It is no big mystery who the MaxPreps Sophomore Player of the Year honor goes to this year. Las Vegas catcher Bryce Harper earned first team All-American honors earlier this week from MaxPreps and is easily one of the top prospects to come along in the past 10 years.
Harper is just one of three underclassmen that MaxPreps honors on the All-Underclassman teams. Thomas Dorminy of Alonso (Fla.) is the MaxPreps Junior Player of the Year after leading his team to the 6A state championship. He was the only junior to make the All-American team.
The Freshman of the Year also goes to a Florida player with Jesuit's Lance McCullers receiving the honor. McCullers was a heavy-hitting shortstop for a team that spent the first two months of the season ranked No. 1 in the country by nearly every major ranking service in the country.
Junior All-Americans
John Simms, College Park (The Woodlands, Texas), Utility
The pitcher of the year on the All-Greater Houston team, Simms was 9-2 for College Park with a 1.19 ERA and 128 strikeouts in 88 innings pitched. He was also the 14-5A most valuable player.
Dylan Covey, Maranatha (Pasadena, Calif.), Pitcher
Covey was named the Pasadena Star News player of the year and was also the Southern Section Div. V player of the year. He had an 11-2 record with three shutouts and struck out 127 batters in 68.1 innings pitched. He was also one of the team’s better hitters with a .370 average, 25 RBI and three home runs.
Ryon Healy, Crespi (Encino, Calif.), Pitcher
Helped lead the Celts to the Southern Section Div. 2 championship and was named the MVP of the All-Southern Section Div. 2 team. He batted .468 with 24 RBI, 10 doubles and three home runs and was 11-0 on the mound with 101 strikeouts. Named to the LA Times’ All-Southland team.
Jordan Tabakman, Pequannock (Pompton Plains, N.J.), Pitcher
The only junior on the New Jersey all-state first team, Tabakman was 9-2 on the mound with a 1.22 ERA. He also batted .403 on the season with 24 RBI. Committed to North Carolina, Tabakman threw a three-hit shutout in the Group 2 final.
Cam Bedrosian, East Coweta (Sharpsburg, Ga.), Pitcher
The son of former Cy Young Award winner Steve Bedrosian, Cameron is one of the top prospects in the class of 2010. He sports a 95 mph fastball and posted a 10-1 record for the Indians who reached the state AAAAA quarterfinals.
JUNIOR PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Thomas Dorminy, Alonso (Tampa, Fla.), Pitcher
Dorminy helped lead the Ravens to a 6A state championship as he went 12-0 on the season with a 1.04 ERA and 121 strikeouts in 74.1 innings pitched. He was 3-0 in the playoffs, including a no-hitter in the region finals. He also defeated Lake Brantley, the defending state champion, in the semifinals. As a batter, he hit .370 with 31 RBI and six home runs.
Ryon Healy, Crespi
Photo by Heston Quan
Logan Ehlers, Nebraska City (Neb.), Pitcher
The Gatorade state player of the year in Nebraska, Ehler completed a 10-0 season with a 0.20 ERA and a whopping 161 strikeouts in 68 innings pitched. He an all-Super State first team selection and threw four no-hitters during the season.
Tyler Skulina, Walsh Jesuit (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio), Pitcher
Named the Division 2 state player of the year in Ohio, Skulina led Walsh Jesuit to the state championship game. He had a 9-0 record with 84 strikeouts in 56.1 innings pitched. He had a 0.75 ERA and opposing teams batted just .126 against him.
Andrew Knapp, Granite Bay (Calif.), Catcher
The Sierra Foothill MVP and an All-Metro second team pick in the Sacramento area, Knapp was an outstanding hitter for the Grizzlies as he posted a .500 average with 37 RBI, 10 doubles, three triples and six home runs.
Nick Merullo, Daniel Hand (Madison, Conn.), Catcher
Merullo is the next in a long line of family members who have excelled on the diamond. Father Matt played six years in the major leagues as did his great grandfather. Matt’s father Boots also played organized baseball for the Pirates. Nick was an all-state catcher for Hand and is one of the top-rated catchers in the class of 2010 by Baseball America.
