Bishop Gorman Tops Xcellent Baseball Top 25

By Kevin Askeland
MaxPreps.com

Thanks to an impressive 2008 season and an even more impressive summer, the Bishop Gorman Gaels begin the year as the No. 1 team in the inaugural MaxPreps Xcellent Baseball Rankings.

In addition to winning their third straight Nevada 4A state championship last year, many of the Bishop Gorman players also competed on an American Legion team that won the World Series. With many of the team’s top pitchers and hitters returning from those two squads, the Gaels were an easy choice for the top spot.

The Gaels will get plenty of competition from the likes of Farragut, Don Bosco Prep and Coppell. Farragut returns all of the top players from last year’s team that won the Tennessee state championship. Meanwhile Don Bosco has not lost a game in over two years. Then there’s Coppell, which boasts six Division I prospects on a team ranked No. 1 in the Texas preseason rankings.

About the Rankings: MaxPreps already provides the most comprehensive high school sports ratings with the MaxPreps National Rankings presented by the National Guard, a computer model developed by Ned Freeman. Now, it’s time to get the human element involved.

 

Each week during the baseball season, Kevin Askeland will run down the top 25 high school baseball teams in the country – weighing record, quality wins and losses and other factors to determine the nation’s elite.

MaxPreps Preseason Xcellent 25

 

1. Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.), 41-3
The Gaels won their third straight Nevada 4A championship last year and seem destined to add a mythical national championship in 2009. With five returning players who have committed to play at the Division I level next year, including Gatorade State Player of the Year Jeff Malm, the Gaels have a deep team that boasts a solid pitching staff to go with a devastating hitting attack. Malm leads the way at first base with a .564 batting average that included 73 RBI and seven home runs. He was also 7-2 on the mound with a 2.76 ERA. Joey Rickard, meanwhile, was 7-0 on the mound with a 2.08 ERA and also led the team in home runs with 12 while batting .489 with 54 RBI. Top pitcher Stephen Manthei also returns. He was 9-0 last year with a 2.23 ERA. Other returning starters include junior Johnny Field at second base (.431-5-32), junior shortstop Corey Lafler (.376-0-22), junior outfielder Neil Lawhorn (.400-5-41) and sophomore catcher Erik Van Meetren (.338-2-18).

2. Farragut (Knoxville, Tenn.), 43-3
The Admirals have won four state championships since 2003 and have appeared in the state finals seven of the past 10 seasons. Farragut has the firepower necessary to make a return trip to the state championships, thanks to the return of Knoxville-area player of the year Curt Powell at shortstop, along with several other Division I prospects. Powell batted .493 last season with 56 RBI and eight home runs. Meanwhile third baseman Cade Stallings, who will play at Louisville next season, had nine home runs and drove in 52 RBI. He also had a .462 batting average with 14 doubles. The pitching staff should be the best in the state, headed by senior Jordan Cooper (who is headed to Mississippi) and sophomore Phillip Pfeifer. Cooper was 7-1 last year with a 2.08 ERA. He struck out 85 batters in 51 innings. Meanwhile Pfeifer is one of the nation’s top sophomores after posting a 13-1 record with a 1.14 ERA and 112 strikeouts in 68 innings as a freshman. Pfeifer earned District 4-AAA pitcher of the year honors.

3. Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.), 33-0
The Ironmen posted one of the best seasons in New Jersey history last year, going 33-0 and winning the Class A non-public state championship. Although Don Bosco Prep lost seven seniors from last year’s team, a number of standouts return, including three who are headed to Division I programs. The Ironmen have one of the state’s best shortstops in Anthony Gomez, who batted .467 with 39 RBI and six home runs last year. He’ll play at Vanderbilt next season. Meanwhile Wake Forest recruit Niko Spezial heads the pitching staff. He was 7-0 last season with a 1.20 ERA. In the outfield, all-around athlete Brett Knief patrols for the Ironmen. The football team’s QB, Knief will play baseball at North Carolina next year.
4. Coppell (Coppell, Texas), 30-7
The Cowboys return the majority of last year’s roster that racked up a number of all-district awards and will send as many as six players to Division I programs. Catcher Jonathan Walsh ranks as one of the top backstops in the country after batting .389 with 28 RBI and 3 home runs last season. He’ll handle a talented staff that includes district MVP Zak Hermans (7-0, 1.05 ERA), all-district pitcher Danny Malone and Austin Elkins (.468, 8 HR), the district offensive player of the year. Nearly the entire infield returns with Elkins back at third, Oklahoma prospect Chad Kettler (.410, 28 RBI) at shortstop and district defensive player of the year Greg Higginbotham back at second base. The Cowboys are ranked the preseason No. 1 in Texas by the Texas Baseball Coaches Association. Newcomer Jacob Morris joins the Cowboys in the outfield after sitting out last season after a transfer. He was named the MVP of the Baylor Medical Tournament last week, which Coppell won to open the season 5-0.

