The best high school baseball player in each state for the 2013 season

MaxPreps begins its coverage of the 2013 baseball season by selecting the top player in each of the 50 states.

The top player chosen is not necessarily the top prospect. Some players are chosen based on their postseason accolades from the 2012 season. Two states (Montana and Wyoming) do not sanction high school baseball, so American Legion information is used.

Top prep baseball player in each state

Alabama – Keegan Thompson, Cullman, P
The Gatorade State Player of the Year as a sophomore, Thompson was the Class 5A Pitcher of the Year as a junior. He was 7-2 with 119 strikeouts and a 0.94 ERA in 67.1 innings pitched. He also batted .297 with 40 runs, 37 RBIs, 14 doubles, 2 triples and 8 home runs.

Alaska – Zach Ferntheil, Service (Anchorage), P
Named the Gatorade State Player of the Year as a junior, Ferntheil had a 3-0 record on the mound with a 1.12 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 18.2 innings pitched. He also batted .423.

Arizona – Jamie Westbrook, Basha (Chandler), IF
Westbrook batted .532 with 35 RBIs and 13 home runs while finding a spot on the Arizona Republic All-State Team. He also earned Arizona Baseball Coaches Association Division I Player of the Year honors.

Arkansas – Lawson Vassar, Pulaski Academy (Little Rock), P
Possibly the state's top two-sport athlete, Vassar threw for more than 5,000 yards as the Pulaski Academy quarterback, but he has committed to play baseball at Arkansas. He was 9-4 on the mound as a junior with a 1.70 ERA and 89 strikeouts.

California – Jeremy Martinez, Mater Dei (Santa Ana), C
A member of the California All-State Team, the Orange County Register All-County Team and the Southern Section All-Division I Team, Martinez batted .388 with 18 RBIs and is considered one of the top catching prospects in the country.

Colorado – Derik Beauprez, Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village), P
An All-State player, Beauprez helped lead Cherry Creek to a state title. He batted .349 with 25 RBIs, 7 doubles and 5 home runs. He was also 3-1 on the mound with 30 strikeouts and a 2.62 ERA in 24 innings pitched.

Connecticut – Thomas Milone, Masuk (Monroe), OF
One of the state's top receivers in football, Milone is an All-State outfielder in baseball. He hit .380 with 13 RBIs, 5 doubles and 5 home runs in 50 at-bats last year.

Delaware – Jake Fraley, Caravel (Bear, Del.), OF
In the running for Gatorade State Player of the Year honors last year, Fraley has already committed to LSU.

Florida – Oscar Mercado, Gaither (Tampa), IF
Expected to go in the first round of the MLB draft in June, Mercado was a member of the All-Hillsbourgh County Team after batting .382 with 28 RBIs, 28 runs and 12 stolen bases.

Georgia – Austin Meadows, Grayson (Loganville), OF
Meadows could be the top high school position player chosen in the MLB Draft. He was named All-County by the Gwinnett Daily Post last year after batting .390 with 19 stolen bases, 4 home runs, 28 RBIs and 33 runs scored.

Hawaii – Kean Wong, Hilo, C
Wong was named the Hawaii State Player of the Year last season and has committed to play at the University of Hawaii next year.

Idaho – Joey Martarano, Fruitland, 3B
The state's top football player at linebacker, the 6-foot-4, 245-pounder is a possible early-round draft pick at third base. He dominated at the state tournament last year, hitting a grand slam and throwing a no-hitter in the tourney.

Illinois – Corey Ray, Simeon (Chicago), OF
Named to the Chicago Tribune All-State Team last year, Ray batted .453 with 5 home runs, 5 triples, 35 RBIs and 35 runs scored.

Indiana – Trey Ball, New Castle, P
Ball boasted a 6-2 record with a 1.45 ERA and 75 strikeouts in 53 innings pitched. He also batted .434 with 11 doubles, 5 triples and 5 home runs to go with 20 stolen bases and 27 RBIs.

Iowa – AJ Puk, Washington (Cedar Rapids), P
Puk, a 6-6 left-handed pitcher, was injured much of last year, but he has excelled at showcases and sports a 92 mph fastball. The lefthander might not play high school baseball this year. He reportedly has plans to begin attending the University of Florida in June and Iowa baseball teams play their season during the summer.

Kansas – Ryan Colombo, Seaman (Topeka), P
An All-City selection and the Centennial League Pitcher of the Year, Colombo was 7-1 on the year. He was also named the Pitcher of the Year by the Kansas Association of Baseball Coaches.

