OSSAA 6A Regional Previews: Sand Springs Regional

May 2, 2023
Scott Hood
OK/MO/KS/ARK Assistant Scouting Director

Prep Baseball Report Oklahoma has been all over the State the past few months scouting and covering games bringing you the most comprehensive High School baseball coverage. Today we take a look at the teams in 6A with looks at their record, district record, Power 25 Rankings wins on the season, players to watch throughout the postseason, as well as a more in-depth look at each team's season and outlook heading out into the postseason. Follow us on twitter @PBR_Oklahoma as we cover games throughout the next two weeks until the final dog pile of the season.

SAND SPRINGS SANDITES

OVERALL RECORD: 26-7

DISTRICT RECORD: 11-3

POWER 25 WINS: 6

PLAYERS TO WATCH

JABE SCHLEHUBER, RHP, MIF, 2023, NOC ENID COMMIT

DOMINIC ORNELAS, C, 2023, NOC ENID COMMIT

ELI BUXTON, RHP, 2024

BRODY RUTLEDGE, OF, 2023, NSU FOOTBALL COMMIT

EASTON WEBB, RHP, 2026, OSU COMMIT

JACKSON TURNEY, 1B, 2026

RHEN RUTLEDGE, OF, 2023

WYATT RUTLEDGE, INF, 2024

KAYDEN CAMPBELL, OF/LHP, 2024

Coach Brown and the Sandites found themselves in a 4-way tie for the top spot in 6A-3 but by virtue of tie-breakers have themselves hosting for the second year in a row. You always want to be entering postseason play on a hot streak and the Sandites enter their Regional winning 14 out of their last 16 games that included a 1-0 victory over our Power 25 number one ranked team Union. For the Sandites it starts on the mound with their 1-2 punch of the uber competitive Jabe Schlehuber as the number one and the projectable and high ceiling starter in Eli Buxton. Both guys have the type of stuff that can take over a ball game making them a very difficult matchup in a 4 team double elimination tournament. After those two they can hand the ball to a number of talented arms that includes the freshman Easton Webb who has shown the ability especially as of late to miss bats in a hurry. Offensively the lineup is full of pesky hitters that are tough to put away and a pair of power bats in the middle with Ornelas and Turney. Ornelas has shown big power throughout his high school career and Turney who has proven himself even at a younger age to handle high end pitching. Last year’s squad fell just short of reaching the State Tournament losing a tough battle to Enid in the Regional final and will look to avenge that loss as one of the top contenders heading into 2023’s postseason.

STILLWATER PIONEERS

OVERALL RECORD: 24-9

DISTRICT RECORD: 8-6

POWER 25 WINS: 5

PLAYERS TO WATCH

ETHAN HOLLIDAY, MIF, 2025, OSU COMMIT

OWEN COIL, INF/OF, 2024, ORU COMMIT

ANTHONY SMITH, RHP/OF, 2023, SEMINOLE STATE COLLEGE COMMIT

BARRETT MORGAN, RHP, 2023, COWLEY COUNTY COMMIT

GAGE GUNDY, INF, 2023

TYNER WILSON, OF, 2024

TALON KENDRICK, OF, 2024

PARKER JEFFERY, C, 2024

JACKSON HARRIS, MIF, 2026

Coach Harris and the Pioneers have put together an impressive resume throughout the spring thanks to one of the most dangerous lineups in the area. Getting through their “murderer’s row” of elite power hitters from the first 6-7 hitters is a difficult task to ask from an opposing pitcher with a fully stretched lineup that offers no margin of error. They have a nice balance of left handed and right handed bats and can still play the type of small ball that can give defenses a lot to handle. On the mound they look to their ace Barrett to provide them the type of arm that when firing on all cylinders has a chance to beat anyone in the state. Anthony Smith is another power arm that has shown the type of flashes of brilliance that we were waiting to see giving them a very solid 1-2 punch. With the Pioneers ability to play strong defense and the threat of leaving the yard at any time, they will make for a very tough out in this regional and will require teams to bring their best performance on the mound to beat them.

SOUTHMOORE SABERCATS

OVERALL RECORD: 13-18

DISTRICT RECORD: 6-8

POWER 25 WINS: 1

PLAYERS TO WATCH

JACOB KEWONO, INF/RHP, 2025

KASON RINEHART, OF, 2025

CORBIN RODRIGUEZ, OF/RHP, 2026

NATHAN HALVERSON, MIF/RHP, 2024

Coach Haines and the Sabercats had a lot to handle with the East side blue bloods in their conference but they were able to scratch across enough wins in their tough district to take home 5th place. They do enter the postseason play as winners of 7 out of their last nine games giving them a bit of momentum headed into Regional play. While they have dropped most of their games against their tough in district they have an impressive win in the past couple of weeks against a very talented 5A team in Carl Albert to hang their hats on showing that when they put it all together they can play the role of spoiler. The Sabercats will look to take their recent momentum into Sand Springs and create some serious challenges against their opponents.

BOOKER T WASHINGTON HORNETS

OVERALL RECORD: 7-26

DISTRICT RECORD: 1-13

POWER 25 WINS: 0

PLAYERS TO WATCH

ETHAN MOORE, 1B, 2023, IOWA WESTERN COMMIT

ISAAC FAIN, OF, 2023

MCKAY VAN TASSELL, C, 2025

Coach Potocnik’s Hornets were another team to catch the wrath of the 6A-4 district where finding wins became a bit of a challenge. Although there have been challenges throughout the 2023 slate, the Hornets do come into postseason play playing their best version of themselves since the middle of April that has seen them pick up 5 of their 7 wins and given a couple of the better teams in this area a real scare. Here in the past week they took number one Union to the edge before falling in extra innings and took down a strong contender for the 5A title in Bishop Kelley in a 4-3 win. They might not have enough firepower to make a real run in 2023 but don’t take the Hornets too lightly as they have shown themselves as of late to be a very stingy ball club.