Mississippi school in hunt for preseason No. 1 baseball ranking by MaxPreps.
When a team finishes a season ranked No. 1 in the country, it doesn't play any national championship game to reach the top. The title is a mythical one based solely on performance during the season and is often based on the whims of whichever organization is doing the ranking.
But a No. 1 ranking can have a profound effect on a program. Just ask Sumrall (Miss.) baseball coach Larry Knight, whose Bobcats have finished the season ranked No. 1 in the country by MaxPreps the past two seasons.
"The No. 1 finish the past two years has had a huge impact on our program," said Knight. "Of course the attention has been incredible and it has given us a tremendous amount of media coverage not only locally but nationally. I had the privilege of being selected as the manager for the East team in the Aflac All American game in San Diego, which I would attribute to the top ranking in MaxPreps as well as other national polls. There were many coaches and media outlets there who all had heard of Sumrall High baseball. That is amazing to me that a small Mississippi town has received this kind of attention."
Of course Sumrall wasn't totally anonymous prior to the Bobcats' rise under Knight. It is the summer home of Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre and has been a regular stopping place for media the past few seasons as Favre has continually weighed his retirement options.
The baseball team's rise to prominence has given the people of Sumrall even more reason to be proud. The No. 1 ranking comes with a price, however. The exposure means that the Bobcats won't be sneaking up on anyone anymore.
"The attention definitely makes things tougher on us. Everyone wants to knock us off and be the team that can brag about it," said Knight. "In high school baseball it's extremely difficult to win a state championship, much less to have the kind of season that gives you a chance to win a national championship. We feel like we have to work harder each year."
The Bobcats have already begun preparation for the 2011 season with a fourth straight Mississippi 3A state championship in their sights. Could a third national championship also be in the works?
"A third straight national championship? I believe we could definitely have another outstanding year," said Knight. "We have the deepest and what I feel is the strongest pitching staff since I've been here. Our schedule will be the toughest we have ever had. I don't see any reason why we shouldn't be competing for another national championship again."
The Bobcats are one of 10 teams that MaxPreps is considering for its preseason Xcellent 25 National Baseball Rankings, which are set to be published on Feb. 15. Here's a look at the nine other teams that figure to join Sumrall in the hunt for a national No. 1 preseason ranking:
Sumrall (Miss.)The Bobcats have been the No. 1 team in the country, according to MaxPreps, the past two seasons, going 35-1 in 2010 and 36-0 in 2009. Sumrall saw its 67-game win streak come to an end last season with a loss to Oak Grove, but the Bobcats rebounded to win their third straight Mississippi 3A state championship.
Coach Larry Knight loses some of his top players from last year, including All-American Jackson Posey (.523 in 2010) and shortstop Chase Lewallen (.545). However, the Bobcats return solid pitching in
Luke Lowery (11-1) and
Tyler Simmons (9-0) along with hitting standout
Connor Barron (.514, 60 RBIs). The Bobcats will also be solid behind the plate with
Austin Knight, who joined Barron and Lowery on the Mississippi Sunbelt Classic Team in June.
Why they should be No. 1: The Bobcats have put together a powerful program under Knight with three straight state championships. With only one loss in three seasons, the Bobcats have shown that they are top dog in Mississippi until another team knocks them off the perch.
Austin Slater of Bolles.
Photo by Kirt Winter
Playing in arguably the toughest baseball league in the state of California, if not the country, Archbishop Mitty was able to battle through the West Catholic Athletic League for a 31-3 record last year and a Central Coast Section Division I championship. The Monarchs also ended the season ranked No. 3 in the nation by MaxPreps.
While MLB draft pick James Roberts is gone (Round 42 to the Giants), the Monarchs do return their top pitcher and hitter from last season.
Tyler Davis went 11-0 on the mound last season and was a MaxPreps Junior All-American. Meanwhile first baseman Brett Fuller hit .388 last year with eight home runs. Those two, along with solid returners Preston Caldera (OF, .433), Sean Edgecumbe (OF, .376) and Kyle Alwyn (IF, .310) make the Monarchs the favorite again in the WCAL.
Why they should be No. 1: If the Monarchs are the favorite in the toughest conference in the nation, then they should be in the running for the top spot in the country.
Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas)The Gaels are always in consideration for the No. 1 ranking in the country (finishing No. 6 last year) and the 2011 season should be no different. The one thing that is different for the Gaels is the head coach. Nick Day replaces Chris Sheff, who is the new head coach and athletic director at the College of Southern Nevada.
Sheff left Day a team loaded with talent as all-state players like Joey Gallo (IF, .474, 15 HR), TJ White (IF, .438), Erik Van Meetren (C-1B, .356, 8 HR) and Johnny Sewald (OF, .386).
The Gaels suffered through a brief rough stretch early in the season, losing to three teams from Florida, but they bounced back and lost just one of their final 28 games en route to the Division 4A state championship.
Why they should be No. 1: The Gaels will likely be hitting home runs at a record pace this year. Bishop Gorman also has some tough in-state competition in Rancho (Las Vegas), which will give more weight to a Nevada state championship.
Farragut (Knoxville, Tenn.)
