2022 MPSSAA 2A Season Preview
March 23, 2022
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Our 2022 Season Preview continues today with our preview of the MPSSAA 2A in Maryland. We will dive into key players and prospects to watch, as well as make our predictions on who we believe will win each region.
MIAA "A" Conference Preview Part 1
MIAA "A" Conference Preview Part 2
MIAA "B" Conference Preview
WCAC Preview
IAC Preview
Lets take a look into the 2A…
2021 Recap
Last season, the 2A State Championship game was played between powerhouse and defending state champion La Plata and Sparrows Point. Coming into the game, Sparrows Point was a real long-shot to win, as La Plata had won two of the last four 2A state championships and had a record of 16-1 entering the contest. The Pointers did not roll over however, as they scored three runs in the first and two in the second to go up 5-0 entering the bottom half of the inning. Alex Borges knocked in La Plata's first run in the second inning, making the score 5-1. Fast forward to the sixth inning as Ryan Zickefoose laced a two run single to increase the Pointers lead to 7-1. Robbie Shelton came up in the bottom half of the sixth and laced a huge three run double to pull the score to 7-4, setting the stage for a wild seventh inning. In the bottom half, two bases loaded walks brought the score to 7-6, bringing Junior catcher Chet Bowling to the dish. After going down 0-2, Bowling barreled up an outside fastball and laced a two RBI single to walk it off and give La Plata it's second straight 2A State Championship.
This season, the 2A classification will be very intriguing to watch all year long, with top-notch players to watch across the entire state. In our Preseason Power 25, we have six 2A schools in our rankings, with La Plata, Century and Patuxent headlining our list. La Plata has won back-to-back 2A State Championships... will this be the year a new team will take the crown? We break it all down here.
2022 Preview
Players to Watch
| Player | Position | High School | Year |
| Adam Gott | RHP/INF | Calvert | 2022 |
| Aidan Brinsfield | RHP | Parkside | 2023 |
| Andrew Brill | C | Poolesville | 2024 |
| Austin Keefer | RHP/1B | North East | 2022 |
| Brady Powell | SS | Patuxent | 2022 |
| Bryson Prietz | RHP | Century | 2022 |
| Caeden Schulte | C/3B | Kent Island | 2023 |
| Cameron Klotz | SS/RHP | Rising Sun | 2023 |
| Carson Brown | CIF | Easton | 2023 |
| Casey Parsons | RHP/3B | Parkside | 2024 |
| Chet Bowling | C/RHP | La Plata | 2022 |
| Chris Baynard | OF/1B | Easton | 2023 |
| Churchill Bridgman | RHP/INF | Southern-AA | 2023 |
| Colin Athey | RHP/3B | Queen Anne's | 2022 |
| DJ Stolba | OF | Glenelg | 2023 |
| Drew Kinsey | C | Hereford | 2022 |
| Ethan Flaugher | C | North East | 2024 |
| Fredy Diaz | SS | Middletown | 2024 |
| Garrett Griebel | SS | Kent Island | 2022 |
| Grey Willis | LHP/OF | Rising Sun | 2024 |
| Jacob Whiteman | RHP | North East | 2022 |
| Jayden Watkins | RHP | North Caroline | 2022 |
| Jeff DeLair | RHP/3B | Patuxent | 2022 |
| Joey Nicholson | OF | Middletown | 2024 |
| John Smith | LHP | Parkside | 2023 |
| Joshua Morton | OF/RHP | Harford Tech | 2023 |
| Kaleb Jones | LHP/OF | Wicomico | 2022 |
| Kayden Webb | RHP/OF | Easton | 2025 |
| Kyle Grimsley | 1B | Century | 2022 |
| Kyle Speas | LHP | North Caroline | 2022 |
| Landon Castor | INF/RHP | Glenelg | 2023 |
| Liam Diehl | RHP | Hereford | 2023 |
| Luke Keefer | RHP/SS | North East | 2024 |
| Luke Pearre | LHP/OF | Poolesville | 2024 |
| Mark Shelley | RHP/1B | Sparrows Point | 2022 |
| Matthew Lynch | LHP/1B | Rising Sun | 2022 |
| Michael Martin | OF | Southern-AA | 2022 |
| Mikey Gamble | SS | Sparrows Point | 2022 |
| Nathan Robey | RHP | Patuxent | 2022 |
| Robbie Shelton | RHP/CIF | La Plata | 2023 |
| Ryan Moran | RHP | Patuxent | 2023 |
| Ryan Prehoda | C/RHP | Lackey | 2023 |
| Spencer Flavin | LHP | Glenelg | 2022 |
| Todd Calhoun | OF | Glenelg | 2022 |
| Tyler Titus | RHP/1B | Queen Anne's | 2022 |
Region Breakdown
2A West
| Region I | Region II |
| Century | Glenelg |
| Liberty | Hammond |
| Southern-AA | Middletown |
| Winters Mill | Oakland Mills |
| Poolesville | |
| Walkersville |
Notes
