Tag: High school baseball

USA TODAY High School Sports Awards unveils latest Baseball Player of the Year watchlist

Play ball! The opening list of Baseball Player of the Year candidates has landed.

High school baseball has been woven into the storied fabric of America’s pastime for decades, with the stars of today creating the origin stories of collegiate and MLB dreams tomorrow. And that classic baseball storyline still holds true today, where the talent at the high school level has seemingly increased from the West to the East, the North and the South.

This spring has been no exception, with individual performances on the baseball diamond creating plenty of conversations and recognition — of which one standout player will eventually receive a grand tip of the cap in August, when the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards showcases top athletes from across the U.S.

The HSSA is the country’s largest high school athletic recognition program, with 20 regional programs and a national awards program that honors athletic achievement. Part of that spotlight shines on the talented baseball athletes, which includes this impressive group who have landed on the 2024 watchlist for the HSSA Baseball Player of the Year.

Okemos’ Caleb Bonemer swings at a Mason pitch during the seventh inning on Friday, April 5, 2024, at Mason High School.

Daniel Arambula — SR, 3B | Yucaipa High School | Yucaipa, California

Cade Arrambide — SR, C | Tomball High School | Tomball, Texas

Charlie Bates — SR, SS | Palo Alto High School | Palo Alto, California

Alec Blair — JR, OF | De La Salle High School | Concord, California

Caleb Bonemer — SR, SS | Okemos High School | Okemos, Michigan

Mason Brassfield — SR, LHP | Bakersfield Christian High School | Bakersfield, California

Bryden Bull — JR, OF | Las Vegas High School | Las Vegas, Nevada

Slade Caldwell — SR, OF | Valley View High School | Jonesboro, Arkansas

Cam Caminiti — SR, LHP | Saguaro High School | Scottsdale, Arizona

Levi Clark — SR, C | Walton High School | Marietta, Georgia

Bryce Clavon — SR, SS | Kell High School | Marietta, Georgia

Derek Curiel — SR, OF | Orange Lutheran High School | West Covina, California

JD Dix — SR, SS | Whitefish Bay High School | Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin

Casan Evans — SR, RHP | St. Pius X High School | Houston, Texas

Theodore Gillen — SR, SS | Westlake High School | Austin, Texas

Cannon Goldin — JR, OF | Buford High School | Buford, Georgia

Trey Gregory-Alford — SR, RHP | Coronado High School | Colorado Springs, Colorado

Konnor Griffin — SR, UTL/RHP | Jackson Preparatory School | Jackson, Mississippi

Jack Haferkamp — SR, OF | Santa Fe Christian Schools | Carlsbad, California

Owen Hall — SR, RHP | Edmond North High School | Edmond, Oklahoma

Josh Hammond — JR, RHP | Westchester Country Day High School | High Point, North Carolina

Seth Hernandez — JR, RHP | Corona High School | Corona, California

Ethan Holliday — JR, SS | Stillwater High School | Stillwater, Oklahoma

Teagan Kuhns — SR, RHP | Chambersburg Area Senior High School | Chambersburg, Pennsylvania