Kentucky – Clinton Hollon, Woodford County (Versailles), P
Regarded by some ranking services as the top prospect in the country, Hollon helped Woodford County win a state championship in Kentucky last year. He posted a 3-0 record with a 1.68 ERA and 28 strikeouts in 25 innings pitched.

Louisiana – Justin Williams, Terrebonne (Houma), UTIL
A member of the Class 5A All-State Team, Williams batted .519 with 8 home runs, 9 doubles and 25 RBIs.

Maine – Jeff Gelinas, Thornton Academy (Saco), P
Committed to the University of Maine, Gelinas went 2-2 on the mound for Thornton Academy with 44 strikeouts in 38.1 innings with a 1.46 ERA. He also batted .356 with 13 RBIs in 18 games.

Maryland – Alex Murphy, Calvert Hall (Baltimore), C
An All-Metro choice by the Baltimore Sun and the Player of the Year by Varsity Sports Network, Murphy helped Calvert Hall to a 30-6 record while batting .460 with 6 home runs and 39 RBIs. He had three grand slams last year, including two in one game.

Massachusetts – Ben Bowden, Lynn English (Lynn), P/1B
Named to the Boston Herald All-Scholastic team, Bowden also participated in the Area Code Games. He won six games as a junior with 82 strikeouts in 51.2 innings pitched. He also threw a perfect game and was solid at the plate with a .394 batting average and 21 RBIs.

Michigan – Jackson Lamb, Bedford (Temperance), P
One of the state's top basketball players (averaging 28.1 points per game), Lamb (6-6) is the state's top prospect thanks to a 93 mph fastball. He went 7-3 last year with a 1.58 ERA and 75 strikeouts in 48.2 innings pitched. He also batted .548.

Minnesota – Ryan Boldt, Red Wing, OF
Boldt soared up the draft prospect charts after a strong summer that included outstanding efforts with Team USA and at the Perfect Game All-American Classic. For Red Wing, Boldt batted .419 with 24 RBIs, 3 home runs, 9 doubles and 22 runs scored in 24 games.

Mississippi – Reid Humphreys, Northwest Rankin (Brandon), P
One of the state's top quarterbacks, Humphreys helped Northwest Rankin to a 28-5 record in baseball while batting .360 with 38 RBI, eight doubles and seven home runs. He also went 6-3 on the mound with 58 strikeouts in 45.1 innings pitched.

Missouri – Lex Kaplan, Ladue Horton Watkins (St. Louis), OF
A member of the St. Louis Dispatch All-Metro team, Kaplan earned Conference Player of the Year honors while batting .488 with 8 home runs, 6 doubles and 7 triples. He also drove in 39 runs and scored 39 runs while earning All-State honors.

Montana – Dalton Cook, Great Falls, P
Montana does not have high school baseball, but Dalton Cook was an All-State American Legion player for the Great Falls Chargers. He posted a 7-6 record with a 3.91 ERA with 52 strikeouts in 73.1 innings pitched. He also batted .273 with 22 RBIs and seven doubles.

Nebraska – Sam Tewes, Waverly, UTIL
A small school standout, Tewes helped Waverly to the Class B state tournament with his arm and his bat. He went 5-1 with a 1.19 ERA and 79 strikeouts in 47 innings pitched while batting .406 with 32 RBIs and 5 home runs.

Nevada – Dylan Drachler, Spring Valley (Las Vegas), P
A 6-1 lefthander, Drachler was All-State first team last year and has committed to play at Utah. He went 6-2 with a 2.24 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 56.1 innings pitched.

New Hampshire – Andy Lalonde, Bedford, C
A 6-5 catcher with power, Lalonde has twice performed in the Power Showcase Home Run Derby. As a junior, he hit 5 home runs and batted .410 for Bedford while earning All-State honors.

New Jersey – Rob Kaminsky, St. Joseph Regional (Montvale), P
The Gatorade State Player of the Year and the NJ.Com State Player of the Year, Kaminsky was 8-2 with a 0.20 ERA, 3 no-hitters, 103 strikeouts and just 20 walks in 53 innings pitched.

New Mexico – Andre Vigil, Volcano Vista (Albuquerque), IF
A member of the Class 5A All-State Team, Vigil batted .537 with 17 doubles, 4 triples, 3 home runs and 35 RBIs.

