West II

Jackson Colton 3B, Gavin Crandell 4 innings 5 hits 2 Runs allowed, Ian Benson 3 innings 0 runs, 0 hits

Long Reach High School’s Aidan West projects as one of the top players in the 2025 MLB Draft. Among Maryland high schoolers, the shortstop ranks as the number one state prospect and boasts an impressive collection of accolades, including multiple appearances on the All-State team and the All-Howard County team. MLB Pipeline ranks West as the 17th-best high school shortstop in the draft class and the 123rd-best player across all positions. He is in the top 10 for left-handed hitting high school shortstops. West stands out among the pack for how he helped transform Long Reach baseball into an annual playoff contender. Long Reach began the 2025 season with a 0-3 record, ranking as their worst since they started 0-5 in 2018. The Lightning won their next three games by three runs each. The offense showed clear signs of improvement, but the team had not yet synergized into a full juggernaut. Despite the .500 start, Long Reach finished the season with an 11-1 and secured the most wins in school history with 14. The offense scored ten or more runs in over half of those games. Long Reach had a 13 game streak of allowing three or fewer runs. The Lightning posted their best stretch of the season in mid-April, with 55 runs scored and only two runs allowed. Long Reach finished the season one game behind River Hill in the Sierra Division standings. The two teams met again in the second MPSSAA regional round and played one of the closest games of the season. Though the Lightning lost that matchup, the team made the playoffs in all four seasons with West. His efforts snapped a seven-year streak of the Lightning missing the playoffs. West graduated with records in nearly every major offensive category. He finished with a .499 batting average and brought plenty of power with records in doubles and home runs. He earned that record in a two home run game against Hammond High School. West drew 70 walks and stole 81 bases, which also stands alone all time. North Carolina State University secured West’s commitment on Nov. 6, 2021. He would be the second player in his family to play for the Wolfpack, following his grandfather Eddie West. The younger West previously told Inside Pack Sports that the family legacy “inspired me.” The Wasserman Group, one of the top agencies for MLB prospects, will represent West for draft negotiations. In 2023, Wasserman’s clients amounted to over $50 million in signing bonuses. The 2024 draft featured 12 clients within the first 40 picks. West could make history for Long Reach as the first player in school history to be drafted. MLB compared him to Jackson Merrill, a similarly left-handed shortstop, who became Maryland’s most recent all-star hitter in 2024. The San Diego Padres have taken two of the three most recent Maryland high school players and could return for a third time in four years.

The MLB Draft is coming soon, with festivities split across July 13-14 in Atlanta. The event opens the biggest weekend in baseball alongside the All-Star Game and Home Run Derby. This year, Maryland celebrates 80 years of producing top MLB talent. In 1965, Jim Spencer made history when the California Angels selected the first baseman with the 11th overall pick out of Andover High School, which is now North County High School. Spencer made his major league debut on Sept. 7, 1968, beginning a 15-year career. In 1978, he became the first Maryland high school draftee to win a World Series. 337 players have followed Spencer's lead from schools across the state. Two, Cal Ripken Jr. and Harold Baines, have made the Hall of Fame. Maryland high school draftees have combined for 37 All-Star appearances, 13 Silver Sluggers, nine Gold Gloves, two MVPs, a Rookie of the Year and seven World Series wins. The Chicago White Sox used their No.1 overall pick in 1977 on Harold Baines out of St. Michaels High School. He became the first and only player to be drafted from the school and the only top selection in state history. The White Sox had faith in the then-18-year-old after he hit .532 as a senior and became an All-American first baseman. Baines played for five teams, headlined by the White Sox and the Baltimore Orioles. He debuted on Opening Day in 1980 and dominated the decade, boasting the 5th most RBIs among American League players from 1980 to 1989. Baines is regarded as one of the most clutch players of all time. He is tied for the fourth-most walk-off home runs and the 10th-most grand slams in MLB history. Baines joined the Hall of Fame in 2019 as an inductee of the Today's Game Era Committee. In his induction speech, Baines gave credit to his Maryland upbringing. “From teachers to coaches to town residents who showed me both kindness and discipline, I thank you all for what you have done for me. I cannot ever express enough appreciation for St. Michaels. It still remains my home to this day,” Baines said. In 1993, the town of St. Michaels named Jan. 9 as Harold Baines Day. The White Sox retired his number 3 in honor of their franchise icon. Baines returned to Chicago as a bench coach in 2004 and finally helped bring a World Series back to the South Side in 2005. Most recently, the San Diego Padres selected Lamar King Jr. (Calvert Hall College High School 22) in the 4th round of the 2022 draft. San Diego has made two of the three most recent Maryland high school selections, joined by Jackson Merrill and the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Peter Heubeck. King impressed scouts in his senior season with a .545 batting average and a 1.363 slugging percentage, according to MaxPreps. The catcher had been committed to Georgia Tech before the draft. He ultimately signed for full slot value at the 120th overall pick. King recently won the Minor League Player of the Month award for his June performance. The 21-year-old had a .408 batting average with a 1.084 OPS and 11 doubles in the month. MLB Pipeline ranks King as the Padres’ 29th-best prospect. King now has a chance to follow in his father, Lamar King Sr., a former NFL defensive end, and make it to the pros. The elder King played for Essex High School and the Seattle Seahawks drafted him in the first round of the 1999 NFL draft. In 2025, the legacy of Maryland players could continue with Long Reach High School's Aidan West. MLB lists the shortstop as a top 125 player in the draft class. West could make history for Long Reach as their first draftee and end a three-year drought for Maryland high school talent.