Kaiden Lopez — SR, OF | Oviedo High School | Oviedo, Florida

Burke Mabeus — SR, C | Bishop Gorman High School | Las Vegas, Nevada

Chase Mobley — SR, RHP | Durant High School | Plant City, Florida

PJ Morlando — SR, OF/1B | Summerville High School | Summerville, South Carolina

Michael Mullinax — SR, OF | North Cobb Christian School | Kennesaw, Georgia

Xavier Neyens — JR, 3B | Mount Vernon High School | Mount Vernon, Washington

Dante Nori — SR, OF | Northville High School | Northville, Michigan

Sebastian Norman — JR, 3B | Glendale High School | Springfield, Missouri

Joey Oakie — SR, RHP | Ankeny Centennial High School | Ankeny, Iowa

Owen Paino — SR, SS | Roy C. Ketcham High School | Wappingers Falls, New York

Erik Parker — SR, SS | North Gwinnett High School | Suwanee, Georgia

Braylon Payne — SR, OF | Lawerence E. Elkins High School | Missouri City, Texas

Marcos Paz — JR, RHP | Hebron High School | Carrollton, Texas

Ty Peeples — JR, OF | Franklin County High School | Carnesville, Georgia

Fabio Peralta — SR, OF | Miami Christian School | Miami, Florida

Bryce Rainer — SR, SS | Harvard-Westlake High School | Los Angeles, California

Drew Rogers — SR, C | Hamilton High School | Chandler, Arizona

William Schmidt — SR, RHP | Catholic High School | Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Anson Seibert — SR, RHP | Blue Valley Southwest High School | Overland Park, Kansas

Trey Snyder — SR, SS | Liberty North High School | Liberty, Missouri

Levi Sterling — SR, RHP | Notre Dame High School | Sherman Oaks, California

Tate Strickland — SR, RHP | Harrison High School | Kennesaw, Georgia

Zach Swanson — SR, RHP | Toutle Lake High School | Toutle Lake, Washington

Landon Victorian — SR, RHP | Barbe High School | Lake Charles, Louisiana

Carson Wiggins — SR, RHP | Roland High School | Roland, Oklahoma

Quentin Young — JR, 3B | Oaks Christian High School | Westlake Village, California

From the HSSA

Nominees for both the regional and national programs are posted as they are selected. Regional nominees represent the best in their respective areas, while national nominees are  recognized as the top high school athletes nationwide.

Sign up for email updates for your region or nationally to keep up with nominee selections, the awards programs and special announcements.

Follow our main Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok and Threads pages for more.

Zach Edey was a high school baseball pitcher but this video shows basketball was the right choice

Edey eventually outgrew the sport but he was a sight to behold.

Long before he was absolutely dominating during March Madness, Purdue big man Zach Edey was playing a different sport in high school.

Edey, a 7-foot-4 center who is originally from Canada, was the national collegiate player of the year last season and will likely win it again this year. The big man has led Purdue to the Final Four for the first time since 1980.

But what is especially difficult to believe is that Edey did not even play basketball until he was a sophomore in high school. Before that, he was focused on ice hockey and baseball.

This video is resurfacing of him playing baseball and he was not bad! His fastball needed way more velocity but that is an intimidating presence to bat against.

Edey pitched in Ontario for the travel team Leaside. He was even reportedly scouted to play baseball at the University of Alabama.

He had a “stellar” youth baseball career, per The Athletic, and began his career as a first baseman. Edey was also throwing 70 to 75 miles per hour at 13 years old.

Although he wanted to become the tallest MLB player to ever play, Edey admitted that the sport became a lot harder for him as he grew (via Journal & Courier):

“It was something I really wanted during my childhood. Something I dreamed about,” Edey said. “I kind of outgrew the sport. My shoulder was kind of giving out a little bit. It wasn’t very realistic anymore.”

He elaborated about the difficulties of the growth sport (via Stadium):

“I was growing so much, losing muscle mass, and I couldn’t hit,” Edey said. “I was uncoordinated because of the amount of size I put on. My eye line changed, everything changed. I was still pitching fairly well, but had a lot of arm, shoulder and elbow problems. I was throwing too hard for where my muscle development was at, and I lost a lot of my love for the sport because I felt like I was outgrowing it.”

Even though Edey potentially could have played college baseball in the United States, he now has a chance to become a lottery pick as an NBA player.

We projected that the big man will hear his name called in the first round of our latest 2024 NBA Mock Draft.

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USA TODAY High School Sports Watchlist: Class of 2024’s starting 9

Filling out the first lineup card of the 2024 season with nine must-watch prospects from the senior class.

High school baseball prospects always create additional intrigue as the season begins, with the top prospects holding the attention of college scouts as well as the MLB pipeline. And the class of 2024 is no exception.

