Each year since
2008, MaxPreps has recognized outstanding performers in high school
baseball. We continue the tradition this spring by naming the best
player in each state during the 2025 season.
The
MaxPreps Player of the Year will be announced following the conclusion
of championship events in each state.
Selections are based on team
success and individual excellence. Read on for a look at our picks from
states that have completed
play.
Alabama Steele Hall,
Hewitt-Trussville (Trussville)5-11 | Shortstop | Senior
Hall
had the Huskies ranked as the top team in the state for most of the
season thanks to his prowess at the plate. He batted .484 with 46 runs,
35 RBI, 14 doubles, five triples and eight home runs.
Alaska
Caleb Calhoun, Sitka
5-10 | Pitcher/First Base | Junior
In
leading Sitka to a state championship, Calhoun led the state in
strikeouts with 95. He also had a 5-0 record with two no-hitters,
including a perfect game. He did not allow an earned run during the
season for a 0.00 ERA. At the plate, Calhoun batted .400 with 20 runs,
20 RBI, eight doubles and two home runs.
Arkansas
Keaton Mathis, Valley View (Jonesboro)
5-10 | Catcher/Pitcher | Junior
The
ace of the staff for the two-time Class 5A state champions, Mathis went
10-0 with a 1.68 ERA and 75 strikeouts in 54 innings pitched. He also
batted .402 with 38 RBI, 10 doubles, two triples and two home runs.
Arizona
Brett Crossland, Corona del Sol (Tempe)
6-5 | Pitcher | Senior
Regarded
as one of the top pitchers in the state by Perfect Game, Crossland led
the Aztecs to a Class 6A state championship. He posted a 9-2 record with
one no-hitter and struck out 86 batters in 73.2 innings pitched.
California
Seth Hernandez, Corona
6-4 | Pitcher/Infielder | Senior
The
top recruit in California by Perfect Game and the top-rated pitcher in
the nation, Hernandez posted a 9-1 record with a 0.39 ERA and 105
strikeouts in just 53.1 innings pitched. On offense, Hernandez batted
.300 with 24 runs, 30 RBI, four doubles, two triples and seven home
runs.
Colorado
Connor Larkin, Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village)
6-0 | First Base | Senior
The Bruins
repeated as state champions behind the play of Larkin, who finished
second in the state with 11 home runs. He also batted .457 with 28 runs,
37 RBI and 10 doubles. He recently earned Class 5A MVP honors by
CHSAANow.com.
Connecticut
Owen Rich, Lyman Hall (Wallingford)
6-2 | Shortstop | SeniorLed the Trojans to their first state title since 2002, batting .486 with 29 RBI and an .861 slugging percentage.
Delaware
Jase Mitchell, Cape Henlopen (Lewes)
6-3 | Catcher | Senior
The
Vikings cruised to a state championship with Mitchell leading the way.
He batted .521 on the year with 35 RBI, and seven home runs. He was the
state player of the year by the Delaware Coaches Association.
District of Columbia
Ren Devereaux, St. John's
6-1 | Shortstop/Pitcher | Senior
A
two-way standout for the Cadets, Deveraux led St. John's to a 30-1
record and a WCAC championship. He had a 9-0 record with a 0.333 ERA and
67 strikeouts in 42 innings pitched. At the plate, he batted .368 with
15 runs, 38 RBI, five doubles, four triples and a home run.
Florida
Gio Rojas, Stoneman Douglas (Parkland)
6-4 | Pitcher | Junior
Not
only one of the winningest pitchers in Florida and the nation, Rojas
was also a team leader on offense as he led the Class 7A state champions
in on-base percentage (.504) and RBI (32). He finished second in the
state with 12 wins to go along with 0.72 ERA and 120 strikeouts in 68
innings pitched. He had his best game of the season in the semifinals
against Alonso, tossing a one-hit shutout with 16 strikeouts.
Georgia
Malachi Washington, Parkview (Lilburn)
6-0 | Outfield | Senior
The
Panther senior led the nation in home runs for most of the season,
finishing with 15. He batted .538 with 53 runs, 59 RBI, 13 doubles and
four triples. He had a slugging percentage of 1.160 and an OPS of
1.810.
Hawaii
Bruin Agbayani, St. Louis (Honolulu)
6-1 | Shortstop | Senior
The
senior shortstop led the Crusaders to a Division 1 championship and
ranked among the state leaders in most offensive categories. He batted
.365 with 15 RBI, seven doubles, three triples and three home runs. He
also had 17 stolen bases. He came up big in the state tournament,
batting 8-for-14 with five runs, a double, two triples and a home run.