Will Allen, Buchholz (Gainesville, Fla.), Catcher
A first team pick on the Gainesville Sun’s all-area team, Allen batted .383 with seven home runs, 26 RBI, 23 runs scored and 10 doubles.
Daryl Norris, Fairhope (Ala.), First Base
One of the most feared hitters in Alabama, Norris drew 42 walks on the season, but he still managed to blast 13 home runs with 50 RBI while hitting at a .487 clip. He was the 6A state player of the year by the Alabama Sports Writers Association. He was also 8-3 on the mound with 90 strikeouts in 61.2 innings pitched with a 1.25 ERA.
Mark Donato, Neumann Goretti (Philadelphia, Pa.), First Base
Donato led his team to the Catholic League title, its first in nearly 50 years, by batting .601 with 30 RBI and 20 runs scored. He was also 9-2 on the mound with 82 strikeouts in 73 innings pitched. Named the Philadelphia Daily News player of the year.
Christian Yelich, Westlake (Westlake Village, Calif.), First Base
Earned a spot on the All-Southern Section Div. 1 team after batting .489 (46 for 94) with eight doubles and five home runs. He was also named to the All-Ventura County first team.
Connor Narron, Aycock (Pikeville, N.C.), Infield
An all-state pick by the North Carolina Baseball Coaches Association, Narron is graded by Perfect Game Crosschecker as the top infield prospect in the country for the class of 2010. Narron’s father Jerry played Major League baseball as did his uncles.
Taylor Lindsey, Desert Mountain (Scottsdale, Ariz.), Infield
A first team pick on the Arizona Baseball Coaches Association all-state team, Lindsey was one of the top sluggers in the state of Arizona with 18 home runs and 73 RBI. He batted .573 with 14 doubles, six triples and 55 runs scored.
Jake Rodriguez, Elk Grove (Calif.), Infield
One of the top juniors in the state, Rodriguez earned All-Metro first team honors in Sacramento while batting .522 with 39 runs scored, 47 RBI, 10 doubles, four triples and five home runs for the Thunder Herd.
Marcus Littlewood, Pine View (St. George, Utah), Infield
Named the top all-around player in Utah by the Deseret News, Littlewood batted .531 with 14 doubles, five triples and six home runs on the season. A veteran of USA Baseball, Littlewood helped the 16U team win the gold medal last summer.
Johnny Field, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.), Infield
On a potent Gael team, Field ranked second in doubles (17), home runs (14), and RBI (67) and first in runs (78). An all-state pick, Field batted .518 for a team that finished fourth in the MaxPreps Xcellent 100 National Rankings.
Mike Antonio, George Washington (New York, N.Y.), Infield
The only junior on the New York Sports Writers Associations’ 2A all-state first team, Antonio was a defensive whiz at shortstop for George Washington and also batted .565 with 26 RBI, 26 runs scored and a pair of home runs.
Reggie Golden, Wetumpka (Ala.), Outfield
Golden is considered one of the top athletes in Alabama and it showed on the diamond. He batted .458 on the year with 12 doubles, nine home runs and 30 RBI and made the Birmingham News all-state first team.
Jaycob Brugman, Desert Vista (Phoenix, Ariz.), Outfield
Brugman made the 5A all-state first team and was one of the top hitters in the state with a .508 average. He also walloped 15 home runs and had seven doubles and four triples while driving in 49 runs.
Austin Wilson, Harvard Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.), Outfield
Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com ranks Wilson as one of the top hitters to watch in the class of 2010. The All-Southern Section pick batted .526 with nine doubles and six home runs on the season and was also named to the LA Daily News all-area team.
Drew Doty, Gaither (Tampa, Fla.), Outfield
The Hillsborough County player of the year, Doty batted .432 with six doubles, six triples and 10 home runs. He also had the basehit to end Patrick Schuster’s four game no-hitter streak. Doty scored 41 runs on the season and knocked in 32.