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8 innings

No hitter countysports.zone/scores/view/jk7uKNMTQmJW7moNvO8GL

Aidan Harris threw a scoreless complete game for the Bears striking out 11 batters. Aidan also went 2-3 and scored on a sacrifice fly by Nick Wilk. Manny Powell and Connor Walls also had hits. countysports.zone/scores/view/v8yyWxzF241mITheQNnIE

The Annapolis Panthers get timely hitting and solid pitching to Win 3-2 over the Bulldogs. Down 2-1 in the bottom of the 6th the Panthers tied the game up at 2-2 when CF Trenton Player hit a 381’ SHOT over the LF Fence. The game ended in Walk-Off Fashion on a line drive double by Sebastian Casanova with 2 outs in the bottom of the 7th to knock in Dylan Katz all the way from 1B, after he reached on a single to CF with 2 outs. Tyson Toton was steady on the mound for Annapolis going 4.2 innings, allowing two runs on 5 hits, walking one. The Panther’s brought in Alex Shermer to relieve T. Toton down 2-1 with 2 runners on base and 2 outs to get out of the jam in the top of the 5th. Shermer’s 1st pitch to the Bulldogs Michael Martin resulted in the 3rd out as Martin popped out to Sean Talbot at Firstbase. A Shermer pitched 2.0 innings to get the Win on 2 Hits, 0 Runs and 1 Strike Out. Panthers Relief Pitcher Tyrek Twyman came in with 2 outs in the top of the 7th for 5 pitches to record the last out to take the 2-2 game into the bottom of the 7th at Annapolis HS. A single with 2 outs by the Panthers 3B Dylan Katz set it up for Sebastian Casanova to hammer a line drive double into Left Field. Annapolis collected seven hits. Trenton Player, Dylan Katz, and S. Casanova each had multiple hits for Annapolis. Casanova, D. Katz, each collected 2 hits and T. Player going 2-3 with 2R, RBI, 5 Total Bases and his first ever Varsity Baseball Home Run, proved to be the recipe for today’s come from behind victory. A Team Win! Winning Pitcher, Alex Shermer countysports.zone/scores/view/-uQVS84lHH4wwwpuUEG6F

Tucker Freer 2 for 2 solo HR, 2 walks JP Tennant 7 innings, 8 K’s 4 ER’s. countysports.zone/scores/view/lAd6B_0aADjse6IAOzxly

J.P. Tennant- Win; Tucker Freer- Save Conner Bosley Double. countysports.zone/scores/view/ISIgvMkacqPZWtH7_Zcqd