Idaho
Dawson McInelly, Sugar-Salem (Sugar City)
6-2 | Shortstop | Senior
The
Utah-bound pitcher/shortstop had a huge season for the Class 4A
champions as he belted 14 home runs with a state-best 1.325 slugging
percentage. He batted .558 with 41 RBI, 44 runs, nine doubles and four
triples and he was also 8-0 on the mound with 69 strikeouts and a 0.31
ERA in 45.2 innings pitched
.
Illinois
Josh Holst, Libertyville
6-3 | Pitcher | Senior
In
leading the Wildcats to their first state championship, Holst batted
.360 (40 for 111) with 44 RBI, 14 doubles and five home runs. He was
even better on the mound with an 11-0 record and a 1.34 ERA, striking out 118 in 73.1 innings. He threw a complete-game two-hitter
with eight strikeouts in the title game.
Indiana
Mason Braun, Penn (Mishawaka)
6-0 | Outfield | Senior
The Kingsmen were at the top of the rankings in Indiana for most of the season behind the play of Braun. The LSU-bound outfielder batted .500 on the year (40-for-80) with 46 runs scored, 45 RBI, 12 doubles, three triples and five home runs.
Kentucky
Kade Elam, Corbin
6-2 | Shortstop | Senior
Elam led
Corbin to the 13th Region championship while batting .455 with 41 RBI,
five home runs and 12 doubles. He also went 4-1 on the mound with a 0.74
ERA.
Kansas
Cru Huenfeld, Saint Thomas Aquinas (Overland Park)
6-3 | Outfielder | Senior
Led the Saints to a 27-4 record and a state
championship. Batted .455 with 40 runs, 36 RBI, 13
doubles and four home runs.
Louisiana
Andrew Clapinski, Catholic (Baton Rouge)
5-10 | Catcher | Senior
The
top hitter for the back-to-back Select Division 1 state champions,
Clapinski batted .459 with a team-best 41 RBI. He added 13 doubles and
scored 17 runs. He had 98 RBI in his career and batted .389 over three
seasons.
Maine
Keeler Vogt, Greely (Cumberland Center)
The senior righthander led the state in wins with an 8-1 record. He also finished second in the state in strikeouts with 106. He had high games of 16 and 15 strikeouts and he also pitched a pair of no-hitters. He had a 1.14 ERA in 61.2 innings pitched. At the plate, Vogt batted .320 with 17 RBI and three doubles.
Maryland
Casey Carpenter, John Carroll (Bel Air)
6-2 | Third Base | Senior
Led John Carroll to the A Conference
championship. He batted .398 for the season with 33 runs, 29 RBI, four
doubles, three triples and six home runs.
Massachusetts
Matthew Stuart, Chelmsford (North Chelmsford)
6-3 | Pitcher | SeniorStuart led the Lions to the Division 1 state championship as he went 4-0 on the mound with a 1.69 ERA and 77 strikeouts in 58 innings pitched. He also picked up the win in the final over Braintree. At the plate, Stuart batted .372 with 15 runs, 20 RBI, seven doubles and two home runs.
Michigan
Uli Fernsler, Novi (Mich.)
6-4 | Pitcher | SeniorExhibited excellent control all season long as he walked just five batters in 42.1 innings pitched while striking out 89. He allowed just two earned runs for a 0.33 ERA while posting a 4-1 record.
Minnesota
Davis Fleming, Cretin-Derham Hall (St. Paul)
6-0 | First Base | Senior
The
Raiders captured the Class 4A state championship with Fleming leading
them at the plate. He led Class 4A in Minnesota with 34 RBI and also
notched 10 doubles and five home runs with 28 runs scored and a .468
batting average. He also had a .871 slugging percentage and 1.478 OPS.
.
Mississippi
Jacob Parker, Purvis
6-4 | Outfielder | Senior
JoJo Parker, Purvis
6-2 | Shortstop/Pitcher | Senior
Hard to
choose between the two twins so they both receive the honor. Jacob Parker finished second in the nation with
17 home runs while batting .525 with 63 runs, 54 RBI and 10 doubles. He
had 186 RBI in his career with 42 home runs with 47 doubles. JoJo batted
.465 with 11 doubles, 35 RBI and 13 home runs. His 70 runs scored led
the nation. He also went 9-2 on the mound with 99 strikeouts.
Missouri
Jordan Martin, Jefferson City
6-5 | Pitcher/Shortstop | Senior
One
of the state's top athletes, Martin was three times all-state in
basketball and will finish as a three-time all-state pick in baseball.
He batted .412 with 11 doubles, 3 triples and a home run and also drove
in 28 runs and scored 42 runs. He also had 26 stolen bases. On the
mound, Martin went 5-1 with a 1.85 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 39 innings
pitched.
