High school baseball: National home run leader Christian Howe heads MaxPreps Small School All-America Team

Hitting 20 home runs in a high school baseball season has become an increasingly difficult task. This is why Christian Howe's performance this year really stands out.

The Danville (Ky.) senior hit 21 home runs in 2021, becoming the fifth high school player in the past decade to club 20 or more in a season. Howe also had a nation-best 80 RBI while batting .547. The Admirals' slugger is the MaxPreps Small School National Player of the Year.


It was a year of firsts at Hayfield (Minn.) where the Vikings won their first ever state championship in basketball during the winter and followed up with their first ever baseball championship in the spring.

Coach Kasey Krekling guided Hayfield to a 26-0 record and a No. 20 ranking in MaxPreps Small School National Baseball Ratings. The Vikings had to overcome a 4-0 deficit in the championship game in order to claim the title. Krekling has been selected as the MaxPreps Small School Coach of the Year.

In order for a school to qualify as a "small school," it must play in a state enrollment division that generally includes schools with an enrollment of less than 1,000 students.

2020 — None selected due to COVID
2019 — Ronan Kopp, Scottsdale Christian Academy (Phoenix, Ariz.)
2018 — Ryan Weathers, Loretto (Tenn.)
2017 — Mackenzie Gore, Whiteville (N.C.)
2016 — Cole Ragans, North Florida Christian (Tallahassee, Fla.)
2015 — Daz Cameron, Eagle's Landing Christian Academy (McDonough, Ga.)
2014 — Cameron Varga, Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy (Cincinnati)
2013 — Carlos Salazar, Kerman (Calif.)
2012 — Byron Buxton, Appling County
2011 — Javier Baez, Arlington Country Day (Jacksonville, Fla.)
2010 — Kaleb Cowart,Cook (Adel, Ga.)
2009 — Will Myers, Wesleyan Christian Academy (High Point, N.C.)
2008 — Tyler Stovall, Hokes Bluff (Ala.)

2020 — None selected due to COVID
2019 — Billy Jack Bowen, Silo (Okla.)
2018 — Jeff Miller, Knappa (Astoria, Ore.)
2017 — Travis Jackson, Central Heights (Nacogdoches, Texas)
2016 — Dan Cimini, University Liggett (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.)
2015 — Steve DeCaro, Mattituck (N.Y.)
2014 — Mike Posey, North Florida Christian (Tallahassee, Fla.)
2013 — None selected
2012 — Jeff "Dusty" Rhodes, Riverside (Decaturville, Tenn.)
2011 — Mike Posey, North Florida Christian (Tallahassee, Fla.)
2010 — Ead Simon, Roff (Okla.)
2009 — Jim Danley, Eaton (Colo.)
2008 — None selected
First Team

P — Andrew Painter, Calvary Christian Academy (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
A potential first-round draft pick, he earned all-area player of the year honors by the Sun Sentinel while going 6-1 with a 0.31 ERA and 91 strikeouts in 45.1 innings.

P — Jackson Baumeister, Bolles (Jacksonville, Fla.)
6-3, 215 | Senior
An All-First Coast selection, he went 9-2 for the Bulldogs while striking out 145 with a .63 ERA in 77.1 innings.

P — Colin Brueggemann, Freeburg (Ill.)
6-6, 220 | Senior
Named the Player of the Year by the St. Louis Post Dispatch, he led Freeburg to the Class 2A state title. He went 9-0 on the mound with 47 strikeouts and a 2.12 ERA in 46.1 innings. He hit .478 with 47 runs, 60 RBI, 18 doubles and 12 home runs.

P — Mason Swinney, Phil Campbell (Ala.)
6-2, 175 | Junior
Made the Super State team by the Alabama Sports Writers Association and also earned Class 3A player of the year honors. He hit .453 for the Class 3A state champions, belting 18 doubles and eight home runs with 62 RBI and 72 runs scored. He also went 11-1 on the mound with 122 strikeouts and 1.75 ERA.

P — Samuel Dutton, Westbrook Christian (Rainbow City, Ala.)
5-11, 185 | Senior
Led the Westbrook Christian to the Class 2A state championship and was named the 2A state player of the year. He posted a 9-0 record with a 0.40 ERA that included 117 strikeouts and four no-hitters. He also batted .532 with 36 RBI.

P — Isaac Sewell, The First Academy (Orlando, Fla.)
6-1, 210 | Junior
Led the nation in wins as he went 14-0 for the Class 3A state champions. He also had 112 strikeouts and a 1.13 ERA in 87 innings. He was named the all-area player of the year by the Orlando Sentinel.

P — Owen Washburn, Webster (Wis.)
6-0, 195 | Senior
The son of former MLB pitcher Jarrod Washburn, the coach at Webster, Owen earned state player of the year honors by Prep Baseball Report and helped Tigers to 58 straight wins over a four-year period. He had 84 strikeouts in 34 innings and also batted .741 with seven home runs, 61 RBI, 44 runs and 12 doubles.

