MaxPreps top high school baseball player in each state for 2016

Video: Bo Weiss highlights
Regis Jesuit standout and son of Walt Weiss is top player in Colorado.

MaxPreps begins its coverage of the 2016 baseball season with a look at the top player in each state.

Players are chosen based on a number of factors, including statistics, postseason honors from the 2015 season and recruiting rankings.


Alabama
Brax Garrett, Florence, 6-3, 190, Pitcher

The Super State Player of the Year by the Alabama Sports Writers Association as a junior, Garrett was also a member of the MaxPreps Junior All-American Team. He was one of the top strikeout pitchers in the nation with 141 Ks in 66.2 innings pitched. He was 7-1 with a 0.75 ERA.



Alaska
Nathan Bonck, Ketchikan, 6-5, 195, Pitcher
Played first base and batted .507 with seven home runs and 39 RBIs. He also pitched and went 5-0 on the mound while earning Gatorade State Player of the Year honors.

Arizona
Nick Brueser, Hamilton (Chandler), 6-2, 190, 1B/Outfield, Junior

A member of the MaxPreps Sophomore All-American Team last year, Brueser was all-state in Arizona after blasting nine home runs and driving in 34. He batted .447 with 35 runs scored.

Arkansas
Kasey Ford, Bentonville, 6-5, 220, Pitcher

A four-star quarterback prospect after leading Bentonville to a state championship as a sophomore, Ford is also the top baseball prospect in the state. The Kansas State commit also led Bentonville to a Class 7A baseball championship last year, earning MVP honors for the championship game.

California
Blake Rutherford, Chaminade (West Hills), 6-2, 190, Outfield

Won the Gold Medal with Team USA 18U and was one of the top players in the Southern Section last year. He batted .435 with 20 runs, 14 RBIs, two triples and four home runs.



Colorado
Bo Weiss, Regis Jesuit (Aurora), 6-3, 180, Pitcher

The son of former Major League shortstop Walt Weiss, Bo got off to a slow start last season but finished with a 2-2 record and 37 strikeouts in 27.2 innings pitched. Ranked as the top player in the state by Perfect Game.

Connecticut
Jimmy Titus, East Catholic (Manchester), 6-0, 185, Infield

The Gatorade State Player of the Year as a junior, Titus led East Catholic to a 19-1 record by batting .467 with five home runs, 18 RBIs and 26 runs scored.

Delaware
Brandon Fraley, Caravel (Bear), 6-0, 190, Pitcher, Junior

Fraley earned Gatorade State Player of the Year honors last season after posting a 6-0 pitching record with 74 strikeouts in 40 innings pitched. He also batted .491 and helped Caravel to a 13-4 record.

Florida
Austin Bergner, Windermere Prep (Windermere), 6-4, 190, Pitcher

Ranked at one time by Perfect Game as the top player in the Class of 2016, Bergner still ranks near the top. He earned MaxPreps Junior All-American honors last year after batting .469 (30 for 64) with 28 RBIs and five home runs. He also pitched and went 6-1 with 85 strikeouts and a 0.40 ERA in 52.2 innings.

Georgia
Joshua Lowe, Pope (Marietta), 6-3, 210, 3B

Lowe continues to rise up the Perfect Game rankings, coming in most recently at No. 4. He earned all-county honors from the Marietta Journal last year as a third baseman, but he is also seen as a pitching prospect after hitting in the 90s with his fastball during the summer. Participated in the Perfect Game All-American Classic.

Hawaii
Matthew Yokota, Kamehameha (Honolulu), 5-8, 180, Outfield

Yokota earned all-state honors as a junior and was one of the leading hitters in the ILH as he went 17-for-47 with 20 runs and a .362 batting average.



Idaho
Parker Price, Timberline (Boise), 5-10, 175, Infield

The Gatorade State Player of the Year, Price has committed to Gonzaga. He batted .427 last year with 14 doubles, five triples and one home run. He also stole 22 bases and had 28 RBIs. On the mound, Price was 13-2 with 43 strikeouts in 63 innings pitched.

Illinois
Tyler Fitzgerald, Rochester, 6-3, 185, Infield

Ranked by Prep Baseball Report as the top recruit in Illinois for the Class of 2016, Fitzgerald has committed to the University of Louisville after batting .375 with 27 RBIs and eight home runs as a junior.

Indiana
T.J. Collett, Terre Haute North Vigo, 6-1, 215, Catcher

After hitting 17 home runs as a sophomore, Collett was limited to just three during his junior year. Part of the reason is that opposing teams walked Collet 45 times and he had a career-low 65 at-bats. He batted .292 with 16 RBIs and four doubles, but he is still ranked as one of the nation's top catchers in the class of 2016.