New York – Matt Vogel, Patchogue-Medford (Medford), P
The nation's top pitching prospect, Vogel played for Team USA 16U as a sophomore. He was a fifth team All-State player as a junior after earning fourth team honors as a sophomore. He has hit 90-91 mph on his fastball.

North Carolina – Alex Bostic, Weddington (Matthews), UTIL
Bostic earned All-Observer honors and was a member of the Coaches Class 3A All-State Team. He batted .400 with 8 home runs, 30 RBIs and 26 runs and also had an 11-0 pitching record.

North Dakota – Dan Palmiscno, Red River (Grand Forks), C
Committed to North Dakota State, Palmiscno batted .322 last year and threw out 72 percent of the runners who attempted to steal on him.

Ohio – Cassidy Brown, Walsh Jesuit (Cuyahoga Falls), C
An All-State selection as a junior, Brown batted .432 with 5 home runs, 25 RBIs and 25 runs. Also a closer on the mound, Brown had 5 saves last year.

Oklahoma – Evan Anderson, Dale, UTIL
One of the top players in Oklahoma for the past two seasons, Anderson landed on the Oklahoma City Oklahoman All-State Team for the second year in a row. He batted .511 with 12 home runs and 50 RBIs and also had a 5-2 record with a 1.13 ERA.

Oregon – Brett Nielson, Sheldon (Eugene), P
Big and strong at 6-4, 220 pounds, Nielsen is one of the state's top offensive linemen and one of the nation's top left-handed pitching prospects. He played in the Area Code Games last year.

Pennsylvania – A.J. Bogucki, Boyertown, P
A North Carolina signee, Bogucki went 6-1 last season with a 2.94 ERA and 74 strikeouts in 52.1 innings pitched. He also batted .321 with 18 RBIs, 4 doubles, 3 triples and 2 home runs.

Rhode Island – Dave Hopkins, East Greenwich, SS
The Gatorade State Player of the Year, Hopkins earned All-State honors for the second year in a row. He had 23 hits on the season with 22 RBIs. He also has 20 career wins as a pitcher.

South Carolina – Nick Ciuffo, Lexington, C
One of the nation's top catching prospects, Ciuffo has committed to University of South Carolina. He was All-State after batting .353 with 6 doubles, 3 home runs and 18 RBIs.

South Dakota – Jon Hander, Washington (Sioux Falls), 3B
An All-State player at third base, Hander batted .370 with 5 doubles, 18 RBIs and a home run in 18 games.

Tennessee – Jordan Sheffield, Tullahoma, P
One of the top right-handed pitchers in the country, Sheffield posted a 6-1 record last year with 73 strikeouts and a 0.99 ERA in 49.2 innings pitched. Also strong at the plate, Sheffield batted .373 with 5 triples and 4 doubles.

Texas – Nicolas Buckner, North Shore (Houston), OF
The Houston 5A Baseball Hitter of the Year, Buckner was All-Greater Houston and batted .500 with 10 home runs.

Utah – Riley Gates, Snow Canyon (St. George), 1B
An All-State player the past three seasons, Gates batted .347 as a junior with 17 RBIs, four doubles and a home run.

Vermont – Steve Jurkiewicz, Essex (Essex Junction), P
A three-sport standout, Jurkiewicz was All-League in baseball and is also one of the state's top football and hockey players.

Virginia – Alex Gransback, Lake Braddock (Burke), OF
A member of the Washington Post All-Met Team and the Virginia Preps AAA All-State Team, Gransback helped Lake Braddock win the state title while batting .475 with 4 home runs and 31 RBIs.

Washington – Dustin Driver, Wenatchee, P
Driver played in the Perfect Game All-American Classic and was the Big Nine Class 4A Outstanding Pitcher. He is ranked as one of the nation's top right-handed pitchers.

West Virginia – Elijah Wellman, Spring Valley (Huntington), P/3B
One of the state's top football players, Wellman won the Huff Award honoring the state's top defensive football player. However he can also hit 90 mph from the mound in baseball and had a game last year where he pitched 10 innings of no-hit ball with 21 strikeouts. He was named to the Class AAA All-State Team.

Wisconsin – Tony Butler, Sun Prairie, SS
Committed to Virginia, Butler batted .521 last season with 43 runs scored, 25 RBIs, 2 home runs and 4 triples. He also stole 16 bases. As a pitcher, Butler was 5-0 with a 0.75 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 28 innings pitched.

Wyoming – Kody Luckow, Walsh (Casper), C
Luckow was one of the top hitters for the Casper Oiler American Legion team over the summer and was the team's starting catcher.