Mark Payton, St. Rita (Chicago, Ill.), Outfield
Named the state player of the year by the Chicago Tribune, Payton led St. Rita with 11 home runs and also had four triples and 10 doubles. He batted .438 on the season and scored 54 runs with 40 RBI.
Joshua Sale, Bishop Blanchet (Seattle, Wash.), Outfield
One of the top power hitters in the northwest, Sale led the Seattle Metro area with 13 home runs. He also had 48 RBI and batted .475 on the season. He will play at Gonzaga next season.
Drew Cisco, Wando (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.), Utility
An all-state player, Cisco was also the Low Country player of the year after going 6-3 with a 1.87 ERA and 95 strikeouts in 59.1 innings. He also led Wando, which reached the 4A state finals, with a .473 batting average that included 13 doubles, three home runs and 23 RBI. He has committed to play at Georgia.
Kaleb Cowart, Cook (Adel, Ga.), Utility
Cowart helped lead Cook to the Georgia AA semifinals while cracking 16 home runs with 47 RBI. He also won 11 games during the season and had three no-hitters.
Stetson Allie, St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio), Utility
Allie has committed to North Carolina but will likely be a first-round pick in next year’s Major League Baseball draft. He batted .446 this year with five home runs and 26 RBI. An outstanding infielder, Allie also pitched in relief for the Eagles.
Kyle Crockett, Poquoson (Va.), Utility
The Virginia state AA player of the year and the all-area MVP by the Newport News Daily Press, Crockett led Poquoson to a 28-1 record and the AA state championship. He was 13-0 on the mound with a 0.91 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 89.1 innings pitched. He also batted .434 with three home runs and 21 RBI.
Sophomore All-Americans
Jacob Croft, Sylvania (Ala.), Pitcher
Croft earned all-state honors by the Birmingham News after going 9-2 and posting a 0.81 ERA. He had 150 strikeouts in just 69 innings pitched and was the Class 3A player of the year.
Dillon Williams, American Christian (Tuscaloosa, Ala.), Pitcher
The Class 2A pitcher of the year and an all-state selection by the Birmingham News, Williams was 13-0 with 126 strikeouts and a 0.42 ERA in 108 innings pitched.
Toller Boardman, Bellaire (Texas), Pitcher
Boardman earned District 20-5A co-MVP honors and was the top pitcher for Bellaire, which spent most of the season ranked No. 1 in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 national rankings.
Henry Owens, Edison (Huntington Beach, Calif.), Pitcher
Owens earned All-Southland honors by the Los Angeles Times and was a first team All-Southern Section pick after going 9-1 with a 0.98 ERA and 87 strikeouts in 71.2 innings pitched.
Philip Pfeifer, Farragut (Knoxville, Tenn.), Pitcher
Pfeifer has been the top pitcher on a pair of state championship teams at Farragut and he’s been the winning pitcher in both state final games. He was an all-state selection for the second year in a row and boasted a 12-2 record with 138 strikeouts and a 1.53 ERA in 77 innings pitched.
Jimmy Nesselt, American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.), Pitcher
Nesselt emerged as a strong complement to MLB draftee Mike Clark as he went 10-1 with 71 strikeouts and a 1.41 ERA. He earned all-Broward County honors.
Taylor Layner, Osceola (Kissimmee, Fla.), Pitcher
The Pinnellas County pitcher of the year by the Tampa Tribune, Layner went 8-0 on the mound and had a 0.83 ERA with 91 strikeouts.
Dillon Peters, Cathedral (Indianapolis, Ind.), Pitcher
The City Player of the Year in Indianapolis, Peters paced Cathedral with a 10-1 record and a 0.99 ERA with 112 strikeouts. He was also one of the team’s best hitters with a .495 batting average, 10 doubles, 33 RBI and four home runs.
Brandon Sedell, American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.), Catcher
An All-Broward County choice for the second straight season, Sedell batted .412 for the Patriots with six home runs and 27 RBI.
Eric Van Meetren, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.), Catcher
Van Meetren tied a national record when he hit five home runs in one game for the Gaels. He earned all-state 4A honors and finished with a .496 batting average, 12 home runs, 10 doubles and 64 RBI.
