Video: Small Schools Baseball Player of the Year Watch
See more on the top small-school players in the nationMaxPreps selects a Small Schools All-American Team at the end of the baseball season. Here's a look at the top contenders for the Small Schools National Player of the Year honor, with stats current as of Friday.
Small Schools National Player of the Year watch
Dalton Reed, Roff (Okla.)
The national leader in home runs in 2015 with 19, Reed had another strong season in 2016 with 13 home runs and 62 RBIs. The first baseman earned small schools all-American honors as a junior. He is batting .523 with 36 runs and nine doubles.
Ashton Atkinson, Ash Fork (Ariz.)
Atkinson ranks among the national leaders in both RBIs and pitching strikeouts. He is batting .700 with 65 RBIs, 23 doubles and eight home runs. As a pitcher, he's 9-1 with 156 strikeouts (including a high of 19 in one game) and a 1.18 ERA in 65 1/3 innings pitched.
Coy Cronk, Lafayette Central Catholic (Ind.)
An all-state catcher as a junior, Cronk is a two-sport athlete at Lafayette Central Catholic. He earned a scholarship to Indiana University as a tackle on the football team and he helped Central Catholic get off to a 20-0 record to start the baseball season.
Sam Keating, Canterbury (Fort Myers, Fla.)
Canterbury has been one of the top small school teams in the nation, ranked as high as No. 6 in the Xcellent 50 National Baseball Rankings presented by the Army National Guard. Keating has been a big reason behind that success, as he has posted a 10-0 record with a 0.39 ERA and 68 strikeouts in 54 1/3 innings pitched.
Cole Ragans, North Florida Christian (Tallahassee, Fla.)
A possible early MLB Draft pick, Ragans was a MaxPreps Preseason All-American, regardless of school size. He didn't disappoint, posting a 9-2 record with three shutouts and one no-hitter, a 0.90 ERA and 104 strikeouts in 70 innings pitched.
Kayden Seriani, Paonia (Colo.)
Paonia is among the top 2A teams in Colorado and Seriani, a sophomore, has been the team leader. He has 42 RBIs and 13 home runs in 19 games while batting .508 with 42 runs scored.
Peyton Battenfield, Verdigris (Claremore, Okla.)
The top-ranked small school team in the nation according to the MaxPreps Small Schools Rankings, Verdigris has an outstanding two-way player in the appropriately named Battenfield. At bat, he is hitting .448 with 13 doubles and 35 RBIs. In the field, he has a 0.23 ERA with 117 strikeouts and just 10 walks in 61 innings pitched.
Bailey Benz, Rye (Colo.)
Playing for one of the top small school baseball programs in Colorado, Benz has been one of the best hitters for average in the nation. With a .750 batting average, Benz has 42 hits in 56 at-bats. He also has five home runs and 37 RBIs and he was a second team all-state selection last year as a sophomore.
Jacob Wilcher, Kossuth (Miss.)
A 6-foot-4 outfielder for a team ranked in the top 15 in the entire state, Wilcher is batting .575 with 17 doubles, seven home runs and 35 RBIs. He also has 53 runs scored and has 212 career hits.
Griffin Paxton, West (Texas)
While Baily Horn and Preston Macik were small schools all-Americans for West last year, Paxton has actually been having the better all-around season in 2016. He's batting .415 with a team-best 34 RBIs and four home runs. On the mound, Paxton is 7-1 with 46 strikeouts and a 1.24 ERA in 39 2/3 innings pitched.