Among the top 20 or so talents hitting the diamond this spring, nearly all have generated buzz ahead of the MLB draft in July. Five-tool position players and a batch of electric arms fill the latest list of top=tier players to watch, including these nine from the HSS lineup card.

The battery

Catcher: Cade Arrambide, Tomball High School (Texas)

Pitcher: Cam Caminiti, Saguaro (Scottsdale, Ariz.)

Infield

3B: Henry Allen, Auburn High School (Ala.)

SS: Bryce Rainer, Harvard-Westlake (Simi Valley, Calif.)

2B: Ben Reiland, Orange Lutheran (Orange, Calif.)

1B: Myles Bailey, Lincoln High School (Tallahassee, Fla.)

Outfield

OF: Konnor Griffin, Jackson Prep (Miss.)

OF: Noah Franco, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)

OF: PJ Morlando, Summerville (S.C.)

Ichiro blasts a home run that smashes a high school’s window in Japan

MLB legend Ichiro Suzuki cranked a home run more than 400 feet and straight into a high school while speaking to students in Japan.

In 2007, Ichiro Suzuki was asked how many home runs he could hit if he tried to swing for just power. The two-time batting champion, who averaged about 10 home runs per year through that point in the MLB, answered with a shocking figure:

“If I’m allowed to hit .220, I could probably hit 40.”

He never tried because from 2007-19 he only eclipsed the 10 home run mark once. On occasion, during batting practice, fans would see a show of Ichiro cranking the ball over the wall, but it never happened in games. That estimation of quadrupling his average must have been an exaggeration.

Or was it?

At the age of 50, Ichiro hit a home run that smashed through a high school window in Japan. According to MLB.com, the dinger traveled 426 feet, and Ichiro had a wholesome reaction. Video below:

Ichiro was running through basic drills with the students at Asahikawa Higashi High School in Hokkaido, Japan, when he went yard. According to MLB.com, he hit about 63 pitches and twice cleared a 26-foot-high netting around the building.

Ichiro led the league in total hits seven times and holds two of the top-10 single-season records for hits — including No. 1 overall with 262 in 2004 — but even in his prime, fans didn’t get to experience this. A 26-foot high wall wasn’t enough to stop his ball from traveling well over 400 feet.

Max Clark, Ava Brown win Gatorade Best Player of the Year honors

Clark and Brown both had a ton of competition for their respective honors.

It’s been a pretty good week for Max Clark. In addition to being picked No. 3 overall in the 2023 MLB draft by the Detroit Tigers, he’s been named the Gatorade Best Male Player of the Year.

He’s coming off a remarkable 2022-23 season, hitting .646 with six home runs, 33 RBI and scoring 45 runs. And his glove work was equally strong, committing only two errors all year.

Off the field, Clark’s effort in the classroom (3.97 GPA) and in his community highlight the type of positive strides that have become synonymous with Gatorade nominees.

On the other side, Lake Creek (Texas) softball star and Florida commit Ava Brown won the Gatorade Best Female Player of the Year.

Brown went 27-0 as a starting pitcher and posted a 0.53 ERA in 2023, closing out her career with an 81-0 record and 830 strikeouts. And she was just as impressive with a bat in her hand, hitting .462 with nine home runs, 17 doubles, 65 RBI and a .888 slugging percentage.

She is the second softball athlete to take home the honor in the award’s 20-year history, and like Clark, her resume off the diamond—from a 3.55 GPA to volunteering with the local chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes—weighed heavily on the honor.