Region I this season features four teams, three of which reside from Carroll County. Southern-AA moves in from the 2A South, away from La Plata who has had their number the last few years. With that said, the Bulldogs come into 2022 with a ton of confidence, bringing back depth on both sides of the ball with the likes of two-way Churchill Bridgman, outfielder Michael Martin and utility player Quinn Waters... Century enters the season with a plethora of depth and confidence for a deep run through the playoffs. Although the names may fly under the radar, don't sleep on the Knights as they have a nice mixture of power bats, speed, and a deep rotation that will log a ton of key innings for Coach Chris Poe. Bryson Prietz, Brody Comer, and Owen Roach look to lead the rotation, with the likes of RJ Branch, Comer, and Kyle Grimsley providing depth throughout the lineup... Liberty is perennially a contender not only in Carroll County, but the 2A region as a whole, however we believe it's a two horse race between Century and Southern-AA... Southern-AA has the depth needed to make a run, however we're going to give the nod to Century in what should be an intriguing Regional Championship matchup between the Knights and Bulldogs.
Region II this year will be exciting to watch, with Glenelg, Middletown, Walkersville and Poolesville looking like the top four teams battling it out for the top spot. Glenelg will miss the services of their ace and power stick Andrew Johnson (Maryland), but return lefty Spencer Flavin (Navy) who should take over the top spot in the rotation. We look for big seasons from two-way Landon Castor, outfielder Todd Calhoun (McDaniel) and outfielder DJ Stolba... Middletown is very young, but shows promise and depth throughout their underclassmen, led by the likes of shortstop Fredy Diaz, catcher Joey Nicholson, and two-way Andrew Raymond... Poolesville also possesses a fairly young squad, led by catcher Andrew Brill, and two-way's Luke Pearre and Parker Pearre. Walkersville contains one of the more experienced rosters across this region, led by Senior Adam Dellamura (Hood) and Logan Cornish... We believe Middletown and Poolesville are a year or two out from real contention, so a final between Glenelg and Walkersville should be forthcoming. We'll go with the firepower on both sides of the ball at Glenelg to get the job done.
Top 4
1. Century
2. Glenelg
3. Southern-AA
4. Middletown
2A North
| Region I | Region II |
| Carver A&T | Carver Vo. Tech |
| Hereford | Chesapeake-BC |
| Lansdowne | Dunbar |
| Milford Mill | Eastern Tech |
| New Town | Overlea |
| Owings Mills | Patterson |
| Randallstown | Sparrows Point |
Notes
Region I will go through Hereford this season, as the Bulls possess the deepest and most talented roster across the region. The Bulls will be led by the likes of right-handed pitcher Liam Diehl (High Point) and catcher Drew Kinsey (Washington College), with a plethora of depth provided throughout their roster.... Eastern Tech has moved to Region II, which provides a gap in the competition through Region I, with Lansdowne in our eyes being the team that will provide the most competition to Hereford. With that being said, Hereford should rely on their depth and upperclassmen leadership to take this region by storm.
Region II looks to be a two team race between State finalist Sparrows Point and Eastern Tech. Sparrows Point returns a plethora of starters from a year ago, and enter 2022 with confidence and big goals for this season. Led by Senior Mark Shelley (Bethany), the Pointers will also look to Senior Mikey Gamble and Junior lefty Logan Deene to provide the leadership on the bump. Gamble, Ryan Zickefoose and Wayne Brooks are all back offensively, which should provide a consistent spark for Sparrows Point... Eastern Tech looks to give Sparrows Point a run this year, led by Junior two-way Tyler Zimmerman and Jacob Young... We believe Sparrows Point's experience and depth will be the difference maker throughout this region and beyond, as the Pointers look to make it back to the 2A State Championship for the second year in a row.
Top 4
1. Sparrows Point
2. Hereford
3. Eastern Tech
4. Lansdowne
2A South
| Region I | Region II |
| Douglass-PG | Calvert |
| Fairmont Heights | Lackey |
| Friendly | La Plata |
| Gwynn Park | McDonough |
| Potomac | Patuxent |
| Thomas Stone | |
| Westlake |
Notes
Region I this year looks to be wide open, with perennial contenders Fairmont Heights and Gwynn Park the two favorites to meet in the regional championship. We're going to go with the 1A South regional champions from last season, Fairmont Heights to win the 2A South Region II this season.