SOPHOMORE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Bryce Harper, Las Vegas (Nev.), Catcher
Harper has been one of the most visible high school baseball players the past month after landing on the cover of Sports Illustrated and then deciding to forgo his final two years of high school and enrolling in a junior college in Nevada. Harper batted .626 during the season with 55 RBI, 36 stolen bases and 14 home runs, eight of which came during the postseason. He also swatted 22 doubles and nine triples.
Blake Swihart, Rio Rancho (Albuquerque, N.M.), First Base
Swihart helped Rio Rancho win the 5A state championship in New Mexico with an upset win over La Cueva. Swihart was an All-Metro choice in Albuquerque and batted .517 on the season.
Dylan Boston, Sheffield (Ala.), First Base
The Class 3A Hitter of the Year in Alabama, Botston batted .553 with 12 home runs, a whopping 24 doubles and 70 RBI. He was also named the Times Daily Player of the Year.
Jake Cave, Hampton Christian (Hampton, Va.), Soph, First Base
The VISAA Div. III player of the year, Cave also earned first team honors by the Newport News Daily Press. He batted .670 with 11 home runs and 71 RBI and also posted a 10-0 record with 106 strikeouts in 60 innings pitched.
Christian Lopes, Valencia (Calif.), Infield
One of the top sophomores in the country, Lopes batted .453 for the Vikings with 39 runs scored, 33 RBI, 12 doubles and 15 home runs. He was named to the All-Southern Section Div. 1 first team and was MVP of the Foothill League.
Brett McAfee, Pine Tree (Longview, Texas), Infield
McAfee was the 13-4A most valuable player honors playing in the same league as 4A state champion Texas High School. He batted .515 with six home runs, seven doubles, 31 runs scored and 18 stolen bases.
Henry Owens, Edison
Photo by Heston Quan
Casey Turgeon, Dunedin (Fla.), Infield
Named the Pinellas County player of the year by the Tampa Tribune after batting .432 on the season and hitting a county-best six home runs.
Archie Bradley, Muskogee (Okla.), Infield
Bradley was a Muskogee all-area selection after batting .398 with 12 doubles, six home runs and 34 RBI. Bradley has reportedly transferred to Broken Arrow and will play baseball there next season.
Jake Hager, Sierra Vista (Las Vegas, Nev.), Infield
Hager was a first team Nevada Class 4A all-state pick after batting .505 with nine home runs and 35 RBI. He also pitched and was 7-3 for Sierra Vista with a 2.51 ERA.
Ryan Ainsworth, Sterling (Okla.), Infield
An all-state pick, Ainsworth was one of the leading hitters in the state with a .546 batting average, 14 home runs, five triples and 50 RBI.
Ajay Snow, Leroy (Ala.), Outfield
Led the Bears in hitting this year and earned all-state honors. He batted .87 with 15 home runs and a team-best 61 RBI.
Tim Barry, Oak Forest (Ill.), Outfield
Already a two-time all-state selection, Barry had a tremendous sophomore season with a .413 batting average that included 18 doubles, 10 home runs and 54 RBI.
John Nogowski, North Florida Christian (Tallahassee, Fla.), Soph, Outfield
Named the 2A state player of the year by the Florida Dairy Farmers, Nogowski made the All-Big Bend team thanks to a .594 batting average with 11 doubles, five home runs and 35 RBI. He was also 6-1 on the mound with a 1.22 ERA.
Ryan Padilla, La Cueva (Albuquerque, N.M.), Outfield
The sophomore proved to be one of the top hitters for a team that stayed in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 rankings for most of the season. He batted .406 with 37 runs scored, 42 RBI, a team-leading 12 doubles and seven home runs.
Billy Flamion, Central Catholic (Modesto, Calif.), Outfield
The top pitcher and hitter for the Sac-Joaquin Section champions, Flamion batted .446 with 36 runs scored, 21 RBI, eight doubles and two home runs. As a pitcher, Flamion was 13-2 overall with 125 strikeouts and a 2.03 ERA in 72.1 innings pitched. He also threw a no-hitter in the section championship game.
