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 the Southern Maryland Athletic Conference

Matt Bobrowski (Leonardtown)
Austin Brown (La Plata)
Nick Burch (Leonardtown)
Chase Burroughs (Chopticon)
Ryan Calvert (La Plata)
Michael Floria (Calvert)
Jacob Gill (Patuxent)
Logan Handwork (North Point)
Matt Jarman (Northern)
Nate Kistler (Patuxent)
Ethan Ledig (Leonardtown)
Marcus Lee Sang (Northern)
Duke Marlowe (Calvert)
Joe Mozingo (Huntingtown)
Matt Pritchett (Huntingtown)
Austin Simms (McDonough)
Ryan Terrents (Huntingtown)
Gabe Tippett (Chopticon)
Clay Wargo (Huntingtown)
Jake Willis (Calvert) 

 

SMAC Chesapeake Division

Teams
Calvert Cavaliers
Chopticon Braves
Great Mills Hornets
Huntingtown Hurricanes
*Leonardtown Radiers
Northern Patriots
Patuxent Panthers

 *Denotes 2018 Division Champion

SMAC Potomac Division

Teams
*La Plata Warriors
Lackey Chargers
McDonough Rams
North Point Eagles
St. Charles Spartans
Thomas Stone Cougars
Westlake Wolverines

*Denotes 2018 Conference Champion

2019 Season Outlook

Leonardtown, who took the highly competitive Chesapeake division last year, look like they could repeat as champions yet again in 2019 with the majority of their players returning from last year. The young pitching staff of Cole Tarleton, Ethan Ledig, and Al Stumm will benefit from another year under their belt after having very good springs in 2018. Senior US Naval Academy commit Nick Burch and junior Matt Bobrowski are back yet again to lead the offensive attack and will again be two of the toughest outs to get in the conference and state.

Huntingtown looks like they will be a serious contender in the Chesapeake division with the majority of their team back and coming off a 3A State Runner-up season in 2018. Their senior laden lineup returns University of Towson commit Ryan Terrents, USC-Aiken commit Joe Mozingo, Ethan Poore, and Matt Pritchett. Also returning in the heart of their lineup as well are juniors Cy Harwood an Coastal Carolina commit Clay Wargo.

Northern looks like a team that could potentially contend in the Chesapeake this season as well with St. John's commit Marcus Lee Sang back. The Patriots also return several other players that will play key roles this season in Nick White, Matt Jarman, Mason Davidson, Grayson Lewis, and Robert Jurney. Northern is a year older and now boast a more experienced roster with the pieces and pitching depth that should keep them in every game this year. The biggest question looks like it will simply be are they ready to take that next step?

Calvert loses Colin Taeschner (US Naval Academy) but return McDaniel commit Duke Marlowe, Prince George's CC commit Jake Willis, and very talented two-way player, junior Michael Floria. Chopticon lost some key pieces from last year as well, but return some nice talents, most notably Chase Burroughs and Gabe Tippett, who should again be key cogs for the team this spring. Patuxent will have a tough time replacing SMAC Player of the Year in Sayo Kintunde (Towson), but do return a big piece of the team back in Nate Kistler, Curtis Robey, Robert Portillo, Jacob Gill, Robert Stone, Garrett Witte, and Bryce Whitney. 

The Potomac division once again looks like it will boil down to McDonough and La Plata. La Plata will be lead by their talented two-way junior Ryan Calvert who will be a top arm again and staple in the lineup for the offense. Dean Kirby  also returns on the mound for the Warriors whom combined with Calvert look to be one one of the top 1-2 combos in the conference. Calvert and Kirby combined to strike out 130 batters in 2018 in just 93 innings pitched. La Plata boasts plenty of depth with Austin Brown, Tyler Moody Zach Armstrong, Shane Kirby, and Zach Harris returning as well. Offensively they look to be led by Brown who had one of the most impressive seasons in 2018 batting .540 with 9 long balls and 32 RBI's. Calvert is coming off a .360 season with 25 RBI's and Harris and Kirby round out what looks to be a strong lineup again in 2019. 

Though McDonough will have a tough time replacing Peyton Myers from last year, they do return key piece Austin Simms, who was a huge two-way talent for the Rams in 2018. Don't be surprised to see more faces step up for the Rams in 2019 as they again should be a top competitor for the Potomac division title.

North Point looks like contenders yet again in the Potomac but it will be very tough for them to make up for the type of production lost from Zach Doss who graduated.

MORE MARYLAND HIGH SCHOOL CONFERENCE PREVIEWS