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High School  | General | 12/24/2015

2015 Year in Review: High School

Photo: Parkview High School

2015 Year in Review: College | PG Events | MLB Draft


2015 Perfect Game Final Top 50 High School Team Rankings

10. IMG Academy absolutely loaded

It would be hard to find a roster more loaded with Division I and draft-eligible talent than the 2015 IMG Academy Black squad. Their pitching staff led the way, highlighted by a trio of immensely talented lefthanders, two of whom were Perfect Game All-Americans. 2015 graduate Logan Allen was drafted by the Boston Red Sox and given third-round money to sign. All-Everything Jason Groome is the prohibitive favorite to go No. 1 overall in the 2016 draft, and fellow PG All-American Dion Henderson oozes projection and should provide an immediate impact at Texas Christian in 2017. The three of them combined to go 17-1 with an ERA of roughly 1.00 over 120-plus innings, with over 170 strikeouts. Truly dominating.

Not to be outdone, the IMG offense was loaded top-to-bottom with several seniors and juniors, many of who are now on Division I campuses looking to compete as freshmen. Danny Blair (South Carolina), L.T. Tolbert (South Carolina), Ryan Karstetter (Virginia) and Eric Feliz (Notre Dame) all hit well over .300 for the Ascenders, with plenty of power, and are making their way towards immediate contributions in the spring at the college level.

Junior and Florida State commit Nick Derr, who has transferred to Sarasota High School for his senior year, led the team in doubles. Overall one would be pretty hard-pressed to find a 2015 roster more deep with high-end talent.


9. Park Vista and Olympia battle all season in Florida

Despite not achieving their goals of winning Florida state championships, both Park Vista High School and Olympia High School were incredibly entertaining all season long, as they held the 1-2 spots in our weekly rankings for seemingly the entire season until the final few weeks. After losing their first game of the season, Park Vista went on an incredible 25-game winning streak, before ultimately falling to eventual state champion Columbus High School in the state playoffs. Similarly, Olympia’s first game of the season ended in a tie, and then went on an identical 25-game winning streak. Both streaks carried these teams into late April, right into the Florida state playoffs.

Both teams were led by incredibly talented starting pitchers, with Olympia’s Juan Hillman being a second-round selection by the Indians, and Park Vista’s Austin Smith being taken in the second round by the Padres. Both aces played in the Perfect Game All-American Classic the summer before, and while their respective talents shouldn’t be understated, the story here is truly the remarkable runs each team went on throughout the 2015 season. Time and time again they led off our weekly high school rankings, and very deservedly so.

Joe DeMers, 2015 PG HS Pitcher of the Year
8. College Park wins state title as DeMers dominates
While California is often regarded as one of the main baseball hotbeds in the entire country, and with good reason, it’s often Southern California, specifically, that is mentioned. Northern California has had their share of talent come through in the past couple years, and Joe DeMers helped lead his College Park team to a dominant season both as a team and individually. College Park ended their season with a 26-4 record, culminating in a championship in the North Coast Section baseball tourney (the Calif. equivalent of a state title). They won 20 of their final 22 games to end the season in dominating fashion.

2014 Perfect Game All-American Joe DeMers, now on campus at the University of Washington and looking to be an impact freshman in the Pac-12, showed a level of two-way dominance not often seen in the 2015 season. Primarily a pitcher, DeMers used his mid-90s heat and plus off-speed stuff to blaze through the competition, compiling a 13-1 record with an ERA of 0.51 over 96 innings, racking up 103 strikeouts and pitching to a WHIP of only 0.50. While the numbers on the mound are certainly impressive by themselves, when you pair them with his incredible offensive numbers, it’s truly remarkable. DeMers hit .447 on the season, leading his team in doubles, home runs and RBI.


7. Three first round arms hail from Jupiter champs

The EvoShield Canes, perhaps the most consistently talented travel ball team around in recent year, have now won three consecutive WWBA World Championships held in Jupiter, Fla. in late October. Of the team that won in 2014, three of the key pitchers on that squad became first round picks roughly eight months later in the 2015 draft: Ashe Russell (Cathedral HS, Indianapolis, Ind.), Beau Burrows (Weatherford HS, Weatherford, Texas), and Nolan Watson (Lawrence North HS, Indianapolis, Ind.) were selected by the Royals, Tigers, and Royals (again) respectively.

