GHSA Diamond Notes: 2/26 to 3/4

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. We cover all corners of the state – from 1A to 7A – and the evidence is in this post.

Below are the Diamond Notes from Feb. 26 to March 4.

I would like to extend my gratitude for the number of responses the PBR Georgia team has been receiving from coaches all across the state of Georgia. Narrowing down this week’s Diamond Notes post – in only its second week –  to the set of players below was a challenge, but a welcome one. Baseball in the Peach State is in good hands. Now, onto this week’s Diamond Notes.

+ Tyler Cowan, RHP/1B, South Forsyth, 2019
The War Eagles spent much of last week in LaGrange battling programs from Florida, Alabama, as well Georgia in the annual LaGrange Invitational, and uncommitted two-way prospect Tyler Cowan strung together South Forsyth’s offensive performance. He was on the mound for his team’s win against the Grangers, tossing six innings of one-run ball, striking out seven, and he allowed only two hits. At the plate, he slugged three homers in the tournament and collected six hits and seven RBIs in four games combined.

+ Omar Chavarria, INF/RHP, Southeast Whitfield, 2019
The Raiders have been dodging raindrops for much of the spring thus far, last week included, but two-way talent Omar Chavarria still managed to piece together a productive week for Southeast Whitfield. He was 4-for-9 at the plate with a double and three RBIs. On the mound, Chavarria earned the win over Coosa last Tuesday, pitching 6.2 innings and struck out seven. He only got into trouble at the very end of his outing, but the Raiders still pulled out the 4-3 win.

+ Murphy Flood, INF/RHP, Southeast Whitfield, 2019
Murphy Flood is a Tusculum commit and one of the Raiders’ everyday contributors. Last week, he was 6-for-9 with a pair of doubles at the plate. He also took the mound where he struck out seven in four innings of work, allowing just one run on two hits.

+ Alex Cook, RHP, Apalachee, 2019
Senior P Alex Cook (GGC Commit) for PBR Player of the Week. He threw a 2 hit complete game shutout against a very good Rutland High School Team (2018 Second Round Playoff Team). He was unhittable and had 14 K's. Threw 93 pitches and the last one was his hardest.
Stat Line - 7IP, 14Ks, 0 Runs, 2 hits, 2 BB, 93 pitches.

+ Garrett Staton, INF, North Forsyth, 2020
North Forsyth’s junior infielder Garrett Staton was on fire last week during the Raiders’ 4-1 stretch, featuring wins over Denmark, Northview, North Hall, and Norcross. Along the way, Staton was 7-for-14 with a double, three stolen bases, and he drove in a stellar nine North Forsyth runs. The Raiders begin regional play this week, beginning with Woodstock tomorrow and back-to-back contests with both Milton and Lambert.

+ Evan Richardson, C, Burke County, 2021
The Bears played three games last week and won a pair of them, thanks in part to Evan Richardson’s performance. From out of the crouch, Richardson threw out four of the six would-be baserunners, and also defended a couple of bunts around the plate particularly well, and made a game-winning tag at home against Swainsboro to lock down a 1-0 victory. Additionally, Richardson did not allow a passed ball in 16 innings of work from behind the plate. In the batter’s box, he was 4-for-9, proving he’s not just a glove.

+ Josh Peljovich, RHP/INF, Riverwood, 2020
Riverwood beat Cambridge, 5-0, on Saturday behind a complete game shutout by Josh Peljovich. On the mound, he allowed just two hits and struck out 10, in the team’s lone game last week. The Raiders are back in action against Landmark Christian and Jackson this week.

+ Wesley Hall, RHP, Centennial, 2020
The Knights were 3-0 last week with a win over Dacula and two over Lakeside and right-hander Wesley Hall was credited with two wins from the mound. Against Dacula, Hall struck out five in three innings of work and worked a clean couple of innings later in the week against Lakeside, too. Centennial has three games on the schedule this week: Chattahoochee tonight, Cambridge on Wednesday, and North Atlanta on Friday – and Hall could help the Knights stay hot.

+ Ramsey David, RHP, Buford, 2019
Buford and Ramsey David were also in LaGrange for the annual invitational and he dominated Brookwood on Thursday night, in the first game of tourney action. In six innings of work, David struck out 15 Broncos, walked none, and allowed just one hit – a double in the first frame. He threw 55 strikes in his 78 pitches and carved up a GA Power 25-ranked Brookwood team. The Auburn commit is a top-25 ranked senior in the state’s 2019 class and is trending up after a strong start to the spring season.

+ Evan Place, 3B/1B, Buford, 2019
David wasn’t alone pulling his weight for the Wolves in LaGrange. Corner infielder Evan Place went 6-for-11 in the tournament and drove in nine Buford runs. Three of his six hits went for extra bases, including two doubles and a home run. The Wolves had a miniature five-day break after getting home from LaGrange and have just one game on the schedule this week, against DeSoto Central.