Travis Harrison, Tustin (Calif.), Utility
Harrison earned All-Southern Section first team honors after batting .556 with 11 doubles and eight home runs. He also earned a spot on the All-Orange County second team.
Nick Delmonico, Farragut (Knoxville, Tenn.), Utility
Delmonico is one of two dynamic sophomores at Farragut, Pfeifer being the other, who have helped the Admirals win two straight state titles. Delmonico excelled at second base and batted .465 with 12 home runs, 57 RBI and 13 doubles while earning all-state honors.
Bobby Stahel, Needles (Calif.), Utility
Although Needles is in California, the team competes in Nevada, winning the 2A state championship this year. Stahel was a big reason why. He batted .762 with 56 RBI, 12 doubles, 11 triples and five home runs. He used his speed to swipe a national best 93 stolen bases during the season.
Dylan Bundy, Sperry (Okla.), Pitcher
Bundy is already a two-time All-Metro first team pick in Oklahoma. He helped Sperry win the state championship and he was the Gatorade state player of the year thanks to a 12-1 record, a 0.85 ERA and 183 strikeouts in 82 innings pitched. He also had four no-hitters on the year.
Christian Trent, St. Paul’s (Covington, La.), Utility
Trent led all pitchers in the New Orleans metro area with a 10-0 record. He was an all-district selection and also landed on the Times Picayune All-Metro Large Schools Team.
Freshman All-Americans
Cody Poteet, Christian (El Cajon, Calif.), Pitcher
Poteet earned All-San Diego Second Team honors after going 9-1 with 78 strikeouts and a 1.56 ERA in 71.2 innings pitched. He also batted .394 with 31 RBI, eight doubles and nine home runs.
Austin Norrell, Calhoun (Ga), Pitcher
Thanks to a 7-0 record and a 0.72 ERA in 39 innings pitched, Norrell earned all-area first team honors from the Rome News Tribune.
Kenny Koplove, Penn Charter (Philadelphia, Pa.), Pitcher
Koplove found a spot on the Philadelphia Daily News All-City Second Team. Koplove was 9-0 on the mound with a 1.37 ERA and was the InterAc co-MVP.
Cory Geisler, Klein Collins (Spring, Texas), Pitcher
Geisler was the newcomer of the year in District 13-5A. Geisler also won a spot in the USA Baseball 16U trials set for September.
Courtney Hawkins, Carroll (Corpus Christi, Texas), Pitcher
Named Newcomer of the Year in District 27-5A, Hawkins will participate in the USA Baseball 16U trials later this summer.
Brady Bramlett, Arlington (Tenn.), Pitcher
Named to the Tennessee Super Sophomore Team, which also includes freshmen, Bramlett was 7-1 on the mound with a 1.11 ERA and 66 stirkeouts in 50.2 innings pitched.
Ty France, South Hills
Photo by Heston Quan
Jake Dahlberg, Heritage (Vancouver, Wash), Pitcher
Dahlberg earned a spot on the Washington Class AAAA all-state second team and was a solid hitter and pitcher for the
Brett Byrum, Rowlett (Texas), Pitcher
Byrum was one of the top pitchers in the Dallas area, posting a 5-0 record with 27 strikeouts and a 0.52 ERA in 27 innings pitched. He was the District 10-5A Newcomer of the Year.
Taylor Gushue, Calvary Christian (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), Catcher
One of the top small school hitters in Broward County, Gushue batted .480 with 43 RBI and 11 home runs while earning All-Broward County honors.
Wyatt Mathisen, Calallen (Corpus Christi, Texas), Catcher
The Newcomer of the Year in District 31-4A, Mathisen batted .407 with 34 runs scored, a team best 54 RBI, four doubles, four triples and five home runs.
R.J. Ybarra, Poly (Riverside, Calif.), Catcher
Ybarra proved to be a potent hitter for the Bears, averaging .371 with 32 RBI, seven doubles and four home runs while playing all 31 games.