It’s no surprise that the EvoShield Canes churned out this type of talent, but it’s still quite impressive to look back on a single pitching staff that turned out three first-rounders in one draft class. Perhaps even more unique is that two of these pitchers, Ashe Russell and Nolan Watson, not only went in the first round and played on the same championship summer team, but both are from Indianapolis and were taken by the Royals. A testament to the talent that the Midwest turns out, which is often overlooked.


6. Bishop Gorman continues dominance in desert

Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.) has enjoyed a run of dominance over the past decade that would be hard to match by any school in any state, in any sport. Since 2006, they have won eight of a possible 10 state championships, including a run of seven straight from 2006-2012. They missed on their goal in 2013-2014, but ascended back to the top in 2015 by winning the Nevada Division One State Championship, compiling a 32-3 record over the course of the season while never really being challenged. They finished the year ranked third overall in Perfect Game’s final 2015 High School Team Rankings, and look to rise even higher in the 2016 edition.

The roster is always loaded, and the 2015 version featured Perfect Game All-American Cadyn Grenier, a 21st round pick by the Cardinals in the 2015 MLB draft. Grenier is now on campus at Oregon State where he has thrust himself into the conversation to start at shortstop as a freshma. A pair of freshman were huge contributors to the success as well, with catcher Austin Wells having already committed to Stanford and being a stalwart behind the plate. Righthander Parker Aquino already throwing in the upper-80s with significant upside.

While Grenier was certainly the superstar of the team, they look to continue their domination in 2016 on the heels of a loaded roster, with big contributions from all classes.

 

Tyler Stephenson, 2015 PG HS Player of the Year
5. Georgia bats hit way into first round

While both Kennesaw Mountain High School catcher Tyler Stephenson and Griffin High School infielder Cornelius Randolph were both well known, highly-touted players heading into the 2015 high school season, not many draft pundits predicted that they would both be selected in within the first dozen picks of the MLB Draft.

While both offer solid tools across the board, when breaking down their respective games it’s the bat that stands out for both and the bat that elevated them to high first round picks. Way back in March at the Perfect Game High School Showdown Stephenson put on a huge display both offensively and defensively, rocketing himself onto the national radar as one of the most draftable catchers in the 2015 class. With plus raw power, feel to hit, and impressive defensive tools behind the plate, Stephenson drew comparisons to major leaguer Matt Wieters and was ultimately taken 11th overall by the Reds.

Randolph, meanwhile, was a bit more of a known commodity, having been lauded for is advanced hitting ability for several years, and having been a Perfect Game All-American in 2014. He was considered to be one of, if not the best pure prep bat in the 2015 class, and was taken 10th overall by the Phillies. After being immediately shifted to left field once he signed, Randolph picked right up where he left off once he got into pro ball, hitting over .300 with plenty of extra-base power and an advanced approach.


4. Buford wins state, finishes No. 2 with loaded roster

Buford High School (Ga.) finished the season at No. 2 overall in the PG High School Team Rankings, and came within a hair of stealing the No. 1 spot away from Parkview (Ga.). They finished their season 34-2, eventually winning the Georgia State 4A Championship over Whitewater High School, a school who spent the majority of the year in the Top 50 rankings as well.

Definitely not short on talent, the 2015 Buford roster reads like an all-star team of Division I signees and commitments. Four seniors off the 2015 team – Jake Higginbotham (Clemson), Joey Bart (Georgia Tech), Keyton Gibson (Georgia Tech) and Connor Bennett (West Virginia) – all signed with Power 5, Division I schools. Usually, having four players on one roster of that caliber is pretty rare, but Buford didn't stop there. Their class of 2016 included the Wilhite brothers (Austin and Nick), both of whom are committed to Georgia Tech, in addition to Justin Glover (Georgia), Brandon Marsh (Kennesaw State) and Griffin Joliff (Georgia Tech).

That makes a total of nine high-level Division I players that populated the 2015 Buford roster, and that was just amongst the upperclassmen.