5. Bellaire (Bellaire, Texas), 39-9
The Cardinals are ranked just behind Coppell in the Texas preseason rankings. Bellaire fell in the state 5A semifinals last season, but return nearly every starter from last year’s group that won 39 games. All-district pitcher Tyler Duffy leads the pitching staff along with sophomore standout Toller Boardman. The infield includes three juniors, Kyle Chaskin, Alex Silver and Andrew Burns, who all earned first-team all-district honors last season. Trace Knoblauch, the son of former MLB all-star Chuck Knoblauch, anchors the infield at first base. The outfield returns speedster Jarrett Higgins, along with part-time starters Shawn Washington, a junior, and senior Chris Minifee. Higgins was first team all-district while Washington and Minifee earned second team honors. Utility player Sam Ofield also made the all-district team.{VIDEO_2538ca13-4aa4-4e72-a118-d6b4ae4bbcf7,floatRightWithBar}

6. El Toro (Lake Forest, Calif.), 25-7
The Chargers captured the Division 2 championship in the Southern Section last year (California does not hold state playoffs) and return two of the top players in the country in Chad Thompson and Nolan Arenado. Thompson ranks as one of the nation’s best pitchers after earning Division 2 MVP honors last season while posting a 12-3 record with a 1.28 ERA. Thompson is not the only ace on the staff, however. Tyler Zeigler was 6-2 with a 2.14 ERA while T.J. Kendzora was 5-1 with a 2.53 ERA. Arenado, a shortstop, leads the offense after batting .456 with 11 doubles, 32 RBI and four home runs last season. Trevor Jensen (.361, 22 RBI) returns in the infield while Dillon Penprase (.343-5-12) is back in the outfield. Aaron Wirsch, a 6-6 LHP and 1B, returns after missing last year with an injury. He was 10-2 as a sophomore with 49 Ks and a 2.47 ERA.

7. Park Vista (Lake Worth, Fla.), 31-2
After opening the 2008 season with a win and a loss, the Cobras won 30 straight games before falling to Lake Brantley in the 6A championship game. Park Vista has one of the nation’s top outfield prospects in Kamm Washington. He batted .493 last season with 33 RBI and 27 runs scored. The infield is solid with Joey Todd (.433) at second base, Ryan Lashley (.396, 32 RBI) at third base and Cody Dent, son of former big leaguer Bucky Dent, at shortstop. Both Dent and Washington have signed with Florida while Lashley is headed to Stetson. Catcher Brian Flynn, meanwhile, has signed with Florida Tech.

8. Owasso (Owasso, Okla.), 35-3
The Rams have played in the state championship game 11 of the past 12 seasons. The program figures to face new challenges in the Frontier Valley Conference this year with Union, Jenks, Broken Arrow and Muskogee among the conference foes. The Rams have two of the state’s best pitchers in Austin Kirk and Brandon Bargas. Both Bargas and Kirk have signed to play at Oklahoma next season. Kirk was 7-0 on the mound with a 1.40 ERA and batted .477 with 36 RBI. Meanwhile Bargas was 5-0 with 0.68 ERA. Ryan Mayfield (.393) and Caleb Compton (.307) are among the top returning hitters.

