GHSA Diamond Notes: 2/18 to 2/25

Throughout the 2019 high school season, we’re accepting nominations from the coaches across the state of Georgia for their program’s Player of the Week candidates. While there can only be one Player of the Week in the state, we’ll be using this weekly GA Diamond Notes post to highlight the top performers of the past week who fell just short of POTW honors.

Below are the Diamond Notes from Feb. 18 to Feb. 25.

+ B.J. Spears, OF, Tattnall Square Academy, 2019
TSA is 4-0 in the early going this spring and their lead-off man B.J. Spears has operated as the team’s catalyst during their hot start. Spears, who also mans center field, was 6-for-8 last week, scored eight runs, and drove in four, leading to an OBP of .857 last week. His outfield defense is important to note here, too, as he was responsible for two game-saving catches, preserving the Trojans’ undefeated start.

+ Jordan Walker, 3B, Decatur, 2020
The No. 7-ranked prospect in Georgia’s 2020 class, Jordan Walker, has been a menace on offense for the 2-1 Bulldogs. PBR North Florida’s Scouting Director Phil Kerber was on hand for Walker’s big game against South Effingham. Last week, the Duke commit went 4-for-7 with a home run, two doubles, a stolen base, and drove in three runs.

The #7 ranked prospect in @PBRGeorgia, 2020 3B Jordan Walker (@DecaturBulldogs; #Duke commit) hammers this one off the LF wall for a double, his 2nd hit of the game. Impressive frame, long, lanky, athletic. Has serious power potential. pic.twitter.com/RUcRAqHocU

— Phil Kerber (@PhilKerberPBR) February 22, 2019

+ John Griffin Stanford, C/1B, Decatur, 2019
According to Bulldogs Head Coach Robby Gilbert, John Griffin Stanford’s performance last week was just as important as the work Walker was able to provide for Decatur. Opposing teams often opt to give Walker the free pass to first, which puts a lot of pressure on the player behind him, which happens to be Griffin Stanford. He took full advantage last week, by going 4-for-7 with four RBIs in last week’s action.

+ Brennan Milone, SS, Woodstock, 2019

Brennan Milone is the No. 34-ranked senior in Georgia and has helped the No. 8 Wolverines get off to a solid start this spring. Woodstock’s everyday shortstop and South Carolina commit went 6-for-10 last week and homered twice, driving in six runs along the way.

+ Josiah Siegel, LHP, Woodstock, 2020
Southpaw Josiah Siegel, a Georgia Tech commit, tossed a five-inning perfect game against Benedictine last week in Woodstock’s 10-0 win. He retired all 15 batters he faced and struck out six. His contributions from the mound this spring will be integral to the success of the Wolverines this season.

+ Seth Fullerton, RHP/1B, Towns County, 2019
Senior Seth Fullerton threw a no-hitter against Liberty County on Monday and had a big weekend at the plate, too. He had four hits over the weekend and drove in five runs as well.

+ Max DeJong, RHP/DH, Hillgrove, 2020
The No. 4-ranked pitching prospect in Georgia’s 2020 class combined for six innings on the mound last week for 3-1 Hillgrove. The Hawks are a bubble team on the GA Power 25 and were just edged out in Saturday’s extra-inning contest with Marist. DeJong started that game and threw four shutout innings, allowed no hits, walked two, and struck out 12 of the 14 hitters he faced. Against Tift County last Monday, he struck out four of the six he faced in relief. In total, the Georgia commit struck out 16 of the 20 hitters he squared off against and walked only two – not to mention, he was 2-for-4 at the plate and drove in a pair of runs, too.

+ Holden Tucker, LHP, Ringgold, 2019
On Thursday, Ringgold southpaw Holden Tucker took the mound against Gordon Lee and would have went the distance, if the Tigers didn’t need extras to decide it. Over his seven clean innings of work, Tucker allowed just three hits and no runs, and also struck out eight. The Tigers eventually came out on top on a walk-off wild pitch in the ninth inning.

+ Wade Gordon, 2B/RHP, Perry, 2020
In Perry’s games against Warner Robins and Northside, second baseman Wade Gordon continued his torrid start to the spring. He had two hits (including a double) on Wednesday and three hits against Northside on Friday. Gordon also pitched on Friday, throwing 5.2 innings, allowing just one run, and he struck out six. In 2019, he’s 8-for-12 with five RBIs and has appeared in four games on the mound in relief, and has recorded 11 punch-outs and has a 1.50 ERA, so far.

+ Zach Fletcher, INF, Thomas County Central, 2019
The Yellow Jackets’ senior infielder Zach Fletcher is red hot at the plate this spring. He’s already 6-for-12 in the batter’s box with five RBIs, five runs scored, and has stolen four bases. Thomas County Central is undefeated (6-0) this spring and Fletcher is a big reason why.

+ Colby Baker, SS/RHP, Burke County, 2019
Colby Baker, a senior from Burke County, had four hits last week for the Bears. He doubled twice, scored three runs, and stole four bases, too. He also took the mound against Jenkins County and tossed a complete game in the win, allowed just two hits, three walks, and struck out eight.

+ Jonas Griggs, RHP/OF, Gilmer, 2019
The senior two-way player from Gilmer, Jonas Griggs, went 2-for-3 at the plate and stole two bases in their team’s only game last week. He also started on the bump and struck out 12 over six frames, allowing just one run on two hits, two walks.

+ Brody Little, RHP/OF, Bleckley County, 2021
Sophomore Brody Little started for Bleckley and pitched seven near-shutout innings, allowing just one run on four hits, one walk, and he struck out seven. He’s also been hot at the plate so far this spring, hitting .357 in the first couple of weeks of action.

+ Triston Stapp, OF, Morgan County, 2021
Morgan County is getting help early from sophomore center fielder Tristan Stapp. On Monday, Stapp hit his first homer of the spring – a two-run shot that put the Bulldogs ahead at the time. With the game tied again in the seventh, Stapp lined a two-out single scoring the walk-off run from second, handing Morgan County the 5-4 victory. Over the last week, Stapp is 4-for-8 with a double and a homer with seven RBIs, eight runs scored, and was 4-for-4 on stolen bases. Head Coach Merritt Ainslie also praised Stapp’s work on defense, too, for the 5-0 Bulldogs.

+ Buddy Floyd, SS, Pope, 2019
The starting shortstop on the GA Power 25’s No. 1-ranked team, Pope, is senior Buddy Floyd. The undefeated Greyhounds are off to a 7-0 start this spring and are headed into a huge week of play, and their Georgia-committed shortstop is bound to be at the center of the action again. Floyd went 7-for-7 in Saturday’s doubleheader – and his seven hits on the day and seven consecutive hits were both school records for the esteemed Pope program. On the spring, Floyd is hitting .520 with three extra-base hits, nine RBIs, nine runs scored, and five stolen bases.

+ Bryson Lofton, INF, Southeast Whitfield, 2021
In Southeast Whitfield’s two games last week, sophomore infielder Bryson Lofton combined for six hits and he drove in four runs and scored twice. He also walked three times, which helped reach base nine total times in just two games.

+ Brett Caneega, C/RHP, Johnson County, 2020
The Johnson County Trojans notched a pair of wins last week and two-way star Brett Caneega was at the center of the action. Last Tuesday, he threw five clean innings against East Laurens, striking out eight and pitching around four walks and two hits to help Johnson County earn the win. Against Calvary Day on Friday, Caneega’s RBI single tied the game and he scored the game-winning run on a sacrifice fly later on.

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