Year in Review: No. 5 5A and 6A State Champions

By: Zac Bottoms
Arkansas Scouting Director

The year of 2016 was a busy year for Prep Baseball Report Arkansas. We hosted 12 showcase events, scouted 3 tournaments during high schools season and 8 during the summer. Our staff saw over 100 games during the high school season. Today we look at 5A and 6A State Championship Games. As the No. 5 Story of the year. 

5A

Magnolia defeated Sylvan Hills 4-1 in the final game of Championship week end. They received a solid performance from 2017 RHP/MIF Matt Goodheart as he pitched 7 innings allowing just 1 run. 2017 MIF Parker Ribble was big part of the day making big plays defensively at short stop and recording 2 hits including a big RBI. A heated game with Sylvan Hills threatening to score in 4 of 7 innings but was turned away in all but one by the gutty Matt Goodheart. Look for both teams to be in the mix for the 5A State Title in 2017 as they both return the majority of their roster.

Moving Forward

Sylvan Hills and Magnolia return a large part of their rosters from 2017 so they should be considered in the mix. Others to watch in 5A in 2017 will be Watson Chapel, with a talented roster, with 2017 RHP Hayden Arnold and 2018 LHP Kaleb Hill giving them a solid 1-2 on the mound. Greenbrier may be the favorite lead by 2017 LHP/1B Hunter Milligan and 2017 3B/RHP Paxton Wallace.

6A

2016 LHP Skyler Boyle led Jonesboro to their second title in school history. He pitched a complete game scattering 6 hits allowing just one earned run, all while contributing offensively. Jonesboro methodically manufactured runs early on before taking advantage of some Mountain Home stakes in the sixth scoring 4. Jonesboro won by the final score of 8-1. 2016 RHP Ryan Czanstkowski was a bright spot for Mountain Home commanding the strike zone with two pitches keeping the Bomber in a competitive game through 5 innings.

Moving Forward

The 6A State Tournament was filled with upsets last spring, with single elimination and byes anything can happen. The two teams on paper that look to be the front runners are Greenwood and Sheridan, both have deep pitching staff with a legitimate No.1 and solid position players behind them. 

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