9. Jesuit (Carmichael, Calif.), 27-7
Five of the top six hitters and three of the top four pitchers return from last year’s Sac-Joaquin Section Division 1 champion, including Oregon State signee Andrew Susac at catcher and California recruit Jimmy Bosco in the outfield. Susac batted .466 with a team-best six home runs and 31 RBI while Bosco led the team with a .505 average and seven triples. Infielder Danny Hayes is also bound for Oregon State. He batted .416 last season with 18 doubles and four home runs and a team best 36 RBI. Chris Piwinski (.346) and Sal Pinelli (.328) join Bosco in the outfield. Martin Agosta (6-0, 1.16 ERA), Brock Simon (7-2, 1.97 ERA) and Alex Plog (4-1, 2.55 ERA) lead a talented pitching staff.

10. Norco (Norco, Calif.), 24-4
The Cougars reached the Southern Section semifinals before losing to eventual runner-up Long Beach Wilson. Norco returns its top three pitchers and hitters from last season, led by the L.A. Times Southland Player of the Year Matt Hobgood. The 6-foot-4 senior shined on the mound and at the plate during his junior campaign. He had a 10-0 mound record with a 1.34 ERA and 100 strikeouts and also batted .489 with 15 home runs and 45 RBI. Wes Hatton and David Jones both had 6-1 records with Hatton posting a 1.66 ERA and Jones a 1.48. Hatton also batted .360 while Jones batted .286. Both played in the outfield when not pitching. The two corners of the infield return with Jake Clark (.410-4-22) back at first base and Robert Castillo (.319-1-16) back at third base.

11. Capistrano Valley (Mission Viejo, Calif.), 20-9
The Cougars lost in the second round of the Southern Section playoffs last year, but they return one of the nation’s top pitching prospects in Tyler Matzek. Other top returning players include all-league catcher Nolan Clark and all-league second baseman Jordan Castro.

12. Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), 24-7
Mater Dei lost in the Southern Section semifinals last year to eventual champion Simi Valley, but the Monarchs return 18 players from last year’s roster including P/OF Aaron Northcraft (7-3, 1.72 ERA, .407 batting average) and Ian McCarthy (8-1, 1.07 ERA). Other standouts include junior shortstop Derek Campbell (.517), catcher Brian Frattali (.528), junior catcher Konnor Armijo (.565), and junior outfielder Jacob Medina (.486).

13. Parkview Baptist (Baton Rouge, La.), 35-4
Always one of the favorites in the Louisiana 3A division, Parkview Baptist has won six of the last seven state championships, including 2008. State MVP Alex Byo heads the pitching staff after going 9-1 with a 1.58 ERA last season. He also was one of the team’s top hitters with a .473 average, 52 RBI and eight home runs. He’s headed to New Orleans next season. All-state picks Brennan Middleton and Alex Edward also return. Middleton, who will play at Tulane, plays shortstop while Edward, who is headed to LSU, plays first base. Edward led the team with nine home runs and 60 RBI last year while Middleton batted .370 with 46 RBI. Brant Legendre (.446) anchors the outfield.

14. American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.), 31-2
The Patriots finished the 2008 season with a Florida state championship and a No. 1 national ranking in some polls. Although MLB draft picks Eric Hosmer, Joe Belviso and Adrian Neito are gone, a number of talented players return, including preseason All-American infielder Deven Marrero (.454-9-41). The Patriots have one of the best sophomores in the country in catcher Brandon Sedell (.370) while Eric Acevedo (.360) and Nick Castellanos (.333) return to help Marrero in the infield.

15. Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village, Colo.), 22-2
The Bruins won their first 21 games of the season last year before falling twice in the state playoffs. Cherry Creek has one of the state’s top pitchers in Alex Blackford, who went 7-1 with 93 strikeouts and a 1.4 ERA. He’s joined by 5A all-state honorable mention selections Conor McCabe (.449) in the outfield, Alec Mielnicki (.378) at first base, Duncan Satherlie (.419) at third base, T.J. Shantz (.386) at shortstop and junior Jon Shoutta (.379) at catcher.

16. Malvern Prep (Malvern, Pa.), 40-3
Malvern Prep came close to winning the state championship last year while becoming one of the few teams in the country to post 40 wins. The Friars have four players who have committed to play at the Division I level, including Matt Clary (Penn), Tim Cooney (Wake Forest), Chris Gosik (East Carolina), Mike Lubanski (Wake Forest).