Both Clark and Brown beat out hundreds of thousands of other high school players to win the Baseball and Softball Gatorade awards, and they also had to contend with the other Gatorade Player of the Year winners from different sports nationwide. That list included:

  • Juju Watkins, National Girls Basketball Player of the Year
  • Kennedy Fuller, National Girls Soccer Player of the Year
  • Daniel Simmons, National Boys Cross Country Player of the Year
  • Irene Riggs, National Girls Cross Country Player of the Year
  • Angelina Napoleon, National Girls Track and Field Player of the Year
  • Issam Asinga, National Boys Track and Field Player of the Year
  • Ransford Gyan, National Boys Soccer Player of the Year
  • Harper Murray, National Girls Volleyball Player of the Year
  • Cam Boozer, National Boys Basketball Player of the Year

All 12 nominees headed to Los Angeles for the culmination of a three-day journey that included a trip to the ESPYs as well as a a visit to the First Break Academy, a community tennis program that looks to impact Los Angeles youth.

“Each year, we’re thrilled to bring the 12 Gatorade National Players of the Year to Los Angeles for a truly special, one-of-a-kind experience to celebrate their amazing accomplishments on and off the field,” said Gatorade Portfolio president and general manager Michael Del Pozzo in a statement provided to USA TODAY HSS. “The star-studded event is a glimpse into their undoubtably successful careers and futures as they join previous winners of the prestigious Gatorade Player of the Year award.”

To top it all off, former Gatorade award winners joined the talented athletes:

  • Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics forward and 2015-16 Gatorade Best Male Player of the Year
  • Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Olympic champion, world-record holder and 2016-17 & 2015-16 Gatorade Best Female Player of the Year
  • Sam Mewis, Kansas City Current midfielder and two-time Massachusetts Girls Soccer Player of the Year (2010-2011 & 2009-10)
  • Nneka Ogwumike, Los Angeles Sparks forward and 2007-08 Gatorade National Player of the Year
  • D.K. Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks wide receiver
  • April Ross, Three-time Olympic medalist and 1999-00 Gatorade National Girls Volleyball Player of the Year

Congratulations to all the nominees, and to the winners Max and Ava.

Photos from the night:

Taking home this award is a huge moment in my career. The list of past winners speaks for itself; there are so many legends who have achieved great things on and off the field, so I’m honored to have my name next to theirs. – Max Clark

Winning the Gatorade Best Player of the Year award is so special because it’s a testament to not only my work on the field, but also what I’ve done in the classroom and in my community. Seeing my name on the trophy alongside a list of so many legends means everything to me. – Ava Brown

More USA TODAY HSS stories

The 10 highest 2023 MLB draft picks directly out of high school

2024 National Recruiting Rankings: The updated top 25 teams

2023 MLB draft: The 10 highest-picked prospects directly out of high school

Here are the 10 highest-picked baseball prospects right out of high school from the first round of the draft.

The 2023 MLB draft began last night in Seattle at Lumen Field, the home stadium of the NFL’s Seahawks. Unlike the NFL draft or the NBA draft, MLB teams are allowed to pick players right out of high school and then bring them up slowly—or, sometimes, rapidly—through their respective farm systems.

Here are the 10 highest-picked baseball prospects right out of high school from the first round of the draft.

Los Angeles city HS baseball champions raising money for rings

One high school team in Southern California is putting together a memento so their special 2023 season can last a lifetime.

Earning a World Series championship ring is the highest accolade in all of baseball. However, it’s also a one-in-a-million accomplishment – something that many great players can never hope to achieve.

That doesn’t mean championships at the lower levels shouldn’t be celebrated, though. One high school team in Southern California is putting together a memento so their special 2023 season can last a lifetime.

The Sylmar High School team won the city championship in Los Angeles a few weeks ago, and now the team is trying to raise money for championship rings.

Head coach Ray Rivera says he wants the players to enjoy their accomplishment without having to go into their own pockets for a relatively expensive piece of hardware, per KTLA.

“This wasn’t something that was accomplished overnight. This was the culmination of years of hard work… All I am trying to do is offset the cost for the families for something that I feel the boys have earned and really shouldn’t have to pay for.”

Here’s what the rings will look like:

via gofundme

The team’s ring GoFundme set an initial goal of $9,000. At the time of this writing, they’ve surpassed that mark and are at $10,085.