P — Josh Kingery, Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City (Grove City, Minn.)
5-11, 185 | Senior
The state player of the year by Gatorade had one of the highest win and strikeout totals in the nation. He went 13-1 with 182 strikeouts to go with a 0.48 ERA. He also hit .547 with 32 RBI, seven doubles and seven home runs.

P — Landon Price, Lincolnview (Van Wert, Ohio)
5-10, 180 | Junior
The Ohio Baseball Coaches Association named Price the Division IV player of the year. He had an 11-0 record with 144 strikeouts and he gave up two earned runs all season.

P — Braden Jones, Choudrant (La.)
6-2, 215 | Senior
The Class B state player of the year, Jones led the Aggies to the state championship with a 13-1 record and 135 strikeouts in 73 innings pitched.
C — Jayden Melendez, Westminster Christian (Miami)
5-9, 170 | Senior
Helped lead the Warriors to the Class 3A championship game and is ranked as one of the top catchers in the nation by Perfect Game. Batted .365 with 26 runs, 39 RBI, five doubles and 11 home runs.

C — Brody Cobb, Gordon Lee (Chickamauga, Ga.)
5-9, 155 | Senior
Led the Trojans to the Class A Public championship game while blasting 13 home runs and 58 RBI. Batted .436 with 24 runs scored and nine doubles. He made the all-state team selected by Georgia Dugout Preview.

1B — Ethan Wood, Danville (Ky.)
6-7, 215 | Senior
Part of the heaviest hitting team in the nation. His 17 home runs ranked third in the nation and helped Danville hit a nation-best 86 on the season. He also batted .483 with 65 runs scored, 58 RBI and 21 doubles.

1B — Brady Birchmeier, New Lothrop (Mich.)
6-3, 230 | Junior
A Division III all-state player, he was one of the top home run hitters in the Class of 2022. He batted .595 with 15 home runs, a national-best 26 doubles, 72 runs scored and 76 RBI.

IF — Noah Miller, Ozaukee (Fredonia, Wis.)
6-0, 187 | Senior
The Division III player of the year in Wisconsin by the coaches association, Miller hit .608 with six home runs, 21 RBI and 41 runs scored.

IF — Stephen Kwapis, Hackett Catholic Prep (Kalamazoo, Mich.)
6-1, 225 | Senior
Landed on the Michigan Live all-state team after leading the Fighting Irish to the Division 4 state championship. He batted .481 with 15 doubles, five triples and 11 home runs. He also scored 63 runs with 61 RBI and 29 stolen bases.

IF — Jordan McCants, Pensacola Catholic (Pensacola, Fla.)
6-0, 160 | Senior
The player of the year in the Pensacola area had 24 RBI, 10 doubles and two home runs while batting .450.

IF — Byrson Adair, Malakoff (Texas)
6-2, 170 | Senior
Helped the Tigers to the Class 3A state championship and was an all-state selection by the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association. Hit .506 with eight doubles, five home runs, 33 RBI, 52 runs and 40 stolen bases.

IF — Connor Moore, St. Johns Country Day (Orange Park, Fla.)
6-0, 170 | Senior
Earned All-First Coast honors after helping Spartans to the Class 2A state championship game. Hit .383 with 35 runs, 40 RBI, five doubles and 11 home runs.

IF — Janzen Keisel, Gunnison Valley (Gunnison, Utah)
6-4, 185 | Senior
The Class 2A state player of the year by the Deseret News, he went 7-0 with 100 strikeouts. He also batted .672 with 11 home runs, 40 runs scored, 39 RBI and nine doubles.

OF — Druw Jones, Wesleyan (Norcross, Ga.)
6-3, 180 | Junior
The son of MLB All-Star Andruw Jones and one of the top prospects in the Class of 2021, he was named offensive player of the year by the Gwinnett Daily Post. He also earned all-state honors by the Georgia Dugout Preview magazine. He batted .445 with 39 RBI, 58 runs, seven doubles and 16 home runs.

OF — Camden Hayslip, Friendship Christian (Lebanon, Tenn.)
6-3, 205 | Senior
An all-state player by the Tennessee Baseball Report, he hit .442 with 32 runs, 39 RBI, seven doubles, two triples and 12 home runs.

OF — Trayson Miller, Roff (Okla.)
6-4, 170 | Senior
Miller helped the Tigers win the Class B state championship with a 33-0 record. He made the Oklahoma City Oklahoman all-state team batting .493 with 44 RBI and 10 home runs.

OF — Parker Coley, Sterlington (La.)
6-0, 185 | Senior
Led the Panthers to the Class 3A state championship and earned state player of the year honors by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association. He batted .448 with 54 RBI and nine home runs.

