National Highlight Reel: K.J. Hockaday passes Mark Teixeira's home run record

K.J. Hockaday passed current New York Yankees slugger Mark Teixeira as the greatest power hitter in Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association history Friday when he belted his 30th career home run as John Carroll (Bel Air, Md.) blanked Archbishop Curley (Baltimore), 9-0.

Teixeira had 29 home runs during his outstanding career at Mount St. Joseph (Baltimore).

Chasing the elusive record was both exhilarating and frustrating for Hockaday.

"It feels amazing just to be mentioned in the same sentence as Mark Teixeira," Hockaday told MaxPreps. "He's a role model to so many kids in this area. I watch him play a lot. Hopefully, some day I will be able to fill his shoes."



The frustrating part came earlier in the spring when he hit his 25th and 26th home runs in a game. He had entered the year with the (incorrect) knowledge that the record was 25. Coach Joe Stetka sent someone out to secure the "record" ball.

"I was pretty pumped and we all were going crazy," Hockaday recalled. "Later that night a kid found out and came to my house. He said, 'Dude, you didn't break it.' That was one of the worst feelings."

When Hockaday — normally a line drive hitter — finally did break the record on Friday, he made sure by hammering a towering drive that cleared the left-centerfield fence by an estimated 60 feet, landing about 420 feet from home plate.

"I hit it on the fat part of the bat and put a good swing on it," he said proudly.

The John Carroll slugger says that most people don't believe it, but he has been playing baseball since his father signed him up at age 3. He learned a valuable lesson as a 10-year-old playing for the Baltimore Buzz when he belted his first home run over the fence.

"I jumped over home plate (failing to touch it)," he said, thus being forced to settle for an official triple. "I'm sure superstitious (since then) about touching home plate."



Stetka, who also scouts for the Baltimore Orioles, had watched Hockaday grow up, always kidding him that they would make a great combination. Two years ago his dream came true when he took the head job at John Carroll.

"He's one of the greatest kids I've ever coached," he pointed out. "He's a team leader. Kids sort of rally around him. He's always got his game face on and is a great competitor. He's very humble and knows he has to work hard. Nothing rattles the kid. He comes to win and gets better every day. He makes the game fun for me."

Through 20 games, Hockaday is hitting a robust .639. He has 10 home runs, eight doubles, three triples, 35 runs and has driven in 28 runs. He also has walked 24 times and been hit seven times as pitchers continually jam him to keep him off the plate.

At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he has surprising speed (6.7 seconds for 60 yards) and has stolen 13 bases in 13 attempts. He also has pitched 10 2/3 innings, compiling a 2-0 record with 15 strikeouts, two walks, five hits allowed and a 1.97 ERA.

The overall state home run record still stands at 35 by Jason Maxey of Hammond (Columbia, Md.), but Stetka is quick to point out the strength of the MIAA, which has produced many great players. He calls it "probably the most competitive league in the state. There are nine schools – all private with the ability to recruit. It's like a men's league. Some of these kids are huge. I call it the Beast League."

Hockaday believes he still has a shot at the overall state record, because the Patriots are in the MIAA playoffs.



"I think my chances are real high," he said hopefully. "I've hit six home runs in my last four games and I'm swinging a real hot bat."

His future, indeed, is bright. Hockaday carries a 3.4 GPA and has signed with the University of Maryland, where he wants to study kinesiology. However, he also has a good shot at being a high pick during June's Major League Draft.

He plays shortstop for John Carroll, but Stetka sees him at third base or right field after high school.

"Maryland is a good option, but playing professional baseball always has been my dream," Hockaday said.

Whatever happens in the next month, Stetka promises, "He is going to play baseball for a long time as long as he stays healthy."

* Digital Harbor (Baltimore, Md.) standout Nathan Pitts Jr. batted a lofty .721 this year to set a Maryland state record, according to the Baltimore Sun.



* New Albany (Ind.) sophomore lefthander Josh Rogers tied the school record by striking out 18 batters during an 8-1 victory over Seymour (Ind.). His fanned a maximum 15 during the first five innings.

* Sophomore Evan Anderson belted three home runs as Dale (Okla.) routed Frederick (Okla.), 12-2, in five innings.

* Tony Ferrainolo became the winningest baseball coach in New Jersey history when Memorial Memorial (West New York, N.J.) defeated Marist (Bayonne, N.J.), 6-5, in eight innings. Ferrainolo, who has 753 wins, has been able to attend just six games this spring due to chemotherapy for lymphoma.

* Mike Napoleon notched his 700th victory when New Trier (Winnetka, Ill.) edged Maine South (Park Ridge, Ill.), 9-7.

Continue reading{PAGEBREAK}SOFTBALL: 55-GAME WIN STREAK ENDS
Fitch (Groton, Conn.) nipped Waterford (Conn.), 1-0, to snap a 55-game winning streak dating to May 15, 2009. Alana Luzzio gave up just two hits and no walks to get the victory. The only run scored in the third inning following three walks and Haley Cooper's sacrifice fly.

* Seneca (Ill.) sophomore Nicole Pihl tied the 19-year-old state record by hitting her 18th home run of the spring during an 11-0 victory over Dwight (Ill.). She also pitched a no-hitter.



* Bailey Shade pitched a no-hitter with 19 strikeouts as Newton Falls (Ohio) edged Kennedy (Warren, Ohio), 1-0, in nine innings. She also fanned 20 during a 7-0 victory over Brookfield (Ohio).

