GHSA Diamond Notes: 4/1 to 4/8

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 April 1 to April 8.

Isaac Bouton, SS, 2019 & Preston Joye, RHP/INF, 2020 (Fellowship Christian)
These two have simply become mainstays on our weekly Diamond Notes. Bouton, a Columbus State commit, went 6-for-8 last week, and four of those hits went for extra bases. He recorded a double, two triples, and a home run, helping him drive in 10 runs and score five times. Joye is among the most interesting uncommitted juniors in the state. He tossed a five-inning complete game against Trinity Sharpsburg last week, striking out seven along the way.

Will Cantrell, INF, Chestatee, 2019
Chestatee’s senior infielder Cantrell had three big hits last week, including a double and two home runs – and both homers came against one of the top 5A teams in the state, Decatur. Cantrell is going to be integral to his team this week in their chase for a playoff berth, as they prepare for a two-game series against Denmark before playing No. 1-ranked Blessed Trinity on Friday.

Corey Collins, C, North Gwinnett, 2020
North Gwinnett’s junior catcher had a big week at the plate last week, which in turn helped the Bulldogs reach the No. 3 seat on the GA Power 25. Collins, a Georgia commit, went 5-for-9 in the three-game series against Collins Hill, with three home runs, two doubles, and seven RBIs. Collins has helped the Bulldogs get to a 20-4 record this spring, and they’re playing their best baseball at just the right time.

Josh Compton, RHP, East Jackson, 2020
East Jackson righty was handed the ball to start last week’s contest against GA Power 25-ranked Jefferson. The 18-0 Dragons faced their biggest test of the year in Compton, who nearly went the distance, pitching 6.1 innings allowing just one run on four hits, earning his team the narrow 2-1 win. He was also responsible for an RBI from the batter’s box.

Kedarrius Cunningham, RHP/OF, 2019 & Daymon Polite, INF, 2022 (Westover)
Westover got another couple huge performances from the batter’s box last week, courtesy of the freshman Polite and senior Cunningham. Polite reached base safely in all nine of his plate appearances last week, thanks in part to his patience. He walked five times and went 4-for-3 with five runs scored and six stolen bases. As for Cunningham, he also snagged six bags and drove in six runs. In his one start on the mound, he allowed just one run in six innings and struck out nine batters.

Carter Davies, RHP, St. Francis, 2022
St. Francis’ freshman right-hander has put together an excellent debut season at the varsity level and his last outing was just the latest look at how sound he’s been. He tossed six scoreless innings and struck out five batters to earn his second win of the spring. Davies has pitched 20.1 innings in 2019 and has an ERA of 1.98 with 21 strikeouts.

Jacob Davis, SS, Franklin County, 2019
Franklin County swept Monroe last week and Davis’ bat is largely responsible. He went 8-for-11 last week – and was 4-for-4 in a game one with a homer. In game two, he added two more hits, including the game-winning one in the seventh of a 1-0 ballgame. Game three featured another pair of hits, both of which were doubles. Davis is hitting .442 this spring with 34 hits in 23 games, with 21 RBIs.

Seth Fullerton, RHP/1B, Towns County, 2019
The senior Fullerton did it with both the bat and from the mound last week for Towns County. He knocked in eight runs by himself, with the help of four doubles and a triple. On the mound, he threw 7.2 innings without allowing a run, and struck out 11 batters in the process.

Miles Garrett, RHP, Parkview, 2020
Parkview is the No. 2-ranked team in the state because of star prospects like right-hander Miles Garrett. The junior Vandy commit has been a Diamond Notes staple all spring long and notched another nomination for his work in Florida last week, on the Panthers’ spring break trip south. Against Sarasota, Garrett tossed six shutout innings and scattered just five hits and K’d five. On the season, he’s 5-0 with a 0.86 ERA.

Zach Gentry, UTL/RHP, Christian Heritage, 2019
The Lions received a big performance from their two-way senior last week, who went 3-for-7 at the plate and also tossed a complete game. He needed only 79 pitches to throw his seven-inning shutout, allowing just four hits and K’ing three.

Brooks Gorman, 3B/RHP, 2020 & Bo Hatcher, RHP, 2021 (Tattnall Square Academy)
Gorman has put together a dynamite season for one of the top 1A programs in the state, last week was just the latest evidence of this. He pitched three perfect innings against region rivals Stratford Academy and he was also 3-for-4 at the plate with another couple doubles. As for Hatcher, he threw a seven-inning complete game against Dutchtown last week and also went 3-for-5 at the plate with two runs scored and two RBIs.

