northern California Division 1 championship. He batted .404 with 36 RBI, nine doubles, two triples and three home runs.

C — Raffaele Velazquez, Huntington Beach (Calif.)
6-2 | 215 | Senior
Batted .402 with six home runs for the National High School Invitational champions.

1B — Gage Gundy, Stillwater (Okla.)
5-11 | 170 | Senior
The quarterback for the Pioneer football team, Gundy was also the baseball team's top power hitter this year. He had a team-best 62 RBI while batting .414 with 16 home runs.

1B — Riley Iffrig, Edwardsville (Ill.)
IF — George Lombard, Gulliver Prep (Miami)
6-3 | 190 | Senior
Vanderbilt landed one of the top shortstops in Florida as he earned Hitter of the Year honors by High School Baseball Network for Miami-Dade County. He batted .478 with 22 RBI, 14 doubles and six home runs.

IF — Roch Cholowsky, Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.)
6-2 | 185 | Senior
Led the 6A state champions in batting average (.466), runs (45), home runs (11) and triples (5). He was also second on the team in RBI with 35.

IF — Trey King, McIntosh (Peachtree City, Ga.)
6-2 | 170 | Senior
The shortstop had huge numbers, batting .517 with a state-best 23 doubles, four home runs and 44 RBI.



IF — Ethan Farris, Cypress Woods (Cypress, Texas)
6-4 | 200 | Senior
The Houston Chronicle picked Farris as its Hitter of the Year after he led the Wildcats to the Class 6A semifinals. He batted .477 with 61 base hits, 11 doubles, 10 home runs, 47 RBI and 42 runs scored.

IF — Kevin Takeuchi, Rancho Bernardo (San Diego)
5-11 | 185 | Senior
Batted .520 with 38 runs, 41 RBI, 13 doubles, two triples and 13 home runs.

IF — Colt Emerson, John Glenn (New Concord, Ohio)
6-1 | 195 | Senior
Emerson is ranked as one of the top shortstops in the country by Perfect Game. He batted .446 with 39 runs, 25 RBI with 12 doubles, three triples and eight home runs.

OF — John Pearson, West Monroe (La.)
6-0 | 205 | Junior
Ld the Rebels to the Class 5A state finals two years in a row, winning the championship in 2022. He batted .424 with 15 doubles, seven triples and seven home runs. He also drove in 35 runs and scored 56.

OF — Elijah Underhill, Christian County (Hopkinsville, Ky.)
6-1 | 190 | Senior
Earned Mr. Kentucky honors from the coaches association for his performance as a pitcher and an outfielder. He batted .430 with 54 runs, 28 RBI, nine doubles, eight home runs and four triples as well as 34 stolen bases. As a pitcher, he struck out 115 and had a 2.65 ERA and a 6-4 record.

OF — Coleman Mizell, Hartselle (Ala.)
6-3 | 210 | Senior
Batted .500 with 16 doubles, two triples, 15 home runs, and 58 RBI.

OF — Nehomar Ochoa , Galena Park (Texas)
6-4 | 208 | Senior
Grabbed All-State honors by the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association after batting .602 with 55 runs, 50 RBI, 11 doubles, six triples and 11 home runs.

OF — Konnor Griffin, Jackson Prep (Jackson, Miss.)
6-4 | 210 | Junior
Ranked as one of the top juniors in the nation by Perfect Game, Griffin went 7-1 for the MAIS Class 6A champions with 81 strikeouts and a 1.38 ERA in 50.2 innings. He also batted .537 with six doubles, eight home runs, 43 runs and 30 RBI.



OF — Gavin Grahovac, Villa Park (Calif.)
6-2 | 210 | Senior
The Los Angeles Times named him as its All-Area POY in 2022. He had another good year as a senior, earning All-Area honors again while batting .350 with five home runs and nine doubles.

UT — Caden McDonald, Sickles (Tampa, Fla.)
6-3 | 195 | Senior
The Gryphons won the Class 6A state championship behind the play of McDonald as he went 7-1 on the mound with a 0.87 ERA and 97 strikeouts. At the plate, McDonald batted .383 with 33 RBI, seven doubles and 12 home runs.

UT — Miguel Hugas, Shaler Area (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
6-3 | 215 | Senior
Originally from Venezuela, Hugas has developed into one of the top two-way players in the Keystone State. He led the Titans to a Class 5A state championship with an 11-0 record and a 0.71 ERA with 91 strikeouts in 71 innings. He also batted .444 with 11 doubles, 34 RBI and five home runs.

UT — Tate McGuire, Liberty North (Liberty, Mo.)
6-3 | 205 | Senior
The top player for the Class 6 state champions. He batted .360 with two home runs and 39 RBI. On the mound, he posted a 11-0 record with a 0.25 ERA and 109 strikeouts in 53.2 innings.