Winners of the AAA state championship in Tennessee for the past three seasons, the Admirals are poised to make it four in a row thanks to the return of one of the nation's top pitchers and top hitters. Both
Philip Pfeifer (16-0, 165 strikeouts) and
Nicky Delmonico (.485, 75 RBI, 18 HR) played for the 18U USA National Team that went 19-2 over the summer. The Admirals lose a heavy hitter in catcher Ethan Bennett, who blasted 27 home runs last year and was the Gatorade State Player of the Year.
Why they should be No. 1: The Admirals don't figure to go into too many slumps with Pfeifer on the mound. He has a 41-1 record over three varsity season with 415 strikeouts.
Carroll (Corpus Christi, Texas)The Tigers won the Texas 5A state championship with a mostly sophomore group last season. Carroll got hot in the last half of the season and won 19 of its last 20 games to capture the crown. Although standouts Mark Blackmar (.489) and Sean O'Conner are both gone after being selected in the MLB draft, coach Lee Yeager still has a ton of talent returning, including junior pitcher Courtney Hawkins, who posted a 9-1 record on the mound while batting .406. Other juniors who return include Trey Rodriguez (SS, .386), Oshea Dumes (1B, .396), Josh Cruz (3B, .385), Chris Cano (OF, .333), Julian Salinas (2B, .600) and John Avila (P, .333).
Why they should be No. 1: The Tigers might actually be a year away from claiming the No. 1 ranking in the nation to start the season, but last year's championship shows that Carroll is way ahead of schedule.
Owasso (Okla.)For the first time in four seasons, the Rams did not win the Oklahoma 6A state championship last year. Owasso fell 10-9 to Union (Tulsa, Okla.) in the championship game to finish the season at 32-7. The Rams don't lose much from that runnerup team, however, and they return one of the nation's top pitchers in
Dylan Bundy. A two-time Gatorade State Player of the Year, Bundy first won the award while at Sperry before transferring to Owasso last season and winning the award again. Bundy was 11-1 with a 1.58 ERA last season with 164 strikeouts. He also batted .444 with 51 RBIs. He has committed to play at Texas but he will likely be chosen in the first round of the MLB draft in June.
Why they should be No. 1: Bundy's presence and the Rams' history of excellence in Oklahoma (eight state titles since 1998) makes Owasso a perennial favorite for the No. 1 ranking in the nation.
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Bolles (Jacksonville, Fla.)Winners of two straight 3A state championships in Florida, the Bulldogs could make it three in a row under new head coach Mike Boswell, who replaces Storm Davis. Although stalwart pitcher Mark Lumpa (13-0) and leading hitter Caleb Denmark (.453, 8 HR) graduate, the Bulldogs still have the bulk of last year's pitching staff returning, including
Hayden Hurst (9-1), and
Hunter Wildes (5-0). Bolles also returns one of the state's best shortstops in
Austin Slater while junior outfielder
D.J. Stewart was among the team's hitting leaders (.427, 6 HR).
Why they should be No. 1: Winning a state title in Florida is hard enough, but to win two in a row is special. Returning nearly half of last year's starting lineup is reason enough to have Bolles near the top.
Henry Owen (left) of
Edison
Photo by Kirt Winter
Sumrall isn't the only top team in Mississippi. Petal (30-3) has one of the state's best players in junior outfielder
Anthony Alford (.390 as a sophomore) and has two pitchers who combined for 20 wins last year in a
Cody Conkle (9-0) and
Brandon Smith (11-1). Alford gets help on offense from
Tyler Graves (C, .344) and
Jacoby Langley (CF, .333).
Why they should be No. 1: The Panthers defeated Oak Grove in the 6A playoffs last year and held off highly regarded Madison Central for the championship. Oak Grove was the only team to defeat national No. 1 Sumrall last season.
Amador Valley (Pleasanton, Calif.)The Dons (25-3) finished the season in impressive fashion last year, winning the North Coast Section Division I championship with a 12-1 victory over Foothill (Pleasanton). Amador Valley will be loaded in the outfield and on the mound. To top it off, the Dons have one of the state's best shortstops in Chris Keck (.462). Amador Valley returns 19 wins from the trio of Alex Osterholt (5-1), Michael Mallory (8-0) and Nick Piscotty (6-1). Meanwhile the outfield includes returning seniors Michael Lam (.382), Joey Moroney (.345) and Aaron Hafford (.405).
Why they should be No. 1: A strong pitching staff goes a long way in determining the best teams and the Dons have a very good one. They may be a notch below fellow Northern California neighbor Archbishop Mitty, but the Dons still need to be included in the conversation.
Edison (Huntington Beach, Calif.)The Chargers were a bit of a mystery team last year, finishing 18-9 overall with a Sunset League championship and a first-round exit from the playoffs. However coach Steve Lambright has some of the top players in the country dotting his roster, including one of the nation's top pitchers and an outstanding double play combination.
Henry Owens was 3-0 for Team USA 18U this summer with a 2.33 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 19.1 innings pitched. Meanwhile Edison teammate Christian Lopes played shortstop for Team USA and batted .286. Lopes slumped a bit as a junior last season, but was considered one of the top players in the nation in the class of 2011 as a freshman and sophomore. His brother Tim Lopes will likely play second base. He played for Team USA 16U and batted .394 over the summer. The Chargers also have one of the state's best outfielders in senior Eric Snyder.
Why they should be No. 1: The Chargers have some great credentials with the likes of Owens and the Lopes brothers. Finding a second pitcher to complement Owens is all that stands in the way of a Southern Section title for Edison.