Gino Groover, INF, The Walker School, 2020
Groover went 7-for-8 for last week with a couple doubles and a triple for the Wolverines. They’ll ready themselves for a pair of big contests this week, against Mt. Pistagh and Whitefield Academy, on their way to the conclusion of the spring season.

Carter Holton, LHP, Benedictine Military, 2021
Holton is having among the most dominant seasons on the Georgia prep scene this season. The Vanderbilt commit helped his Cadets shut out Jenkins last Wednesday, going the distance and striking out a staggering 17 batters in seven innings of work, walking just one. On the spring, Holton has yet to allow an earned run in 40.2 innings of work. He has 96 punch-outs and just eight walks, and only 11 hits allowed.

Brandon Magill, RHP, Alpharetta, 2020
Against Davidson Academy last week, junior righty Brandon Magill looked to be in control, dominating the opposition in his six innings of work. He allowed just one hit in 6.1 innings of work and struck out 12 batters. It was just Magill’s second start of the spring after he was rehabbing from a broken wrist suffered earlier in the season.

Brennan Milone, SS, Woodstock, 2019
The South Carolina commit put together another tremendous week at the plate. Milone went 6-for-10 in his team’s four games last week, adding a double, triple, and home run, helping bring home six runs.

Thomas Ross, RHP/INF, Prince Avenue Christian, 2019
Prince Avenue’s go-to arm was just that last week. He threw seven innings and, in that time, was credited with two wins and a save and struck out 12 without allowing a run. At the plate, the Western Kentucky commit was 6-for-13 with three doubles and six RBIs. On the spring, Ross his hitting an even .500 with three homers and 20 RBIs and has 55 Ks with a 1.00 ERA from the mound.

Dalton Schley, C, 2019 & Holden Tucker, LHP, 2019 (Ringgold)
Ringgold was just welcomed to the GA Power 25 for the first time this spring on Monday, as we recognize the 3A program’s red-hot run in the last few weeks. Senior backstop Schley had three hits in his teams three games last week, but two of them left the yard – his four RBIs were big for the Tigers 3-0 week. As for Tucker, the Charleston Southern commit is another player familiar with this Diamond Notes list. His latest nomination is in for his work against a tough Calhoun team. He allowed two runs in six innings and struck out 12 batters to allow his team to cruise to a 6-2 win.

Victor Scott, OF, McEachern, 2019
McEachern’s star outfielder is heating up. Last week, he went 4-for-6 at the plate with a triple and a home run, driving in a pair and scoring four times. He’s committed to West Virginia and has even stirred a little MLB Draft attention this spring, too.

Jonah Stout, RHP, Lamar County, 2019
Last week, Stout earned his four win in 2A Region 5 action, and is now 6-1 on the season. The Andrew College commit tossed a five-inning perfect game against Temple and struck out 12 of the 15 batters he faced, 10 went down swinging. In his 46 innings of work this spring, Stout has allowed just seven earned runs, good for a 1.06 ERA, striking out 81 batters along the way.

Shane Stephenson, 2B/SS, Thomas County Central, 2020
Thomas County Central was welcomed to the GA Power 25 on Monday, thanks in part to their 21-2 record this spring. Their junior middle infielder led the offense last week by going 5-for-9, raising his batting average to .350 this season. TCC defeated Colquitt County and Veterans last week, and suffered just one defeat to a simmering ranked Starr’s Mill team.

Deion Walker, OF, Hillgrove, 2019
Walker played a huge role in Hillgrove’s win over top-10-ranked Etowah last week. There might not be a hotter team in the state than the Hawks, and Walker has been at the center of the action. He went 4-for-7 last week with a double, three RBIs, five stolen bases, and he scored six times. Hillgrove is all the way up to No. 8 on the GA Power 25 and are currently riding an 11-game win streak.

Nick Watson-Garcia, RHP, Heritage, 2019
Watson-Garcia’s huge performance against the formerly ranked Greenbrier is almost directly responsible for getting the Patriots back onto the GA Power 25. He tossed eight innings in total against the Wolfpack last week and allowed just two hits, two walks, and struck out 13 combined. The recent Columbus State commit has 42 Ks in 32.2 innings this spring and has an ERA of 1.50.