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Hall of Famer Jim Thome coaching at HS where his son plays

Yankees catcher reached out to NY high school team

Yankees catcher reached out to HS team that lost NY state title on dropped 3rd strike

Yankees catcher Jose Trevino has apparently reached out to the team to offer his support.

By the time any athlete reaches the highest level of their given sport, you can bet that they’ve suffered their share of heartbreaking defeats.

Well, it doesn’t get much more challenging than what the Hornell High School (NY) varsity baseball went through a couple of weeks ago, losing the state championship game on May 27 to Palmyra-Macedon High on a dropped third strike, followed by a premature celebration during a live play.

It’s an excruciating way to end a season, but the team is at least getting some love from a major leaguer.

Yankees catcher Jose Trevino has reportedly reached out to the team to offer his support, per MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch. Trevino said he felt bad for the players and also talked about how important high school baseball was for his career.

“I wouldn’t be where I am today if not for high school baseball. It’s very important to me…. I just felt bad for the kid, for his teammates, thinking they had won the championship. I won two state championships in high school. I know the satisfaction of winning and going through a whole year with the guys you grew up with around your town. That means a lot. I just know how much it would have meant for them to win.”

Trevino has invited the Hornell players to a home game at Yankee Stadium later this season.

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USA TODAY Sports Super 25 softball rankings: Week 14

Max Clark named 2023 Gatorade National Player of the Year

Max Clark named 2023 Gatorade National Baseball Player of the Year

Clark is ranked the No. 1 overall prospect in the country

Franklin Community High School (Ind.) center fielder Max Clark has been named the Gatorade National Baseball Player of the Year for the 2022-23 season. He was surprised with the award at school by family, teammates and coaches.

Clark won the honor despite facing some stiff competition both on the field and in the classroom, per a press release from Gatorade.

“Clark beat out nearly half a million other student-athletes who play baseball nationwide, topping the list of state winners in baseball who collectively boast an incredible list of accomplishments, including 39 with signed National Letters of Intent to play baseball at Division I colleges/universities and 35 with a GPA of 3.5 and above.”

(Courtesy of Gatorade)

The incredible numbers that Clark put up this season speak for themselves. He batted .646, hit six home runs, drove in 33 RBI and scored 45 runs himself. He also stole 35 bases and posted a ridiculous 1.215 slugging percentage, leading his team to the Indiana Class 4A sectional semifinals. Meanwhile, off the field Clark has a 3.97 GPA and has given his time to his church youth group and worked as a youth baseball coach.

According to Prep Baseball Report, Clark is ranked the No. 1 overall prospect in the country in the class of 2023. He is committed to playing for Vanderbilt at the college level.

Watch the full surprise video:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/uSAufGnyHrw

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18 year-old baseball star may have been attacked by shark

Oregon HS softball team wins state title game without a hit

18-year-old Louisiana baseball star may have been attacked by shark

Robbins’ teammates and friends have held a vigil for him in Baton Rouge.

Cameron Robbins, a baseball star in Louisiana, had just graduated high school and was preparing to go to LSU in the fall. To celebrate, he went on a sunset cruise in the Bahamas on a tourist ship called the Blackbeard’s Revenge, where another passenger apparently dared him to jump overboard.

According to an account by Inside Edition, Robbins jumped. When the boat crew threw a life preserver down to him, Robbins reportedly swam away from it and disappeared moments later. That’s led to speculation a shark may have attacked the teen.

“A life preserver was tossed in the water after he jumped off the ship, but he swam away from it. And the next moment, he was gone. There is speculation Cameron may have been trying to get away from a shark after video captured a shadowy image in the water. A shark sighting could also explain why the Louisiana teenager simply vanished in the water.”

Robbins’ teammates and friends have held a vigil for him in Baton Rouge.

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Watch: HS team nails runner at second base via misdirection

NY HS team wins championship on dropped third strike