Kansas
Riley Pint, Aquinas (Overland Park), 6-4, 195, Pitcher

After going 8-0 as a sophomore and earning the No. 1 ranking in the Class of 2016 by Perfect Game, Pint went 5-2 with a 2.20 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 35 innings during his junior campaign. However, with a 96-mph fastball, Pint is still the top prospect in Kansas and a top 5 overall pick in the nation.

Kentucky
Jaren Shelby, Tates Creek (Lexington), 5-11, 185, Outfield

Played in the Perfect Game Classic and was an all-state selection in Kentucky while also earning MaxPreps Junior All-American honors. He batted .368 with 13 home runs, six doubles, 35 runs scored and 45 RBIs.

Louisiana
Daniel Cabrera, John Curtis Christian (River Ridge), 6-1, 185, Outfield/Pitcher, Junior

The MaxPreps National Sophomore of the Year, Cabrera was the Class 3A state player of the year in Louisiana last season. He batted .566 with six home runs and 10 doubles and also had a 6-1 pitching record with 60 strikeouts.



Maine
Connor Aube, Falmouth, 5-11, 175, Outfield

Recently signed to play at Tennessee-Martin, Aube earned all-state honors after batting .412 with 20 runs scored, 11 RBIs and 13 stolen bases.

Maryland
Tyler Blohm, Archbishop Spalding (Severn), 6-1, 180, Pitcher

A three-time All-MIAA selection and a member of the Baltimore Sun's All-Metro team last year, Blohm recently signed with the University of Maryland. He posted a 7-1 record last year with a 2.75 ERA and 55 strikeouts.

Massachusetts
Jackson Gillis, Wilmington, 6-3, 225, Pitcher

Possibly the top pitcher in New England, Gillis has already signed with Vanderbilt but he could be drafted in June. He had 69 strikeouts as a junior and 102 as a sophomore with three no-hitters over the past two seasons.

Michigan
Karl Kauffmann, Brother Rice (Bloomfield Hills), 6-2, 200, Pitcher

Ranked by Perfect Game as the top player in the state, Kauffman earned all-state honors as a junior and sophomore. Last season he went 10-1 on the mound with a 0.60 ERA. He has committed to pitch at Michigan.

Minnesota
Nick Hanson, Prior Lake, 6-6, 210, Infield

Hanson earned All-Metro honors from the Star Tribune last year after striking out 87 batters in 46.2 innings pitched. In his last four starts, Hanson had three shutouts and 48 strikeouts.

Mississippi
Jason Barber, Oxford, 6-0, 190, Pitcher



A MaxPreps Junior All-American last year, Barber was the Gatorade State Player of the Year after leading Oxford to the Class 5A state championship. He had a 12-0 pitching record with a perfect game and eight shutouts. He also struck out 110 batters with a 0.00 ERA in 78 innings pitched. Also batted .337 with 35 RBIs and eight home runs.

Missouri
Jake Matheny, Westminster Christian (St. Louis), 6-2, 190, Catcher

The son of St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny, Jacob was one of the top catchers in the state as a junior as he batted .352 with 26 RBIs, 13 doubles, three triples and three homers.

Nebraska
Cole Stobbe, Millard West (Omaha), 6-1, 180, Infield

The Gatorade State Player of the Year as a junior, Stobbe was also a member of Team USA 18U. An all-state infielder in Nebraska, Stobbe batted .426 with 44 RBIs, 43 runs scored, 19 doubles, five triples and four home runs.

Nevada
Nick Quintana, Arbor View (Las Vegas), 5-11, 185, Infield

A member of the Las Vegas Review Journal All-State Team and the MaxPreps Junior All-American Team, Quintana batted .433 with 18 doubles, eight home runs, 49 RBIs and 44 runs scored.

New Hampshire
Kobie Taylor, Portsmouth, 6-0, 175, Outfield

Already committed to play at Vanderbilt, Taylor has made the Division II all-state team several times Was a member of Portsmouth's state championship team in 2013.

New Jersey
Jason Groome, Barnegat, 6-5, 200, Pitcher

Ranked by Perfect Game as the No. 1 overall player in the country, Groome played at IMG Academy (Brandenton, Fla.) last year, but returned to Barnaget for his senior year. He posted a 5-0 record last year with a 0.98 ERA. He also struck out 77 batters and walked just nine in 43 innings pitched.




New Mexico
Nathaniel Garley, Eldorado (Albuquerque), 6-3, 225, Pitcher

Garley earned state player of the year honors in Class 6A after helping lead Eldorado to the state championship. He batted .429 with 26 RBIs, eight doubles and three home runs and he also went 7-1 on the mound with a 0.80 ERA and 87 strikeouts in 61 innings pitched.

New York
Ian Anderson, Shenendehowa (Clifton Park), 6-3, 170, Pitcher

One of the nation's top pitching prospects, Anderson earned MaxPreps Junior All-American honors last season while posting a 7-1 pitching record with 91 strikeouts and just 17 walks with a 0.66 ERA in 53.1 innings pitched.