OF — Brooks Whaley, Rock Creek (St. George, Kan.)
5-10, 160 | Senior
The Class 3A player of the year by the state coaches association, he batted .613 with nine doubles, four triples and 24 RBI.

OF — Braeden Ross, Christian (El Cajon, Calif.)
6-3, 180 | Senior
An All-San Diego Section pick, Ross helped Christian win a San Diego Section Division III championship. He batted .457 with 35 runs, 44 RBI, seven doubles and 11 home runs. He was also 5-1 on the mound with 56 strikeouts and a 1.50 ERA in 42 innings pitched.

UT — Cam Collier, Mount Paran Christian (Kennesaw, Ga.)
6-2, 215 | Sophomore
The Class 1A Private state player of the year by the Georgia Dugout Club and the Marietta Daily Journal Player of the Year, Collier batted .434 for the state champions while clubbing 13 home runs with 40 RBI. He also pitched and struck out 76 batters with a 0.71 ERA.

UT — Sal Stewart, Westminster Christian (Miami)
6-3, 215 | Junior
For much of the season, he was the state's top home run hitter. Led the Warriors to the Class 3A state championship game while knocking 17 home runs and batting .534 with 44 runs scored and 40 RBI.
UT — Christian Howe, Danville (Ky.)
6-3, 180 | Senior

Second Team

P — Cole Baucom, Jeff Davis (Hazlehurst, Ga.)
5-10, 180 | Senior
Helped Yellowjackets win the Class 2A state championship going 8-4 with 106 strikeouts and a 1.49 ERA in 75 innings pitched. He was the Class 2A state player of the year by Georgia Dugout Preview.

P — John Luke Glanton, Metter (Ga.)
5-10, 165 | Junior
The Class 1A Public player of the year by Georgia Dugout Preview as he went 12-1 on the mound with 82 strikeouts and a 1.37 ERA.

P — Irving Carter, Calvary Christian Academy (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
6-4, 200 | Senior
The small schools co-player of the year along with Painter by the Sun Sentinel, Carter had a 5-1 record with a 1.87 ERA and 89 strikeouts in 48.2 innings.

P — JD McCracken, Middle Tennessee Christian (Murfreesboro, Tenn.)
6-3, 200 | Senior
Tennessee Baseball Report named him to its all-state team after he posted a 9-0 record with 103 strikeouts and a 0.13 ERA in 53 innings. He also had a .425 batting average with 40 RBI and five home runs.

P — Kurt Barr, University Liggett (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.)
6-2, 160 | Junior
Made the Michigan Live all-state team after helping the Knights win the Division 3 championship. He went 12-1 with a 0.73 ERA and 119 strikeouts in 76.1 innings pitched.

P — Jaden Varner, Waynedale (Apple Creek, Ohio)
5-10, 175 | Senior
The Division III state player of the year by the Ohio Baseball Coaches Association. He went 10-0 with 146 strikeouts and a 0.34 ERA in 61 innings. He also batted .520 with 13 doubles, 39 runs and 30 RBI.

P — Hargen Rose, Troy (Texas)
5-10, 160 | Senior
Earned all-state honors in Class 3A by the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association after going 11-1 with 99 strikeouts. He also batted .404 on the season.

P — Luke Ridley, Newberry (Fla.)
6-1, 185 | Senior
Helped the Panthers to a Class 1A state championship as he went 7-0 with 110 strikeouts and a 1.02 ERA in 55 innings pitched.

P — Garrett Stevens, Bethesda Christian (Brownsburg, Ind.)
6-2, 215 | Senior
One of the top two-way players in Indiana as he batted .703 with 30 runs, 43 RBI, 15 doubles and 10 home runs. He also struck out 160 batters with a 0.80 ERA.

P — Easton Fritcher, Hayfield (Minn.)
6-0, 195 | Junior
Earned all-state honors by the coaches association while leading the Vikings to an undefeated record and a state championship. He went 11-0 with a 1.55 ERA and 90 strikeouts in 49 innings. Hit .543 with eight doubles, five triples, eight home runs and 48 RBI.

C — Ethan Frey, Rosepine (La.)
6-5, 215 | Junior
Named Class 2A state player of the year while batting .446 with nine home runs, 32 runs scored and 45 RBI. He also helped the Eagles to the state championship.

C — Jackson McCoy, Booneville (Miss.)
6-3, 185 | Senior
Helped Blue Devils to a Class 3A state championship and was named the 3A player of the year by the state coaches association. He batted .529 with 42 runs, 46 RBI, 14 doubles, five triples and seven home runs. He also went 9-0 with a 0.55 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 63.1 innings.

C — Riley Bush, Baxter Springs (Kan.)
6-2, 210 | Senior
Earned state player of the year honors by the state coaches association as he batted .556 with nine doubles and four home runs.