Montana
Chase Wise, Billings West (Billings)
5-8 | Shortstop | Senior
In
leading Billings West to first place in the Eastern Conference regular
season standings, Wise batted .468 with 23 runs, 30 RBI, six doubles, a
triple and two home runs. He had a RBI in 19 of the 20 games he played.
Nebraska
Joey Senstock, Lincoln East (Lincoln)
6-0 | Shortstop | Senior
The
Spartans cruised to a 33-3 record and a Class A championship behind the
play of Senstock. The team leader with 33 RBI and 30 basehits, Senstock
also belted seven doubles and four home runs while batting .300 for the
season.
Nevada
Alexander Mercurius, Durango (Las Vegas)
5-11 | Third Base/Pitcher | Senior
Ranking
among the state leaders as a hitter and a pitcher, Mercurius led
Durango to the Class 4A state championship. He ranked among the top five
pitchers in the state with 100 strikeouts and he was the state leader
in home runs with 12. He finished second in the state with 52 RBI and
third in slugging percentage at 1.116.
New Hampshire
Leo Boucher, Pinkerton (Derry)
6-0 | Pitcher | SeniorBoucher led the Astros to a 20-0 start to the season before falling to Exeter in the Division 1 semifinals. He posted a 7-1 overall record with a 1.43 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 39 innings pitched.
New Jersey
Zach Geertsma, Governor Livingston (Berkeley Heights)
6-1 | Shortstop | Junior
The
Highlanders finished the season undefeated at 28-0 with a 34-game win
streak and two straight group championships. Geertsma led the team in
most offensive categories, batting .453 with 11 doubles, two triples,
eight home runs, 33 RBI and 43 runs scored.
New Mexico
Adriel Figueroa-Brito, Sandia (Albuquerque)
5-9 | Shortstop | Senior
One
of the national leaders in doubles and triples, Figueroa-Brito batted
.443 with 17 doubles and seven triples to go with four home runs. He led
Sandia to the Class 5A state championship and had 52 runs scored and 43
RBI.
New York
Miguel Sime Jr., Poly Prep Country Day (Brooklyn)
6-4 | Pitcher | SeniorOne of the hardest throwers in the nation, Sime averaged nearly two strikeouts per inning while finishing with 84 Ks in 46 innings pitched. He posted a 5-2 record with the losses coming against Stony Brook and Corona. He defeated Stony Brook in the final of the Mid-South Atlantic Private Schools Classic, striking out 13.
North Carolina
Coy James, Davie (Mocksville)
6-0 | Shortstop | Senior
The
Mississippi recruit had a huge season as he led the state, according to
the MaxPreps leaderboard, with a .605 batting average that included 15
doubles, four triples and nine home runs. He also led the state in
slugging percentage at 1.222 and he had 50 runs scored and 25 RBI.
North Dakota
Cayden Neuharth, Fargo Davies (Fargo)
6-5 | Catcher/Pitcher | Senior
The
Eagles finished in first place in the Eastern Dakota Conference with a
20-2 record behind the play of Neuharth, who was named the league's
senior player of the year. He posted a 6-1 record with a 1.78 ERA and 48
strikeouts in 35.1 innings pitched. He also batted .333 with 15 runs,
20 RBI, eight doubles and four home runs.
Ohio
Matt Ponatoski, Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati)
6-2 | Shortstop | JuniorThe MaxPreps Ohio Football Player of the Year, Ponatoski doubles up with the baseball award as well. Batted .462 with 27 runs, 37 RBI, seven doubles and four home runs.
Oklahoma
Ethan Holliday, Stillwater
6-4 | Third base | Senior
Regarded
as the No. 1 recruit in the nation by Perfect Game, Hollliday had a
monster season for Stillwater. Among the national leaders with 16 home
runs, Holliday had a run of five hits, all home runs, over four games.
He also knocked in 51 runs and had eight doubles. He walked 37 times,
scored 50 runs and batted. 617 with a 1.308 slugging percentage.
Oregon
Kruz Schoolcraft, Sunset (Portland)
6-8 | Pitcher | Senior
Already
one of the top pitching prospects in the nation, Schoolcraft showed he
could hit and hit for power as a senior. Reclassified to the Class of
2025, Schoolcraft batted .470 with 31 runs, 31 RBI, six doubles and 10
home runs. On the mound, Schoolcraft was 7-0 with a 0.39 ERA and 96
strikeouts in 54 innings pitched for the Class 6A champions.
