Follow @PBRMaryland
Facebook & Instagram

With the 2019 Maryland High School baseball season just underway and games right around the corner, we begin to close out our complete preseason coverage with a look at every conference throughout that state. We will break down each conference with a preview of teams expected to contend as well as key players from across the league that you won't want to miss play. 

Note: A preseason questionnaire was sent out to all Maryland high school baseball coaches in Mid-January to gain pertinent information for this piece but not all forms were completed and returned. Below is a compilation of information received as well as thoughts from our staff at PBR Maryland.

 

Players to Watch in Howard County

Cole Brown (Marriotts Ridge)
Michael Burton Jr. (Atholton)
Alex Campbell (Howard)
Connor Coleman (River Hill)
Carson Collier (Atholton)
Gabe Delgado (Howard)
Eddie Dello Russo (Glenelg)
TJ Delmonte (Marriotts Ridge)
Magnus Dunn (Mt. Hebron)
Daniel Elliott (Reservoir)
Brandon Eschman (Hammond)
Tommy Fitzpatrick (Mt. Hebron)
Brendan Foster (Howard)
Zachary Geesaman (Atholton)
Ryan Green (Reservoir)
Tad Henley (Glenelg)
Dylan Holzman (Mt. Hebron)
Jeremy Huffman (Long Reach)
Jimmy Jaecksch (Mt. Hebron)
Brian Jakubek (Howard)
KJ Jarrett (Long Reach)
Andrew Johnson (Glenelg)
Jack Johnson (Atholton)
Shayan Kassiri (Howard)
Andrew Kell (Oakland Mills)
Alex King (Long Reach)
Hunter Koele (Glenelg)
Ryan Kulick (Howard)
Connor Leard (Glenelg)
Tyler Lizzo (Mt. Hebron)
Ben Looper (Oakland Mills)
Ryan Looper (Oakland Mills)
Tyler Miles (Oakland Mills)
Cameron Morris (Howard)
Josh Olsufka (Marriotts Ridge)
Jerry O'Neill (Howard)
Asa Roberson (Hammond)
Trevor Romaine (Reservoir)
Danny Selby (River Hill)
John Lee Smithson V (Long Reach)
Zach Snow (Atholton)
EJ Sweet (Reservoir)
Benji Thalheimer (Atholton)
Nick Wiedorfer (Hammond)
Will Zimmerman (Wilde Lake)

 

Howard County

Teams
*Marriotts Ridge Mustangs
Howard Lions
Reservoir Gators
River Hill Hawks
Mount Hebron Vikings
Atholton Raiders
Glenelg Gladiators
Long Reach Lightning
Centennial Eagles
Oakland Mills Scorpions
Wilde Lake Wildcats
Hammond Golden Bears

*Denotes 2018 Conference Champion

 

2019 Season Outlook

Marriotts Ridge squeaked out the Howard County Conference title last season by one game over Howard, Reservoir, and River Hill. The Mustangs look poised to contend once again for the county crown with 2018 Howard County Player of the Year Josh Olsufka returning. Olsufka batted .412 and went 8-1 on the mound with a 1.45 ERA in 38.2 innings pitched for the county champion and 2A South Region Finalists. Marriotts Ridge loses three All-Howard County players from a year ago in Hunter Reeling, Dylan Anagnos, and Joey Fellona but should contend with Olsufka, Cole Brown, and TJ Delmonte returning. 

The defending 4A State Champion Howard Lions look to be the favorites however in a strong Howard County Conference this season. Howard returns a good majority of their team in 2019 with only three seniors having graduated from last years state championship squad. Howard County Pitcher of the Year and UMBC commit Gabe Delgado returns to anchor a staff that sees everyone back from a year ago. Delgado (5-2 W-L, 73 K's in 47.1 IP) will be joined by University of Salisbury commit Brendan Foster (3-2 W-L, 58 K's in 33.2 IP), and a pair of York College (PA) commits in Ryan Kulick (3-0 W-L, 22 K's in 19.1 IP) and Brian Jakubek (5-0-1 W-L-S) as seniors in the rotation. Sophomores Ben Fader (4.06 ERA in 20.1 IP) and Nathan Dawes (2-1 W-L, 12.1 IP) also figure to help solidify what looks to be a very strong staff in 2019. 9th year head coach Nick Hoffner returns six everyday starters from last year's lineup with seniors Kulick (.439 AVG, 27 RBI's), Delgado (.339 AVG, 13 RBI's), Jakubek (.303 AVG, 13 RBI's, 26 R's), and Jerry O'Neill (.370 AVG, 18 RBI's, 24 R's) leading the way. Look for All-Howard County 2nd Team member Alex Campbell (.351 AVG, 21 RBI's, 20 R's) and fellow junior Shayan Kassiri (.400 AVG) to help bolster the offense. 

Reservoir returns 2018 All-Howard County 1st Team pitcher Trevor Romaine (5-1 W-L,  1.44 ERA in 50 IP) along with EJ Sweet, Ryan Green, and Daniel Elliott this season. Look for Bradley Davidson and JM Musser to find roles on this year's squad that figures to be strong once again under 17th year head coach Adam Leader.

8th year head coach Jon Dupski and Atholton have a strong core of upperclassmen returning in 2019 which should help make them strong contenders in Howard County. Seniors Zach Snow, Jack Johnson, Kyle Hess, and Rochester Institute of Technology commit Carson Collier return alongside a strong junior class that features Michael Burton Jr., Zachary Geesaman, and Benji Thalheimer. Thalheimer, Collier, and senior Brian Weinberg will anchor the staff for the Raiders.

River Hill, Mt. Hebron, Glenelg, Long Reach, and Oakland Mills all figure to have key pieces returning this season to make them contenders as well. River Hill will be led by middle infielder and 2018 All-Howard County 2nd Team member Danny Selby who hit .500 last season for the Hawks. Outfielder Connor Coleman should also help Selby pace the offense in 2019. 

Mt. Hebron loses four All-Howard County members in Alex Bolton, Lake Lloyd, Mark Lettieri, and Noah D'Alonzo but still figure to be strong with five returners on offense and two strong arms. Tommy Fitzpatrick, Dylan Holzman, Jimmy Jaecksch, Magnus Dunn, and Tyler Lizzo will look to pace the offensive attack for the Vikings and 13th year head coach Brian Culley while Jaecksch and Dunn anchor the staff. Look for Finnian Devine to to help out and find a role on this year's staff as well. 

Glenelg finished middle of the pack last year in the county standings at (8-9) and return a solid group led by Tad Henley, Connor Leard, Eddie Dello Russo, Hunter Koele, and sophomore LHP and University of Maryland commit Andrew Johnson. Expect the Gladiators to not only make some noise but really be in contention for the county title come late April - early May.

Long Reach returns Jeremy Huffman, KJ Jarrett, Alex King, and John Lee Smithson V and Oakland Mills returns as solid core of players as well led by 2018 All-Howard County 1st Team member Ben Looper. Look for Ryan Looper, Andrew Kell and Tyler Miles to play key roles as well for the Scorpions this season. 

Hammond will look to improve upon their last place finish in the county and could be interesting to watch with Brandon Eschman, Asa Roberson, and Nick Wiedorfer each returning and Wilde Lake figures to lean primarily on Will Zimmerman with 2nd Team All-Howard County OF Daniel Yellin having graduated.

There are some very talented players and teams again in Howard County this season which should make for some fun baseball to watch and follow as we grind out another journey to the County Championship and State Playoffs. 

 

MORE MARYLAND HIGH SCHOOL CONFERENCE PREVIEWS