Region II may be the most intense and intriguing region to watch across the 2A this season, with Patuxent and La Plata looking like the favorites to match-up in the Regional Championship. Patuxent returns a plethora of starters from a year ago, led by team leader and standout shortstop Brady Powell (George Mason). Protecting Powell throughout the lineup will be led by the likes of two-way Jeff DeLair, Ryan Moran and Nathan Robey, with a ton of underclassmen hungry to contribute to a state championship run in 2022. DeLair, Moran, and Robey look to be the top three arms for the Panthers, with DeLair eyeing for a big season both on the bump and at the dish... La Plata is strolling into 2022 coming off of back-to-back state championships, and return two of their top hitters from a year ago in Senior catcher Chet Bowling (Brunswick CC) and Junior corner infielder Robbie Shelton. The Warriors will need some underclassmen to step up on both sides of the ball, as the loss of two-way's Alex Borges, Dylan Brown and Andrew Leginze to graduation leaves a few question marks... Calvert looks to contend throughout the region with the likes of Adam Gott and David Rodenhaver leading the charge on both sides of the ball... Lackey has a two-way to keep eyes on in cacher and right-handed pitcher Ryan Prehoda, however we look for the two powerhouse teams in Patuxent and La Plata to lock horns in the 2A Region II championship. This one is a toss up, and one of the more intriguing matchups across the 2A Classification. We believe La Plata will get it done in the end, leaning on Bowling and Shelton to lead the way.
Top 4
1. La Plata
2. Patuxent
3. Calvert
4. Lackey
2A East
| Region I | Region II |
| Elkton | Easton |
| Fallston |
Kent Island |
| Harford Tech | North Caroline |
| North East | Parkside |
| North Harford | Queen Anne's |
| Rising Sun | Wicomico |
Notes
In 2021, North Harford took the region by storm, upsetting powerhouse North East in the regional championship game. This season, North Harford is much younger than a year ago, so we look for them to take a step back, with Elkton also coming into 2022 with a younger squad. That leaves Fallston, Harford Tech and Rising Sun with the best chances in our eyes to give North East a run throughout Region I... Fallston will be led by a talented Junior in two-way Finley Jourdan... Harford Tech returns two-way standouts Wyatt Dudeck and Joshua Morton, with younger players in the program looking to provide depth throughout... Rising Sun is deep on both sides of the ball, and looks to be the biggest threat to North East, with Cameron Klotz, Matthew Lynch (Towson), Hayden Spioch, and Grey Willis providing the depth on both sides of the ball... North East on the other hand returns a plethora of starters from a year ago, led by Senior righty Jacob Whiteman (Towson) and Sophomore two-way Luke Keefer (Maryland). Look for a breakout season from uncommitted Sophomore Ethan Flaugher, who has really put his name into the conversation as one of the top uncommitted players in the MD/DE Class of 2024. The depth, experience and firepower from North East may be too much to handle for the other teams across the Region, so we're picking them to avenge the loss in the regional championship just a year ago.
Top to bottom, the East Region II looks to be the toughest and most competitive region in all of 2A. All six teams look to be competitive throughout the season, with legitimate chances to make a run at a region title. Easton possesses a powerful offense, led by the likes of Chris Baynard and Carson Brown, with the emergence of Freshman Kayden Webb (Maryland) looking to provide a spark on both sides of the ball... Kent Island has a ton of pieces on both sides of the ball, with talented upperclassmen at the helm with Logan Burns, Garrett Griebel (Wilson) and Caeden Schulte... North Caroline is also an interesting team to watch, led by Senior lefty Kyle Speas (UMES) and righty Jayden Watkins (UMES) leading the rotation, with talented upperclassmen with experience at the dish... Queen Anne's looks to avenge their regional semi-final loss last season, with two-way Colin Athey (Volunteer State CC), Tyler Titus (Washington College) and Dalton Brown leading the way on both sides of the ball... Kaleb Jones (Wilson) will be a spark plug for Wicomico on both sides of the ball, with talent spread out across the roster from top to bottom... Parkside looks to possess the deepest and most talented roster across region II, led by Aidan Brinsfield, Casey Gabbard, Casey Parsons, and John Smith. Looking for their third straight region title, we see Parkside coming out on top once again.
Top 4
1. North East
2. Parkside
3. Easton
4. Kent Island