2015 Perfect Game High School Baseball Preview Index
6.
College Station Cougars
College Station, Texas
UIL,
3A
Head
Coach: Scott Holder
2014
Result: 36-6-1, UIL 3A Champions
Key
Losses: LHP Nick Kennedy (Texas) – transfer
Top
Players: OF/RHP
Ryan
Johnson
(TCU), RHP MacGregor Hines (Florida), C/RHP Baylor Rowlett (Oklahoma
State), OF Cody Staab (Rice), SS Jaxxon Grisham (Sam Houston St.), SS
Walker Davis (Sam Houston St.), LHP Kyle Richardson (Texas A&M)
The
Cougars may only have fielded a team for three years but Head Coach
Scott Holder and crew have done a lot in such a short time, advancing
into the playoffs each of their first two years and are coming off their first state championship.
The
lineup is poised and hungry to make it a three-peat, returning
several prominent bats and high-level arms to make it a real
possibility. Perfect Game All-American Ryan Johnson will not only be
a lefthanded power bat in the middle of the lineup but will also
serve time on the mound where he shows a low-90s fastball and a hard,
late breaking curveball. MacGregor Hines is going across the country
to the SEC next year and features a heavy low-90s fastball with late
arm-side life. Junior Kyle Richardson is a two-way threat and
garnered offensive MVP honors in the league.
Along
with Richardson the Cougars return league MVP Baylor Rowlett, who
will also provide innings on the mound, senior outfielder Cody Staab,
and middle infielders Jaxxon Grisham, Walker Davis, and Izzy
Martinez. With several of these players playing at College Station
since the school was instituted, what’s a better way for them to
end their high school careers then by capturing another state title?
7.
JSerra Lions
San Juan
Capistrano, Calif.
CIF
Southern, Division 1
Head
Coach: Brett Kay
2014
Result: 22-8, Southern Division 1 Semifinals
Key
Losses: C
Parker Joe Robinson (Texas), RHP Clayton Chatham (Dartmouth)
Top
Players: LHP
Quentin Longrie (Southern California), C Sam Cohen (UC Santa
Barbara), OF Jake Pries (UCLA), C Christian Molfetta (Stanford),
SS
Chase Strumpf (UCLA), 3B Brady Shockey (Southern California), LHP
Jack Owen (Mississippi State), MIF Royce Lewis (Uncommitted)
The
most remarkable thing that came from the Lions Trinity League
Championship before making a run in the playoff is the roster with
which they did it. Don’t be mistaken, the roster was loaded with
talent, but they were filled with young underclassmen who performed
well beyond their years.
Loaded
with Division I talent, the Lions welcome back six players who earned
all-league honors, led by infielder Brady Shockey, who was co-MVP of
the Trinity League. UCLA commit Chase Strumpf and sophomore Royce
Lewis should join Shockey in the infield, and they also boast two
catchers, Sam Cohen and Christian Molfetta, both of whom bring talent
and experience along with outfielder Jake Pries.
Senior
Quentin Longrie will once again lead the staff and will be joined by
Jack Owen, a highly projectable arm with polish beyond his years.
With
the amount of talent returning and the experience they accrued last
spring, watch for the Lions to make noise in the Trinity League once
again as they look to advance past the semifinals in 2015.
8.
College Park Falcons
Pleasant
Hills. Calif.
North
Coast Section, Division II
Head
Coach: Andy Tarpley
2014
Result: 27-3, North Coast Division II Champions
Key
Losses: LHP/1B
Ethan Cook (Chico State), C Scott Hroza, RHP Justin Gregory
Top
Players: RHP
Joe
DeMers (Washington),
1B Nick Oar (Stanford) C Willie MacIver (Washington), RHP Trevor
Larnach (Oregon State), C Noah Burnham (UC Santa Barbara), LHP Chris
Brown (UC Davis), OF Jeffrey Mitchell (California)
The
Falcons captured the North Coast Division II Championship last year
with a team comprised of mostly juniors, though they did lose seven
seniors from 2014. With that strong junior group now seniors, they
will not only provide valuable contributions on both sides of the
ball, but will provide leadership for the next wave of talent behind
them.