* University of Florida recruit Lauren Haeger had the winning hit and struck out 15 as Deer Valley (Glendale, Ariz.) defeated Ironwood Ridge (Tucson, Ariz.), 4-3, to win the Class 5A-Division II state title.

* Morgan Lashley struck out 15 as North Mecklenburg (Huntersville, N.C.) blanked Lake Norman (Mooresville, N.C.), 4-0.

* Chapmanville (W. Va.) junior Allison Evans fired a nine-inning no-hitter with 15 strikeouts and no walks to defeat Wayne (W. Va.), 1-0. She also collected three hits.

BASKETBALL: 6-6 STAR MOVES TO PREP SCHOOL
North Allegheny (Wexford, Pa.) star Anthony Dallier is transferring to Northfield Mount Hermon (Northfield, Mass.), according to the Post-Gazette, and will repeat his junior year. This past season the 6-foot-6 standout averaged 24.4 points with a high game of 47. He has a 3.7 GPA, but wants to boost his recruiting stock.

* Lincoln (Brooklyn, N.Y.) point guard Shaquille Stokes has signed with the University of Hawaii, according to Zagsblog. He averaged 18.4 points, five rebounds and four assists for a 29-3 team as a senior.



* The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that Larry Nance Jr. became the first player from Revere (Richfield, Ohio) since the 1970s to get a Division I scholarship when he signed with the University of Wyoming. The slender (6-7, 200) Nance, who averaged 18.2 points, 9.5 rebounds and three blocks, could be a late bloomer like his father, Larry Nance Sr., who grew three inches in college and had a 13-year NBA career.

* Western Hills (Fort Worth, Texas) coach Jim Wall has lost his job due to budget cuts, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He has been a high school basketball coach for 44 years.

* Sean Taylor, who guided Eastmoor Academy (Columbus, Ohio) to a 148-97 record in 11 years, has been named head coach at Northland (Columbus, Ohio). He replaces Satch Sullinger, who retired after leading Northland to a 121-6 record with one state title and one runner-up finish over the past five years.

* On the girls side, Penn (Mishawaka, Ind.) star Alex Morton has made a commitment to Western Michigan University, according to the South Bend Tribune. The junior guard led the 23-2 Kingsmen to state runner-up honors in Class 4A by averaging 13.8 points, 3.2 steals and 3.1 assists.

* Highly-ranked Bria Smith has chosen the University of Louisville over Tennessee, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal. The 5-8 guard averaged 21.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.9 assists as a senior for Christ the King (Queens, N.Y.).

* Ron Millard, who started the girls basketball program at South (Shawnee Mission, Kan.), has retired after compiling a 409-386 record and one Class 6A state title during his 37-year career. As a volleyball coach, he compiled a 386-210 record with one state title and two second-place finishes.



TENNIS: JACK SOCK FINISHES 80-0
Blue Valley North (Overland Park, Kan.) senior Jack Sock won his fourth consecutive Class 6A singles title and finished his brilliant career with a flawless 80-0 record. It had been 21 years since a Kansas teen won four years in a row. The 6-2, 180-pounder is projected to be America's next great player.

* Council Rock North (Newtown, Pa.) senior tennis player Pat Summerall is the grandson of retired sportscaster and former NFL standout Pat Summerall. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Summerall plans to attend Baylor University and follow his famous grandfather into sportscasting.

Continue reading{PAGEBREAK}FOOTBALL: STAR QUARTERBACK PICKS UTAH
San Clemente (Calif.) junior quarterback Travis Wilson (6-6, 215) has committed to the University of Utah, according to the Orange County Register. He passed for 2,020 yards and 12 touchdowns, while running for 466 yards last fall. He also had offers from UCLA, Arizona State, Colorado and Washington.

* The Akron Beacon Journal reports that Buchtel (Akron, Ohio) receiver Corey Smith has committed to the University of Tennessee. However, he first will attend East Mississippi Community College for two years. Last fall he had 52 catches for 1,100 yards and 16 touchdowns.

* Brush (Lyndhurst, Ohio) junior defensive end Pharoah Brown (6-7, 220) has committed to the University of Michigan, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

* Mike Newsome, who was the 2009 MaxPreps National Coach of the Year, is the new head football coach at A.L. Brown (Kannapolis, N.C.). During the past two years, Newsome had led Butler (Matthews, N.C.) to 31 consecutive victories and two Class 4A state titles and the cupboard definitely is not bare for 2011.
 
* Arrowhead (Hartland, Wis.) football coach Tom Taraska has retired after posting a 248-76 record with four Division I state titles and five second-place finishes in 29 years.



SWIMMING: LOUGANIS’ RECORD ECLIPSED
It took 34 years, but the San Diego Section diving record held by four-time Olympic gold medalist Greg Louganis has been eclipsed.

BYU recruit Kevin Dreesen of Granite Hills (El Cajon, Calif.) totaled 587.75 points during the Grossmont Hills League finals to better Louganis’ record of 556.76 set during his junior year at Valhalla (El Cajon, Calif.).

Dreesen’s father was a classmate of Louganis at Valhalla.

* Regis Jesuit (Aurora, Colo.) sophomore Missy Franklin won the 200-meter freestyle in 1 minute, 57.66 seconds during the 27th annual Charlotte (N.C.) UltraSwim meet. She set a meet record and in the process edged U.S. record holder Allison Schmitt by more than a half second.

Franklin, who just turned 16, has won 15 gold medals during the USA Swimming Grand Prix this season – five more than Olympic great Michael Phelps.