Alex Jackson was a MaxPreps Sophomore All-American last season, and this year he heads up the list of the Top 50 juniors.
File photo by Steven Silva
Following an impressive performance at the Area Code Games and coming off an outstanding sophomore campaign that included 17 home runs,
Alex Jackson of
Rancho Bernardo (San Diego) is MaxPreps' No. 1 player for the class of 2014.
Jackson, a catcher, batted .400 last season while earning
MaxPreps Sophomore All-American honors. Jackson was also a Baseball America All-American and had 36 RBI with five doubles. He already has 22 career home runs entering his junior campaign.
During the summer, Jackson was the top hitter at the Area Code Games, going 6-for-9 with a home run, two doubles, a triple and six runs scored.
Jackson edges out
Olympia (Orlando, Fla.) outfielder
Nicholas Gordon for the top spot. Gordon was a key player on last year's Olympia team that ranked No. 1 in the nation for much of the season.
Drew Ward of
Leedey (Okla.) is the No. 3 player. Ward has been one of the top infielders in the state since his freshman season and earned all-state honors as a sophomore.
Jack Flaherty, Harvard-Westlake
File photo by Alyson Boyer Rode
of
Coral Springs Christian (Coral Springs, Fla.) comes in at No. 4. Toussaint has earned All-County honors by the Miami Herald for the past two seasons. He, along with Gordon, was also named preseason All-American by Baseball America.
Jack Flaherty of
Harvard-Westlake (Studio City, Calif.) fills out the top five players. Flaherty filled the gap for the Wolverines last year when No. 1 pitching prospect Lucas Giolito missed the rest of the season with an arm injury. He helped Harvard-Westlake reach the finals of the National High School Invitation last year and he already has a no-hitter to start the season.
The rest of the top 10 includes last year's MaxPreps Sophomore of the Year
Kyle Marsh of
Spruce Creek (Port Orange, Fla.) at No. 6,
Stone Garrett of
George Ranch (Richmond, Texas) at No. 7,
Luke Dykstra of
Westlake (Westlake Village, Calif.) at No. 8,
Jacob Gatewood of
Clovis (Calif.) at No. 9 and
Bryson Brigman of
Valley Christian (San Jose, Calif.) at No. 10.
The top 50 juniors are selected based on performance during the 2012 season, as well as their performance at summer showcases, such as the Area Code Games.
| Rank | Name | Position |
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| 1 | Alex JacksonRancho Bernardo (San Diego, CA) | C, OF |
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| 2 | Nicholas GordonOlympia (Orlando, FL) | OF |
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| 3 | Drew WardLeedey (OK) | INF |
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| 4 | Touki ToussaintCoral Springs Christian (Coral Springs, FL) | INF |
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| 5 | Jack FlahertyHarvard-Westlake (Studio City, CA) | UTIL, P |
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| 6 | Kyle MarshSpruce Creek (Port Orange, FL) | RHP |
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| 7 | Stone GarrettGeorge Ranch (Richmond, TX) | OF |
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| 8 | Luke DykstraWestlake (Westlake Village, CA) | SS |
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| 9 | Jacob GatewoodClovis (CA) | INF, P |
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| 10 | Bryson BrigmanValley Christian (San Jose, CA) | INF |
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| 11 | Brady AikenCathedral Catholic (San Diego, CA) | P, OF |
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| 12 | Carson SandsNorth Florida Christian (Tallahassee, FL) | LHP, 1B |
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| 13 | Jake JarvisKlein Collins (Spring, TX) | P, INF |
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| 14 | Ryder RyanNorth Mecklenburg (Huntersville, NC) | C, RHP |
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| 15 | Justin BellingerSt. Sebastians School (Needham, MA) | 1B, LHP |
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| 16 | Tate BlackmanLake Brantley (Altamonte Springs, FL) | INF |
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| 17 | Denz'l ChapmanSerra (Gardena, CA) | CF, P |
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| 18 | Brian GonzalezArchbishop McCarthy (Fort Lauderdale, FL) | P, 1B |
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| 19 | Justus SheffieldTullahoma (TN) |
|
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| 20 | Dalton GuthrieVenice (FL) | INF |
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| 21 | Grant HolmesConway (SC) | RHP |
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| 22 | Scott HurstBishop Amat (La Puente, CA) | OF |
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| 23 | Blake WigginsPulaski Academy (Little Rock, AR) | SS, 3B |
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| 24 | Cameron VargaCincinnati Hills Christian Academy (Cincinnati, OH) | RHP |
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| 25 | Grant HockinDamien (La Verne, CA) | RHP, SS |
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| 26 | Joseph GattoSt. Augustine Prep (Richland, NJ) | RHP, 1B |
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| 27 | Jakob GoldfarbDesert Mountain (Scottsdale, AZ) |
|
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| 28 | Patrick MahomesWhitehouse (TX) | P, UTIL |
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| 29 | Mac MarshallParkview (Lilburn, GA) | OF, LHP |
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| 30 | Matt RuppenthalBrother Rice (Bloomfield Hills, MI) | , P |
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| 31 | Jeremy VasquezMartin County (Stuart, FL) | P, 1B |
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| 32 | Ethan WalkerSpanish Fort (AL) | INF, C |
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| 33 | Zack ShannonArchbishop Moeller (Cincinnati, OH) |
|
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| 34 | Christian MartinekJesuit (Portland, OR) |
|
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| 35 | Braxton DavidsonRoberson (Asheville, NC) | P |
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| 36 | Michael KopechMt. Pleasant (TX) | P, SS |
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| 37 | Cole BedfordDeer Park (TX) | C |
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| 38 | Charlie CodyGreat Bridge (Chesapeake, VA) | 3B |
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| 39 | Christian KhawlyWest Broward (Pembroke Pines, FL) | OF |
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| 40 | Calvin LebrunSunnyslope (Phoenix, AZ) | P, OF |
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| 41 | Theron KayValley Christian (San Jose, CA) | P, OF |
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| 42 | Alonzo GarciaSan Fernando (CA) | RHP, INF |
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| 43 | Turner LarkinsMartin (Arlington, TX) | P |
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| 44 | Michael BlaskoBishop Gorman (Las Vegas, NV) | C |
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| 45 | Gavin LavalleyCarl Albert (Midwest City, OK) | P, 1B |
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| 46 | Max GeorgeRegis Jesuit (Aurora, CO) |
|
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| 47 | Tj MartinGardner-Edgerton (Gardner, KS) | C |
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| 48 | Kennon FontenotBarbe (Lake Charles, LA) | INF |
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| 49 | Aaron SotoArchbishop McCarthy (Fort Lauderdale, FL) | P, UTIL |
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| 50 | Hunter RenfrowSocastee (Myrtle Beach, SC) | OF |
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