North Carolina
Spencer Brickhouse, Bunn, 6-3, 220, Infield

Brickhouse is coming off a big junior year when he batted .585 (31 for 53) with 31 runs scored, 29 RBIs, nine doulbes, three triples and seven home runs. In three varsity seasons, Brickhouse has a .560 batting average with 93 RBIs and 12 home runs.

North Dakota
Jaxon Ford, Bismarck, 5-11, 170, Outfield

One of the top all-around athletes in North Dakota, Ford earned all-state honors in football in the fall and was an all-state selection last spring in baseball.

Ohio
Tyler Duvall, Lebanon, 5-11, 190, Catcher

An honorable mention all-state choice last year, Duvall batted .460 with three home runs, 23 RBI and five doubles. He is ranked No. 1 in the state by Perfect Game.

Oklahoma
Dalton Reed, Roff, 6-3, 225, Third Base

One of the smaller schools in the state, Roff has one of the state's top baseball programs, thanks in part to the play of Reed. As a junior, Ree batted .581 with 55 RBIs and a national-best 19 home runs.



Oregon
Tim Tawa, West Linn, 5-11, 165, Junior, Outfield

The two-time Gatorade State Player of the Year in football, Tawa might be the favorite to win the award in baseball as well. Already committed to play baseball at Stanford, Tawa has already earned all-state honors twice in his career. As a sophomore, he batted .440 with 24 RBIs, 32 runs, eight doubles and three home runs.

Pennsylvania
Alex Kirilloff, Plum (Pittsburgh), 6-2, 195, First Base

Perhaps the No. 1 first baseman in the country, Kiriloff played in the Perfect Game All-American Classic and the Area Code Games. Last year he batted .500 (28-for-56) with six home runs, 29 RBIs and 20 runs scored.

Rhode Island
Dante Baldelli, Bishop Hendricken (Warwick), 6-3, 155, Outfield

The brother of former Tampa Bay Ray Rocco Baldelli, Dante is making a name for himself as he recently signed with Boston College. Baldelli helped lead Bishop Hendricken to a state title in 2015.

South Carolina
Grant Bodison, Mauldin, 6-3, 195, Shortstop

An acrobatic fielder at either shortstop or second base, Bodison participated in the Perfect Game All-American Classic. An all-state player as a sophomore, Bodison is ranked by Perfect Game as the top player in South Carolina.

South Dakota
Nolan Burchill, Lincoln (Sioux Falls), 6-2, 170, Pitcher

Burchill earned first team all-state honors after finishing with one of the highest strikeout totals in the state. He posted a 3-1 record with a 1.51 ERA and he struck out 51 batters in 32.1 innings pitched.



Tennessee
Duncan Pence, Farragut (Knoxville), 6-2, 180, Shortstop

Pence earned all-state honors last year and helped Farragut to a state title during his sophomore season. Last year he batted .385 with 39 runs, 48 RBIs, 10 doubles and eight home runs. He has committed to Tennessee.

Texas
Forrest Whitley, Alamo Heights (San Antonio), 6-7, 250, Pitcher

A member of the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association Class 5A All-State Team and the San Antonio News Express All-Area Team, Whitley went 7-1 with 120 strikeouts and a 0.21 ERA in 64.2 innings pitched. He was also a MaxPreps Junior All-American.

Utah
Payton Henry, Pleasant Grove, 6-2, 215, Catcher

The Gatorade State Player of the Year and a MaxPreps Junior All-American, Henry batted .527 with 46 RBIs, 11 doubles and nine home runs.

Vermont
Will Hesslink, Rice Memorial (South Burlington), 6-1, 195, Pitcher

Rice Memorial has won two state titles with Hesslink on the mound after not winning any for 50 years. He has signed to play at Boston College. He struck out 68 batters last year and had an ERA under 1.00.

Virginia
Zack Hess, Liberty Christian (Lynchburg), 6-6, 175, Infield

Hess earned all-state honors last season by American Family Insurance after leading Liberty Christian Academy to the VISAA Division I championship. Hess batted .400 with three home runs to go with a 7-1 pitching record, a 0.65 ERA and 86 strikeouts in 54 innings pitched.

Washington
Christian Jones, Federal Way, 6-2, 195, First Base

An all-state selection last year, Jones has been a standout on the Federal Way varsity the past three seasons. He batted .346 last year with 21 RBIs, two doubles, three triples and two home runs.



West Virginia
Druw Bowen, George Washington (Charleston), 6-3, 205, Pitcher

A two-time all-state player, Bowen throws in the high 80s and also plays in the outfield. He also shined on the football field this year, averaging over 30 yards per reception.

Wisconsin
Gavin Lux, Indian Trail (Kenosha), 6-2, 175, Shortstop

Lux played in the Perfect Game All-American Classic and also earned all-state first team honors by the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association after batting .475. He has committed to Arizona State.