Perfect
Game All-American Joe DeMers will be a two-way force for Head Coach
Andy Tarpley, serving as the team ace and a middle-of-the-order bat
after going 12-2 with a 0.65 ERA and hitting .371-3-32. Six-foot-4
Trevor Larnach returns after hitting .436 and is one of seven
hitters that returns with an average over .300.
Lefthander
Chris Brown returns with 11 wins of his own, and when combined with
DeMers, they make up for 23 of College Park’s 27 wins last season.
The Falcons have all the right pieces in order with another year of
experience under their belts and are ready to make another run in
2015.
9.
Barbe Buccaneers
Lake Charles,
La.
LHSAA
Class 5A
Head
Coach: Glenn Cecchini
2014
Result: 39-2, LHSAA 5A Champions
Key
Losses:
3B Bryce Jordan (Louisiana State), OF Beau Jordan (Louisiana State),
SS Kennon Fontenot (Oklahoma State), RHP Erin Baldwin (LSU-Eunice),
3B Braedon Barrett (Northwestern State), 1B Gunner Leger (ULL)
Top
Players: SS
Braden
Comeaux
(TCU), OF Shane Selman (McNeese State), LHP Tyler Booth
(Uncommitted), LHP Adam Goree (Uncommitted), RHP Slate Fuller
(Uncommitted), SS Kirkland Banks (Uncommitted)
The
one thing Head Coach Glenn Cecchini seems to do year-in and year-out
is win. Coming off a 2014 season in which the Buccaneers won the
LHSAA 5A Championship and captured Perfect Game’s National Team of the Year,
the lineup is going to look different with several bats departing to
the Division I level.
Though
some of the returning players were not everyday regulars last spring,
they got to experience what it takes to win. Texas Christian commit
Braden Comeaux will not only be the big bat in the lineup after
hitting .354 with two home runs last spring, but will also be the
backbone of the defense playing up the middle. Barbe also welcomes
back outfielder Shane Selman who was a main power bat during last
season’s run.
The
biggest thing Barbe returns is pitching led by sophomore lefty Adam
Goree who pitched like anything but a freshman in 2014. Goree led the
staff in every statistical category going 12-0 with a 1.54 ERA over
68 1/3 innings while showing advanced command of the zone with a full
arsenal that includes a mid-80s fastball that will touch higher.
Returning with Goree to the staff are seniors Braden Bethea, Tyler
Beaubouef and Grant Loupe, junior Tyler Booth and fellow sophomore
Slate Fuller.
10.
Jesuit Tigers
Tampa, Fla.
FHSAA
Class 5A, District 9
Head
Coach: Miguel Menedez
2014
Result: 25-6, FHSAA 5A State Champions
Key
Losses: LHP
Hunter Van Horn (Clemson), C Ryan McCullers (Middle Tennessee St.),
OF Evan Cannan (High Point), OF Rocky Caldevilla (South Florida), LHP
Kasey Radke
Top
Players: OF
Kennie
Taylor
(Duke), 3B/RHP Ronald Ramirez (Florida State), OF Cole Gibbs (North
Carolina), LHP Bobby Hearn (Wake Forest), LHP Michael Sandborn
(Vanderbilt), OF/RHP Nicholas Baldor (Uncommitted), OF Nick Ortega
(Uncommitted)
Perhaps
the biggest loss from last season for the Tigers was the departure of
Head Coach Richie Warren who accumulated a career record of 206-39 in
his eight seasons at Jesuit. As far as the talent on the field,
Jesuit returns several familiar faces and Division I talent, proving
that they don’t rebuild but rather reload.
Coming
off a 2014 season that saw the Tigers make it through a talented crop
of 5A teams en route to capturing the state championship with a 5-2
victory, Jesuit only loses four seniors off the 2014 team. Lefty
Michael Sandborn returns after going 4-0 last spring with a minute
0.85 ERA and a low-90s fastball and is the first of many quality arms
Jesuit has to boast which will be key in an attempt to repeat as
champions.
The
outfield may be as talented as any in the country with two ACC
commits in Kennie Taylor and Cole Gibbs, and they have two talented
juniors in Nicholas Badlor and Nick Ortega. Taylor returns after
hitting .348 last spring with three home runs and senior Ronald
Ramirez will serve a prominent role as a two-way player for
first-year coach Miguel Menedez.