+ Cole Hudson, C, Elbert County, 2022
The Blue Devils are off to a strong start this season, and are 5-1-1 in the early going, and their freshman backstop Cole Hudson is a big reason why. Elbert was 4-0 last week and put up some huge scores – totaling 49 runs in their last three games. Hudson went 7-for-13 last week with seven RBIs, four runs scored, and walked three times, too. He’s hitting .476 on the young season.

+ Dawson Dye, INF, Elbert County, 2019
And Hudson wasn’t alone. When you score as many runs as Elbert does, it takes more than just a single player to rake at the plate. Senior infielder Dawson Dye was 8-for-15 last week and drove in eight runs, scored four times, and is hitting .400 this spring, as well.

+ Jack Rasmussen, RHP, Peachtree Ridge, 2019
Jack Rasmussen, a West Georgia commit, earned the win on the mound against ranked Buford last week. He was handed a 1-0 lead to protect in the bottom of the first and kept the Wolves off the board all the way until the sixth. He finished his start totaling 5.1 innings, allowing just one run on two hits and he struck out eight. Rasmussen and the Lions just bounced by Duluth last night and have them back on the schedule again later this week.

+ Will Clark, LHP, St. Francis, 2019
Senior southpaw Will Clark, a Saint Louis commit, earned his second win this season following a 2-1 victory over Mt. Pisgah on Friday. In five innings of work, Clark allowed just one run on four hits and struck out seven. This spring, Clark is 2-0 and in 22 innings of work, he’s allowed just two runs on 12 hits and has 29 punch-outs, and that’s good for a miniscule ERA of 0.63.

+ Grant Fuller, 1B, Westminster Schools of Augusta, 2020
WSA’s 1B Grant Fuller put together an enormous week, and was entrenched in the Player of the Week Conversation as a result. In three games, the junior slugger went 6-for-8 and three of those hits traveled past the fence. He slugged a grand slam against Briarwood Academy and hit two more against Edmund Burke. Fuller collected eight RBIs total, scored eight times, and was walked three times – twice intentionally – and more importantly, avoided the strikeout. He has five home runs in five games this spring,  including two separate multi-homer games, and has a team-high 17 RBIs.

+ Victor Scott, OF/LHP, McEachern, 2019
The West Virginia-bound two-way prospect from McEachern starred on the mound this past week for the Indians. Victor Scott is more of an outfield prospect, but that doesn’t prevent him from eating innings for McEachern during the spring, and he did more than that last week. He made two appearances on the mound last week and struck out six in five innings and allowed just one run on one hit.

+ Carter Holton, LHP/INF, Benedictine Military, 2021
Carter Holton is the No. 100-ranked sophomore on PBR’s national board and showed why against Wesleyan on Saturday. The Vanderbilt commit struck out 12 in 5.2 innings and did not allow a run and gave up a solitary hit. At the plate for Benedictine Military, he went 3-for-4 with a homer and four RBIs in the 7-2 win.

+ Preston Joye, SS/RHP, Fellowship Christian, 2020
One of the most intriguing uncommitted 2020s in Georgia’s junior class in Preston Joye, the two-way prospect from Fellowship Chrstian. In two games last week, against Decatur and Wesleyan, Joye struck out 13 in six innings and allowed only a couple of runs. He also doubled and drove in three at the plate. His double in the top of the ninth against Wesleyan wound up being a game-winner and he notched the save in the bottom half of the inning by striking out the side.

+ Isaac Bouton, SS/RHP, Fellowship Christian, 2019
Joye was accompanied by a fellow two-way prospect for Fellowship Christian last week, senior Isaac Bouton. The Columbus State commit went 5-for-9 with a double, triple, and home run, and added seven RBIs. On the mound against Long County, he tossed a complete game, allowing no runs and struck out eight.

+ Caleb Garner, RHP, Loganville, 2020
Two Red Devils earned mentions in this week’s Diamond Notes, including RHP Caleb Garner for his six innings of work on the mound against Wayne County at the Georgia Peach Tournament. Loganville won 4-0 and the junior allowed no runs on three hits and struck out 11, walking none.

+ Brocker Way, OF, Loganville, 2021
Brocker Way was the other Loganville prospect who warrants attention this week, after going 5-for-9 in the tournament with six RBIs. Three of his five hits were a double, triple, and a homer, in a week where the Red Devils earned three wins against Archer, Wayne County, and No. 3-ranked Blessed Trinity.

+ Tanner Hill, INF, Ridgeland, 2019
The senior infielder from Ridgeland was 7-for-11 last week, including a 4-for-4 performance against Ringgold, a bubble team on the GA Power 25. At Ringgold, Hill drove doubled three times, hit a grand slam, and drove in seven runs to yank the Tigers to victory.

+ Gabe White, LHP, Stephens County, 2019
Southpaw Gabe White, a Mercer commit, tossed a complete game shutout against Hart County last week. He struck out 10 and allowed just two hits in the win. On the spring, White is 2-0 with a 1.73 ERA and has a 17 Ks in just 12.1 innings of work.