3. Huntington Beach wins state title, heads into 2016 on top

Perennial California powerhouse Huntington Beach High School enjoyed quite a successful season in 2015, winning the CIF Southern Section Division 1 championship, the California equivalent of a state title. They started their season out a bit roughly, going 4-6 in their first 10 games, but re-grouped and rebounded nicely to post a 25-8 overall record. They took part in the National High School Invitational (NHSI), posting a 3-1 mark and losing only to eventual NHSI champion San Clemente High school. As a result they finished the season at No. 11 in Perfect Game’s High School Team Rankings.

Perhaps the biggest story here, despite a state championship season and a great showing at a national event like the NHSI, is just what Huntington Beach is going to bring into 2016, where they will be one of the favorites to start the season on top of the PG High School Team Rankings.

In the present world of pitchers-only and hitters-only, having a legitimate two-way talent on one roster is rare in it of itself. Huntington Beach has two of them. All-everything 2017 prospect Hagen Danner might have first round potential both on the mound and with the bat, and new teammate Nicholas Pratto is also dually talented, although he’s the lefthanded complement to the powerful right arm of Danner. Logan Paulson will also do a bit of both, as the senior UCLA signee comes into 2016 having been a big contributor both in the middle of the lineup and on the mound in 2015. Huntington Beach has a chance to not only duplicate their 2015 success, but add to it, making them one of the best storylines not only of 2015 but heading into 2016 as well.


2. Barbe continues dynasty

To call Barbe HS (La.) a perennial power would perhaps be doing them a disservice, seeing as they’re consistently at or near the top of the team rankings, and it’s more of a surprise when they don't win a state championship than when they do. They won the Louisiana High School 5A State Championship in 2015, their second in a row, and have won three of the last four overall.

Perhaps most notable of their 2015 season successes Barbe won the state title while relying on huge contributions from their underclassmen, with several players making huge contributions as freshmen. They, perhaps more than any other team in the nation, are set up for continued domination of their competition over the course of the next several years, simply due in part to their combination of youth and talent.


1. Parkview back on top

Parkview High School (Ga.) finished the season as the No. 1-ranked team in the Perfect Game Top 50 Team Rankings, and with very good reason. They were simply dominant, from start to finish, running their dominating record to 34-2, including an incredible 26-game winning streak to finish their season into the state championship. They won the Perfect Game High School Showdown at LakePoint in March, and then won the state championship in Georgia’s highest classification (6A).

Parkview is no stranger to success in the Georgia high school baseball scene, consistently being at or near the top of the rankings, both state and national. Head Coach Chan Brown is among the best at his craft, churning out perennial powerhouses in the baseball factory that is the Southeast Region. Parkview is once again loaded for 2016, and will head into the season at or near the top of Perfect Game’s initial rankings.

As a result the Parkview Panthers finished the 2015 season as Perfect Game's High School Team of the Year.



Player of the Year: Tyler Stephenson, Kennesaw Mountain High School (Ga.)

Every year, some high school prospect seems to make a massive jump in the spring before the draft, and vaults himself way up the draft boards and even into the conversation for the No. 1 overall pick. In 2014, it was Brady Aiken. In 2015, it was Tyler Stephenson, who ended up going 11th overall to the Cincinnati Reds. Even as close as a few days before the draft, rumors circulated that Stephenson may go No. 1 overall to the Diamondbacks, an honor eventually bestowed on Dansby Swanson. Stephenson looks the part of a complete catching prospect, with impressive tools behind the plate as well as in the batter’s box, impressing scouts all season. He hit .425 with nine home runs and 26 RBI in only 97 plate appearances, and enjoyed success to the point in which opposing teams purposely didn’t pitch to him for the sake of not damaging their outfield fences.


Pitcher of the Year: Joe DeMers, College Park (Calif.) High School

DeMers would certainly also qualify for two-way player of the year if such an award existed, as the current University of Washington Husky dominated the competition, both on the mound and with the bat. His numbers were astounding on the mound, posting a miniscule ERA of 0.51 over 96 innings, with 103 strikeouts and allowing a baserunner only once every two innings (0.50 WHIP). DeMers was in the conversation for a high round draft pick, but opted instead to honor his commitment to Washington, and there he is already thrusting himself into the conversation of being an immediate impact, weekend starter.

 
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