1B — Matthew Holzhammer, Wister (Okla.)
6-2, 220 | Senior
Named to the Oklahoma City Oklahoman all-state team after batting .463 with 10 home runs and 48 RBI.

1B — Jackson Parker, Stringer (Miss.)
6-2, 205 | Junior
Earned Class 1A state player of the year honors by the state coaches association. He finished with a .586 average, 43 runs scored, 48 RBI, 11 doubles, four triples and 12 home runs.

IF — Jaxon Willits, Fort Cobb-Broxton (Fort Cobb, Okla.)
6-1, 177 | Sophomore
The spark plug for the Class 1A state champions, he earned all-state honors by the Oklahoman after batting .451 with 36 RBI and eight home runs.

IF — Wallace Clark, Holland Hall (Tulsa, Okla.)
6-0, 175 | Senior
A candidate for player of the year by the Tulsa World and earned all-state honors from the Oklahoman after batting .439 with five home runs and 53 RBI. He also had a 6-1 record with a 1.12 ERA.

IF — Kyler Proctor, Silo (Okla.)
5-11, 165 | Sophomore
The Rebels won a Class 2A state championship behind the play of Proctor, who batted .525 with seven home runs and 58 RBI. He made the Oklahoman all-state team.

IF — RJ Austin, Pace Academy (Atlanta)
5-11, 185 | Junior
Earned a spot on the Georgia Dugout Preview Class 1A Private all-state team after batting .429 with 30 runs, 32 RBI, eight home runs and eight doubles.

IF — Anton Lazits, Taconic (Pittsfield, Mass.)
5-11, 175 | Senior
The Braves went undefeated thanks to the play of Lazits, who batted .490 with 35 runs, 38 RBI, six doubles and eight home runs. He also had a 4-0 record with 79 strikeouts.

IF — David Grewe, Tri-Cities Prep (Pasco, Wash.)
6-2, 145 | Senior
Helped the Jaguars to an undefeated season, batting .721 on the season with 33 runs scored, 37 RBI and 16 doubles. He also had 75 strikeouts in 36.1 innings.

OF — Tegan Cain, Ellis (Kan.)
5-10, 185 | Senior
The Class 1A player of the year in Kansas by the state coaches association, Cain went 8-0 with a 0.30 ERA and 98 strikeouts in 46.2 innings. He also batted .586 with 40 RBI, 13 doubles and two home runs.

OF — Ben Pajak, La Jolla Country Day (La Jolla, Calif.)
6-3, 200 | Senior
An All-San Diego Section pick, he was one of the leading home run hitters in California with 10 home runs. Hit .310 with 25 runs and 34 RBI. He was also 5-0 with a 1.88 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 41 innings.

OF — Gavin Baldwin, Nashville (Ill.)
6-3, 220 | Senior
An all-state pick by the state coaches association, he batted .469 with 45 runs, 51 RBI, 13 doubles and 11 home runs.

OF — Ty Evans, Lakeland Christian (Lakeland, Fla.)
6-2, 200 | Senior
Earned all-area honors by the Lakeland Ledger while leading the Vikings into national MaxPreps Top 25 territory most of the season. He batted .468 with 13 doubles, three home runs, 41 runs scored and 34 RBI.

OF — Garrett Moffett, Wayne Country Day (Goldsboro, N.C.)
6-1, 170 | Senior
Earned all-state honors in the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association after leading the Chargers to the Class 2A championship. He batted .517 with 29 runs, 43 RBI, six doubles, and 11 home runs. He also had a 3-0 record with 61 strikeouts.

OF — Cameron Butler, Big Valley Christian (Modesto, Calif.)
6-0, 175 | Senior
Had the highest batting average on the MaxPreps leaderboards at .741. He also had 59 runs scored, 20 doubles, 61 RBI, four triples, 15 home runs and 32 stolen bases.

UT — Brennon McNair, Magee (Miss.)
6-0, 175 | Senior
The co-state player of the year in Class 3A by the Mississippi Association of Coaches, he hit .527 with 39 runs, 43 RBI, 12 doubles and 11 home runs. He also had a 6-2 record with 65 strikeouts and a 1.42 ERA with 54.1 innings.

UT — Karson Evans, Taylorsville (Miss.)
6-1, 215 | Junior
The state player of the year by the Mississippi Association of Coaches in Division 2A after leading the Tartars to a state championship. He batted .510 with 46 runs scored, 47 RBI, 11 doubles, four triples and 10 home runs. He was also 6-2 on the mound with 65 strikeouts and a 0.80 ERA in 35 innings.

UT — Grant Burleson, Summertown (Tenn.)
6-3, 200 | Senior
One of the top hitters in Tennessee and earned all-state honors by the Tennessee Baseball Report. He batted .489 with 60 RBI and 17 home runs. He also had 111 strikeouts as a pitcher with a 5-1 record.