Pennsylvania
Zach Hare, Riverside (Ellwood City)
6-3 | Pitcher | SeniorHare had a postseason for the ages as he threw 34 consecutive no-hit innings (36.1 innings including regular season) with three no-hitters and a perfect game. He led Riverside to its sixth Class 3A state championship while posing a 10-0 record, a 0.68 ERA and 138 strikeouts in 72.1 innings pitched. He also batted .405 with 26 RBI, five doubles and four home runs.
Rhode Island
Anthony Burt, West Warwick
6-0 | Pitcher | Junior
Burt
had one of the best outings of any pitcher in the nation this year with
a 19-strikeout performance against North Providence. Finished with
91 strikeouts in 50.2 innings pitched with an 8-1 record and a 0.55
ERA.
South Carolina
Taj Marchand, James Island (Charleston)
6-1 | Shortstop/Pitcher | Junior
One
of the top two-way talents in the nation, Marchand led James Island to a
Class 5A Division 1 state championship and was named state player of
the year for 5A by the coaches association. He batted .514 with 38 runs,
49 RBI, 12 doubles and 12 home runs. He also had a 6-1 record with a
1.85 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 43 innings pitched.
South Dakota
Eli Kokenge, Harrisburg
6-0 | Shortstop/Pitcher | Senior
The
Tigers finished in first place in the Class A Conference during the
regular season with Kokenge leading the team on the mound and at the
plate. He went 5-2 as a pitcher with 69 strikeouts in 41 innings pitched
and a 1.54 ERA. He batted .447 with 30 runs, 22 RBI, 11 doubles, a
triple and a home run.
Tennessee
Blake Lundy, Baylor (Chattanooga)
6-3 | Catcher | Sophomore
Named
Mr. Baseball in Tennessee for Division II-AA, Lundy led all sophomores
in the nation with 15 home runs. He finished with 41 RBI and 28 runs
scored to go with a .440 batting average. He led the Red Raiders to a
22-8 record and a district championship.
Texas
Omar Serna, Lutheran South Academy (Houston)
6-2 | Catcher | Senior
Ranked
as the No. 3 player in Texas and the No. 4 catcher in the nation by
Perfect Game, Serna had a huge senior season while leading the Pioneers
to the TAPPS Division 2 championship. Serna batted .464 with 51 RBI, 15
doubles and eight home runs.
Utah
Cy Chrisman, Maple Mountain (Spanish Fork)
6-4 | First Base | Junior
The
national clubhouse leader in home runs with 19, Chrisman led the Golden
Eagles to a 28-3 record and a semifinal finish in Class 5A. He batted
.461 and led the state in RBI (59) and slugging percentage (1.202). He
finished second in the state in runs scored with 46.
Vermont
Rex Hauser, St. Johnsbury Academy (St. Johnsbury)
6-6 | Pitcher/Shortstop | SeniorExcelled at the plate and on the mound for the Hilltoppers, who won the Division 1 state championship. He posted a 6-1 record with 79 strikeouts and a 1.43 ERA in 49 innings pitched. He batted .510 (26 for 51) with 21 RBI, seven doubles, a triple and five home runs.
Virginia
Evan Hankins, Miller School of Albemarle (Charlottesville)
6-5 | First Base/Pitcher | SeniorHankins punctuated his season with a grand slam in the bottom of the sixth inning against Paul VI in the VISAA Division 1 championship game, ending the game via the 10-run mercy rule. Hankins went 5-0 on the mound with a 1.84 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 34.1 innings pitched. He also batted .402 with 33 RBI and four home runs.
Washington
Mason Pike, Puyallup
6-0 | Pitcher/Shortstop | Senior
The
Vikings won 28 straight games and ranked among the top teams in the
nation thanks to Pike. The team's leading hitter with a .482 batting
average, Pike also had 39 runs, 28 RBI, 14 doubles and two triples. He
was even better on the mound, with an 11-1 record, and a 0.84 ERA with
112 strikeouts in 66.2 innings pitched. He also threw a no-hitter in the
postseason.
West Virginia
Weston Smith, Hurricane
6-3 | Pitcher | Senior
Smith
had one of his best outings of the season in the 4A championship game
against Morgantown, striking out a season-high 13 for his 11th win of
the season (11-0). Smith finished with a 1.05 ERA and 101 strikeouts in
66.2 innings pitched with back-to-back no-hitters. He also batted .342
with 25 runs, 37 RBI, eight doubles, two triples and three home runs.
Wisconsin
Dominic Santarelli, St. Joseph (Kenosha, Wis.)
6-1 | First Base | Junior
Ranked as the No. 2 player in the state for the Class of 2026, Santarelli was all-state as a sophomore and led the Lancers to the Division 3 state championship this year. He led the state in home runs with 11 and batted .428 with 40 RBI, 10 doubles and three triples. He also posted a 2-0 record on the mound with 20 strikeouts.