+ Dawson Sorrells, RHP, Stephens County, 2019
Stephens County righty Dawson Sorrells threw 6.2 innings of shutout ball, allowing just three hits, striking out nine over that span in the team’s 5-0 win over Hart County. On the spring, Sorrells is 1-0 with a 1.46 ERA and has recorded 18 strikeouts in 14.1 innings. He also hit over .400 last week from the lead-off spot.

+ Halton Hardy, RHP, East Jackson, 2020
The Eagles are 4-2 this spring and the work from Halton Hardy on Wednesday helped them get there. The junior righty tossed a complete game against Cherokee Bluff allowed just one earned run on four hits and struck out 10. East Jackson is back at it tonight against Jackson County.

+ Max DeJong, RHP, Hillgrove, 2020
Hillgrove’s junior ace Max DeJong is having, arguably, one of the best seasons so far of anyone on the mound. The Georgia commit is the No. 22-ranked junior in the state and established himself early against ranked Allatoona last week. He did not allow a baserunner in his five perfect innings of work, striking out 11 over that span, too. DeJong is likely going to be in running for Player of the Week honors every week.

+ Justin Tew, OF, Hillgrove, 2019
While DeJong put it in his work on the mound, senior OF Justin Tew put in the work at the plate. The Middle Tennessee State commit hit a home run, walked five times, scored foru runs, and drove in four last week, helping the Hawks land on the GA Power 25 for the first time this spring.

+ Nathan Davis, 1B, Christian Heritage, 2020
Junior first baseman Nathan Davis went 5-for-9 last week and drove in four runs for Christian Heritage. He’s hitting over .300 for the Lions in 2019 and has been on base in half of his plate appearances.

+ Brooks Gorman, RHP/3B, Tattnall Square Academy, 2020
Tatnall Square’s three-hole bat Brooks Gorman played a big role in both of his team’s wins last week. Against Holy Innocents’, Gorman homered and drove in four critical runs. They downed an undefeated Savannah Christian team later in the week by tossing a one-hit shutout, striking out eight along the way.

+ Logan Sharpton, LHP, Lamar County, 2019
In Lamar County’s 1-0 victory against Spalding, southpaw Logan Sharpton pitched six innings and struck out 12, walked two, and did not allow a hit. In the sixth, Sharpton walked the lead-off man and an error put the go-ahead runner on second with no outs, but Sharpton countered by striking out the side to preserve the 1-0 lead and eventually the win. He has 25 Ks in 15 innings this spring and has an ERA of 1.30.

+ Stephen Hrustich, C/1B, Parkview, 2020
Two Parkview Panthers earned POTW nominations this spring, including Stephen Hrustich. The Panthers went 4-1 last week facing some stiff competition, and the junior C/1B played a big role in the huge week. He went 5-for-11 with two homers, a triple, and drove in seven runs. He’s hitting .364 for the No. 2-ranked Panthers this spring.

+ Miles Garrett, RHP, Parkview, 2020
The Panthers’ Vanderbilt commit, Miles Garrett, started Parkview’s game against the powerhouse California program JSerra. In the Panthers’ win, Garrett limited JSerra to just two runs on eight hits and struck out five. In 8.1 innings on the bump this spring, Garrett is 1-0 and has a 2.52 ERA.

+ R.J. Delaney, RHP/OF, Thomas County Central, 2019
The Yellowjackets are 9-0 this spring and two-way senior R.J. Delaney is a big reason why. They went 3-0 last week and outscored their opponents 23-2. Delaney was responsible for seven runs driven in and was 8-for-11 at the plate. He also pitched and allowed just two hits in five innings and struck out a staggering 13 of the batters he faced.

+ Pace Mercer, RHP, Thomas County Central, 2019
Pace Mercer joined Delaney as another TCC staffer to put together a stellar week on the mound. He was 2-0 last week and struck out 15 across 12 innings of work, and allowed just three hits.

+ Hudson Sapp, LHP/OF, Dawson County, 2020
Dawson County’s two-way prospect Hudson Sapp, a Mississippi commit, went 6-for-6 at the plate last week in his team’s two wins, including two doubles and a grand slam. He also drove in eight runs, scored seven times, and stole three bases. On the mound, in 2.2 innings of work, he struck out seven and allowed just one hit.

+ Hunter Price, 1B/C, Northside, 2019
Hunter Price, a senior 1B/C from Northside, helped his Eagles get to 5-2 on the spring with his work at the plate. He went 5-for-8 at the plate and drove in six runs for Northside. The Eagles have Warner Robins and Valdosta on the schedule this week and they’ll need Price if they want to add to the win column.

+ Ben Howard, LHP, George Walton Academy, 2020
George Walton Academy’s Ben Howard notched a pair of clutch saves this week. In his 2.1 innings last week, he struck out seven and pitched GWA out of trouble, inheriting baserunners in both save situations. In the first win of last week, the junior southpaw took the mound in the seventh, protecting a 3-2 lead with the tying run on second and nobody out – and proceeded to strike out the side. Against Social Circle, Howard entered in the sixth with runners on first and third, and struck out four straight to cleanly record his second save of the week.

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