17. Cartersville (Cartersville, Ga.), 29-7
The Purple Hurricanes have become the perennial favorites in the 3A division in Georgia with four state titles since the 2001 season. Cartersville will have one of the nation’s top players to help lead the way to a fifth with North Carolina recruit Donavan Tate back in the outfield.{VIDEO_a5c12cde-6aee-40c6-8a08-4cd719dd953e,floatRightWithBar}

18. Cathedral (San Diego, Calif.), 27-8
The defending San Diego Section Division 3 champs return nearly every major contributor from last season, including a couple of football standouts in state MVP Tyler Gaffney and quarterback Parker Hipp. Gaffney played sparingly last year but batted .531 in 10 games. Hipp, meanwhile, batted .457 with 28 RBI. Gaffney will play in the outfield along with Matt Moynihan (.400) and Casey Munoz (.427). Hipp plays at second base and joins and infield that includes first baseman Casey Husband (.413-9-40), and shortstop Tommy Cheek (.362). The team’s top two pitchers return in Jonathan Meyer (9-2, 2.42) and Ryan Wilkins (7-3, 3.02).

19. Simi Valley (Simi Valley, Calif.), 25-8
The defending Southern Section Division 1 champions made a strong run in the playoffs and ousted 2008 preseason national No. 1 Long Beach Wilson in the finals. Jonathan Meyer, a preseason All-American, returns at shortstop. He batted .387 last season with nine home runs and 46 RBI. Other standouts include All-Southern Section picks Brent Keys in the outfield and Drew Sandler at catcher.

20. Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.), 25-8
Hamilton was the fourth seed in the Arizona 5A Division 1 playoffs, but got on a roll and captured the state crown in 2008. The Huskies have four players with three years of varsity experience, including IF Cory Bernard, IF Justin Rosales, IF Tyler Kem and IF Matt Helm, who earned all-state honors at first base last season.

21. Menchville (Newport News, Va.), 17-4
The Monarchs have one of the best pitching combinations in the state in Ethan Carter and junior Austin Chrismon. Carter is headed to South Carolina next year while Chrismon has committed to East Carolina. Carter was 6-3 last season with a 1.76 ERA. Matt Armstead adds depth to the rotation and leads the offense. He posted a 4-0 mark with a 0.98 ERA and led the team in hitting with a .531 mark that included 10 home runs.

22. Mamaroneck (Mamaroneck, N.Y.), 30-2
The Tigers return two of the state’s top pitchers and a heavy-hitting junior from last year’s 30-win team. Sean Hagan, a 6-5 lefthander, went 9-2 last season with a 2.39 ERA. He has already committed to play at St. John’s. Andrew Benkwitt (10-0), an all-area second team pitcher, bolsters the pitching staff. Outfielder Mike Rosenfeld, a junior, broke the school record with 58 RBI last season with 42 runs and five home runs. He will play catcher for the Tigers this year. Other returning standouts include Gabe Klein (.530) and Matt McGovern (.564) in the outfield.

23. Barbe (Lake Charles, La.), 36-7
The Buccaneers won the state title last season and begin the year ranked No. 1 in the 5A division in Louisiana. Tommy Mathis returns as the team’s top hitter and top pitcher from last year. He set a school record with a .559 batting average and a .628 on-base percentage. He also tied the school record for games pitched and saves. Also back is all-state infielder Garin Cecchini, who batted .456 last year. Meanwhile Hommy Rosado returns after driving in 52 runs – the third-highest total in school history.

24. Calallen (Corpus Christi, Texas), 42-1
The Wildcats had one of the best records in the country last season while winning the Texas 4A state championship. Jordan John returns after posting an 11-1 record with a 1.47 ERA. All-state designated hitter Roland Resendez, a junior, also returns.

25. Brother Rice (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.), 34-6
The Division 1 state champion in Michigan, Brother Rice returns one of the state’s top players in Matt Conway, who batted .429 with 11 home runs and also went 11-1 on the mound with a 2.07 ERA and 80 strikeouts. The Warriors also return all-league picks Steve Hodgins (.322) at second base, Derek Kilmer (5-0, 1.05 ERA) at pitcher, Brian Kurzawa (4-0, 0.59 ERA) at pitcher and junior Pat MacKenzie (.400) at third base.