Hayden Hurst, Bolles (Jacksonville, Fla.), First Base
Hurst batted .290 for the Bulldogs with 18 RBI and four home runs, but he was also a presence on the mound with a 3-1 record and 27 strikeouts and a 1.66 ERA in 25.1 innings pitched.
Nick Travieso, American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.), First Base
The Patriots could make another run at a national championship with the talented young group it will field over the next two seasons. Travieso was a standout at first base, batting .341 with 25 RBI, six doubles and six home runs.
Andrew Cox, Belton Honea Path (Honea Path, S.C.), First Base
The South Carolina commit batted .317 in 33 games for the state champion Bears last year while scoring 19 runs and driving in 14. He also had three doubles and two triples.
Trey Williams, Valencia (Calif.), Infield
For the second year in a row, the Vikings have one of the top freshmen in the Southern Section. Williams batted .429 with 17 RBI, four doubles and five home runs and played on the same side of the infield as Christian Lopes, who is on the Sophomore All-American squad.
Tyler France, South Hills (West Covina, Calif.), Infield
France made the All-Southern Section Div. III second team and was honored as the Cal-Hi Sports freshman of the year.
Avery Romero, Menendez (St. Augustine, Fla.), Infield
One of the top offensive players in the St. Augustine area, Romero batted .545 with 18 doubles, four home runs and 30 RBI.
Joey Gallo, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.), Infield
The Gaels big third baseman (6-foot-3), batted .402 and scored 44 runs to go with 31 RBI. He had five doubles, two triples and six home runs.
Ron Miller, Crenshaw (Los Angeles, Calif.), Infield
Miller made the All-City Section second team and was an all-league choice after batting .417 with 31 runs, 42 RBI, 10 doubles and three home runs for the Cougars.
FRESHMAN PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Lance McCullers, Jesuit (Tampa, Fla.), Infield
A standout at shortstop for the Tigers, McCullers was an All-Suncoast second team pick while batting .443 with 28 RBI, nine doubles and five home runs.
Josh Campbell, Alvin (Texas), Outfield
Campbell was named the District 24-5A Newcomer of the Year and he was also honorable mention all-county.
Kyle Carter, Columbus (Ga), Outfield
Carter was named to the All-Bi-City team and was a key player for a Columbus squad that battled for the 3A state championship. He batted .449 on the season with eight home runs.
Jonathan Camp, Fort Meade (Fla.), Outfield
One of the top hitters for Fort Meade, which went deep into the 2A Florida state playoffs, Camp was a second team all-area pick by the Lakeland Ledger.
A.J. Perez, Alice (Texas), Outfield
Was Newcomer of the Year in District 31-4A along with Mathisen and was a second team All-Southern Texas member by the Caller Times.
Carlos Garcia, Fremont (Los Angeles, Calif.), Outfield
Garcia made the All-City Section second team and was a member of the all-league team. He batted .500 with 49 runs scored, 28 RBI, 18 doubles and two home runs for the Pathfinders.
Adam Borboa, Sahuaro (Tucson, Ariz.). Outfield
Borboa was one of the top freshman hitters in the state of Arizona, batting .362 with 15 RBI, 10 doubles and two home runs. Named to the All-Kino Region second team.
David Thompson, Westminster Christian (Miami, Fla.), Utility
Thompson earned all-Dade County honors after helping lead the Warriors to a 2A state championship. He batted .420 with 10 home runs and 32 RBI.
Andrew Pullin, Centralia (Wash.), Utility
Pullin earned all-state honors after batting .351 with five home runs. He also had a 5-2 mound record with 30 strikeouts in 28 innings pitched.
Albert Almora, Mater Academy (Hialeah Gardens, Fla.), Utility
Almora was an All-Dade County second team choice in the outfield for Mater Academy. A veteran of the USA Baseball 14U team, Almora will try out for the 16U team in September.
Max White, Williston (Fla.), Utility
White was an offensive machine for Williston, pounding out 11 doubles and three triples while driving in 29 runs and hitting at a .412 clip. He earned a spot on the Gainesville Sun’s all-area team.
Note: Players are chosen for their high school accomplishments, not necessarily their recruiting potential.
